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

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  Speaker 1: Upon our Lord's sermon on the mount discourse ten, judge
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  Speaker 1: not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment
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  Speaker 1: ye judge, ye shall be judged, And with what measure
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  Speaker 1: ye meet, it shall be measured to you again. And
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  Speaker 1: why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye,
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  Speaker 1: But considerest not the beam that is in thineoonee? Or
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  Speaker 1: how wilt thou say to thy brother, let me pull
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  Speaker 1: out the moats out of thine eye, and behold, a
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  Speaker 1: beam is in thine eye? Thou hypocrites, First cast out
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  Speaker 1: the beam out of thineoneye. And then thou shalt see
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  Speaker 1: clearly to cast out the moat out of thy brother's eye.
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  Speaker 1: Give not that which is wholly unto the dogs. Neither
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  Speaker 1: cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them
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  Speaker 1: under their feet, and turn again and render. You ask,
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  Speaker 1: and it shall be given. You seekin ye shall find knock,
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  Speaker 1: and it shall be opened unto you. For every one
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  Speaker 1: that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh find death. And
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  Speaker 1: to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what
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  Speaker 1: man is there of you, who, if his son asked bread,
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  Speaker 1: will give him a stone or if he asketh fish
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  Speaker 1: will give him a serpent. If ye, then, being evil,
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  Speaker 1: know how to give good gifts unto your children, how
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  Speaker 1: much more shall your Father, which is in Heaven, give
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  Speaker 1: good gifts to them that ask him. Therefore, all things,
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  Speaker 1: whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do
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  Speaker 1: ye even so to them. For this is the law
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  Speaker 1: and the prophets. Matthew seven one to twelve. Our blessed Lord,
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  Speaker 1: having now finished his main design, having first delivered the
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  Speaker 1: sum of true religion, carefully guarded against those glosses of men,
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  Speaker 1: whereby they would make the word of God of non effect,
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  Speaker 1: and having next laid down rules touching the right intention
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  Speaker 1: which we are to preserve in all our outward actions,
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  Speaker 1: now proceeds to point out the main hindrances of this religion,
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  Speaker 1: and concludes all with a suitable application. In the fifth chapter,
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  Speaker 1: our great Teacher has fully described inward religion in its
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  Speaker 1: various branches. He is there lay before as those dispositions
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  Speaker 1: of soul which constitutes real Christianity, the tempers contained in
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  Speaker 1: that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: the affections which, when flowing from their proper fountain, from
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  Speaker 1: a living faith in God through Christ Jesus are intrinsically
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  Speaker 1: and essentially good and acceptable to God. In the sixth
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  Speaker 1: we have shown how all our actions, likewise, even those
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  Speaker 1: that are indifferent in their own nature, may be made
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  Speaker 1: holy and good and acceptable to God by a pure
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  Speaker 1: and holy intention. Whatever is done without this, he declares,
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  Speaker 1: is of no value with God. Whereas whatever outward works
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  Speaker 1: are thus consecrated to God are in his sight of
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  Speaker 1: great price. In the former part of this chapter he
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  Speaker 1: points out the most common and most fatal hindrances of
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  Speaker 1: His holiness. In the matter he exhausts us by various
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  Speaker 1: moments to break through all and secure that price of
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  Speaker 1: our high calling. The first entrance he cautions, is against
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  Speaker 1: this judging judge, not that ye be not judged, judge
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  Speaker 1: not others, that ye be not judged of the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: that ye bring not vengeance on your own heads. For
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  Speaker 1: with what judgments ye judge, ye shall be judged, And
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  Speaker 1: with what measure you meet, it shall be measured to
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  Speaker 1: you again a plain and equitable rule, whereby God permits
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  Speaker 1: you to determine for yourselves in what manner He shall
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  Speaker 1: deal with you in the judgments of the Great Day.
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  Speaker 1: There is no station of life, nor any period of
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  Speaker 1: time from the hour of our first repenting and believing
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  Speaker 1: the Gospel till we are made perfect in love. Wherein
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  Speaker 1: this caution is not needful for every child of God.
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  Speaker 1: For occasions of judging can never be wanting, and the
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  Speaker 1: temptations to it are innumerable. Many whereof are so artfully
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  Speaker 1: disguised that we fall into the sin before we suspect
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  Speaker 1: any danger. And unspeakable are the mischiefs produced hereby, always
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  Speaker 1: to him that judges another, thus wounding his own soul
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  Speaker 1: and exposing himself to the righteous judgment of God. And
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  Speaker 1: frequently to those who are judged, whose hands are hang down,
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  Speaker 1: who are weakened and hindered in their course, if not
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  Speaker 1: wholly turned out of the way, and cause to turn
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  Speaker 1: back even to perdition. Yea, how often when this root
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  Speaker 1: of bitterness springs up, are many defiled thereby by reason,
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  Speaker 1: whereof the way of truth itself is evil spoken of,
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  Speaker 1: and that worthy name bast fiend, whereby we are called.
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  Speaker 1: Yet it does not appear that our Lord desire this
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  Speaker 1: caution only or chiefly for the children of God, but
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  Speaker 1: rather for the children of the world, for the men
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  Speaker 1: who know not God, these cannot but hear of those
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  Speaker 1: who are not of the world, who follow after the
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  Speaker 1: religion above described, who endeavor to be humble, serious, gentle, merciful,
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  Speaker 1: and pure in heart, who earnestly desire such measures of
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  Speaker 1: these holy tempers as they have not yet attained, and
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  Speaker 1: wait for them in doing all good to all men,
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  Speaker 1: and patiently suffering evil. Whoever go but thus far cannot
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  Speaker 1: be heard no more than a city set upon a hill.
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  Speaker 1: And why did not those who see their good works
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  Speaker 1: glorify their Father, which is in heaven. What excuse have
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  Speaker 1: they for not treading in their steps, for not imitating
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  Speaker 1: their example and being followers of them as they are
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  Speaker 1: also of Christ? Why in order to provide an excuse
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  Speaker 1: for themselves they condemned those whom they ought to imitate.
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  Speaker 1: They spend their time in finding out their neighbour's thoughts
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  Speaker 1: instead of amending their own. They are so busied about
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  Speaker 1: others going out of the way, that themselves never come
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  Speaker 1: into it at all, at least, never go forward, never
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  Speaker 1: go beyond a poor, dead form of godliness without the power.
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  Speaker 1: It is to these more especially that our Lord says,
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  Speaker 1: why beholdest thou mote that is in thy brother's eye,
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  Speaker 1: the infirmities, the mistakes, the imprudence, the weakness of the
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  Speaker 1: children of God. But considerest not the being that is
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  Speaker 1: in thine own eye. Thou considerest not the damnable impenitence,
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  Speaker 1: the satanic pride, the accursed self will, the idolatrous love
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  Speaker 1: of the world, which are in thyself, and which make
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  Speaker 1: thy whole life an abomination to the Lord above all.
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  Speaker 1: With what's of pene carelessness and indifference, art thou dancing
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  Speaker 1: over the mouth of hell? And how then, with what grace?
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  Speaker 1: With what's decency or modesty? Wilst thou say to thy brother,
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  Speaker 1: lets me pull out the mote out of thine eye.
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  Speaker 1: The excess of zeal for God, the extreme of self denial,
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  Speaker 1: the too great disengagement from worldly cares and employments, the
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  Speaker 1: desire to be day night in prayer or hearing the
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  Speaker 1: words of eternal life. And behold, a beam is in
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  Speaker 1: thine knowneye, not a mode like one of these, Thou hypocrite,
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  Speaker 1: who pretendest to care for others and has no care
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  Speaker 1: for thine own soul. Who make us the show of
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  Speaker 1: zeal for the cause of God, When in truth. Thou
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  Speaker 1: neither lovest nor fearest him. First cast out the beam
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  Speaker 1: out of thine knowneye. Cast out the beam of impenitence.
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  Speaker 1: Know thyself, see and feel thyself a sinner, Feel that
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  Speaker 1: thy inward part so very wickedness, that thou art altogether
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  Speaker 1: corrupt and abominable, And that the wrath of God abideth
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  Speaker 1: on thee. Cast out the beam of pride. Abhore thyself
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  Speaker 1: sink down as in dust and ashes, be more and
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  Speaker 1: more little and mean and base and vile in thine
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  Speaker 1: own eyes. Cast out the beam of self. Will learn
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  Speaker 1: what that meaneth If any man will come after me,
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  Speaker 1: let him renounce himself, deny thyself, and take up thy
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  Speaker 1: cross daily. Let thy whole soul cry out, I came
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  Speaker 1: down from heaven, for so thou didst thou, never dying spirit,
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  Speaker 1: whether thou knowest or no. Not to do my own will,
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  Speaker 1: but the will of Him that sends me. Cast out
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  Speaker 1: to the beam of love of the world. Love not
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  Speaker 1: the world, neither the things of the world. Be Thou
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  Speaker 1: crucified unto the world, and the world crucified unto THEE.
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  Speaker 1: Only use the world, but enjoy God God, seek all
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  Speaker 1: thy happiness in him above all, cast out the grand beam,
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  Speaker 1: that supreme carelessness and indifference. Deeply, consider that one thing
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  Speaker 1: is need for the one thing which thou hast scarce
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  Speaker 1: ever thought of. Know and feel that thou art a poor, vile,
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  Speaker 1: guilty worm quivering over the great gulf. What art thou
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  Speaker 1: a sinner born to die? A leaf driven before the wind,
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  Speaker 1: a vapor ready to vanish away, just appearing and then
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  Speaker 1: scattered into air, to be no more seen. See this,
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  Speaker 1: and then shalt thou seek clearly to cast out the
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  Speaker 1: mode of thy brother's eye. Then, if thou hast leisure
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  Speaker 1: from the concerns of thy own soul, thou shalt know
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  Speaker 1: how to correct thy brother. Also, But what is properly
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  Speaker 1: the meaning of this word judge? Not? What is the
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  Speaker 1: judging which is here forbidden? Is it not the same
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  Speaker 1: as evil speaking, although it is frequently joined therewith evil
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  Speaker 1: speaking is the relating anything that is evil concerning an
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  Speaker 1: absent person. Whereas judging may indifferently refer either to the
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  Speaker 1: absent or the present. Neither does it necessarily imply the
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  Speaker 1: speaking at all, but only the thinking evil of another.
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  Speaker 1: Not that all kind of thinking evil of others is
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  Speaker 1: that judging, which our Lord condemns. If I see one
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  Speaker 1: commits robbery or murder, or hear him blaspheme the name
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  Speaker 1: of God, I cannot refrain from thinking ill of the
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  Speaker 1: robber or murderer. Yet this is not evil judging. There
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  Speaker 1: is no sin in this, nor anything contrary to tender affection.
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  Speaker 1: The thinking of another in a manner that is contrary
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  Speaker 1: to love is that judging which is here condemned. And
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  Speaker 1: this may be of various kinds. For first, we may
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  Speaker 1: think another to blame when he is not. We may
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  Speaker 1: lay to his charge, at least in our own mind,
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  Speaker 1: the things of which he is not guilty, the words
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  Speaker 1: which he is never spoke, all of the actions which
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  Speaker 1: he has never done. Or we may think his manner
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  Speaker 1: of acting was wrong, though in reality it was not.
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  Speaker 1: And even when nothing can justly be blamed, either in
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  Speaker 1: the thing itself or the manner of doing it, we
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  Speaker 1: may suppose his intention was not good, and so condemn
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  Speaker 1: him on that ground, as the same time that he
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  Speaker 1: who searches the heart sees his simplicity and godly sincerity.
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  Speaker 1: But we may not only fall into the sin of
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  Speaker 1: judging by condemning the innocent, but also secondly by condemning
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  Speaker 1: the guilty to a higher degree than he deserves. This
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  Speaker 1: species of judging is likewise an offense against justice as
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  Speaker 1: well as mercy, And yet such an offense as nothing
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  Speaker 1: can secure us from but the strongest and tenderest affection.
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  Speaker 1: Without this, we readily suppose one who is acknowledged to
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  Speaker 1: be in thought to be more in faults than he
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  Speaker 1: really is. We undervalue whatever good is found in him. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: we are not easily induced to believe that anything good
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  Speaker 1: can remain in him in whom we found anything that
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  Speaker 1: is evil. All this shows a manifest want of that's love,
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  Speaker 1: which our lodges at high cacan think of no evil,
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  Speaker 1: which never draws and unjust our unkind conclusion from any
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  Speaker 1: premises whatsoever. Love will not infer from a person's falling,
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  Speaker 1: once into an act of open sin, that he is
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  Speaker 1: accustomed so to do, that he is habitually guilty of it.
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  Speaker 1: And if he was habitually guilty, wants love does not
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  Speaker 1: conclude he is so still much less that if he
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  Speaker 1: is now guilty of this, therefore he is guilty of
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  Speaker 1: other sins. Also, these evil reasonings all pertain to that
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  Speaker 1: sinful judging, which our Lord here guards us against, and
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  Speaker 1: which we are in the highest degree concern to avoid
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  Speaker 1: if we love either God or our own souls. But
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  Speaker 1: supposing we do not condemn the innocence, neither are guilty
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  Speaker 1: any farther than they deserve. Still we may not be
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  Speaker 1: altogether clear of the snare. For there is the third
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  Speaker 1: sort of sinful judging, which is the condemning any person
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  Speaker 1: at all, where there is not sufficient evidence. And be
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  Speaker 1: the fact we suppose of it so true, yet that
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  Speaker 1: does not acquit us, For they ought not to have
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  Speaker 1: been supposed, but proved, And till they were, we ought
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  Speaker 1: to have formed no judgment, I say, till they were.
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  Speaker 1: For neither are we excused, although the facts admit of
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  Speaker 1: ever so strong proof, unless that proof be produced before
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  Speaker 1: we pass sentence, and compared with the evidence on the
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  Speaker 1: other side. Nor can we be excused if we ever
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  Speaker 1: pass a fall sentence before the accused has spoken for himself.
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  Speaker 1: Even a Jew might teach us this as a mere
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  Speaker 1: lesson of justice abstracted from mercy and brotherly love. Doth
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  Speaker 1: our law, says Nicodemus, Judge any mann before it's hear him,
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  Speaker 1: and know what he doeth John seven fifty one. Yeay,
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  Speaker 1: a heathen could reply, when the chief of the Jewish
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  Speaker 1: nation desired to have judgment against his prisoner. It is
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  Speaker 1: not the man of the Romans to judge any man
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  Speaker 1: before he that is accused, have the accusers face to face,
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  Speaker 1: and have license to answer for himself concerning the crime
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  Speaker 1: laid against him. Indeed, we could not easily fall into
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  Speaker 1: the sinful judging, were we only to observe the rule
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  Speaker 1: which another Seneca of those Heathen Romans affirms to have
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  Speaker 1: been the measure of his own practice. I am so far,
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  Speaker 1: says he from lightly believing every man's or every man's
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  Speaker 1: evidence against another, that I do not easily or immediately
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  Speaker 1: believe a man's evidence against himself. I always allow him
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  Speaker 1: second thoughts, and many times counsel too. Go thou who
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  Speaker 1: art called a Christian, and do likewise, lest the heathen
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  Speaker 1: rise and condemn thee in that day? But how rarely
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  Speaker 1: should we condemn or judge one another? At least how
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  Speaker 1: soon would that evil be remedied were we to walk
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  Speaker 1: by that clear and express rule which our Lord himself
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  Speaker 1: as taughtoise. If thy brother shall trespands against thee or
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  Speaker 1: if thou hear or believe that he hath, go and
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  Speaker 1: tell him of his thought, between him and THEE alone.
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  Speaker 1: This is the first step thou art to take. But
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  Speaker 1: if he will not here take with THEE one or
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  Speaker 1: two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses,
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  Speaker 1: every word may be established. This is the second step.
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  Speaker 1: If he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church,
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  Speaker 1: either to the overseers thereof, or to the whole congregation.
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  Speaker 1: Thou hast then done thy part, then think of it
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  Speaker 1: no more, but commend the whole to God. But supposing
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  Speaker 1: thou hast, by the grace of God, cast the beam
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  Speaker 1: out of thine own eye, and thus now clearly see
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  Speaker 1: the motor or the beam which is in thy brother's eye.
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  Speaker 1: Yet beware that thou dost not receive hurt thyself by
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  Speaker 1: endeavoring to help him. Still give not that which is
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  Speaker 1: wholly unto dogs. Do not likely account any to be
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  Speaker 1: of this number. But if it evidently appear that they
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  Speaker 1: deserve the title, then cast ye not your pearls before swine.
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  Speaker 1: Beware of that zeal which is not according to knowledge,
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  Speaker 1: for this is another great hindrance in their way. He
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  Speaker 1: would be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect. They
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  Speaker 1: who desire this cannot but desire all the mankind should
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  Speaker 1: partake of the common blessing. And when we ourselves first
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  Speaker 1: partake of the heavenly gift, the divine evidence of things
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  Speaker 1: not seen, we wonder that all mankind do not see
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  Speaker 1: the things which we see so plainly, and make no
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  Speaker 1: doubt at all. But we shall open the eyes of
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  Speaker 1: all we have any intercourse with. Hence we are for
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  Speaker 1: attacking all we meet without delay, and constraining them to
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  Speaker 1: see whether they will or no. And by the ill
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  Speaker 1: success of this intemperate zeal we often suffer in our
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  Speaker 1: own souls to prevent this, spending our strength in vain.
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  Speaker 1: Our Lord adds this needful caution, needful to all, but
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  Speaker 1: more especially to those who are now warm in their
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  Speaker 1: first love. Give not that which is wholly unto the dogs,
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  Speaker 1: neither cash, gi or pearls before swine, lest they trample
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  Speaker 1: them on the foot and turn again and rend you
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  Speaker 1: give not that which is holy unto the dogs. Beware
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  Speaker 1: of thinking that any deserve this appellation till there is
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  Speaker 1: full and incontestable proof such you can no longer resist.
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  Speaker 1: But when it is clearly and indisputably prove that they
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  Speaker 1: are unholy and wicked men, not only strangers to but
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  Speaker 1: enemies to God, to all righteousness and true holiness. Give
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  Speaker 1: not that which is holy, to hagion, the holy thing
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  Speaker 1: emphatically so called unto these the holy the peculiar doctrines
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  Speaker 1: of the Gospel, such as were hid from the ages
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  Speaker 1: and generations of old, and are now made known to
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  Speaker 1: us only by the revelation of Jesus Christ and the
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  Speaker 1: inspiration of his holy spirits, are not to be prostituted
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  Speaker 1: unto these men, who know not if there be any
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  Speaker 1: holy ghost. Not indeed, that the embassadors of Christ can
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  Speaker 1: refrain from declaring them. In the Great Congregation, wherein some
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  Speaker 1: of these may probably be. We must speak whether men
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  Speaker 1: will hear, or whether they will forbear. But this is
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  Speaker 1: not the case with private Christians. They do not bear
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  Speaker 1: that awful character. Nor are they under any manner of
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  Speaker 1: obligation to force this great and glorious truths on them
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  Speaker 1: who contradict and blaspheme, who have a rooted enmity against them. Nay,
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  Speaker 1: they ought not so to do, but rather to lead them,
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  Speaker 1: as they are able to bear. Do not begin a
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  Speaker 1: discourse with these upon remission of sins and the gift
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  Speaker 1: of the Holy Ghost. But talk with them in their
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  Speaker 1: own manner and upon their own principles, with the rational,
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  Speaker 1: honorable and unjust epicure reason of righteousness, temperance, and judgment
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  Speaker 1: to come. This is the most probable way to make
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  Speaker 1: of Felix Tremble. Reserve high subjects for men of higher attainments.
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  Speaker 1: Neither cashchi your pearls before swine. Be very unwilling to
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  Speaker 1: pass this judgments on any man. But if the facts
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  Speaker 1: be plain and undeniable, if it is clear beyond our dispute,
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  Speaker 1: If the swine do not endeavors to disguise themselves, but
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  Speaker 1: rather glory in their shame, making no pretense to purity
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  Speaker 1: either of heart or life, but working all on cleanness
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  Speaker 1: with greediness, then cast not year your pearls before them.
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  Speaker 1: Talk not to them of the mysteries of the Kingdom,
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  Speaker 1: of the things which I have not seen nor ear heard,
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  Speaker 1: which of consequence, as they have no other inlets of knowledge,
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  Speaker 1: no spiritual senses, it cannot enter into their hearts to conceive.
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  Speaker 1: Tell not them of the exceeding, great and precious promises
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  Speaker 1: which God hath given us in the Son of His Love.
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  Speaker 1: What conception can they have been made partakers of the
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  Speaker 1: divine nature, who do not even desire to escape the
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  Speaker 1: corruption that is in the world through lust. Just as
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  Speaker 1: much knowledge as swine have of pearls, and as much
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  Speaker 1: relish as they have for them, So much relish have
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: they for the deep things of God, so much knowledge
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: of the mysteries of the Gospel, who are immersed in
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: the mire of this world in worldly pleasures, desires, and cares. Oh,
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: cast not those pearls before these, lest they trample them
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: under their feet, lest they utterly despise what they cannot understand,
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: and speak evil of the things which they know not. Nay,
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: it is probable that this would not be the only
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: inconvenience which would follow. It would not be strange if
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: they were, according to their nature, to turn again and
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: render you. If they were to return you evil for good,
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: cursing for blessing, and hatred for your good will. Such
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: is the enmity of the carnal mind against God and
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: all the things of God. Such is the treatments you
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: are to expect from these if you offer them the
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: unpardonable affronts of endeavoring to save their souls from death,
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: to pluck them as brands out of the burning. And
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: yet you need not utterly despair even of these who
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: for a present turn again and rend you. For if
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: all your arguments and persuasives fail, there is another remedy left,
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: and one that is frequently found effectual when no other
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: method avails. This is prayer. Therefore, whatever you desire or want,
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: either for others off ir own soul, ask and it
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: shall be given. You Seek, and ye shall find, knock,
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: and it shall be opened unto you. The neglect of
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: this is the third grand hindrance of holiness. Still we
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: have not because we ask not, Oh, how meek and gentle,
• 20:30
  Speaker 1: how lowly in heart, how full of love in both
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: to God and men, might ye have been at this
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: day if thou had only asked, if you had continued
• 20:41
  Speaker 1: instant in prayer. Therefore, now at least ask, and it
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: shall be given unto you. Ask that you may thoroughly
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: experience and perfectly practice the whole of that religion which
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: our Lord has hear so beautifully described. It shall then
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: be given you to be holy as He is holy.
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: Both in her heart and in all manner of conversation.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: Seek in the way he hath ordained, in searching the scriptures,
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: in hearing his word, in meditating thereon, in fasting, in
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: partaking of the supper of the Lord. And surely ye
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: shall find. Ye shall find that pearl of great price,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: that faith which overcometh the world, that's peace which the
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: world cannot give, that love which is the earnest of
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: your inheritance. Knock. Continue in prayer and in every other
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: way of the Lord. Be not weary or faint in
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: your mind. Press on to the mark, take no denial.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: Lets him not go until He bless you, and the
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: door of mercy, of holiness of Heaven shall be opened
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: unto you. It is in compassion to the hardness of
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: our hearts, so unready to believe the goodness of God,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: that our Lord is pleased to enlarge you upon this head,
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: and to repeat and confirm what He hath for everyone saith.
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: He that asketh receiveth, so that none need to come
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: short of the blessing. And that he seeketh even everyone
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: that seeketh findeth the love and the image of God.
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: And to him that knocketh, to everyone that knocketh, the
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: gate of righteousness shall be opened, so that tear is
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: no room for any to be discouraged, as though they
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: might ask or seek orknock in vain. Only remember always
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: to pray, to seek to knock, and not to faint.
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: And then the promise standeth. Sure it is firm as
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: the pillars of heaven, yea more firm, For heaven and
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: earth shall pass away, but his words shall not pass away,
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: to cut off every pretense for unbelief. Our blessed Lord
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: in the following verses illustrates, yet, Father, what he had said,
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: by an appeal to what passes in our own breasts,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: what man saith, He is there of you whom, if
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: his son asked bread, give him a stone. Will even
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: natural affection permit you to refuse the reasonable request of
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: one you love? Or if he ask of fish, will
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: he give him a serpent? Will he give him hurtful
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: instead of profitable things? So that even from what you
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: feel and do yourselves, you may receive the fullest assurance,
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: as on the one hand, that knowing effect can possibly
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: attend your asking, so on the other that it will
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: be attended with that good effect. A full supply of
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: all your wants. For if ye, being evil, know how
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: to give good gifts unto your children, how much more
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: shall your Father, which is in heaven, who is pure
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: and mixed essensial goodness, give good things to them that
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: ask him, or, as he expresses it on another occasion,
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him. In
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: him are included all good things alwaisdom, peace, joy, love,
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: the whole treasures of holiness and happiness, Or that God
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: hath prepared for them that love him. But that your
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: prayer may have its full weight with God. See that
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: ye be in charity with all men, For otherwise it
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: is more likely to bring a curse than a blessing
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: on your own head. Nor can you expect to receive
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: any blessing from God while you have not charity towards
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: your neighbor. Therefore, let this hindrance be removed without delay.
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: Confirm your love towards one another and towards all men,
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: and love them, not in word only, but indeed and
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: in truth. Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: should do to you, do ye even so to them.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: For this is the law and the prophets. This is
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: that royal law that golden rule of mercy as well
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: as justice, which even the heathen Emperor caused to be
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: written over the gate of his palace, a rule which
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: many believe to be naturally engraved on the mind of
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: everyone that comes into the world. And thus much is
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: certain that it commences itself as soon as hurt to
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: every man's conscience and understanding, insomuch that no man can
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: knowingly offend against it without carrying his condemnation in his
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: own breast. This is the law and the prophets. Whatsoever
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: is written in that law which God of all revealed
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: to mankind, and whatsoever precepts God has given by his
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: Holy prophets which have been since the world began, they
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: are all summed up in these few words. They are
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: all contained in this short direction. And this, rightly understood,
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: comprises the whole of that religion which our Lord came
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: to establish upon earth. It may be understood either in
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: a positive or negative sense. If understood in a negative sense,
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: the meaning is whatever you would not that men should
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: do to you, do not yie unto them. Here is
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: a plain rule, always ready at hand, always easy to
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: be applied, in all cases relating to your neighbour, make
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: his case your own. Suppose the circumstances to be changed,
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: and yourself to be just as he is now. And
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: then beware that do you indulge no temporal thoughts, that
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: no would pass out of your lips, that you take
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: no step which you should have condemned in him upon
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: such a change of circumstances. If understood in a direct
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: and positive sense, the plain meaning of it is whatsoever
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: you could reasonably desire of him, supposing yourself to be
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: in his circumstances. That do to the uttermost of your
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: power to every child of man to apply this in
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: one or two obvious instances. It is clear to every
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: man's own conscience. We would not that others should judge us,
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: should causelessly or likely think evil of us, much less
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: would we that any should speak evil of us. Such
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: publish are real thoughts or infirmities. Apply this to yourself,
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: Do not unto another what you would not he should
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: do unto you, And you will never more judge your neighbor,
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: never causelessly or likely think evil of anyone, much less
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: will you speak evil. You will never mention even the
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: real thought of an absent person, unless so far as
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: you are convinced it is absolutely needful for the good
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: of other souls. Again, we would that all men should
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: love and esteemers, and behave towards us according to justice,
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: mercy and truth. And we may reasonably desire that they
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: should do us all the good they can do without
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: injuring themselves. Yeah that in the outward things, according to
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: the known rule, the superfluities should give way to our conveniences,
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: their conveniences to our necessities, and their necessities to our extremities. Now,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: then let us walk by the same rule. Let us
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: do unto all as we would they should do to us.
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: Let us love and honor all men. Let justice, mercy,
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: and truth govern all our minds and actions. Let our
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: superfluities give way to our neighbors conveniences, And who then
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: will have any superfluities left. Our conveniences to our neighbor's
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: necessities are necessity to his extremities. This is pure and
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: genuine morality. This do, and thou shalt live as many
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: as walk by this rule, Peace be to them and mercy,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: for they are the Israel of God. But then it
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: be observed none can walk by this rule, nor ever
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: did from the beginning of the world. None can love
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: his neighbor as himself unless he first love God. And
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: none can love God unless he believe in Christ, unless
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: he have redemption through his blood and the Spirit of God,
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: bearing witness with his spirits that he is a child
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: of God. Faith, therefore is still the root of all
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: of present as well as future salvation. Still we must
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: say to every sinner, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: and thou shalt be saved. Thou shalt be saved now,
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: that thou mayst be saved forever saved on earth, that
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: thou mayest be saved in Heaven. Believe in Him, and
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: thy faith will work by love. Thou wilt love the Lord,
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: thy God, because he hath loved thee. Thou wilt love
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: thy neighbor as thyself. And then it will be thy
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: glory and joy to exert and increase this love, not
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: barely by abstaining from what is contrary there too, from
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: every unkind thought, word, and action, but by showing all
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: that kindness to every man which thou wilshedt he should show.
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: Unto thee end of Section thirty