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050 - Self-denial · Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series

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  Speaker 1: Section number forty nine of Sermons on Several Occasions, First Series.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by Rene Lecroix. Sermons on
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  Speaker 1: Several Occasions, First Series by John Wesley self denial, And
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  Speaker 1: he said to them all, if any man will come
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  Speaker 1: after me, let him deny himself and take up his
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  Speaker 1: cross daily, and follow me. Look chapter nine, verse twenty three.
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  Speaker 1: It has been frequently imagined that the direction here given
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  Speaker 1: related chiefly, if not wholly, to the Apostles, at least
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  Speaker 1: to the Christians of the First Aegis, or the oose
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  Speaker 1: in a state of persecution. But this is a grievous mistake.
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  Speaker 1: For although our blessed Lord is here directing his discourse
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  Speaker 1: more immediately to his apostles and those other disciples who
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  Speaker 1: attend him in the days of his flesh, yet in
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  Speaker 1: them he speaks to us and to all mankind, without
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  Speaker 1: any exception or limitation. The very reason of the thing
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  Speaker 1: puts it beyond dispute that the duty which is here
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  Speaker 1: enjoined is not peculiar to them or to the Christians
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  Speaker 1: of the early ages. It no more regards any particular
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  Speaker 1: order of men or particular time, than any particular country. No,
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  Speaker 1: it is of the most universal nature, respecting all times
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  Speaker 1: and all persons. Yea, in all things, not meets and
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  Speaker 1: drinks only, and things pertaining to the senses. The meaning is,
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  Speaker 1: if any man of whatever rank, station circumstances, in any nation,
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  Speaker 1: in any age of the world, will effectually come after me,
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  Speaker 1: let him deny himself in all things, Let him take
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  Speaker 1: up his cross of whatever kind yet, and that daily,
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  Speaker 1: and follow me. The denying ourselves and the taking up
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  Speaker 1: our cross, in the full extent of the expression, is
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  Speaker 1: not a thing of small concern. It is not expedient only,
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  Speaker 1: as are some of the circumstantials of religion. But it
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  Speaker 1: is absolutely indispensably necessary either to our becoming or continuing
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  Speaker 1: His disciples. It is absolutely necessary in the very nature
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  Speaker 1: of the thing, to our coming after him and following him,
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  Speaker 1: insomuch that as far as we do not practice it,
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  Speaker 1: we are not his disciples. If we do not continually
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  Speaker 1: deny ourselves, we do not learn of Him, but of
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  Speaker 1: other masters. If we do not take up our cross daily,
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  Speaker 1: we do not come after him, but after the world,
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  Speaker 1: or the Prince of the world, or our own fleshly mind.
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  Speaker 1: We are not walking in the way of the Cross.
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  Speaker 1: We are not following him. We are not treading in
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  Speaker 1: his steps, but going back from, or at least wide
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  Speaker 1: of him. It is for this reason that so many
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  Speaker 1: ministers of Christ, in almost every age and nation, particularly
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  Speaker 1: since the Reformation of the Church, from the innovations and
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  Speaker 1: corruptions gradually crept into it, have wrote and spoke so
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  Speaker 1: largely on this important duty, both in their public discourses
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  Speaker 1: and private exhortations. This induced them to disperse abroad many
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  Speaker 1: tracks upon the subject, and some in our own nation.
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  Speaker 1: They knew, both from the oracles of God and from
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  Speaker 1: the testimony of their own experience, how impossible it was
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  Speaker 1: to deny our Master unless we will deny ourselves, and
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  Speaker 1: how vainly we attempt to follow him that was crucified,
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  Speaker 1: unless we take up our cross daily. But may not
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  Speaker 1: this very consideration make it reasonable to inquire, if much
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  Speaker 1: has been said and wrote on the subject already, what
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  Speaker 1: need is there to say or write any more? I answer,
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  Speaker 1: there are no inconsiderable numbers, even of people fearing God,
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  Speaker 1: who have not had the opportunity either of hearing what
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  Speaker 1: has been spoke or reading what has been wrote upon it.
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  Speaker 1: And perhaps if they had read much of what has
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  Speaker 1: been written, they would not have been so much profited.
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  Speaker 1: Many who have wrote, some of them large volumes, do,
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  Speaker 1: by no means appear to have understood the subject. Either
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  Speaker 1: they had imperfect views of the very nature of it,
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  Speaker 1: and then they could never explain it to others, or
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  Speaker 1: they were unacquainted with the due extent of it. They
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  Speaker 1: did not see how exceeding broad this command is, or
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  Speaker 1: they were not sensible of the absolute, the indispensable necessity
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  Speaker 1: of it. Others speak of it in so dark, so perplexed,
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  Speaker 1: so intricate, so mystical a manner, as if they designed
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  Speaker 1: rather to conceal it from the vulgar than to explain
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  Speaker 1: it too common readers. Others speak admirably well, with great
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  Speaker 1: clearness and strength, on the necessity of self denial. But
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  Speaker 1: then they deal in generals only, without coming to particular instances,
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  Speaker 1: and so are of little use to the bulk of mankind,
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  Speaker 1: to men of ordinary capacity and education. And if some
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  Speaker 1: of them do descend too particulars, it is to those
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  Speaker 1: particulars only which do not affect the generality of men,
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  Speaker 1: since they seldom, if ever occur in common life, such
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  Speaker 1: as the enduring imprisonment or tortures, the giving up in
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  Speaker 1: a literal sense, their houses or lands, their husbands or wives, children,
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  Speaker 1: or life itself, to none of which we are called,
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  Speaker 1: nor are likely to be, unless God should permit times
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  Speaker 1: of public persecure to return. In the meantime, I know
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  Speaker 1: of no writer in the English tongue who has described
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  Speaker 1: the nature of self denial in plain and intelligible terms
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  Speaker 1: such as sly level with common understandings and applied to
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  Speaker 1: those little particulars which daily occur in common life. A
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  Speaker 1: discourse of this kind is wanted still, and it is
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  Speaker 1: wanted the more because, in every stage of the spiritual life,
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  Speaker 1: although there is a variety of particular hindrances of our
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  Speaker 1: attaining grace or growing therein, yet are all resolvable into
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  Speaker 1: these general ones. Either we do not deny ourselves, or
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  Speaker 1: we do not take up our cross. In order to
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  Speaker 1: supply this defect in some degree, I shall endeavor to
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  Speaker 1: show first what it is for a man to deny
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  Speaker 1: himself and what to take up his cross, And secondly
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  Speaker 1: that if a man be not fully Christ's disciple. It
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  Speaker 1: is always owing to the want of this, I shall
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  Speaker 1: first endeavor to show what it is for a man
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  Speaker 1: to deny himself and take up his cross daily. This
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  Speaker 1: is a point which is of all others most necessary
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  Speaker 1: to be considered and thoroughly understood. Even on this account,
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  Speaker 1: that it is, of all others, most opposed by numerous
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  Speaker 1: and powerful enemies. All our nature must certainly rise up
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  Speaker 1: against this, even in its own defense the world. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: the men who take nature not grace for their guide,
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  Speaker 1: abhor the very sound of it, and the great enemy
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  Speaker 1: of our souls, well knowing its importance, cannot but move
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  Speaker 1: every stone against it. But this is not all. Even
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  Speaker 1: those who have in some measure shaken off the yoke
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  Speaker 1: of the devil, who have experienced, especially of late years,
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  Speaker 1: a real work of grace in their hearts, yet are
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  Speaker 1: no friends to this grand doctrine of Christianity, though it
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  Speaker 1: is so peculiarly insisted on by their master. Some of
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  Speaker 1: them are as deeply and totally ignorant concerning it, as
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  Speaker 1: if there was not one word about it in the Bible.
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  Speaker 1: Others are further off, still having unawares imbibed strong prejudices
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  Speaker 1: against it. These they have received partly from outside Christians,
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  Speaker 1: men of a fair speech and behavior, who want nothing
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  Speaker 1: of Godliness but the power, nothing of religion but the spirit,
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  Speaker 1: And partly from those who did once if they do
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  Speaker 1: not now taste of the powers of the world to come.
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  Speaker 1: But are there any of these who do not both
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  Speaker 1: practice self denial themselves and recommend it to others? You
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  Speaker 1: are little acquainted with mankind. If you doubt of this,
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  Speaker 1: there are whole bodies of men who only do not
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  Speaker 1: declare war against it. To go no further than London.
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  Speaker 1: Look upon the whole body of predestinarians, who, by the
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  Speaker 1: free mercy of God have lately been called out of
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  Speaker 1: the darkness of nature into the light of faith. Are
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  Speaker 1: they patterns of self denial? How few of them even
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  Speaker 1: profess to practice it at all? How few of them
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  Speaker 1: recommend it themselves, or are pleased with them that do. Rather,
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  Speaker 1: do they not continually represent it in the most odious colors,
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  Speaker 1: as if it were seeking salvation by works, or seeking
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  Speaker 1: to establish our own righteousness? And how readily do antinomians
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  Speaker 1: of all kinds, from the smooth Moravian to the boisterous
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  Speaker 1: falmouth ranter join the cry with their silly, unmeaning cant
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  Speaker 1: of legality and preaching the law. Therefore, you are in
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  Speaker 1: constant danger of being wheedled, hectored, or ridiculed out of
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  Speaker 1: this important Gospel doctrine, either by false teachers or false brethren,
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  Speaker 1: more or less beguiled from the simplicity of the Gospel.
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  Speaker 1: If you are not deeply grounded therein let fervent prayer.
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  Speaker 1: Then go before accompany and follow what you are now
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  Speaker 1: about to read, that it may be written in your
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  Speaker 1: heart by the finger of God, so as never to
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  Speaker 1: be erased. But what is self denial? Wherein are we
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  Speaker 1: to deny ourselves? And whence does the necessity of this arise?
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  Speaker 1: I answer? The will of God is the supreme, unalterable
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  Speaker 1: rule for every intelligent creature, equally binding every angel in
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  Speaker 1: heaven and every man upon earth. Nor can it be otherwise.
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  Speaker 1: This is the natural, necessary result of the relation between
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  Speaker 1: creatures and their creator. But if the will of God
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  Speaker 1: be our one rule of action in everything great and small,
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  Speaker 1: it follows by undeniable consequence that we are not to
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  Speaker 1: do our own will in anything. Here Therefore we see
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  Speaker 1: at once the nature with the ground and reason of
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  Speaker 1: self denial. We see the nature of self denial. It
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  Speaker 1: is the denying or refusing to follow our own will
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  Speaker 1: from conviction that the will of God is the only
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  Speaker 1: rule of action to us. And we see the reason
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  Speaker 1: thereof because we are creatures, because it is He that
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  Speaker 1: hath made us, and not we ourselves. This reason for
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  Speaker 1: self denial almost hold even with regard to the angels
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  Speaker 1: of God in heaven, and with regard to man, innocent
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  Speaker 1: and holy, as he came out of the hands of
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  Speaker 1: his creator. But a further reason for it arises from
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  Speaker 1: the condition wherein all men are since the fall. We
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  Speaker 1: are all now shapen in wickedness, and in sin did
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  Speaker 1: our mother conceive us. Our nature is altogether corrupt in
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  Speaker 1: every power and faculty, and our will, depraved equally with
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  Speaker 1: the rest, is wholly bent to indulge all our natural corruption.
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  Speaker 1: On the other hand, it is the will of God
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  Speaker 1: that we resist and counteract that corruption, not at sometimes
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  Speaker 1: or in some things only, but at all times and
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  Speaker 1: in all things. Here therefore is a further ground for
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  Speaker 1: a constant and universal self denial. To illustrate this a
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  Speaker 1: little further, the will of God is a path leading
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  Speaker 1: straight to God. The will of man, which once ran
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  Speaker 1: parallel with it, is now another path, not only different
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  Speaker 1: from it, but in our present state directly contrary to it.
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  Speaker 1: It leads from God. If therefore we walk in the one,
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  Speaker 1: we must necessarily quit the other. We cannot walk in both. Indeed,
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  Speaker 1: a man of faint heart and feeble hands may go
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  Speaker 1: in two ways, one after the other. But he cannot
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  Speaker 1: walk in two ways at the same time. He cannot
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  Speaker 1: at one and at the same time follow his own
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  Speaker 1: will and follow the will of God. He must choose
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  Speaker 1: the one or the other, denying God's will to follow
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  Speaker 1: his own, or denying himself to follow the will of God.
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  Speaker 1: Now it is undoubtedly pleasing for the time to follow
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  Speaker 1: our own will. By indulging in any instance that offers
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  Speaker 1: the corruption of our nature. But by following it in anything,
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  Speaker 1: we so far strengthen the perverseness of our will. And
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  Speaker 1: by indulging it we continually increase the corruption of our nature.
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  Speaker 1: So by the food which is agreeable to the pellate,
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  Speaker 1: we often increase a bodily disease. It gratifies the taste,
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  Speaker 1: but it inflames the disorder it brings pleasure, but it
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  Speaker 1: also brings death on the whole. Then, to deny ourselves
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  Speaker 1: is to deny our own will where it does not
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  Speaker 1: fall in with the will of God, And that, however
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  Speaker 1: pleasing it may be, it is to deny ourselves any
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  Speaker 1: pleasure which does not spring from and lead to God.
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  Speaker 1: That is, in effect, to refuse going out of our way,
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  Speaker 1: though into a pleasant face, lowery path, to refuse what
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  Speaker 1: we know to be deadly poisoned, though agreeable to the taste.
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  Speaker 1: And everyone that would follow Christ, that would be his
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  Speaker 1: real disciple, must not only deny himself but take up
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  Speaker 1: his cross. Also, a cross is anything contrary to our will,
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  Speaker 1: anything displeasing to our nature, So that taking up our
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  Speaker 1: cross goes a little further than denying ourselves. It rises
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  Speaker 1: a little higher, and is a more difficult task to
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  Speaker 1: flesh and blood, it being more easy to forego pleasure
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  Speaker 1: than to endure pain. Now, in running the race which
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  Speaker 1: is set before us according to the will of God,
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  Speaker 1: there is often a cross lying in the way. That is,
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  Speaker 1: something which is not only not choyous, but grievous, something
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  Speaker 1: which is contrary to our will, which is displeasing to
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  Speaker 1: our nature. What then, is to be done. The choice
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  Speaker 1: is plain. Either we must take up our cross, or
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  Speaker 1: we might turn aside from the way of God, from
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  Speaker 1: the holy commandment delivered to us, if we do not
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  Speaker 1: stop altogether, or turned back to everlasting perdition. In order
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  Speaker 1: to the healing of that corruption, that evil disease, which
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  Speaker 1: every man brings with him into the world. It is
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  Speaker 1: often needful to pluck out, as it were a right
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  Speaker 1: eye to cut off a right hand. So painful is
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  Speaker 1: either the thing itself which must be done, or the
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  Speaker 1: only means of doing it. The parting suppose with a
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  Speaker 1: foolish desire, with an inordinate affection, or a separation from
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  Speaker 1: the object of it, without which it can never be extinguished.
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  Speaker 1: In the former kind, the tearing away such a desire
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  Speaker 1: or affection, when it is deeply rooted in the soul,
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  Speaker 1: is often like the piercing of a sword, yea like
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  Speaker 1: the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit. The joints
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  Speaker 1: end merril. The Lord then sits upon the soul as
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  Speaker 1: a refiner's fire, to burn all the drafts thereof. When
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  Speaker 1: this is a cross, indeed, it is essentially painful. It
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  Speaker 1: must be so in the very nature of the thing.
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  Speaker 1: The soul cannot be thus torn asunder, it cannot pass
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  Speaker 1: through the fire without pain. In the latter kind, the
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  Speaker 1: means to heal a sin sick soul, to cure a
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  Speaker 1: foolish desire and inordinate affection, are often painful, not in
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  Speaker 1: the nature of the thing, but from the nature of
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  Speaker 1: the disease. So when our Lord said to the rich
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  Speaker 1: young man, go sell that thou hast and give it
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  Speaker 1: to the poor as well, knowing this was the only
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  Speaker 1: means of healing his coveteousness, the very thought of it
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  Speaker 1: gave him so much pain that he went away sorrowful,
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  Speaker 1: choosing rather to part with this hope of heaven than
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  Speaker 1: his possessions on earth. This was a burden he could
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  Speaker 1: not consent to lift across he would not take up.
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  Speaker 1: And in the one kind or the other, every follower
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  Speaker 1: of Christ will surely have need to take up his
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  Speaker 1: cross daily. The taking up differs a little from bearing
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  Speaker 1: his cross. We are then properly said to bear our
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  Speaker 1: cross when we endure what is laid upon us without
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  Speaker 1: our choice, with meekness and resignation, whereas we do not
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  Speaker 1: properly take up our cross, but when we voluntarily suffer
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  Speaker 1: what it is in our power to avoid, when we
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  Speaker 1: willingly embrace the will of God, though contrary to our own,
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  Speaker 1: when we choose what is painful, because it is the
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  Speaker 1: will of our wise and gracious creator. And thus it
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  Speaker 1: beholds every disciple of Christ to take up as well
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  Speaker 1: as to bear his cross. Indeed, in one sense, it
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  Speaker 1: is not his alone. It is common to him and
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  Speaker 1: many others. Seeing there is no temptation befalls any man,
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  Speaker 1: he may anthropinos. But such as is common to men,
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  Speaker 1: such as is incident and adapted to their common nature
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  Speaker 1: and situation in the present world. But in another sense,
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  Speaker 1: as it is considered with all its circumstances, it is
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  Speaker 1: his peculiar to himself. It is prepared of God for him.
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  Speaker 1: It is given by God to him as a token
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  Speaker 1: of his love. And if he receives it as such,
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  Speaker 1: and after using such means to remove the pressure, as
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  Speaker 1: Christian wisdom directs, lies as clay in the potter's hand.
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  Speaker 1: It is disposed and ordered by God for his good,
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  Speaker 1: both with regard to the quality of it and in
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  Speaker 1: respect to its quantity and degree, is duration, and every
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  Speaker 1: other circumstance. In all this we may easily conceive our
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  Speaker 1: blessed Lord to act as the physician of our souls,
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  Speaker 1: not merely for his own pleasure, but for our profit,
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  Speaker 1: that we may be partakers of his holiness. If in
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  Speaker 1: searching our wounds he puts us to pain, it is
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  Speaker 1: only in order to heal them he cuts away what
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  Speaker 1: is putrefied or unsound, in order to preserve the sound part.
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  Speaker 1: And if we freely choose the loss of a limb
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  Speaker 1: rather than the whole body should perish, how much more
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  Speaker 1: should we choose figuratively took it off a right hand
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  Speaker 1: rather than the whole soul should be cast into hell.
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  Speaker 1: We see plainly, then, both the nature and ground of
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  Speaker 1: taking up our cross. It does not imply the disciplining ourselves,
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  Speaker 1: as some speak, the literally tearing our own flesh, the
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  Speaker 1: wearing haircloth or iron girdles, or anything else that would
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  Speaker 1: impair our bodily health, although we know not what allowance
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  Speaker 1: God may make for those who act thus through involuntary ignorance,
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  Speaker 1: but the embracing the will of God, though contrary to
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  Speaker 1: our own, the choosing wholesome though bitter medicines, the freely
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  Speaker 1: accepting temporary pain of whatever kind, and in whatever degree,
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  Speaker 1: when it is either essentially or accidentally necessary to eternal pleasure.
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  Speaker 1: I am secondly to show that it is always owing
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  Speaker 1: to the want either of self denial or taking up
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  Speaker 1: his cross, that any man does not thoroughly follow him
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  Speaker 1: as not fully a disciple of Christ. It is true
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  Speaker 1: this may be partly owing in some cases to the
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  Speaker 1: want of the means of grace, of hearing the true
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  Speaker 1: word of God spoken with power of the sacraments, or
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  Speaker 1: of Christian fellowship. But where none of these is wanting,
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  Speaker 1: the great hindrance of our receiving or growing in the
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  Speaker 1: grace of God is always the want of denying ourselves
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  Speaker 1: or taking up our cross. A few instances will make
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  Speaker 1: this plain. A man hears the Word which is able
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  Speaker 1: to save his soul, he is well pleased with what
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  Speaker 1: he hears, acknowledges the truth, and is a little affected
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  Speaker 1: by it. Yet he remains dead in trespasses and sins,
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  Speaker 1: senseless and unawakened. What is this because he will not
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  Speaker 1: part with his bosom sin, though he now knows it
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  Speaker 1: is an abomination to the Lord. He came to hear
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  Speaker 1: full of lust and unholy desires, and he will not
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  Speaker 1: part with them. Therefore no deep impression is made upon him,
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  Speaker 1: But his foolish heart is still hardened, that is, he
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  Speaker 1: is still senseless and unawakened, because he will not deny himself.
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Suppose he begins to awake out of sleep and his
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: eyes are a little open, Why are they so quickly
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: closed again? Why does he again sink into the sleep
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: of death? Because he again yields to his bosom sin,
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: he drinks again of the pleasing poison. Therefore, it is
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: impossible that any lasting impression should be made upon his heart.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: That is, he relapses into his fatal incessibility, because he
• 21:52
  Speaker 1: will not deny himself. But this is not the case withal.
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: We have many instances of those who, when won on awaken,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: sleep no more. The impressions, once received do not wear away.
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: They are not only deep, but lasting. And yet many
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: of these have not found what they seek. They mourn
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: and yet are not comforted. Now why is this? It
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: is because they do not bring forth fruits meet for repentance,
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: because they do not, according to the grace they have received,
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: cease from evil and do good. They do not cease
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: from the easily besetting sin, the sin of their constitution,
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: of their education or of their profession, or they omit
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: doing the good they may and know they ought to
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: do because of some disagreeable circumstance attending it. That is,
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: they do not attain faith because they will not deny
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: themselves or take up their cross. But this man did
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: receive the heavenly gift. He did taste of the powers
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: of the world to come. He saw the light of
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: The peace which passeth all understanding did rule his heart
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: and mind, and the love of God was shed abroad
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: therein by the Holy Ghost which was given unto him.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: Yet he is now weak as another man. He again
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: relishes the things of earth, and has more taste for
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: the things which are seen than for those which are
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: not seen. The eye of his understanding is closed again,
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: so that he cannot see him that is invisible. His
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: love is waxed cold, and the peace of God no
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: longer rules in his heart and no marvel, for he
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: has again given place to the devil and grieve the
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit of God. He has turned again unto folly,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: to some pleasing sin, if not in outward act, yet
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: in heart he has given place to pride or anger,
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: or desire to self will or stubbornness, or he did
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: not stir up the gift of God which was in him.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: He gave way to spiritual sloth and would not be
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: at the pains of praying always and watching thereon to
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: with all perseverance. That is, he made shipwreck of the
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: faith for want of self denial and taking up his
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: cross daily. But perhaps he has not made shipwreck of
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: the faith. He has still a measure of the spirit
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: of adoption, which continues to witness with his spirit that
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: he is a child of God. However, he is not
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: going on to perfection. He is not as once hungering
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: and thirsting after righteousness, panting after the whole image and
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: full enjoyment of God, as the heart after the water brook. Rather,
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: he is weary and faint in his mind, and as
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: it were, hovering between life and death. And why is
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: he thus but because he hath forgotten the Word of God.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: By works is faith made perfect. He does not use
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: all diligence in working the works of God. He does
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: not continue instant in prayer, private as well as public,
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: in communicating, hearing, meditation, fasting, and religious conference. If he
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: does not wholly neglect some of these means, at least
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: he does not use them all with his might, or
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: he is not zealous of works of charity as well
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: as works of piety. He is not merciful after his
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: power with the full ability which God giveth. He does
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: not fervently serve the Lord by doing good to men
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: in every kind and in every degree he can, to
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: their souls as well as their bodies. And why does
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: he not continue in prayer? Because in time of dryness
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: it is pain and grief unto him? He does not
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: continue in hearing at all opportunities because sleep is sweet,
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: or it is cold or dark or rainy. But why
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: does he not continue in works of mercy? Because he
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: cannot feed the hungry or clothe the naked unless he
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: retrench the expense of his own apparel, or use cheaper
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: and less pleasing food. Besides which, the visiting the sick
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: or those that are in prison is attended with many
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: disagreeable circumstances, and so are most works of spiritual mercy.
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: Proof in particular, he would reprove his neighbor. But sometimes shame,
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: sometimes fear comes between, for he may expose himself, not
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: only to ridicule, but to heavier inconveniences too. Upon these
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: and the light considerations, he omits one or more, if
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: not all, works of mercy and piety. Therefore, his faith
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: is not made perfect. Neither can he grow in grace, namely,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: because he will not deny himself and take up his
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: daily cross. It manifestly follows that it is always owing
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: to the want, either of self denial or taking up
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: his cross, that a man does not thoroughly follow his Lord,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: that he is not fully a disciple of Christ. It
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: is owing to this that he who is dead in
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: sin does not awake though the trumpet be blown, that
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: he who begins to awake out of sleep yet has
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: no deep or lasting conviction. That he who is deeply
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: and lastingly convinced of sin does not attain remission of
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: sad sins, That some who have received this heavenly gift
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: retain it not but make shipwreck of the faith. And
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: that others, if they do not draw back to perdition,
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: yet are weary and faint in their mind, and do
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: not reach the mark of the prize of the high
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: calling of God in Christ Jesus, How easily may we
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: learn hence that they know neither the scripture nor the
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: power of God, who directly or indirectly, in public or
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: in private, oppose the doctrine of self denial and the
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: Daily Cross. How totally ignorant are these men of an
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: hundred particular texts, as well as of the general tenor
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: of the whole oracles of God, And how entirely unacquainted
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: must they be with true genuine Christian experience of the
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: manner wherein the Holy Spirit ever did and does at
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: this day work in the souls of men. They may talk, indeed,
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: very loudly and confidently, a natural fruit of ignorance, as
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: though they were the only men who understood either the
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: word of God God or the experience of His children.
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: But their words are in every sense vain words. They
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: are weighed in the balance and found wanting. We may
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: learn from hence secondly the real cause why not only
• 28:14
  Speaker 1: many particular persons, but even bodies of men, who were
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: once burning and shining lights, have now lost both their
• 28:21
  Speaker 1: light and heat. If they did not hate and oppose,
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: they at least lightly esteemed this precious Gospel doctrine. If
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: they did not boldly say abnegatiaem omnim procul caamus into
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: nisioni damus, we trample all self denial underfoot, we devote
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: it to destruction. Yet they neither valued it according to
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: its high importance, nor took any pains in practicing it.
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: I think mystici docent said that great bad man, the
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: mystic writers teach self denial. Know the inspired writers, and
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: God teaches it to every soul who is willing to
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: hear his voice. We may learn from hence. Thirdly, that
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: it is not enough for a minister of the gospel
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: not to oppose the doctrine of self denial to say
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: nothing concerning it. Nay, he cannot satisfy his duty by
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: saying a little in favor of it. If he would
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: indeed be pure from the blood of all men, he
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: must speak of it frequently and largely. He must inculcate
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: the necessity of it in the clearest and strongest manner.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: He must press it with his might on all persons,
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: at all times and in all places, laying line upon line,
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept. So
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: shall he have a conscious void of offense. So shall
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: he save his own soul and those that hear him. Lastly,
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: see that you apply this every one of you to
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: your own soul. Meditate upon it when you are in
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: the secret, Ponder it in your heart. Take care not
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: only to understand it thoroughly, but to remember it to
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: your live's end. Cry on to the wrong for strength
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: that you may no sooner understand than enter upon the
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: practice of it. Delay not the time, but practice it
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: immediately from this very hour. Practice it universally on every
• 30:16
  Speaker 1: one of the thousand occasions which will occur in all
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: circumstances of life. Practice it daily without intermission, from the
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: hour you first set your hand to the plow, and
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: enduring their end to the end, till your spirit returns
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: to God. End of section forty nine. Recording by Renee
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: laqual Woodstock, Ontario, Canada,