WATCH THE TONGUE. 107 diverting your thoughts or feelings from the subject of your prayer, and proceed as though nothing had happened. But, if the adversary succeeds in keeping these wild imaginations in view, so that you cannot proceed without distraction, turn and beseech God to give you help against his wiles. You have the promise, that if you resist the devil, he will flee from you. These remarks apply both to secret prayer and public worship. 3. We have need of special watchfulness, when we have experienced any comfortable manifestations of God's presence. It is then that Satan tempts us to consider the conflict over, and relax our diligence. If we give way to him, we shall bring leanness upon our souls. 4. We have need of double watchfulness, when gloom and despondency come over our souls; for then the adversary seeks to stir up all the perverse passions of the heart. 5. Watch, also, when you feel remarkably cheerful; Satan will then, if possible, persuade you to indulge in levity, to the wounding of your soul," and the dishonor of religion. 6. We have need of special watchfulness in prosperity, that we forget not God; and in adversity, that we murmur not at his dealings with us. 7. Set a watch over your tongue, especially in the presence of the unconverted. "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity." David says, "I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." I do not mean that you should ever 108 WATCH THE IMAGINATION. engage in any sinful conversation in the presence of Christians. I know some professors of religion will indulge in senseless garrulity among themselves, and put on an air of seriousness and solemnity before those whom they regard as unconverted. This they pretend to do for the honor of Christ. But Christ says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." God hates lip service. However, in the company of sinners and formal professors, we are peculiarly exposed to temptation, and have need, therefore, to set a double guard upon our lips. A single unguarded expression from a Christian may do great injury to an unconverted soul. 8. Watch over your heart, when engaged in doing good to others. It is then that Satan seeks to stir up pride and vainglory. 9. Set a double watch over your easily besetting sin. "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." Most persons have some constitutional sin, which easily besets them. Satan takes the advantage of this infirmity, 'to bring us into difficulty. 10. Finally, keep a constant watch over the imagination. Since this is the medium through which temptation comes, never suffer your fancy to rove without control. If you mortify this faculty of the soul, it may be a great assistance to your devotion. But, if you let it run at random, you will be led captive by Satan at his will. Strive, then, after a sanctified imagination, that you may make every power of your soul subservient to the glory of God. CHAPTER VII. SELF-DENIAL. "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."— LUKE ix. 23. THE duty of self-denial arises from the unnatural relation which sin has created between us and God. The first act of disobedience committed by man was a setting up of himself in opposition to God. It was a declaration that he would regard his own will in preference to the will of his Creator. Self became the supreme or chief object of his affections. And this is the case with all unregenerate persons. Their own happiness is the object of their highest wishes. They pursue their own selfish interests with their whole hearts. When any thing occurs, the first question which arises in their minds is, "How will this affect me?" It is true, they may often exercise a kind of generosity towards others. But, if their motives were scanned, it would appear that self-gratification is at the bottom of it. The correctness of these assertions no one will doubt, who is acquainted with his own heart. All unconverted persons live for themselves. They see no higher object of action than the promotion of their own individual interests. The duty in question consists in the denial of this disposition. And a moment's attention will show that nothing can be more reasonable. No individual has a right to attach to himself any more importance than properly belongs to the station he occupies in the grand scale of being, of which God is the centre. It is by this station that his value is known. If he thinks himself of more consequence than the place he occupies will give him, it leads him to seek a higher station. This is pride. It is setting up the wisdom of the creature in opposition to that of the Creator. This was probably the origin of the first act of disobedience. Satan thought himself entitled to a higher station in the scale of being than God gave him; therefore he rebelled against the government of the Most High. This act of rebellion was nothing more than setting up his own selfish interests against the interests of the universe. And what would be the consequence, if this selfish principle were carried out in the material universe? Take, for example, our own planetary system. If every planet should set up an interest separate from the whole, would they move on with such beautiful harmony? No; every one would seek to be a sun. They would all rush towards the common centre, and universal confusion would follow. God is the sun and centre of the moral universe; and the setting up of private, individual interests as supreme objects of pursuit, if permitted to take their course, would produce the same general confusion. This it has done, so far as it has prevailed. Its tendency is to create a universal contention SELF-RENUNCIATION. 111 among inferior beings for the throne of the universe, which belongs to God alone. But the interests of God, if I may be allowed the expression, are identified with the highest good of his intelligent creation. Hence we see the perfect reasonableness of the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." There can be no selfishness in this; because the best interests of the universe require it. But, by pursuing our own selfish interests as the chief good, we make a god of self. The religion of Jesus Christ strikes at the root of this selfish principle. The very first act of the new-born soul is a renunciation or giving up of self, the surrender of the whole soul to God. The entire dedication which the Christian makes of himself, soul, body and property, to the Lord, implies that he will no longer live to himself, but to God. "Present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God." "For none of us liveth to himself." 66 They which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again." "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Self-denial is then an entire surrender of our own wills to the will of God. It is an adoption of the revealed will of God as the rule of duty; and a steadfast, determined, and persevering denial of every selfish gratification which comes between us and duty. It is a seeking of the glory of God and the good of our fellowcreatures, as the highest object of pursuit. In |