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040 - Catholic Spirit · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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Speaker 1: Section thirty nine of Sermons on Several Occasions First Series.
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Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings from the
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Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Robert Smith. Sermons on Several
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Speaker 1: Occasions First Series by John Wesley Catholic Spirit. And when
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Speaker 1: he was departed, thence he lighted on Johonadab, the son
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Speaker 1: of Rechab, coming to meet him. He saluted him and
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Speaker 1: said to him, is thine heart right as my heart
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Speaker 1: is with thy heart? And Johonadab answered, it is, if
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Speaker 1: it be give me thine hand. Second Kings, Chapter ten,
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Speaker 1: verse fifteen. It is allowed even by those who do
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Speaker 1: not pay this great debt. That love is due to
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Speaker 1: all mankind. The royal law, Thou shalt love thy neighbor
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Speaker 1: as thyself, carrying its own evidence to all that hear it,
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Speaker 1: and that not according to the miserable construction put upon
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Speaker 1: it by these zealots of old times. Thou shalt love
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Speaker 1: thy neighbor, thy relation, acquaintance, friend, and hate thine enemy.
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Speaker 1: Not so I say unto you, said our Lord, love
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Speaker 1: your enemies, bless them that curse you do good to
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Speaker 1: them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully
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Speaker 1: use you and persecute you, that ye may be the
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Speaker 1: children may appear so to all mankind of your Father,
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Speaker 1: which is in heaven, who maketh his son to rise
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Speaker 1: in the evil and on the good, and sendeth rein
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Speaker 1: on the just and on the unjust. But it is
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Speaker 1: sure there is a peculiar love which we owe to
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Speaker 1: those that love God. So, David, all my delight is
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Speaker 1: upon the saints that are in the earth, and upon
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Speaker 1: such as excel in virtue, and so a greater than he.
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Speaker 1: A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love
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Speaker 1: one another as I have loved you, that ye also
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Speaker 1: love one another. By this shall all men know that
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Speaker 1: ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
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Speaker 1: John thirteen, thirty four and thirty five. This is that
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Speaker 1: love on which the apostle John so frequently and strongly insists,
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Speaker 1: this saith. He is the message that ye heard from
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Speaker 1: the beginning, that we should love one another. First John
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Speaker 1: three eleven. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because
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Speaker 1: He laid down his life for us, and we ought
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Speaker 1: if love should call us there too, to lay down
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Speaker 1: our lives for the brethren verse sixteen, And again, beloved,
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Speaker 1: let us love one another. For love is of God.
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Speaker 1: He that loveth not knoweth not God. For God is
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Speaker 1: love four seven to eight. Not that we loved God,
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Speaker 1: but that He loved us and sent his son to
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Speaker 1: be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us,
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Speaker 1: we ought also to love one another Verses ten and eleven.
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Speaker 1: All men approve of this, but do all men practice it?
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Speaker 1: Daily experience shows the contrary. Where are even the Christians
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Speaker 1: who love one another? As He hath given us commandment?
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Speaker 1: How many hindrances lie on the way. The two grand
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Speaker 1: general hindrances are first that they cannot all think alike,
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Speaker 1: and in consequence of this, secondly, they cannot all walk alike.
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Speaker 1: But in several smaller points their practice must differ in
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Speaker 1: proportion to the difference of their sentiments. But although a
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Speaker 1: difference in opinions or modes of worship may prevent an
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Speaker 1: entire external union, yet need it prevent our union and affection.
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Speaker 1: Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike?
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Speaker 1: May we not be of one heart? Though we are
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Speaker 1: not of one opinion, without all doubt we may herein
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Speaker 1: all the children of God may unite. Notwithstanding these smaller differences,
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Speaker 1: these remaining as they are, they may forward one another
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Speaker 1: in love and in good works. Surely, in this respect,
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Speaker 1: the example of Yehoum's himself, as mixed a character as
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Speaker 1: he was of is well worthy both the attention and
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Speaker 1: imitation of every serious Christian. And when he was departed,
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Speaker 1: thence he lighted on Johonadab, the son of Reka, coming
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Speaker 1: to meet him. And he saluted him and said to him,
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Speaker 1: is thine heart right as my heart is.
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Speaker 2: With thy heart?
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Speaker 1: And Johonadab answered, it is, if it be give me
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Speaker 1: thine hand. The text NAT should devise itself into two parts. First,
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Speaker 1: a question proposed by Jehu to Johonadab, is thine heart
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Speaker 1: right as my heart is with thy heart? Secondly, an
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Speaker 1: offer made on Johonadab's answering, It is, if it be
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Speaker 1: give me thine hand. And first let us consider the
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Speaker 1: question proposed by Jehu de Johonadab, is Thine heart right
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Speaker 1: as my heart is with thy heart. The very first
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Speaker 1: thing we may observe in these words is that here
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Speaker 1: is no inquiry concerning Johonadab's opinions. And yet it is
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Speaker 1: certain he held some which were very uncommon, indeed quite
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Speaker 1: peculiar to himself, and some which had a close influence
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Speaker 1: upon his practice, on which likewise he laid so great
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Speaker 1: a stress as to entail them upon his children's children
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Speaker 1: to their latest posterity. This is evident from the account
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Speaker 1: given by Jeremiah many years after his death. I took
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Speaker 1: jaz and Iah and his brethren and all his sons,
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Speaker 1: and the whole house of the Rahcabites, and set before
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Speaker 1: them pots full of wine and cups, and sit unto them,
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Speaker 1: drink ye wine. But they said, we will drink no
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Speaker 1: wine for Jonadab or Johonadab, the son of Rakab our father.
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Speaker 1: It would be less ambiguous if the words replaced. Thus,
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Speaker 1: Johonadab our father, the son of Rekab, out of love
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Speaker 1: and reverence to whom he probably desired his descendants might
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Speaker 1: be called by his name, commanded us, saying, ye shall
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Speaker 1: drink no wine. Neither ye nor your sons forever. Neither
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Speaker 1: shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard,
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Speaker 1: nor have any But all your days ye shall dwell
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Speaker 1: in tents and we have obeyed and done according to
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Speaker 1: all that Jonadab our father commanded us Jeremiah chapter thirty five,
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Speaker 1: Verses three through ten. And yet Jehu, although it seems
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Speaker 1: to have been his manner, both in things secular and religious,
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Speaker 1: to drive furiously, does not concern himself at all with
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Speaker 1: any of these things. But lest johonadab abound in his
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Speaker 1: own sense, and neither of them appears to have given
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Speaker 1: the other the least disturbance touching the opinions which he maintained.
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Speaker 1: It is very possible the many good men now also
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Speaker 1: may entertain peculit all your opinions. Some of them may
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Speaker 1: be as singular herein as even Jehonadab was. And it
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Speaker 1: is certain, so long as we know, but in part,
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Speaker 1: that all men will not see all things alike. It
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Speaker 1: is an unavoidable consequence to the present weakness and shortness
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Speaker 1: of human understanding, that several men will be of several
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Speaker 1: minds in religion as well as in common life. So
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Speaker 1: it has been for the beginning of the world, and
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Speaker 1: so it will be till the restitution of all things,
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Speaker 1: nay farther. Although every man necessarily believes that every particular
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Speaker 1: opinion which he holds is true. For to believe any
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Speaker 1: opinion is not true is the same thing as not
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Speaker 1: to hold it. Yet, can no man be assured that
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Speaker 1: all his own opinions taken together are true. Nay, every
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Speaker 1: thinking man is assured that they are not seeing humanim
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Speaker 1: estererare et nescierre. To be ignorant of many things, and
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Speaker 1: to mistake in some is the necessary condition of humanity. This, therefore,
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Speaker 1: he is sensible is his own case. He knows in
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Speaker 1: the general that he himself is mistaken, although in what
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Speaker 1: particulars he mistakes he does not. Perhaps he cannot know.
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Speaker 1: I say, perhaps he cannot know. For who can tell
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Speaker 1: how far invincible ignorance may extend, or that comes the
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Speaker 1: same thing invincible prejudice, which is often so fixed in
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Speaker 1: tender minds that it is afterwards impossible to tear up
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Speaker 1: what has taken so deep a route. And who can say,
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Speaker 1: unless he knew every circumstance attending it, how far any
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Speaker 1: mistake is culpable. Seeing all guilt must suppose some concurrence
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Speaker 1: of the will, of which he only can judge who
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Speaker 1: searcheth the heart. Every Wise, man therefore will allow others
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Speaker 1: the same liberty of thinking, which he desires, they should
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Speaker 1: allow him, and will no more insist on their embracing
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Speaker 1: his opinions than he would have them to insist on
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Speaker 1: his embracing theirs. He bears with those who differ from him,
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Speaker 1: and only asks him with whom he desires to knight
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Speaker 1: in love, that single question, is thy heart right as
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Speaker 1: my heart is with thy heart. We may secondly observe
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Speaker 1: that here is no inquiry made concerning Johonadab's mode of worship,
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Speaker 1: although it is highly probable there was in this respect
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Speaker 1: also a very wide difference between them. For we may
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Speaker 1: well believe Johonadab, as well as all as posterity, worship
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Speaker 1: God it Jerusalem, whereas Jay who did not, he had
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Speaker 1: more regard to state policy than religion. And therefore although
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Speaker 1: he slew the worshippers of bail and destroyed Bail out
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Speaker 1: of Israel, yet from the convenient sin of Jeroboam the
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Speaker 1: worship of the golden calves he departed not second Kings
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Speaker 1: ten twenty nine. But even among men of an upright heart,
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Speaker 1: men who desire to have a conscience void of offense,
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Speaker 1: it must needs be that as long as there are
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Speaker 1: various opinions, there will be various ways of worshiping God.
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Speaker 1: Seeing a variety of opinion necessarily implies a variety of practice.
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Speaker 1: And as in all ages, men have differed in nothing
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Speaker 1: more than in their opinions concerning the Supreme Being. So
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Speaker 1: in nothing have they more different from each other than
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Speaker 1: the manner of worshiping Him. Had this been only in
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Speaker 1: the heathen world, it would not have been at all surprising,
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Speaker 1: For we know these, by their wisdom knew not God,
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Speaker 1: nor therefore could they know how to worship Him. But
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Speaker 1: is it not strange that even in the Christian world,
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Speaker 1: although they all agree in the general God is the Spirit,
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Speaker 1: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit
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Speaker 1: and in truth, yet the particular modes of worshiping God
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Speaker 1: are almost as various as among the heathen. And how
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Speaker 1: should we choose amongst so much variety? No man can
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Speaker 1: can choose for or prescribe to another. But every one
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Speaker 1: must follow the dictates of his own conscience in simplicity
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Speaker 1: and godly sincerity. He must be fully persuaded in his
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Speaker 1: own mind, and an act according to the best light
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Speaker 1: he has, Nor has any creature power to constrain another
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Speaker 1: to walk by his own rule. God has given no
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Speaker 1: right to any of the children of men, thus to
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Speaker 1: lord it over the conscience of his brethren. But every
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Speaker 1: man must judge for himself, as every man must give
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Speaker 1: an account of himself to God. Although therefore every follower
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Speaker 1: of Christ is obliged by the very nature of the
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Speaker 1: Christian institution to be a member of some particular congregation
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Speaker 1: or other, some church, as it is usually termed, which
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Speaker 1: implies a particular manner of worshiping God, for who cannot
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Speaker 1: walk together unless they be agreed. Yet none can be
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Speaker 1: obliged by any power on earth, but that of his
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Speaker 1: own conscience, to prefer this or that congregation to another,
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Speaker 1: this or that particular manner of worship. I know it
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Speaker 1: is commonly supposed that the place of our birth fixes
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Speaker 1: the church to which we ought to belong, That one,
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Speaker 1: for instance, who is born in England ought to be
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Speaker 1: a member of that which is styled the Church of England,
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Speaker 1: and consequently to worship God in the particular manner which
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Speaker 1: is prescribed by that church. I was once a zealous
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Speaker 1: maintainer of this, but I find many reasons to abate
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Speaker 1: of this zeal. I fear it is attended with such
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Speaker 1: difficulties as no reasonable man can get over, not the
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Speaker 1: least of which is that if this rule had took place,
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Speaker 1: there could have been no reformation from popery, seeing it
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Speaker 1: entirely destroys the right of private judgment on which that
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Speaker 1: whole reformation stands. I dare not therefore, presume to impose
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Speaker 1: my mode of worship on any other. I believe it
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Speaker 1: is truly primitive and apostolical. But my belief is no
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Speaker 1: rule for another. I ask not therefore, of him with
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Speaker 1: whom I would unite in love. Are you of my church,
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Speaker 1: of my congregation? Do you receive the same form of
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Speaker 1: church government and allow the same church officers with me?
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Speaker 1: Do you join the same form of prayer wherein I
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Speaker 1: worship God? I inquire not, do you receive the Supper
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Speaker 1: of the Lord in the same posture and manner that
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Speaker 1: I do? Nor whether in the administration of baptism you
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Speaker 1: agree with me in admitting sureties for the baptized, the
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Speaker 1: manner of administering it, or the age of those to
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Speaker 1: whom it should be administered. Nay, I ask not of you,
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Speaker 1: as clear as I am in my own mind, whether
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Speaker 1: you allow baptism, and the Lord's Supper.
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Speaker 2: At all.
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Speaker 1: Let all these things stand by. We will talk of
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Speaker 1: them if need be, at a more convenient season. My
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Speaker 1: only question at present is, this is thine heart right
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Speaker 1: as my heart is with thy heart? But what is
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Speaker 1: properly implied in the question? I do not mean what
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Speaker 1: did Jaehu imply therein? But what should a follower of
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Speaker 1: Christ understand thereby when he proposes it to any of
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Speaker 1: his brethren. The first thing implied is this is thy
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Speaker 1: heart right with God. Dost thou believe his being and
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Speaker 1: his perfections, his eternity, immensity, wisdom, power, his justice, mercy
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Speaker 1: and truth. Dost thou believe that He now upholdeth all
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Speaker 1: things by the word of his power, and that he
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Speaker 1: governs even the most minute, even most noxious to his
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Speaker 1: own glory and the good of them that love him.
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Speaker 1: Hast thou a divine evidence, a supernatural conviction of the
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Speaker 1: things of God. Dost thou walk by faith, not by sight,
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Speaker 1: looking not at temporal things, but things eternal. Dost thou
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Speaker 1: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God over all blessed
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Speaker 1: forever is He revealed in thy soul. Dost thou know
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Speaker 1: ye Christ and Him crucified. Does he dwell in Thee,
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Speaker 1: and thou in Him as he formed in thy heart
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Speaker 1: by faith? Having absolutely disclaimed all thine own works, thine
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Speaker 1: own righteousness, hast thou submitted thyself unto the righteousness of God,
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Speaker 1: which is by faith in Christ Jesus. Art thou found
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Speaker 1: in Him, not having thine own righteousness, but the righteousness
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Speaker 1: which is by faith. And art thou through Him fighting
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Speaker 1: the good fight of faith and laying hold of eternal life?
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Speaker 1: Is thy faith in her Gamini de agappis filled with
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Speaker 1: the energy of love. Dost thou love God. I do
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Speaker 1: not say above all things, for tis both an unscriptural
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Speaker 1: and an ambiguous expression.
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Speaker 2: But with all thy heart and with all thy mind,
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Speaker 2: with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, dost
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Speaker 2: thou seek all thy happiness in Him alone.
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Speaker 1: And dost thou find what thou seekest. Does thy soul
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Speaker 1: continually magnify the Lord and thy spirit rejoice in God
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Speaker 1: thy Savior. Having learned in everything to give thanks, dost
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Speaker 1: thou find it is a joyful and a pleasant thing
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Speaker 1: to be thankful. Is God the center of thy soul,
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Speaker 1: the sum of all thy desires. Art thou accordingly, laying
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Speaker 1: up thy treasure in Heaven, and counting all things else
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Speaker 1: dung and dross, hast the love of God cast the
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Speaker 1: love of the world out of thy soul. Then thou
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Speaker 1: art crucified to the world. Thou art dead to all below,
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Speaker 1: and thy life is hid with Christ in God. Art
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Speaker 1: thou employed in doing not thine own will, but the
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Speaker 1: will of Him that sent THEE, of Him that sent
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Speaker 1: THEE down to sojourn here a while, to spend a
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Speaker 1: few days in a strange land, till having finished the
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Speaker 1: work he hath given THEE to do, thou return to
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Speaker 1: thy Father's house. Is it thy meet and drink to
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Speaker 1: do the will of thy Father, which is in Heaven.
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Speaker 1: Is thine eye single in all things, always fixed on Him,
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Speaker 1: always looking unto Jesus. Dost thou point at Him? And
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Speaker 1: whatsoever thou doest, and all thy labor, thy business, thy conversation,
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Speaker 1: aiming only at the glory of God. In all whatsoever
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Speaker 1: thou doest, either in word or deed, doing it all
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Speaker 1: in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks unto God,
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Speaker 1: even the Father through Him. Does the love of God
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Speaker 1: constrain THEE to serve him with fear to rejoice unto
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Speaker 1: him with reverence. Art thou more afraid of displeasing God
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Speaker 1: than either of death or hell? Is nothing so terrible
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Speaker 1: to thee as the thought of offending the eyes of
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Speaker 1: His glory Upon this ground? Dost thou hate all evil ways,
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Speaker 1: every transgression of His holy and perfect law. And herein
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Speaker 1: exercise thyself to have a conscience void of offense toward
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Speaker 1: God and toward men. Is thy heart right toward thy neighbor.
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Speaker 1: Dost thou love as thyself all mankind without exception. If
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Speaker 1: you love those only that love you, what thank have ye?
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Speaker 1: Do you love your enemies? Is your soul full of
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Speaker 1: good will? Of tender affection toward them? Do you love
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Speaker 1: even the enemies of God, the unthankful and unholy? To
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Speaker 1: your bowels yearn over them? Could you wish yourself temporarily
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Speaker 1: a curse for their sake? And do you show this
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Speaker 1: by blessing them that curse you? And praying for those
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Speaker 1: that despitefully use you and persecute you. Do you show
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Speaker 1: your love by your works? Why you have time, as
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Speaker 1: you have opportunity, Do you in fact do good to
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Speaker 1: all men? Neighbors or strangers, friends or enemies, good or bad.
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Speaker 1: Do you do them all the good you can, endeavoring
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Speaker 1: to supply all their wants, assisting them both in body
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Speaker 1: and soul to the uttermost of your power. If thou
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Speaker 1: art thus minded, may every Christian say YEA. If thou
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Speaker 1: art but sincerely desirous of it, and following on till
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Speaker 1: thou attain, then thy heart is right as my heart
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Speaker 1: is with thy heart, if it be, give me thy hand.
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Speaker 1: I do not mean be of my opinion.
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Speaker 2: You need not.
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Speaker 1: I do not expect or desire it. Neither do I
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Speaker 1: mean I will be of your opinion. I cannot. It
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Speaker 1: does not depend on my choice. I can no more
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Speaker 1: think than I can see or hear. As I will
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Speaker 1: keep you your opinion I mine, and that as steadily
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Speaker 1: as ever. You need not even endeavor to come over
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Speaker 1: to me or bring me over to you. I do
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Speaker 1: not desire to dispute those points, or to hear or
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Speaker 1: speak one word concerning them. Let all opinions alone on
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Speaker 1: one side and the other only give me thine hand.
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Speaker 1: I do not mean embrace my modes of worship, or
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Speaker 1: I will embrace yours. This also is a thing which
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Speaker 1: does not depend either on your choice or mind.
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Speaker 2: We must both.
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Speaker 1: Act as each is fully persuaded in his own mind.
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Speaker 1: Hold you fast that which you believe is most acceptable
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Speaker 1: to God, and I will do the same. I believe
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Speaker 1: the episcopal form of church government to be scriptural and apostolical.
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Speaker 1: If you think the Presbyterian are independent, is better, think
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Speaker 1: so still and act accordingly. I believe infants ought to
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Speaker 1: be baptized, and that this may be done either by
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Speaker 1: dipping or sprinkling. If you are otherwise persuaded, be so
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Speaker 1: still and follow your own persuasion. It appears to me
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Speaker 1: that forms of prayer are of excellent use, particularly in
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Speaker 1: the Great Congregation. If you judge extemporary prayer to be
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Speaker 1: of more use, act suitable to your own judgment. My
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Speaker 1: sentiment is that I ought not to forbid water wherein
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Speaker 1: persons may be baptized, and that I ought to eat
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Speaker 1: bread and drink wine as a memorial of my dying master. However,
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Speaker 1: if you are not convinced of this act, according to
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Speaker 1: the light you have, I have no desire to dispute
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Speaker 1: with you one moment upon any of the previous heads.
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Speaker 1: Let all these smaller points stand aside, Let them never
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Speaker 1: come into sight. If thine heart is as my heart,
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Speaker 1: if thou lovest God and all mankind, I ask no more,
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Speaker 1: give me thine hand. I mean, first, love me, and
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Speaker 1: that not only is thou lovest all mankind, not only
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Speaker 1: as thou lovest thine enemies, or the enemies of God,
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Speaker 1: those that hate THEE, that despitefully use THEE and persecute THEE.
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Speaker 1: Not only as a stranger, as one of whom thou knowest,
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Speaker 1: neither good nor evil. I am not satisfied with this.
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Speaker 2: No.
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Speaker 1: If thine heart be right as mine, with thy heart,
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Speaker 1: then love me with a very tender affection, as a
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Speaker 1: friend that is closer than a brother, as a brother
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Speaker 1: in Christ, a fellow citizen of the New Jerusalem, a
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Speaker 1: fellow soldier engaged in the same warfare under the same
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Speaker 1: captain of our salvation. Love me as a companion in
22:20
Speaker 1: the kingdom and patience of Jesus, and a joint air
22:24
Speaker 1: of His glory. Love me, but in a higher degree
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Speaker 1: than thou dost the bulk of mankind, with the love
22:32
Speaker 1: that is long suffering and kind that is patient. If
22:37
Speaker 1: I am ignorant and out of the way, bearing and
22:41
Speaker 1: not increasing my burden and is tender, soft, and compassionate.
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Speaker 1: Still that envieth not if at any time it please
22:51
Speaker 1: God to prosper me in his work, even more than THEE.
22:55
Speaker 1: Love me with the love that is not provoked either
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Speaker 1: at my follies or infirmity, or even at my acting,
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Speaker 1: if it should sometimes so appear to THEE not according
23:05
Speaker 1: to the will of God. Love me so as to
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Speaker 1: think no evil of me, to put away all jealousy
23:12
Speaker 1: and evil surmising. Love me with the love that covereth
23:16
Speaker 1: all things, that never reveals either my faults or infirmities,
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Speaker 1: that believeth all things, is always willing to think the
23:24
Speaker 1: best to put the fairest construction on all my words
23:28
Speaker 1: and actions, that hopeth all things, either that the thing
23:33
Speaker 1: related was never done, or not done with such circumstances
23:36
Speaker 1: as are related, or at least that it was done
23:39
Speaker 1: with a good intention, or in a sudden stress of temptation,
23:44
Speaker 1: And hope to the end that whatever is amiss will,
23:48
Speaker 1: by the grace of God be corrected, and whatever is
23:52
Speaker 1: wanting supplied through the riches of His mercy. In Christ
23:56
Speaker 1: Jesus I mean secondly, commend me to God in all
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Speaker 1: thy prayers. Wrestle with him in my behalf, that he
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Speaker 1: would speedily correct what he sees amiss, and supply what
24:11
Speaker 1: is wanting in me in thy nearest access to the
24:14
Speaker 1: throne of Grace. Beg of Him who is then very
24:18
Speaker 1: present with THEE, that my heart may be more as
24:21
Speaker 1: thy heart, more right, both toward God and toward man.
24:27
Speaker 1: That I may have a fuller conviction of things not seen,
24:30
Speaker 1: and a stronger view of the love of God in
24:32
Speaker 1: Christ Jesus, may more steadily walk by faith, not by sight,
24:38
Speaker 1: and more earnestly grasp eternal life. Pray that the love
24:43
Speaker 1: of God and of all mankind may be more largely
24:47
Speaker 1: poured into my heart. That I may be more ferment
24:51
Speaker 1: and active in doing the will of my Father, which
24:54
Speaker 1: is in Heaven, more zealous of good works, and more
24:58
Speaker 1: careful to abstain from all appearance of evil. I mean, thirdly,
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Speaker 1: provoke me to love and to good works. Second, thy prayer,
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Speaker 1: as thou hast opportunity by speaking to me in love,
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Speaker 1: whatsoever thou believest to be for my soul's health, quicken
25:16
Speaker 1: me in the work which God has given me to do,
25:19
Speaker 1: and instruct me how to do it more perfectly. Yea
25:23
Speaker 1: smite me friendly, and reprove me whereinsoever I appear to
25:27
Speaker 1: THEE to be doing rather my own will than the
25:30
Speaker 1: will of Him that sent me. Oh, speak and spare
25:33
Speaker 1: not whatever thou believest may conduce either to the amending
25:38
Speaker 1: of my faults, the strengthening my weakness, the building me
25:42
Speaker 1: up in love, or the making me more fit in
25:45
Speaker 1: any kind for the Master's use. I mean lastly, love me,
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Speaker 1: not in word only, but in deed and in truth,
25:56
Speaker 1: so far as in conscience thou canst retaining still thy
26:00
Speaker 1: my own opinions, in thy own manner of worshiping God,
26:03
Speaker 1: join with me in the work of God, and let
26:05
Speaker 1: us go on hand in hand. And thus far it
26:09
Speaker 1: is certain thou mayest go speak honorably wherever thou art
26:15
Speaker 1: of the work of God by whomsoever he works, and
26:18
Speaker 1: kindly of his messengers, And if it be in thy power,
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Speaker 1: not only sympathize with them when they are in any
26:26
Speaker 1: difficulty or distress, but give them a cheerful and effectual
26:30
Speaker 1: assistance that they may glorify God on thy behalf. Two
26:36
Speaker 1: things should be observed with regard to what has been
26:39
Speaker 1: spoken under this last head. The one the whatsoever love,
26:44
Speaker 1: whatsoever offices of love, whatsoever spiritual or temporal assistance. I
26:50
Speaker 1: claim from him whose heart is right as my heart
26:53
Speaker 1: is with his, the same I am ready, by the
26:56
Speaker 1: grace of God, according to my measure, to give him
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Speaker 1: the other. That I have not made this claim in
27:04
Speaker 1: behalf of myself only, but of all whose heart is
27:08
Speaker 1: right toward God and man, that we may all love
27:12
Speaker 1: one another as Christ hath loved us. One inference we
27:17
Speaker 1: may make from what has been said. We may learn
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Speaker 1: from hence what is a Catholic spirit. There is scarcely
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Speaker 1: any expression which has been more grossly misunderstood and more
27:28
Speaker 1: dangerously misapplied than this, But it will be easy for
27:33
Speaker 1: any who calmly consider the preceding observations to correct any
27:37
Speaker 1: such misapprehensions of it, and to prevent any such misapplication.
27:42
Speaker 1: For from hence we may learn first that a Catholic
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Speaker 1: spirit is not speculative latitudinarianism. It is not an indifference
27:52
Speaker 1: to all opinions. This is the spawn of Hell, of
27:55
Speaker 1: the offspring of Heaven. This unsettledness of thought, this being
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Speaker 1: driven to and fro and tossed about with every wind
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Speaker 1: of doctrine, is a great curse, not a blessing, an
28:06
Speaker 1: irreconcilable enemy, not a friend to true Catholicism. A man
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Speaker 1: of truly Catholic spirit is not now his religion to seek.
28:17
Speaker 1: He is fixed as a son and his judgment concerning
28:20
Speaker 1: the main branches of Christian doctrine. It is true he
28:23
Speaker 1: is always ready to hear in wagh whatsoever can be
28:26
Speaker 1: offered against his principles. But as this does not show
28:30
Speaker 1: any wavering in his own mind, so neither does it
28:33
Speaker 1: occasion any He does not halt between two opinions, nor
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Speaker 1: vainly endeavor to blend them into one. Observe this, you,
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Speaker 1: who know not what spirit ye are of, who call
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Speaker 1: yourselves men of a Catholic spirit, only because you are
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Speaker 1: of a muddy understanding, because your mind is all in
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Speaker 1: a mist, because you have no settled, consistent principles, but
28:54
Speaker 1: are for jumbling all opinions together. Be convinced that you
28:59
Speaker 1: have quite miss your way. You know not where you are.
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Speaker 1: You think you are got into the very spirit of Christ,
29:05
Speaker 1: when in truth you are nearer the spirit of Antichrist.
29:09
Speaker 1: Go first and learn the first elements of the Gospel
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Speaker 1: of Christ. And then shall you learn to be of
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Speaker 1: a truly Catholic spirit. From what has been said, we
29:20
Speaker 1: may learn secondly that a Catholic spirit is not any
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Speaker 1: kind of practical latitudinarianism. It is not indifference as to
29:29
Speaker 1: public worship or as to the outward manner of performing it.
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Speaker 1: This likewise would not be a blessing but a curse.
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Speaker 1: Far from being in help. There too, it would, so
29:39
Speaker 1: long as it remained, be an unspeakably hindrance to the
29:42
Speaker 1: worshiping of God in spirit and in truth. The man
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Speaker 1: of a truly Catholic spirit, having weighed all things the
29:49
Speaker 1: balance of the sanctuary, has no doubt, no scruple at
29:53
Speaker 1: all concerning that particular mode of worship wherein he joins.
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Speaker 1: He is clearly convinced that this manner of worshiping God
30:02
Speaker 1: is both scriptural and rational. He knows none in the
30:05
Speaker 1: world which is more scriptural, none which is more rational. Therefore,
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Speaker 1: without rambling hither and thither, he cleaves close there too,
30:14
Speaker 1: and praises God for the opportunity of so doing. Hence
30:19
Speaker 1: we may thirdly learn that a Catholic spirit is not
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Speaker 1: indifference to all congregations. This is another sort of latitudinarianism.
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Speaker 1: No less absurd and unscriptural than the former, but is
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Speaker 1: far from a man of a truly Catholic spirit. He
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Speaker 1: is fixed in his congregation as well as his principles.
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Speaker 1: He is united to one not only in spirit, but
30:43
Speaker 1: by all the outward ties of Christian fellowship. There he
30:47
Speaker 1: partakes of all the ordinances of God. There he receives
30:51
Speaker 1: the supper of the Lord. There he pours out his
30:54
Speaker 1: soul and public prayer, and joins in public praise and thanksgiving.
30:58
Speaker 1: There he rejoices to hear the Word of reconciliation, the
31:02
Speaker 1: gospel of the grace of God. With these his nearest,
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Speaker 1: his best beloved brethren, on solemn occasions, he seeks God
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Speaker 1: by fasting these particularly, he watches over in love as
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Speaker 1: they do over his soul, admonishing, exhorting, comforting, reproving, and
31:22
Speaker 1: every way building up each other in the faith. These
31:26
Speaker 1: he regards as his own household, and therefore, according to
31:31
Speaker 1: the ability God has given him, naturally cares for them
31:34
Speaker 1: and provides that they may have all the things that
31:37
Speaker 1: are needful for life and godliness. But while he is
31:42
Speaker 1: steadily fixed in his religious principles, in which he believes
31:46
Speaker 1: to be the truth, as it is in Jesus. While
31:49
Speaker 1: he firmly adheres to that worship of God which he
31:52
Speaker 1: judges to be most acceptable in his sight, and while
31:56
Speaker 1: he is united by the tenderest and closest ties to
31:59
Speaker 1: one particular congregation, his heart is enlarged toward all mankind,
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Speaker 1: those he knows and those he does not. He embraces
32:09
Speaker 1: with strong and cordial affection, neighbors and strangers, friends and enemies.
32:15
Speaker 1: This is Catholic or universal love. And he that has
32:20
Speaker 1: this is of a Catholic spirit. For love alone gives
32:24
Speaker 1: the title to this character. Catholic love is a Catholic spirit.
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Speaker 1: If then we take this word in the strictest sense.
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Speaker 1: A man of a Catholic spirit is one who, in
32:38
Speaker 1: the manner above mentioned, gives his hand to all whose
32:42
Speaker 1: hearts are right with his heart. One who knows how
32:45
Speaker 1: to value and praise God for all the advantages he enjoys,
32:50
Speaker 1: regard the knowledge of the things of God, the true
32:53
Speaker 1: scriptural manner of worshiping Him, and above all, his union
32:57
Speaker 1: with a congregation fearing God and working righteous, One who
33:02
Speaker 1: retaining these blessings with the strictest care, keeping them as
33:06
Speaker 1: the avil of his eye at the same time loves
33:09
Speaker 1: as friends, as brethren in the Lord, as members of
33:13
Speaker 1: Christ and children of God, has joint part takers now
33:17
Speaker 1: of the present Kingdom of God and fellow heirs of
33:21
Speaker 1: His eternal Kingdom. All of whatever opinion or worship or congregation,
33:27
Speaker 1: who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who love God,
33:31
Speaker 1: and man who rejoicing to please and fearing to offend God,
33:36
Speaker 1: are careful to abstain from evil and zealous of good works.
33:41
Speaker 1: He is the man of a truly Catholic spirit who
33:44
Speaker 1: bears all these continually upon his heart, who having an
33:49
Speaker 1: unspeakable tenderness for their persons and longing for their welfare,
33:53
Speaker 1: does not cease to commend them to God in prayer,
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Speaker 1: as well as to plead their cause before men, who
34:00
Speaker 1: speaks comfortably to them and labors by all his words
34:04
Speaker 1: to strengthen their hands. In God, He assists them to
34:08
Speaker 1: the uttermost of His power in all things spiritual and temporal.
34:13
Speaker 1: He is ready to spend and be spent for them, yea,
34:17
Speaker 1: to lay down his life for their sake. Thou, o
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Speaker 1: Man of God, think on these things. If thou art
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Speaker 1: already in this way, go on, if thou hast heretofore
34:31
Speaker 1: mistook the path bless God, who hath brought THEE back.
34:35
Speaker 1: Then thou run the race which is set before THEE,
34:38
Speaker 1: and the royal way of universal love. Take heed. Lest
34:43
Speaker 1: thou be either wavering in thy judgment or straitened in
34:46
Speaker 1: thy bowels. But keep an even pace, rooted in the faith,
34:50
Speaker 1: once delivered to the saints, and grounded in love, in
34:55
Speaker 1: true Catholic love, till thou art swallowed up in love
35:00
Speaker 1: for ever and ever, weary of all this wordy strife,
35:06
Speaker 1: these notions, forms and modes and names to THEE, the Way,
35:11
Speaker 1: the truth, the life, whose love my simple heart in flames,
35:15
Speaker 1: divinely taught at last, I fly with THEE and Thine
35:20
Speaker 1: to live and die forth in the midst of bable
35:24
Speaker 1: brought parties and sex, I cast behind, enlarg'd my heart
35:29
Speaker 1: and free my thought. Where'er the latent truth. I find
35:34
Speaker 1: the latent truth, with joy to own and bow to
35:37
Speaker 1: Jesus name alone, redeem'd by Thine almighty grace. I taste
35:44
Speaker 1: my glorious liberty with open arms, that world embrace be
35:49
Speaker 1: cleave to those who cleave to THEE. But only in
35:54
Speaker 1: thy saints delight, who walk with God in purest wight,
35:59
Speaker 1: one with the little flock. I rest the members sound
36:02
Speaker 1: to hold thy head, the chosen few with pardon blest
36:07
Speaker 1: and by the anointing Spirit led into the mind that
36:11
Speaker 1: was in thee and to the depths of Deity. My brethren,
36:16
Speaker 1: friends and kinsmen, these who do my heavenly Father's will,
36:21
Speaker 1: who aim at perfect holiness, and all thy counsels to
36:25
Speaker 1: fulfill athirst to be whate'er thou art, and love their
36:30
Speaker 1: God with all their heart. For these, howe'er in flesh,
36:34
Speaker 1: disjoin'd where'er dispers'd o'er earth abroad, unfeigned, unbounded love, I
36:40
Speaker 1: find and constant as the life of God, Fountain of life.
36:45
Speaker 1: From thence it sprung as pure as even and as strong,
36:51
Speaker 1: join'd to the hidden Church unknown. In this sure bond
36:55
Speaker 1: of perfectness, obscurely safe, I dwell alone and glory glory
37:00
Speaker 1: in the uniting grace to me, to each believer, given
37:05
Speaker 1: to all Thy saints in earth and heaven. End of
37:12
Speaker 1: section thirty nine. Recording by Robert Smith