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SERMON XXII.

THE SELF-DENIAL REQUIRED BY THE GOSPEL.

"Measure measureth in

every doubtful case,

And measure is the lode starre of all grace."

Hawes.

"The pulling out of our right eye, and cutting off our right hand that offends, imports the renouncing of the most gainful callings, or pleasant enjoyments, when they become a snare to us."-Scougal's Sermon on Luke xiii. 23. Jebb, p. 188.

"The vices of inclination are very dear and grateful to us; they are our right hands, and our right eyes, and esteemed as ourselves: so that to cut off, and pluck out these, and to bid defiance to, and wage war against ourselves; to destroy the first born of our natures, and to lop off our own limbs; this cannot but be very irksome and displeasant employment; and this is our chief business, and a considerable thing that makes religion difficult.” -Jos. Glanvil's Sermon, 4to, 1681, p. 8, on Luke xiii. 24.

"And if this be thought hard, the consideration of future happiness and misery ought to reconcile us to it: and surely it is reasonable we should part with something which is pleasant to us here, for the sake of an infinitely greater pleasure in another world; since this is only a sensual pleasure, which cannot be pursued without disturbance of the mind, and can be enjoyed but for a little time; and the other is no less than eternal felicity of soul and body together.”—Stillingfleet.

Deus propitius esto mihi peccatorí!

MATT. Xviii. 8, 9.

"Wherefore, if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.”

ALL the lessons we read in Holy Scripture are such as should arrest the attention of a Christian man, and turn him from the things of this world to those of the world to come to the everlasting righteousness which is to be revealed,―to judgment against which mercy rejoiceth,-to the saints' rest in that happy land whence mourning, and sorrow, and tears, are banished. There to arrive, through the mercies of our God reconciling the world unto himself, and by the Holy Spirit helping our infirmities, should be the great object of our thoughts. On earth our conversation should be in heaven. The excellent beauty of Mount Sion, and the serving of God acceptably

with a holy fear, should be what we should diligently teach our children. "Take heed to thyself," as Moses said to the Israelites of old, "and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons '." "Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up 2."

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Thus spake the inspired Lawgiver unto God's peculiar people in the days gone by, "when Israel came out of Egypt, and the house of Jacob from among the strange people "." Nor is the obligation less now, yea rather it lies the heavier on the Christian, inasmuch as he is heir to better promises. Therefore should he “ search the Scriptures, "therefore should he see to "that which is noted in the Scripture of truth," he should sue for grace to "hear meekly God's word, and to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit." Such should be his prayer, for without "the grace of the Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to His Holy word," small will be our improvement, small our spiritual strength. And this is continually declared by the lives of those who profess

' Deut. iv. 9.

Ps. cxiv. 1.

2 Ibid. vi. 7.

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* Dan. x. 21.

and call themselves Christians. For what is it that is ever meeting our eyes? Truly those who bound themselves at their Baptism not to be "ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified," but "manfully to fight under his banner, against sin, the world, and the devil; and to continue Christ's faithful soldiers and servants unto their lives' end ","-these, for lack of the "spirit of supplications," for lack of self-discipline, and self-denial, such as is laid before us in Holy Scripture, shew but a sorry fight in the contest of faith. "The battles of the Lord" are lost in their hands. They are "as when a standard-bearer fainteth "." In such a case, how can we fail to exclaim with Joshua? "O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies"."

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But God has willed it otherwise. They that are of Israel,-Christians in word and in truth,-are not to be "like as the children of Ephraim, who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back in the day of battle "." On the contrary, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"," is put into their hands, and by the help of their God they are to "leap over the wall," and to go on "conquering and to conquer."

Now, the Almighty in Holy Scripture, and by his living Word, which is Christ the Lord, speaks to us in divers ways. Sometimes we hear behind us the

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