nounces all self-righteousness, all confidence in himself, or in anything he has done or can do, and looks upon his salvation as the work of his Redeemer. He purposes to be, and in the main he is, obedient, and just, and holy. But he considers his obedience, his integrity, his holiness, not as grounds of pardon, or acceptance, but as evidences of them. And this is self-denial: self-denial, to some minds, of most difficult attainment. Probably it was so to St. Paul, who says, "What things were gain to me," what I once valued and relied on, "those I counted loss for Christ."3 "I was alive, without the law, once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” 2. Secondly, every Christian is called to selfdenial, in renouncing his own will, and submitting it to the will of his heavenly Father. If man had remained innocent, if Satan had not prevailed, God and man, like the Father and the Son, would have had but one will. But being now perverted and corrupted by sin, our wills incline towards the evil which they ought to hate, and turn away from the good which they ought to choose: and at last, are only brought with difficulty to acquiesce in what God sees best, provides for us, or allots to us. Self-love, self-indulgence, self-preference prevail. We pursue our own inclination, not God's honour: we neither love what delights him, nor hate what displeases him. The gospel is intended to bring us back to a state of agreement with God; and to lead us to inquire, not what may gratify our own feelings and wishes, but what God will admit and approve. A choice we must have, as reasonable creatures: but that preference must give way to the commands and decrees of God. Our blessed Lord expressed a preference, when he said, "Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me." But he left us the example of the truest self-denial, when he added, "nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." 3. A third branch of a Christian's self-denial is, that renouncing all ungodliness and worldly lusts, renouncing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, he strives to "perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord." That this is no easy sacrifice, is too plain : plain from the self-indulgent habits which too many allow themselves; plain from the endeavours which have been made in all ages, to reconcile faith in Christ with the indulgence of some favourite and besetting sin: which led St. Paul to say, after condemning such iniquities-as if he foresaw the arts of evil teachers, and the readiness of the heart to be corrupted-"Let no "Let no man deceive you with vain words for on account of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience.” I am aware that all this self-denial is its own reward;-that a practical reliance upon Christ is the only sure repose which the soul can enjoy ;-that a submission of our own will to the will of God, is the oil which smooths all the troubled waves of life;-that "the carnal mind" is at enmity with itself as well as "enmity against God," and that to "be spiritually-minded is life and peace." But it would be contrary to all truth and all experience, to pretend that such a life can be entered upon, or such a state of heart attained, without constant and resolute self-denial. Our Lord well knew this and therefore, when he uttered the warning, he adds a consideration which ought to overcome all the resistance of natural corruption. What shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Because no reasonable person would consent to deny himself, and take up his cross, without a sufficient motive; he therefore adds a motive which may well be deemed sufficient. What shall it profit a man, though he may gain present ease, and present enjoyment, though he may escape vexation and trial, what shall it profit him if he be cast away at last, and make shipwreck of his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Here then is the reason why all should exercise themselves, to renounce the besetting sins of their age, their station, their disposition. Even if that self-denial be tribulation in this world, it will be incalculable profit in the end. It will repay the poor man for mortifying his discontent, his envy, and for acquiescing in the lot which the wisdom of God assigns him. It will repay the rich man for mortifying his worldly desires, "the lust of the eye and the pride of life." It will repay the young for mortifying their carnal appetites, their vanity, their dangerous pleasures. It will repay the elder for mortifying their peevishness, their selfishness, their "unchristian tempers. It will repay the sensual for LECTURE XLII. Mark ix. 1-13. Luke ix. 28-36. THE TRANSFIGURATION. MATT. xvii. 1—13. 1. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high moun tain apart, 2. And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. 3. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Our Lord Jesus appeared on earth in a humble condition. As the prophet had foretold, he was as a root out of a dry ground: not fair and flourish ing to the eye there "was no beauty in him" that men should desire him. He came as a sacrifice for sin: and therefore he came in humiliation. So that men must have to conquer some prejudices; must open their minds to truth, and rise above the common opinions of the world, before they could confess as Peter did, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." It accorded with the usual dealings of God with men, that such faith should be rewarded, and therefore strengthened: should be fixed on a foundation, which, however shaken, might not be finally overthrown. Therefore our Lord took those three whom he honoured with peculiar regard, and brought them up into a high mountain apart, and manifested to them his glory: the glory which he had with his Father, before the world was. His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. St. Mark adds, "so as no fuller on earth can whiten it." A simple account of what could not be adequately described. Nothing on earth, nothing seen by mortal eyes, can equal the brightness. So when Paul, for the same purpose, "was caught up into the third heaven," all he tells us is, that he "heard words" "which it is not lawful," not possible, "for man to utter." He heard what cannot be conveyed to our senses or imaginations. We read in the book of Revelation, that St. John was likewise permitted to enjoy a heavenly vision.2 St. John, too, saw what he compares to all that is on earth most bright, most rich, most beautiful, but 1 2 Cor. xii. 2—4. 2 Revel. iv. |