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031 - Upon our Lords Sermon on the Mount Discourse X · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty of Sermons on Several Occasions First series. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visits
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Joseph Abel Sermons on Several Occasions,
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  Speaker 1: First series by John Wesley, Upon Our Lord's Sermon on
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  Speaker 1: the Mount discourse ten, judge not that ye be not judged,
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  Speaker 1: For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged,
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  Speaker 1: And with what measure ye meet, it shall be measured
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  Speaker 1: to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that
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  Speaker 1: is in thy brother's eye, But considerest not the beam
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  Speaker 1: that is in thineoie, Or how wilt thou say to
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  Speaker 1: thy brother, let me pull out the motes out of
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  Speaker 1: thine eye, and behold a beam is in thinnie. Thou hypocrites,
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  Speaker 1: First cast out the beam out of thineonee. And then
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt clearly to cast out the moat out of
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  Speaker 1: thy brother's eye. Give not that which is wholly unto
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  Speaker 1: the dogs. Neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest
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  Speaker 1: they trample them under their feet, and turn again and
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  Speaker 1: render you ask and it shall be given. You seeking,
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  Speaker 1: ye shall find knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
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  Speaker 1: For everyone that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh find death.
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  Speaker 1: And to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or
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  Speaker 1: what man is there of you, who, if his son
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  Speaker 1: asked bread, will give him a stone, or if he
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  Speaker 1: asketh fish, will give him a serpent. If ye, then,
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  Speaker 1: being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children,
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  Speaker 1: how much more shall your Father, which is in Heaven,
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  Speaker 1: give good gifts to them that ask him. Therefore, all
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  Speaker 1: things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,
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  Speaker 1: do ye even sewed to them. For this is the
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  Speaker 1: law and the prophets. Matthew seven one to twelve, All bless,
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  Speaker 1: said Lord, having now finished his main design, having first
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  Speaker 1: delivered the sum of true religion, carefully guarded against those
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  Speaker 1: glosses of men, whereby they would make the word of
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  Speaker 1: God of non effect, and having next laid down rules
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  Speaker 1: touching the right intention which we are to preserve in
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  Speaker 1: all our outward actions, now proceeds to point out the
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  Speaker 1: main hindrances of this religion, and concludes all with a
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  Speaker 1: suitable application. In the fifth chapter, our great Teacher has
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  Speaker 1: fully described inward religion in its various branches. He is
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  Speaker 1: there laid before as those dispositions of soul which constitutes
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  Speaker 1: real Christianity, the tempers contained in that holiness without which
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  Speaker 1: no man shall see the Lord, the affections which, when
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  Speaker 1: flowing from their proper fountain, from a living faith in
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  Speaker 1: God through Christ Jesus, are intrinsically and essentially good and
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  Speaker 1: acceptable to God. In the sixth we have shown how
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  Speaker 1: all our actions, likewise, even those that are indifferent in
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  Speaker 1: their own nature, may be made holy and good and
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  Speaker 1: acceptable to God by a pure and holy anas. Whatever
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  Speaker 1: is done without this, he declares, is of no value
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  Speaker 1: with God, whereas whatever outward works are thus consecrated to
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  Speaker 1: God are in his sight, of great price. In the
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  Speaker 1: former part of this chapter he points out the most
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  Speaker 1: common and most fatal hindrances of His holiness. In the matter,
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  Speaker 1: he exhorts us, by various motives, to break through all
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  Speaker 1: and secure that price of our high Calling the first hindrance,
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  Speaker 1: he cautions us against this judging judge, not that ye
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  Speaker 1: be not judged, judge not others, that ye be not
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  Speaker 1: judged of the Lord, that ye bring not vengeance on
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  Speaker 1: your own heads. For with what judgments ye judge, ye
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  Speaker 1: shall be judged, and with what measure you meet, it
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  Speaker 1: shall be measured to you again a plain and equitable rule,
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  Speaker 1: whereby God permits you to determine for yourselves in what
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  Speaker 1: manner He shall deal with you in the judgments of
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  Speaker 1: the great Day. There is no station of life, nor
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  Speaker 1: any period of time from the hour of our first
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  Speaker 1: repenting and believing the Gospel till we are made perfect
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  Speaker 1: in love. Wherein this caution is not needful for every
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  Speaker 1: child of God. For occasions of judging can never be wanting,
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  Speaker 1: and the temptations to it are innumerable. Many whereof are
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  Speaker 1: so artfully disguised that we fall into the sin before
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  Speaker 1: we suspect any danger. And unspeakable are the mischiefs produced
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  Speaker 1: hereby always to him that judges another, thus wounding his
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  Speaker 1: own soul and exposing himself to the righteous judgment of God.
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  Speaker 1: And frequently to those who are judged, whose hands 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. Yeah, 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 bas 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 p of those who
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  Speaker 1: are not of the world, who follow after the religion
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  Speaker 1: above described, who are 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 neighbor's faults
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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 the 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 beam that is
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  Speaker 1: in thine own eye. Thou considerest not the daminable and penitence,
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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'sub pene carelessness and indifference art thou dancing over
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  Speaker 1: the mouth of hell? And how then, with what grace,
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  Speaker 1: with what 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 knight 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 own eye, not a mode like one of these,
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  Speaker 1: Thou hypocrite, who pretend to care for others and hast
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  Speaker 1: no care for thine own soul, who make us a
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  Speaker 1: show of zeal for the cause of God, when in
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  Speaker 1: truth thou neither lovest nor fearest him. First cast out
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  Speaker 1: the beam out of thine own eye. Cast out the
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  Speaker 1: beam of impenitence. Know thyself, see and feel thyself a sinner,
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  Speaker 1: Feel that thy inward parts are very wickedness, that thou
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  Speaker 1: art altogether corrupt and abominable, and that the wrath of
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  Speaker 1: God abideth on thee. Cast out the beam of pride.
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  Speaker 1: Abhore thyself sink down as in dust and ashes, be
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  Speaker 1: more and more little and mean and base and vile
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  Speaker 1: in thine own eyes. Cast out the beam of self.
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  Speaker 1: Will learn what that meaneth If any man will come
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  Speaker 1: after me, let him renounce himself, deny thyself, and take
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  Speaker 1: up thy cross daily. Let thy whole soul cry out,
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  Speaker 1: I came down from heaven, for so thou didst thou,
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  Speaker 1: never dying so spirit, whether thou knowest or no, not
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  Speaker 1: to do my own will, But the will of Him
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  Speaker 1: that sent me. Cast out to the beam of love
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  Speaker 1: of the world. Love not the world. Neither are the
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  Speaker 1: things of the world. Be Thou crucified unto the world,
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  Speaker 1: and the world crucified unto thee. Only use the world,
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  Speaker 1: but enjoy God, Seek all thy happiness in Him above all,
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  Speaker 1: cast out the grand beam, that supreme carelessness and indifference. Deeply,
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  Speaker 1: consider that one thing is need for the one thing
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  Speaker 1: which thou hast scarce ever thought of. Know and feel
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  Speaker 1: that thou art a poor, vile, guilty worm quivering over
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  Speaker 1: the great gulf. What art thou a sinner born to die?
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  Speaker 1: A leaf driven before the wind, a vapor ready to
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  Speaker 1: vanish away, just appearing and then scattered into air, to
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  Speaker 1: be no more seen. See this, and then shall thou
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  Speaker 1: seek clearly to cast out the mode of thy brother's eye. Then,
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  Speaker 1: if thou hast leisure from the concerns of thy own soul,
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  Speaker 1: thou shalt know how to correct thy brother. Also, But
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  Speaker 1: what is properly the meaning of this word judge? Not?
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  Speaker 1: What is the judging which is here forbidden? Is it
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  Speaker 1: not the same as evil speaking, although it is frequently
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  Speaker 1: joined therewith evil speaking? Is the relating anything that is
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  Speaker 1: evil concerning an absent person. Whereas judging may indifferently refer
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  Speaker 1: either to the absent or the present. Neither does it
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  Speaker 1: necessarily imply the speaking at all, but only the thinking
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  Speaker 1: evil of another. Not that all kind of thinking evil
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  Speaker 1: of others. Is that judging which our Lord condemns. If
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  Speaker 1: I see one commits robbery or murder, or hear him
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  Speaker 1: blaspheme the name of God, I cannot refrain from thinking
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  Speaker 1: ill of the robber or murderer. Yet this is not
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  Speaker 1: evil judging. There is no sin in this, nor anything
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  Speaker 1: contrary to tender affection. The thinking of another in a
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  Speaker 1: manner that is contrary to love is that judging which
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  Speaker 1: is here condemned. And this may be of various kinds.
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  Speaker 1: For first, we may think another to blame when he
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  Speaker 1: is not. We may lay to his charge, at least
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  Speaker 1: in our own mind, the things of which he is
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  Speaker 1: not guilty, the words which he has never spoke, all
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  Speaker 1: of the actions which he has never done. Or we
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  Speaker 1: may think his manner of acting was wrong, though in
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  Speaker 1: reality it was not. And even when nothing can justly
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  Speaker 1: be blamed, either in the thing itself or the manner
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  Speaker 1: of doing it. We may suppose his intention was not good,
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  Speaker 1: and so condemn him on that ground, as the same
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  Speaker 1: time that he who searches the heart sees his simplicity
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  Speaker 1: and godly sincerity. But we may not only fall into
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  Speaker 1: the sin of judging by condemning the innocence, but also
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  Speaker 1: secondly by condemning the guilty to a higher degree than
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  Speaker 1: he deserves. This species of judging is likewise an offense
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  Speaker 1: against justice as well as mercy, and yet such an
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  Speaker 1: offense as nothing can secure us from but the strongest
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  Speaker 1: and tenderest affection. Without this, we readily suppose one who
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  Speaker 1: is acknowledged to be in thought to be more in
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  Speaker 1: faults than he really is. We undervalue whatever good is
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  Speaker 1: found in him. Nay, we are not easily induced to
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  Speaker 1: believe that anything good can remain in him in whom
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  Speaker 1: we found anything that is evil. All this shows a
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  Speaker 1: manifest want of that's love which our lodges at taig
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  Speaker 1: Cacan think of no evil, which never draws an unjust
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  Speaker 1: or unkind conclusion from any premises whatsoever. Love will not
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  Speaker 1: infer from a person's falling, once into an act of
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  Speaker 1: open sin, that he is accustomed so to do that
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  Speaker 1: he is habitually guilty of it, And if he was
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  Speaker 1: habitually guilty wants love does not conclude he is so
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  Speaker 1: still much less that if he is now guilty of this,
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  Speaker 1: therefore he is guilty of other sins. Also, these evil
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  Speaker 1: reasonings all pertain to that sinful judging which our Lord
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  Speaker 1: here guards us against, and which we are in the
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  Speaker 1: highest degree concerned to avoid if we love either God
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  Speaker 1: or our own souls. But supposing we do not condemn
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  Speaker 1: the innocence, neither there guilty any farther than they deserve,
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  Speaker 1: still we may not be altogether clear of the snare.
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  Speaker 1: For there is the third sort of sinful judging, which
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  Speaker 1: is the condemning any person at all where there is
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  Speaker 1: not sufficient evidence. And be the fact we suppose of
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  Speaker 1: it so true, yet that does not acquit us, For
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  Speaker 1: they ought not to have been supposed, but proved, And
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  Speaker 1: till they were, we ought to have formed no judgment,
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  Speaker 1: I say, till they were. For neither are we excused
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  Speaker 1: although the facts admit of ever so strong proof, unless
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  Speaker 1: that proof be produced before we pass sentence, and compared
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  Speaker 1: with the evidence on the other side. Nor can we
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  Speaker 1: be excused if we ever pass a fall sentence before
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  Speaker 1: the accused has spoken for himself. Even a Jew might
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  Speaker 1: teach us this as a mere lesson of justice abstracted
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  Speaker 1: from mercy and brotherly love. Doth our law, says Nicodemus,
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  Speaker 1: judge any man before it's hear him, and know what
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  Speaker 1: he doeth John seven fifty one. Yea a heathen could
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  Speaker 1: reply when the chief of the Jewish nation desired to
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  Speaker 1: have judgment against his prisoner. It is not the man
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  Speaker 1: of the Romans to judge any man before he that
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  Speaker 1: is accused, have the accusers face to face, and have
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  Speaker 1: license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: we could not easily fall into the sinful judging, were
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  Speaker 1: we only to observe the rule which another Seneca of
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  Speaker 1: those Heathen Romans affirms to have been the measure of
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  Speaker 1: his own practice. I am so far, says he, from
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  Speaker 1: lightly believing every man's or every man's evidence against another,
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  Speaker 1: that I do not easily or immediately believe a man's
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  Speaker 1: evidence against himself. I always allow him second thoughts, And
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  Speaker 1: many times, counsel two, go thou who art called a Christian,
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  Speaker 1: and do likewise, lest the heathen rise and condemned them
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  Speaker 1: in that day. But how rarely should we condemn or
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  Speaker 1: judge one another? At least, how soon would that evil
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  Speaker 1: be remedied were we to walk by that clear and
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  Speaker 1: express rule which our Lord himself has taught us. If
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  Speaker 1: thy brother shall trespaands against THEE, or if thou hear
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  Speaker 1: or believe that he hath, go and tell him of
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  Speaker 1: his thoughts between him and THEE alone, this is the
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  Speaker 1: first step thou art to take. But if he will
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  Speaker 1: not here take with THEE one or two more, that
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  Speaker 1: in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word
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  Speaker 1: may be established, this is the second step. If he
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  Speaker 1: neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church, either
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  Speaker 1: to the overseers thereof, or to the whole congregation. Thou
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  Speaker 1: hast then done thy part, then think of it no more,
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  Speaker 1: but commend the whole to God. But supposing thou hast,
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  Speaker 1: by the grace of God, cast the beam out of
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  Speaker 1: thine own eye, and thus now clearly see the motor
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  Speaker 1: or the beam which is in thy brother's eye, Yet
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  Speaker 1: beware that thou dost not receive hurt thyself by endeavoring
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  Speaker 1: to help him. Still give not that which is wholly
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  Speaker 1: unto dogs, do not likely account any to be of
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  Speaker 1: this number. But if it evidently appear that they deserve
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  Speaker 1: the title, then cashee not your purlse before swine, beware
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  Speaker 1: of that zeal which is not according to knowledge, for
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  Speaker 1: this is another great hindrance in their way. He would
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  Speaker 1: be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect. They who
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  Speaker 1: desire this cannot but desire all the mankind should partake
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  Speaker 1: of the common blessing. And when we ourselves first partake
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  Speaker 1: of the heavenly gift, the divine evidence of things not seen,
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  Speaker 1: we wonder that all mankind do not see the things
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  Speaker 1: which we see so plainly, and make no doubt at all,
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  Speaker 1: but we shall open the eyes of all we have
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  Speaker 1: any intercourse with. Hence we are for attacking all we
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  Speaker 1: meet without delay, and constraining them to see whether they
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  Speaker 1: will or no. And by the ill success of this
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  Speaker 1: intemperate zeal, we often suffer in our own souls to
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  Speaker 1: prevent this, spending our strength in vain that our Lord
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  Speaker 1: adds this needful caution, needful to all, but more especially
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  Speaker 1: to those who are now warm in their first love.
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  Speaker 1: Give not that which is wholly unto the dogs. Neither
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  Speaker 1: cash gi your pearls before swine, lest they trample them
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  Speaker 1: on the foot and turn again and rend you give
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  Speaker 1: not that which is wholly unto the dogs. Beware of
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  Speaker 1: thinking that any deserve this appellation till there is full
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  Speaker 1: and incontestable proof such you can no longer resist. But
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  Speaker 1: when it is clearly and indisputably prove that they are
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  Speaker 1: unholy and wicked men, not only strangers to but enemies
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  Speaker 1: to God, to all righteousness and true holiness, give not
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  Speaker 1: that which is holy to haggion the holy thing emphatically
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  Speaker 1: so called unto these the holy the peculiar doctrines of
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  Speaker 1: the Gold 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
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  Speaker 1: them as they are able to bear. Do not begin
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  Speaker 1: a discourse with these upon remission of sins and the
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  Speaker 1: gift of the Holy Ghost, but talk with them in
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  Speaker 1: their own manner and upon their own principles, with the
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  Speaker 1: rational hones, holnerable and unjust epicure, reason of righteousness, temperance,
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  Speaker 1: and judgment to come. This is the most probable way
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  Speaker 1: to make of Felix tremble. Reserve high subjectsful men of
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  Speaker 1: higher attainments, neither cash to ye your pearls before swine
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  Speaker 1: be very unwilling to pass this judgment on any man.
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  Speaker 1: But if the facts be plain and undeniable, if it
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  Speaker 1: is clear beyond our dispute, If the swine do not
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  Speaker 1: endeavor to disguise themselves, but rather glory in their shame,
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  Speaker 1: making no pretense to purity either of heart or life,
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  Speaker 1: but working all on cleanness with greediness, then cast not
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  Speaker 1: to year your pearls before them. Talk not to them
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  Speaker 1: of the mysteries of the Kingdom, of the things which
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  Speaker 1: I have not seen nor ear heard, which, of consequence,
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  Speaker 1: as they have no other inlets of knowledge, no spiritual senses,
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  Speaker 1: it cannot enter into their hearts to conceive. Tell not
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  Speaker 1: them of the exceeding, great and precious promises which God
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: hath given us in the Son of His Love. What
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: conception can they have been made partakers of the divine nature,
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: who do not even desire to escape the corruption that
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: is in the world through lust. Just as much knowledge
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: as swine have of pearls, and as much relish as
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: they have for them, So much relish have they for
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: the deep things of God, so much knowledge of the
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: mysteries of the Gospel, who are immersed in the mire
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: of this world in worldly pleasures, desires, and cares. Oh,
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: cast not those pearls before these, lest they trample them
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: under their feet, lest they utterly despise what they cannot understand,
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: and speak evil of the things which they know not. Nay,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: it is probable that this would not be the only
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: inconvenience which would follow. It would not be strange if
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: they were according to their nature to turn again and
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: render you, if they were to return you evil for good,
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: cursing for blessing, and hatred for your good will, such
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: as the enmity of the carnal mind against God and
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: all the things of God, such as the treatments you
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: are to expect from these if you offer them the
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: unpardonable affronts of endeavoring to save their souls from death,
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: to pluck them as brands out of the burning. And
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: yet you need not utterly despair even of these who,
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: for a present turn again and rend you. For if
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: all your arguments and persuasives fail, there is another remedy left,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: and one that is frequently found effectual when no other
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: method avails. This is prayer. Therefore, whatever you desire or want,
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: either for others of your own soul, ask and it
• 20:37
  Speaker 1: shall be given. You Seek and ye shall find. Knock
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: and it shall be opened unto you. The neglect of
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: this is the third grand hindrance of holiness. Still we
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: have not because we ask not, Oh, how meek and gentle,
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: how lowly in heart, how full of love in both
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: to God and men, might ye have been at this day?
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: If thou had only asked if you had continued instant
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: in prayer. Therefore, now at least ask, and it shall
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: be given unto you. Ask that you may thoroughly experience
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: and perfectly practice the whole of that religion which our
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: Lord has hear so beautifully described. It shall then be
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: given you to be holy as He is holy. Both
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: enheartened in all manner of conversation, Seek in the way
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: He hath ordained, in searching the scriptures, in hearing his word,
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: in meditating thereon, in fasting, in partaking of the supper
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: of the Lord, And surely ye shall find. Ye shall
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: find that pearl of great price, that faith which overcometh
• 21:42
  Speaker 1: the world, that's peace which the world cannot give, that
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: love which is the earnest of your inheritance. Not continue
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: in prayer and in every other way of the Lord,
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: Be not wary or faint in your mind. Press on
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: to the mark, take no denial. Lets him not go
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: until He bless you, and the door of mercy, of
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: holiness of Heaven shall be opened unto you. It is
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: in compassion to the hardness of our hearts, so unready
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: to believe the goodness of God, that our Lord is
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: pleased to enlarge you upon this head, and to repeat
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: and confirm what he hath spoken. For everyone saith. He
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: that asketh receiveth, so that none need to come short
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: of the blessing, and that he seeketh, even everyone that
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: seeketh findeth the love and the image of God. And
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: to him that knocketh, to everyone that knocketh, the gate
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: of righteousness shall be opened, so that tear is no
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: room for any to be discouraged, as though they might ask,
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: or seek or knock in vain. Only remember always the
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: prey to seek to knock, and not to faint. And
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: then the promise standeth. Sure it is firm as the
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: pillars of heaven, yea more firm, for heaven and earth
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: shall pass away, but his word shall not pass away.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: To cut off every pretense for unbelief, Our blessed Lord
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: in the following verses illustrates yet, Father, what he had said,
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: by an appeal to what passes in our own breasts.
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: What man saith, He is there of you, whom, if
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: his son ask bread, will give him a stone? Will
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: even natural affection permit you to refuse the reasonable request
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: of one you love. Or if he ask a fish,
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: will he give him a serpent, will he give him
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: hurtful instead of profitable things, So that even from what
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: you feel and do yourselves, you may receive the fullest assurance,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: as on the one hand, that knowing the effect can
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: possibly attend your asking, so on the other that it
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: will be attended with that good effect, a full supply
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: of all your wants. For if ye, being evil, know
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: how to give good gifts unto your children, how much
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: more shall your Father, which is in Heaven, who is
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: pure and a sense your goodness, give good things to
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: them that ask him, or, as he expresses it on
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: another occasion, give the Holy Ghost to them that ask him.
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: In him are included all good things alwaisdom, peace, joy, love,
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: the whole treasures of holiness and happiness, all that God
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: hath prepared for them that love Him. But that your
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: prayer may have its full weight with God. See that
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: ye be in charity with all men, For otherwise it
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: is more likely to bring a curse than a blessing
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: on your own head. Nor can you expect to receive
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: any blessing from God while you have not charity towards
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: your neighbor. Therefore, let this hindrance be removed without delay,
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: confirm your love towards to one another and towards all men,
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: and love them not in word only, but indeed and
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: in truth. Therefore, all things, whatsoever ye would that men
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: should do to you, do ye even so to them.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: For this is the law and the prophets. This is
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: that royal law, that God rule of mercy as well
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: as justice, which even the Heathen Emperor caused to be
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: written over the gate of his palace, a rule which
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: many believe to be naturally engraved on the mind of
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: everyone that comes into the world. And thus much is
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: certain that it commence itself as soon as heart to
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: every man's conscience and understanding, insomuch that no man can
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: knowingly offend against it without carrying his condemnation in his
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: own breast. This is the law and the prophets. Whatsoever
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: is written in that law which God hath all revealed
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: to mankind, and whatsoever precepts God has given by his
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: holy prophets which have been since the world began, they
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: are all summed up in these few words. They are
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: all contained in this short direction. And this rightly understood,
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: comprises the whole of that religion which our Lord came
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: to establish upon earth. It may be understood either in
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: a positive or negative sense. If understood in a negative sense,
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: the meaning is whatever you would not that men should
• 26:05
  Speaker 1: do to you, do not ye unto them. Here is
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: a plane rule, always ready at hand, always easy to
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: be applied in all cases. Relating to your neighbor, make
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: his case your own. Suppose the circumstances to be changed,
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: and yourself to be just as he is now, And
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: then beware that you indulge no temporal thoughts, that no
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: would pass out of your lips, that you take no
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: step which you should have condemned in him upon such
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: a change of circumstances. If understood in a direct and
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: positive sense, the plain meaning of it is whatsoever you
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: could reasonably desire of him, supposing yourself to be in
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: his circumstances, That do to the uttermost of your power
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: to every child of man to apply this in one
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: or two obvious instances. It is clear to every man's
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: own conscience. We would not that others should judge us
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: said causelessly, or likely think evil of us. Much less
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: would we that any should speak evil of us. Such
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: publish our real thoughts or infirmities. Apply this to yourself,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: do not unto another what you would not he should
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: do unto you, And you will never more judge your neighbor,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: never causelessly or likely think evil of anyone, much less
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: will you speak evil. You will never mention even the
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: real thought of an absent person, unless so far as
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: you are convinced it is absolutely needful for the good
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: of other souls. Again, we would that all men should
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: love and esteemers, and behave towards us according to justice, mercy,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: and truth. And we may reasonably desire that they should
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: do us or the good they can do without injuring themselves.
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah that in the outward things, according to the known rule,
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: the superfluities should give way to our conveniences, their conveniences
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: to our necessities, and their necessities to our extremities. Now,
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: then let us walk by the same rule. Let us
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: do unto all as we would they should do to us.
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: Let us love and honor all men. Let justice, mercy,
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: and truth govern all our minds and actions. Let our
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: superfluities give way to our neighbors conveniences, and who then
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: will have any superfluities left Our conveniences to our neighbor's necessities,
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: our necessities to his extremities. This is pure and genuine morality.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: This do and doubt shalt live. As many as walk
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: by this rule, Peace be to them and mercy, for
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: they are the Israel of God. But then it be
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: observed none can walk by this rule, nor ever did
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: from the beginning of the world. None can love his
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: neighbor as himself unless he first loved God. And none
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: can love God unless he believe in Christ, unless he
• 28:50
  Speaker 1: have redemption through his blood and the Spirit of God,
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: bearing witness with his spirits that he is a child
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: of God. Faith, therefore is still the root of all
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: all of present as well as future salvation. Still we
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: must say to every sinner, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: and thou shalt be saved. Thou shalt be saved now,
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: that thou mayest be saved forever saved on earth, that
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: thou mayest be saved in Heaven. Believe in Him, and
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: thy faith will work by love. Thou wilt love the
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: Lord thy God, because he hath loved thee Thou wilt
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: love thy neighbor as thyself, And then it will be
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: thy glory and joy to exert and increase this love,
• 29:32
  Speaker 1: not barely by abstaining from what is contrary there too,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: from every unkind thought, word and action, but by showing
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: all that kindness to every man which thou wilshest he
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: should show unto thee end of Section thirty. Recording by
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: Joseph Abel Lancaster, United Kingdom. My website is Joseph abeb
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: l dot co dot uk SA