The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 544

:

SANCTIFICATION

504

And

ure in denying himself for God's sake.

He

case.

spends his happiest

moments

this is actually the

in sincere self-denial

;

for

never alone, but always with Jesus, whom he follows. Then he realizes the holiness and transcendent glory of the claim then he

is

any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his and follow Me." But while the blessedness of his former self-denials is still fresh in his memory, when called to a new act of the same nature he shrinks from it and finds it almost impossible. Self-denial extends " If

cross,

Its depths can not be fathomed. When the plummet has far. descended the whole length of the line, there is still such a yawning depth beneath that actually the bottom is never touched. It reIt embraces our entire fers, not to a few things, but to all things. life and existence, with all that is in us, of us, and around us; our entire environment, reputation, position, influence, and possession;

so

includes all the ties of blood and affection that bind us to wife and children, parents and brothers, friends and associates; all our past, present, and future; all our gifts, talents, and endowment; all the ramifications and extensions of our outward and inward life; the rich life of the soul and the tenderest emotions of our holier impulses our conflict and our strife our faith, hope, and love yea, our inheritance in the Son, our place in the mansions above, and the crown which the righteous Judge shall one day give us; and as such, in that entire scope of life, we must deny ourselves before it

—

;

;

God.

We

are, to

use an illustration, in

a fruit-tree, broadly rooted,

full

our

all

life

and existence

grown, planted in

fertile

like soil,

adorned with a crown of many branches and a glorious roof of leaves and like that tree with its roots far and wide in the earth, and its branches high and broad in the air, are we deeply rooted, possessing an existence obtained by means of money, reputation, property, and descent, faith, hope, love, and the promises of God. ;

And

to that

whole

tree, to that entire unit,

from deepest root to

highest bough, which as our ego, full of might and majesty, stands

before our consciousness and in our

be laid I

;

life,

of all this the self-denying soul

am nothing." Many say, " This

quite too often

;

for

is

— to

correct and exactly

when

all this

must say

my

:

"

the ax

God

idea,"

must and

is all

and say

it

these most difficult and excellent words

again and again pass the lips as mere hollow sounds, they strike a

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