68 History of Methodism 



me, let him renounce himself, and follow me." This implies, first, 

 a thorough conviction that we are not our own; that we are not the 

 proprietors of ourselves or any thing we enjoy ; that we have no right 

 to dispose of our goods, bodies, souls, or any of the actions or passions 

 of them; secondly, a solemn resolution to act suitably to this convic- 

 tion — not to live to ourselves, nor to pursue our own desires, nor to 

 phase ourselves, nor to suffer our own will to be any principle of 

 action to us. 



Secondly. Such a renunciation of ourselves naturally leads us to 

 the devoting of ourselves to God, as this implies, first, a thorough 

 conviction that we are God's; that he is the Proprietor of all we are 

 and all we have, and that not only by right of creation, but of pur- 

 chase ; for he died for all, and therefore died for all that they which 

 live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him that 

 died for them; secondly, a solemn resolution to live suitably to this 

 conviction : to live unto God ; to render unto God the things that 

 are God's, even all we are and all we have; to glorify him in our 

 bodies and in our spirits, with all our powers and all the strength of 

 each, and to make his will our sole principle of action. 



Thirdly. Self-denial is the immediate consequence of this; for 

 whosoever has determined to live no longer to the desires of men, 

 but to the will of God, will soon find that he cannot be true to his 

 purpose without denying himself and taking up his cross daily; he 

 will daily feel some desire which his one principle of action — the 

 will of God — does not require him to indulge. In this, therefore, 

 he must either deny himself or so far deny the faith. He will daily 

 meet with some means of drawing nearer to God which are unpleas- 

 ing to flesh and blood. In these, therefore, he must either take up 

 his cross or so far renounce his Master. 



Fourthly. By a constant exercise of self-denial the true follower of 

 Christ continually advances in mortification; he is more and more 

 dead to the world and the things of the world, till at length he can 

 say, with that perfect disciple of his Lord, "I desire nothing more 

 but God," or, with St. Paul, " I am crucified unto the world ; I am 

 dead with Christ; I live not,' but Christ liveth in me." 



Fifthly. Christ liveth in me. This is the fulfilling of the law — 

 the last stage of Christian holiness. This maketh the man of God 

 perfect; he, being dead to the world, is alive to God. The man the 

 desire of whose soul is unto his Name, who has given him his whole 

 heart, who delights in him and in nothing else but what tends to 

 him, who for his sake burns with love to all mankind, who neither 



