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051 - The Cure of Evil-speaking · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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  Speaker 1: Section fifty of Sermons on Several Occasions First Series. This
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  Speaker 1: is a LibriVox recording. All librivoxtra recordings are in the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox dot org. Recording by Bill Mosely. Sermons on Several Occasions,
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  Speaker 1: First Series by John Wesley, Sermon forty nine, The Cure
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  Speaker 1: of Evil speaking. If thy brother shall sin against THEE,
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  Speaker 1: go and tell him his fault between THEE and him alone.
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  Speaker 1: If he shall hear THEE, thou hast gained thy brother.
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  Speaker 1: But if he will not hear, take with THEE one
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  Speaker 1: or two more that in the mouth of two or
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  Speaker 1: three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he
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  Speaker 1: will not hear them, tell it to the Church. But
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  Speaker 1: if he does not hear the Church, let him be
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  Speaker 1: to THEE as a heathen man and a publican. Matthew
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  Speaker 1: eighteen fifteen through seventeen one speak evil of no man,
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  Speaker 1: says the Great Apostle, as plain a command as thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt do no murder. But who even among Christians regards
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  Speaker 1: this command? YEA, how few are there that so much
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  Speaker 1: as understand it? What is evil speaking? It is not
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  Speaker 1: as some Suppose the same with lying or slandering. All
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  Speaker 1: a man says may be as true as the Bible,
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  Speaker 1: And yet the saying of it is evil speaking. For
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  Speaker 1: evil speaking is neither more nor less than speaking evil
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  Speaker 1: of an absent person, relating something evil which was really
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  Speaker 1: done or said by one that is not present when
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  Speaker 1: it is related. Suppose have seen a man drunk, or
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  Speaker 1: heard him curse or swear. I tell this when he
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  Speaker 1: is absent. It is evil speaking. In our language. This
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  Speaker 1: is also by an extremely proper name termed backbiting. Nor
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  Speaker 1: is there any material difference between this and what we
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  Speaker 1: usually style tail bearing. If the tale be delivered in
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  Speaker 1: a soft and quiet manner, perhaps with expressions of goodwill
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  Speaker 1: to the person, and of hope that things may not
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  Speaker 1: be quite so bad, then we call it whispering. But
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  Speaker 1: in whatever manner it be done, the thing is the same,
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  Speaker 1: the same in substance. If not in circumstance, still it
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  Speaker 1: is evil speaking. Still this command speak evil of No
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  Speaker 1: man is trampled underfoot if we relate to another the
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  Speaker 1: fault of a third person when he is not present
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  Speaker 1: to answer for himself. Health Two, and how extremely common
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  Speaker 1: is this sin among all orders and degrees of men.
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  Speaker 1: How do high and low, rich and poor, wise and foolish,
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  Speaker 1: learned and unlearned run into it continually? Persons who differ
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  Speaker 1: from each other in all things else nevertheless agree in this.
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  Speaker 1: How few are there that can testify before God? I
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  Speaker 1: am clear in this manner. I have always set a
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  Speaker 1: watch before my mouth and kept the door of my lips.
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  Speaker 1: What conversation do you hear of any considerable length whereof
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  Speaker 1: evil speaking is not one ingredient? And that even among
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  Speaker 1: persons who in the general have the fear of God
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  Speaker 1: before their eyes, and do really desire to have a
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  Speaker 1: conscious void of offense toward God and toward man. Three.
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  Speaker 1: And the very commonness of this sin makes it difficult
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  Speaker 1: to be avoided, as we are encompassed with it on
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  Speaker 1: every side. So if we are not deeply sensible of
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  Speaker 1: the danger and continually guarding against it, we are liable
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  Speaker 1: to be carried away by the torrent. In this instance,
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  Speaker 1: almost the whole of mankind is, as it were, in
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  Speaker 1: a conspiracy against us, and their example steals upon us.
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  Speaker 1: We know not, how so that we insensibly slide into
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  Speaker 1: the imitation of it. Besides, it is recommended from within
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  Speaker 1: as well as from without. There is scarce any wrong
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  Speaker 1: temper in the mind of man which may not be
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  Speaker 1: occasionally gratified by it, and consequently incline us to it.
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  Speaker 1: It gratifies our pride to relate those faults of others,
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  Speaker 1: wheref we think ourselves not to be guilty. Anger, resentment,
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  Speaker 1: and all unkind tempers are indulged by speaking against those
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  Speaker 1: with whom we are displeased, and in many cases by
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  Speaker 1: reciting the sins of their neighbors. Men indulge their own
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  Speaker 1: foolish and hurtful desires. Pour evil speaking is the more
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  Speaker 1: difficult to be avoided, because it frequently attacks us in disguise.
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  Speaker 1: We speak thus out of a noble, generous It is
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  Speaker 1: well if we do not say holy indignation against these
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  Speaker 1: vile creatures, we commit sin from mere hatred of sin.
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  Speaker 1: We serve the devil out of pure zeal for God.
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  Speaker 1: It is merely in order to punish the wicked that
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  Speaker 1: we run into this wickedness. So do the passions. As
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  Speaker 1: one speaks, all justify themselves and palm sin upon us
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  Speaker 1: under the veil of holiness. Five. But is there no
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  Speaker 1: way to avoid the snare? Unquestionably there is our blessed
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  Speaker 1: Lord has marked out a plain way for his followers
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  Speaker 1: in the words above, reciting, none who wearily and steadily
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  Speaker 1: walk in this path will ever fall into evil. Speaking
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  Speaker 1: this rule is either an infallible preventive or a certain
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  Speaker 1: cure of it. In the preceding verses, our Lord had said,
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  Speaker 1: woe to the world because of offenses. Unspeakable misery will
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  Speaker 1: arise in the world from this baleful fountain. Offenses are
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  Speaker 1: all things whereby any one is turned out of or
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  Speaker 1: hindered in the ways of God. For it must be
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  Speaker 1: that offenses come, such as the nature of things, such
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  Speaker 1: the wickedness, folly, and weakness of mankind. But woe to
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  Speaker 1: that man miserable is that man by whom the offense cometh. Wherefore,
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  Speaker 1: if thy hand, thy foot, thine eye cause thee to offend,
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  Speaker 1: if the most dear enjoyment, the most beloved and useful person,
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  Speaker 1: turn thee out of, or hinder thee in the way,
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  Speaker 1: pluck it out, cut them off, and cast them from thee.
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  Speaker 1: But how can we avoid giving offense to some and
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  Speaker 1: being offended at others, Especially suppose they are quite in
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  Speaker 1: the wrong, and we see it with our own eyes.
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  Speaker 1: Our Lord here teaches us how he lays down a
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  Speaker 1: sure method of avoiding offenses and evil speaking together. If
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  Speaker 1: thy brother shall sin against THEE, go and tell him
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  Speaker 1: of his fault between THEE and him alone. If he
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  Speaker 1: will hear THEE, thou hast gained thy brother. But if
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  Speaker 1: he will not hear THEE, take with THEE one or
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  Speaker 1: two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses,
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  Speaker 1: every word may be established. And if he will not
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  Speaker 1: hear them, tell it to the church. But if you
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  Speaker 1: will not hear the church, let him be to THEE
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  Speaker 1: as a unheathen man and a publican Roman numeral one one. First,
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  Speaker 1: if thy brother shall sin against THEE, go and tell
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  Speaker 1: him of his fault between THEE and him alone, The
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  Speaker 1: most literal way of following this first rule, where it
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  Speaker 1: is practicable, is the best. Therefore, if thou seest with
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  Speaker 1: thine own eyes a brother, a fellow Christian commit undeniable sin,
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  Speaker 1: or hearest it with thine own ears, so that it
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  Speaker 1: is impossible for THEE to doubt the fact, then thy
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  Speaker 1: part is plain. Take the very first opportunity of going
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  Speaker 1: to him, and if thou canst have access, tell him
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  Speaker 1: of his fault between THEE and Him alone. Indeed, great
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  Speaker 1: care is to be taken that this is done in
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  Speaker 1: a right spirit and in a right manner. The success
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  Speaker 1: of a reproof greatly depends on the spirit wherein it
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  Speaker 1: is given. Be not therefore, wanting in earnest prayer to
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  Speaker 1: God that it may be given in a lowly spirit,
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  Speaker 1: with a deep piercing conviction, that it is God alone
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  Speaker 1: who maketh THEE to differ, and that if any good
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  Speaker 1: be done by what is now spoken, God doeth it himself.
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  Speaker 1: Pray that He would guard thy heart, enlighten thy mind,
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  Speaker 1: and direct thy tongue to such words as he may
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  Speaker 1: please to bless. See that thou speak in a meek
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  Speaker 1: as well as a lowly spirit, where the wrath of
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  Speaker 1: man worketh not the righteousness of God. If he be
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  Speaker 1: overtaken in a fault, he can no otherwise be restored
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  Speaker 1: than in the spirit of meekness. If he opposes the truth,
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  Speaker 1: yet he cannot be brought to the knowledge thereof. But
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  Speaker 1: by gentleness still speak in a spirit of tender love,
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  Speaker 1: which many waters cannot quench. If love is not conquered,
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  Speaker 1: it conquers all things. Who can tell the force of love.
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  Speaker 1: Love can bow down the stubborn neck, the stone to flesh, convert,
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  Speaker 1: soften and melt, and peer and break an adamantine heart.
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  Speaker 1: Confirm them your love toward him, and you will thereby
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  Speaker 1: heap coals of fire upon his head. Two. But see
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  Speaker 1: that the manner also wherein you speak, be according to
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  Speaker 1: the Gospel of Christ. Avoid everything in look, gesture, word,
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  Speaker 1: and tone of voice that savors of pride or self sufficiency.
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  Speaker 1: Studiously avoid everything magisterial or dogmatical, everything that looks like
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  Speaker 1: arrogance or assuming. Beware the most distant approach to disdain, overbearing,
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  Speaker 1: or contempt. With equal care, avoid all appearance of anger.
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  Speaker 1: And though you use great plainness of speech, yet let
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  Speaker 1: there be no reproach, no railing accusation, no token of
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  Speaker 1: any warmth, but that of love. Above all, Let there
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  Speaker 1: be no shadow of hate or ill will, no bitterness
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  Speaker 1: or sourness of expression. But use the air and language
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  Speaker 1: of sweetness as well as gentleness, that all may appear
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  Speaker 1: to flow from love in the heart. And yet this
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  Speaker 1: sweetness need not hinder your speaking in the most serious
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  Speaker 1: and solemn manner, as far as may be. In the
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  Speaker 1: very words of the oracles of God where there are
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  Speaker 1: none like them, and as under the eye of Him
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  Speaker 1: who is coming to judge the quick and dead. Three,
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  Speaker 1: if you have not an opportunity of speaking to him
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  Speaker 1: in person, or cannot have access, you may do it
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  Speaker 1: by a messenger, by a common friend, in whose prudence
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  Speaker 1: as well as aiteness, you can thoroughly confide. Such a
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  Speaker 1: person speaking in your name and in the spirited manner
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  Speaker 1: above described, may answer the same end, and in a
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  Speaker 1: good degree supply your lack of service. Only beware you
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  Speaker 1: do not feign the want of opportunity in order to
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  Speaker 1: shun the cross. Neither take it for granted that you
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  Speaker 1: cannot have access without ever making the trial. Whenever you
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  Speaker 1: can speak in your own person, it is far better.
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  Speaker 1: But you should rather do it by another than not
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  Speaker 1: at all. This way is better than none. Four. But
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  Speaker 1: what if you can neither speak yourself nor find such
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  Speaker 1: a messenger as you can confide in. If this is
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  Speaker 1: really the case, it then only remains to write. And
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  Speaker 1: there may be some circumstances which make this the most
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  Speaker 1: advisable way of speaking. One of these circumstances is when
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  Speaker 1: the person with whom we have to do is of
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  Speaker 1: so warm and impetuous a temper as does not easily
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  Speaker 1: bear reproof, especially from an equal or inferior. But it
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  Speaker 1: may be so introduced and softened in writing as to
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  Speaker 1: make it far more tolerable. Besides, many will read the
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  Speaker 1: very same words which they could not bear to hear.
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  Speaker 1: It does not give so violent a shock to their pride,
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  Speaker 1: nor so sensibly touch their honor. And suppose it makes
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  Speaker 1: little impression at first, they will perhaps give it a
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  Speaker 1: second reading, and upon further consideration, lay to heart what
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  Speaker 1: before they disregarded. If you add your name, this is
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  Speaker 1: nearly the same thing as going to him and speaking
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  Speaker 1: in person. And this should always be done, unless it
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  Speaker 1: be rendered improper by some very particular reason. Final, it
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  Speaker 1: should be well observed not only that this is a
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  Speaker 1: step which our Lord absolutely commands us to take, but
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  Speaker 1: that he commands us to take this step first before
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  Speaker 1: we attempt any other. No alternative is allowed, no choice
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  Speaker 1: of anything else. This is the way walk thou in it.
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  Speaker 1: It is true, he enjoins us if need require to
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  Speaker 1: take two other steps, but they are to be taken
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  Speaker 1: successively after this step, and neither of them before it.
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  Speaker 1: Much less are we to take any other step either
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  Speaker 1: before or beside this. To do anything else or not
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  Speaker 1: to do this, is therefore equally inexcusable. You do not think
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  Speaker 1: to excuse yourself for taking an entirely different step by saying,
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  Speaker 1: why I did not speak to anyone until I was
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  Speaker 1: so burdened that I could not refrain? You was burdened.
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  Speaker 1: It is no wonder you should unless your conscience was seared,
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  Speaker 1: for you was under the guilt of sin of disobeying
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  Speaker 1: a plain commandment of God. You ought immediately to have
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  Speaker 1: gone and told your brother of his fault between you
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  Speaker 1: and him alone. If you did not, How should you
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  Speaker 1: be other than burdened unless your heart was utterly hardened
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  Speaker 1: while you was trampling the command of God underfoot and
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  Speaker 1: hating your brother in your heart. And what a way
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  Speaker 1: have you found to unburden yourself? God reproves you for
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  Speaker 1: a sin of omission. I'm not telling your brother of
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  Speaker 1: his fault, and you comfort yourself under his reproof by
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  Speaker 1: a sin of commission by telling your brother's fault to
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  Speaker 1: another person. Ease bought by sin is a dear purchase.
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  Speaker 1: I trust in God you will have no ease, but
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  Speaker 1: will be burdened so much the more till you go
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  Speaker 1: to your brother and tell him, and no one else
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  Speaker 1: seven I know, but of one exception to this rule.
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  Speaker 1: There may be a peculiar case wherein it is necessary
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  Speaker 1: to accuse the guilty though absence, in order to preserve
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  Speaker 1: the innocence. For instance, you are acquainted with the design
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  Speaker 1: which a man has against the property or life of
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  Speaker 1: his neighbor. Now the case may be so circumstanced that
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  Speaker 1: there is no other way of hindering that design from
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  Speaker 1: taking effect, but the making it known without delay to
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  Speaker 1: him against whom it is laid. In this case, therefore
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  Speaker 1: this rule is set aside as is that of the apostle.
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  Speaker 1: Speak evil of no man, and it is lawful. Yea,
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  Speaker 1: it is our bound in duty to speak evil of
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  Speaker 1: an absent person in order to prevent his doing evil
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  Speaker 1: to others and himself at the same time. But remember meanwhile,
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  Speaker 1: that all evil speaking is in its own nature deadly poison. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: if you are sometimes constrained to use it as a medicine,
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  Speaker 1: yet use it with fear and trembling, seeing it is
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  Speaker 1: so dangerous a medicine that nothing but absolute necessity can
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  Speaker 1: excuse your using it at all. Accordingly, use it as
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  Speaker 1: seldom as possible, never but when there is such a necessity,
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  Speaker 1: and even then use as little of it as this
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  Speaker 1: is possible, only so much as is necessary for the
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  Speaker 1: end proposed. At all other times, go and tell him
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  Speaker 1: of his faults between THEE and him alone Roman numeral
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  Speaker 1: two one. But what if he will not hear, if
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  Speaker 1: he repay evil for good, if he be enraged rather
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  Speaker 1: than convinced. What if he here to no purpose and
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  Speaker 1: go on still in the evil of his way. We
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  Speaker 1: must expect this will frequently be the case. The mildest
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  Speaker 1: of tenderest or proof will have no effect, But the
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  Speaker 1: blessing we wished for another will return into our own bosom.
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  Speaker 1: And what are we to do? Then, our Lord has
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  Speaker 1: given us a clear and full direction. Then take with
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  Speaker 1: the one one or two more. This is the second step.
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  Speaker 1: Take one or two whom you know to be of
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  Speaker 1: a loving spirit, lovers of God and of their neighbor.
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  Speaker 1: See likewise that they be of a lowly spirit and
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  Speaker 1: clothed with humility. Let them also be such as are
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  Speaker 1: meek and gentle, patient and long suffering, not apt to
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  Speaker 1: return evil for evil or railing for railing. But contrariwise, Blessing,
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  Speaker 1: let them be men of understanding, such as are endued
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  Speaker 1: with wisdom from above, and men unbiased, free from partiality,
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  Speaker 1: free from prejudice of any kind. Care should likewise be
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  Speaker 1: taken that both the persons and their characters be well
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  Speaker 1: known to him, and let those that are acceptable to
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  Speaker 1: him be chosen preferable to any others. Love will dictate
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  Speaker 1: the manner wherein they should proceed, according to the nature
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  Speaker 1: of the case. Nor can anyone particular manner be prescribed
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  Speaker 1: for all cases. But perhaps in general one might advise,
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  Speaker 1: before they enter upon the thing itself, let them mildly
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  Speaker 1: and affectionately declare that they have no anger or prejudice
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  Speaker 1: toward him, and that it is merely from a principle
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  Speaker 1: of good will that they now come or at all
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  Speaker 1: concern themselves with his affairs. To make this the more apparent,
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  Speaker 1: they might then calmly attend to your repetition of your
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  Speaker 1: former conversation with him, and to what he said in
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  Speaker 1: his own defense, before they attempted to determine anything. After this,
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  Speaker 1: they would be better able to judge in what manner
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  Speaker 1: to proceed, that by the mouth of two or three
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  Speaker 1: witnesses everyone word might be established that whatever you have
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  Speaker 1: said may have its full force by the additional weight
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  Speaker 1: of their authority. Three. In order to do this, may
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  Speaker 1: they not one briefly repeat what you spoke and what
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  Speaker 1: he answered. Two, enlarge upon open and confirm the reasons
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  Speaker 1: which you had given. Three give weight to your reproof,
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  Speaker 1: showing how just how kind and how seasonable it was.
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  Speaker 1: And lastly enforced the advices and persuasions which you had
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  Speaker 1: addexed to it. And these may likewise hereafter, if need
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  Speaker 1: should require their witness of what was spoken. Four. With
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  Speaker 1: regard to this, as well as the preceding rule, we
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  Speaker 1: may observe that our Lord gives us no choice, leaves
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  Speaker 1: us no alternative, but especially commands us to do this
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  Speaker 1: and nothing else in the place of it. He likewise
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  Speaker 1: directs us when to do this, neither sooner nor later, namely,
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  Speaker 1: after we have taken the first and before we have
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  Speaker 1: taken the third step. It is then only that we
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  Speaker 1: are authorized to relate the evil another has done to
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  Speaker 1: those whom we desire to bear a part with us
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  Speaker 1: in this great instance of brotherly love. But let us
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  Speaker 1: have a care how we relate it to any other
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  Speaker 1: person till both these steps have been taken. If we
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  Speaker 1: neglect to take these, or if we take any others,
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  Speaker 1: what wonder if we are burdened still? For we are
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  Speaker 1: sinners against God and against our neighbor. And how fairly
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  Speaker 1: soever we may color it. Yet, if we have any conscience,
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  Speaker 1: our sin will find us out and bring a burden
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  Speaker 1: upon our soul Roman Numeral three one. That we may
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  Speaker 1: be thoroughly instructed in this waighty affair. Our Lord has
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  Speaker 1: given us a still farther direction. If you will not
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  Speaker 1: hear them, then and not tell, then tell it to
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  Speaker 1: the Church. This is the third step. All the question
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  Speaker 1: is how this word the Church is here to be understood.
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  Speaker 1: But the very nature of the thing will determine this
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  Speaker 1: beyond all reasonable doubt. You cannot tell it to the
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  Speaker 1: National Church, the whole body of men termed the Church
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  Speaker 1: of England. Neither would it answer any Christian end if
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  Speaker 1: you could. This therefore is not the meaning of the word.
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  Speaker 1: Neither can you tell it to that whole body of
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  Speaker 1: people in England, with whom you have a more immediate connection,
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  Speaker 1: Nor indeed would this answer any good end. The word
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  Speaker 1: therefore is not to be understood Thus it would not
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  Speaker 1: answer any valuable end to tell the faults of every
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: particular member to the church, if you would so term
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: it the congregation or society united together in London. It
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: remains that you tell it to the elder or elders
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: of the church, to those who are over seers of
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: that flock of Christ to which you both belong, who
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: watch over yours and his soul, as they that must
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: give account. And this should be done if it conveniently can,
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: in the presence of the person concerned. And though plainly
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: yet with all the tenderness and love which the nature
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: of the thing will admit, it properly belongs to their
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: office to determine concerning the behavior of those under their care,
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: and to rebuke according to the demerit of the offense,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: with all authority. When therefore you have done this, you
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: have done all which the Word of God or the
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: law of Love requireth of you. You are not now
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: partaker of his sin, But if he perish, his blood
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: is on his own head. Two. Here also let it
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: be observed that this and no other, is the third
• 26:34
  Speaker 1: step which we are to take, and that we are
• 26:37
  Speaker 1: to take it in its order, after the other two,
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: not before the second, much less the first, unless in
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: some very particular circumstance. Indeed, in one case, the second
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: step may coincide with this. They may be in a manner.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: One and the same. The elder or elders of the
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: church may be so connected with the offending brother that
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: they may set aside the necessity and supply the place
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: of the one or two witnesses, so that it may
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: suffice to tell it to them after you have told
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: it to your brother, between you and him alone. Three.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: When you have done this, you have delivered your own soul.
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: If you will not hear the church, if he persists
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: in his sin, let him be to thee as unheathen
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: man and a publican. You are under no obligation to
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: think of him anymore. Only when you commend him to
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: God in prayer. You need not speak of him anymore,
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: but leave him to his own master. Indeed, you still
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: owe to him, and as to all other heathens, earnest,
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: tender good will, you owe him courtesy, and as occasion
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: offers all the offices of humanity. Have no friendship, no
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: familiarity with him, no other intercourse than with an open heathen. Four.
• 28:11
  Speaker 1: But if this be the rule by which Christians walk,
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: which is the land where Christians live. A few you
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: may possibly find, scattered up and down, who make a
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: conscience of observing it. But how very few, how thinleys
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: scattered upon the face of the earth. And where is
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: there any body of men that universally walk thereby? Can
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: we find them? In Europe? Or to go? No farther
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: in Great Britain or Ireland. I fear not. I fear
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: we may search these kingdoms throughout, and yet search in
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: vain alas for the Christian world, alas for Protestants, for
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: reformed Christians. Oh, who will rise up with me against
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: the wicked? Who will take God's part against the evil speakers?
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: Art thou the man, by the grace of God? Wilt
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: thou be one who art not carried away by the torrent?
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: Art thou fully determined God, being thy helper, from this
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: very hour to set a watch. They continue a watch
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: before thy mouth, and keep the door of thy lips.
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: From this hour, wilt thou walk by this rule, speaking
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: evil of no man. If thou seest thy brother do evil,
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: wilt thou tell him of his fault between thee and
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: him alone. Afterwards take one or two witnesses, and then
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: only tell it to the church. If this be the
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: full purpose of thy heart, then learn one lesson well
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: hear evil of no man. If there there are no hearers,
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: there would be no speakers of evil, And is not,
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: according to the vulgar proverb, the receiver as bad as
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: the thief. If then any begin to speak evil in
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: thy hearing, check him immediately refuse to hear the voice
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: of the charmer charm. He never so sweetly let him
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: use ever so soft a manner, so mild an accent,
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: ever so many professions of goodwill for him whom he
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: is stabbing in the dark, whom he smiteth under the
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: fifth rib. Resolutely refuse to hear, though the whisperer complain
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: of being burdened, till he speaks burdened, Thou fool, dost
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: thou travail with thy cursed secret as a woman travaileth
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: with child. Go then, and be delivered of thy burden
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: in the way the Lord hath ordained. First, go and
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: tell thy brother of his fault between THEE and him alone. Next,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: take with THEE one or two common friends, and tell
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: him in their presence If neither of these steps take effect,
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: then tell it to the Church, But at the peril
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: of thy soul, tell it to no one else, either
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: before or after, unless in that one exempt case, when
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: it is absolutely needful to preserve the innocence. Why shouldst
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: thou burden another as well as thyself by making him
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: partaker of thy sin? Fine, Oh that all you who
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: bear the reproach of Christ are in derision called methodist,
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: would set an example to the Christian ward so called,
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: at least in this one instance, put ye away evil, speaking,
• 32:08
  Speaker 1: tale bearing whispering. Let none of them proceed out of
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: your mouth. See that you speak evil of no man,
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: of the absence, nothing but good. If ye must be distinguished,
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: whether ye will or no, let this be the distinguishing
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: mark of a Methodist. He censures no man behind his back.
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: By this fruit, ye may know him. What a blessed
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: effect of this self denial should we quickly feel in
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: our hearts. How would our peace flow as a river
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: when we thus followed peace with all men? How would
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: the love of God abound in our own souls while
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: we thus confirmed our love to our brethren? And what
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: an effect would it have on all that were united
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: together in the name of the Lord Jesus. How would
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: brotherly love continually increase when this grand hindrance of it
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: was removed. All the members of Christ's mystical body would
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: then naturally care for each other. If one member suffered,
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: all would suffer with it. If one was honored, all
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: would rejoice with it. And everyone would love his brother
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: with a pure heart fervently. Nor is this all, but
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: what an effect might this have even on the wild,
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: unthinking world. How soon would they describe in us what
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: they could not find among all the thousands of their brethren,
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: and cry, as Julian the Apostate to his heathen courtiers,
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: see how these Christians love one another. Thy this chiefly
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: would God convince the world and prepare them also for
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: His kingdom. As we may easily learn from those remarkable
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: words in our Lord's last solemn prayer, I pray for
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: them who will believe in me, that they may be one,
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: as Thou Father art in me, and I in thee,
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent me
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: John seventeen twenty one. The Lord hastened the time. The
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: Lord enable us thus to love one another, not only
• 34:45
  Speaker 1: in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth,
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: even as Christ hath loved us. End of Section fifty.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: Recording by Bill Mosley, Llano County, Texas, USA,