Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
Sermon on the Mount D ISCOURSE . VI
Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
Sermon on the Mount
The Law established through Faith
THE LIFE
THE REV. JOHN WESLEY
In the discipline of Methodism, the division of the society into classes is an important branch. The order of proceeding in the business of the Conference is the same as in the days of Mr.
PREFACE
I am persuaded, that, on the one hand, this may be a means of enabling me more clearly to express the sentiments of my heart, while I simply follow the chain of my own thoughts, without entangling myself with those of other men; and that, on the other, I shall come with fewer weights upon my mind, with less of prejudice and prepossession either to search for myself, or to deliver to others, the naked truths of the gospel. To candid, reasonable men, I am not afraid to lay open what have been the inmost thoughts of my heart. In his presence I open, I read his book; for this end, to find the way to heaven.
By the advice and at the request of some of my friends, I have prefixed to the other sermons contained in this volume three sermons of my own, and one of my Brother’s, preached before the University of Oxford. Rather, it would make me run so much the farther from you, and so get more and more out of the way. If once anger arise, hute kapnov, (as Homer somewhere expresses it,) this smoke will so dim the eyes of my soul, that I shall be able to see nothing clearly.
SERMONS
SALVATION BY FAITH
Now, that we fall not short of the grace of God, it concerns us carefully to inquire,. And from the faith of a devil it is fully distinguished by this, — it is not barely a speculative, rational thing, a cold, lifeless assent, a train of ideas in the head; but also a disposition of the heart. All his people, or, as it is elsewhere expressed, “all that believe in him,” he will save from all their sins; from original and actual, past and present sin, “of the flesh and of the spirit.” Through faith that is in him, they are saved both from the guilt and from the power of it.
He is born again of the Spirit unto a new life, which “is hid with Christ in God.”. Many are the examples, in the Acts of the Apostles, of God’s working this faith in men’s hearts, even like lightning falling from heaven. The righteousness which is of faith cannot be given him while he trusteth in that which is of the law.
THE ALMOST CHRISTIAN
Thus far, in the lowest account of it, heathen honesty went; the first thing implied in the being almost a Christian. A Second thing implied in the being almost a Christian, is, the having a form of godliness, of that godliness which is prescribed in the gospel of Christ; the having the outside of a real Christian. Sincerity, therefore, is necessarily implied in the being almost a Christian; a real design to serve God, a hearty desire to do his will.
If it be inquired, “What more than this is implied in the being altogether a Christian?” I answer,. The Second thing implied in the being altogether a, Christian, is, the love of our neighbor. You never even designed or desired, that whatsoever you did should be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus,” and as such should be “a spiritual sacrifice, acceptable to God through Christ.”.
AWAKE, THOU THAT SLEEPEST
O may the Angel of the Lord come upon thee, and the light shine into thy prison. Thou hopest to be saved; but what reason hast thou to give of the hope that is in thee. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” For Christ shall reveal himself in thee: And he is the true Light.
We are called to be “an habitation of God through his Spirit;” and through his Spirit dwelling in us, to be saints here, and partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. For by faith “we receive, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God,” — the sum of all the promises, — “that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God.”. Ye may all be living witnesses of these things; of remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
SCRIPTURAL CHRISTIANITY. 20
Neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own;. The men of reputation were offended, because, as the gospel spread, they declined in the esteem of the people;. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”.
To the same effect are the words of the great Apostle, which it is evident have never yet been fulfilled. Are all your words like unto those which come out of the mouth of God. Can you bear, unless now and then, in a church, any talk of the Holy Ghost.
JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH
I am, First, to show, what is the general ground of the whole doctrine of justification. He “ate of the tree, of which God commanded him, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it.” And in that day he was condemned by the righteous judgment of God. In this state we were, even all mankind, when “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end we might not perish, but have everlasting life.” In the fullness of time he was made Man, another common Head of mankind, a second general Parent and Representative of the whole human race.
Unless they mean that justification at the last day, which is wholly out of the present question.). He saves from the guilt of sin, (and, at the same time, from the power,) sinners of every kind, of every degree; men who, till then, were altogether ungodly; in whom the love of the Father was not;. Pride had already destroyed the very angels of God, had cast down “a third part of the stars of.
THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF FAITH
These were the things which the righteousness of the law required, that he who did them might live thereby. What is the difference then between the “righteousness which is of the law,” and the “righteousness which is of faith?” — between the first covenant, or the covenant of works, and the second, the covenant of grace. These things considered, it would be easy to show, as I proposed to do in the Second place, the folly of trusting in the “righteousness which is of the law,” and the wisdom of submitting to “the righteousness which is of faith.”.
Who among you fulfills every jot and tittle even of the outward commandments of God. And the best end a fallen creature can pursue is, the recovery of the favor and image of God. Thou art still “ignorant of the righteousness of God,” and art “seeking to establish thy own.
THE WAY TO THE KINGDOM
Not in any outward thing; such as forms, or ceremonies, even of the most excellent kind. He may be almost as orthodox — as the devil, (though, indeed, not altogether; for every man errs in something; whereas we cannot well conceive him to hold any erroneous opinion,) and may, all the while, be as great a stranger as he to the religion of the heart. Now is not this love “the fulfilling of the law?” the sum of all Christian righteousness.
The soul that sinneth, it shall die;” for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. It is not, as some have fondly conceived, a bare assent to the truth of the Bible, of the articles of our Creed, or of all that is contained in the Old and New Testament. Thou art no longer in doubt of the love of God; it is clear as the noon-day sun.
THE FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
First who those are “which are in Christ Jesus,” and “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit:” And, Secondly, how “there is no condemnation to” these. They adorn in all things the gospel of God our Savior;” and give full proof to all mankind, that they are indeed actuated by the same Spirit “which raised up Jesus from the dead.”. God condemneth them not for any of these; they are as though they had never been; they are cast “as a stone into the depth of the sea,” and he remembereth them no more.
And, First, if there be “no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” and “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” on account of their past sin; then why art thou fearful, O thou of little faith. Hath he again enabled thee to say, “I know that my Redeemer liveth;” “and the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God?”. If they that “are in Christ,” and “walk after the Spirit,” are not condemned for sins of infirmity, as neither for involuntary failings, nor for anything whatever which they are not able to help; then beware, O thou that hast faith in his blood, that Satan herein gain no advantage over thee.
THE SPIRIT OF BONDAGE AND OF ADOPTION
Clouds and darkness continually rest upon them; for he lies in the valley of the shadow of death. He is in no dread of the vengeance denounced against those who obey not the blessed law of God, because he understands it not. The inward, spiritual meaning of the law of God now begins to glare upon him.
He perceives “the commandment is exceeding broad,” and there is “nothing hid from the light thereof.” He is convinced, that every part of it relates, not barely to outward sin or obedience, but to what passes in the secret recesses of the soul, which no eye but God’s can penetrate. He “looks on him whom he had pierced;” and “God, who out of darkness commanded light to shine, shineth in his heart.” He sees the light of the glorious love of God, in the face of Jesus Christ. He hath a divine “evidence of things not seen” by sense, even of the “deep things of God;” more particularly of the love of God, of his pardoning love to him that believes in Jesus.
THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT
But what is that testimony of God’s Spirit, which is superadded to, and conjoined with, this. What he testifies to us is, “that we are the children of God.” The immediate result of this testimony is, “the fruit of the Spirit;”. Indeed there are none that will adequately express what the Spirit of God works in his children.
But perhaps one might say, (desiring any who are taught of God, to correct, soften, or strengthen the expression,) By the testimony of the Spirit, I mean, an inward impression on the soul, whereby the Spirit of God immediately and directly witnesses to my spirit, that I am a child of God;. Not whether the Spirit does testify with our spirit, that we are the children of God. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” It is manifest, here are two witnesses mentioned, who together testify the same thing; the Spirit of God, and our own spirit.
