Carl wrote:
>
> Atheists are a sad lot. On Usenet, most of them delight in provoking
> Christians with insults, personal attacks, etc. Such foolish behavior on
> their part. Which isn't at all surprising since God considers them as
fools........
Now now now, where did you discover that priceless piece of information?
Directly from 'god'; or from some other fool like yourself?
> John Wesley's sermon below centers on living without God as atheists do
and
> the fact they can not know true joy as God give His Children.
>
> May God bless,
> Carl
> my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
> my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
>
> ---
>
> On Living Without God
> by John Wesley
>
> "Without God in the world." -- Eph. 2:12
>
> 1. Perhaps these words might be more properly translated, Atheists in
the
> world. This seems to be a little stronger expression than "without God
in
> the world," which sounds nearly negative, and does not necessarily imply
any
> more than the having no fellow****p or intercourse with God. On the
contrary,
> the word Atheist is commonly understood to mean something positive, -
the
> not only disclaiming any intercourse with him, but denying his very
being.
>
> 2. The case of these unhappy men may be much illustrated by a late
incident,
> the truth of which cannot reasonably be doubted, there having been so
large
> a number of eye-witnesses. An ancient oak being cut down, and split
through
> the midst, out of the very heart of the tree crept a large toad, and
walked
> away with all the speed he could. Now how long, may we probably imagine,
had
> this creature continued there? It is not unlikely it might have remained
in
> its nest above a hundred years. It is not improbable it was nearly, if
not
> altogether, coeval with the oak; having been some way or other enclosed
> therein at the time that it was planted. It is not therefore
unreasonable to
> suppose that it had lived that strange kind of life at least a century.
We
> say, it had lived; But what manner of life! How desirable! How enviable!
As
> Cowley says:
>
> O life, most precious and most dear!
> O life, that Epicures would long to share!
>
> Let us spend a few thoughts upon so uncommon a case, and make some
> improvement of it.
>
> 3. This poor animal had organs of sense; yet it had not any sensation.
It
> had eyes, yet no ray of light ever entered its black abode. From the
very
> first instant of its existence there, it was shut up in impenetrable
> darkness. It was shut up from the sun, moon and stars, and from the
> beautiful face of nature; indeed, from the whole visible world, as much
as
> if it had no being.
>
> 4. As no air could penetrate its sable recess, it consequently could
have no
> hearing. Whatever organs it was provided with, they could be of no use;
> seeing no undulating air could find a way through the walls that
surrounded
> it. And there is no reason to believe that it had any sense analogous to
> those either of smelling or tasting. In a creature which did not need
any
> food these could have been of no possible use. Neither was there any way
> whereby the objects of smell or taste could make their approach to it.
It
> must be very little, if at all, that it could be acquainted even with
the
> general sense, - that of feeling: As it always continued in one unvaried
> posture amidst the parts that surrounded it, all of these being
immovably
> fixed could make no new impression upon it. So that it had only one
feeling
> from hour to hour, and from day to day, during its whole duration.
>
> 5. And as this poor animal was destitute of sensation, it must have
equally
> been destitute of reflection. Its head (of whatever sort it was,) having
no
> materials to work upon, no ideas of sensation of any kind, could not
produce
> any degree of reflection. It scarce, therefore could have any memory, or
any
> imagination. Nor could it have any locative power, while it was so
closely
> bound in on every side. If it had in itself some springs of motion, yet
it
> was impossible that power should be exerted, because the narrowness of
its
> cavern could not allow of any change of place.
>
> 6. How exact a parallel may be drawn between this creature (hardly to be
> called an animal) and a man that is "without God in the world!" Such as
are
> a vast majority of even those that are called Christians! I do not mean
that
> they are Atheists, in the common sense of the word. I do not believe
that
> these are so numerous as many have imagined. Making all the inquiry and
> observation I could for upwards of fifty years, I could not find twenty
who
> seriously disbelieved the being of a God; nay, I have found only two of
> these (to the best of my judgment) in the British Islands: Both of these
> then lived in London, and had been of this persuasion many years. But
> several years before they were called to appear before God, both John
S--
> and John B-- were fully convinced that there is a God; and, what is more
> remarkable, they were first convinced that he is a terrible, and then
that
> he is a merciful God. I mention these two accounts to show not only that
> there are real literal Atheists in the world; but also, that even then,
if
> they will condescend to ask it, they may find "grace to help in time of
> need."
>
> 7. But I do not mean such as these when I speak of those who are
Atheists or
> "without God in the world;" but of such as are only practical Atheists;
as
> have not God in all their thoughts; such as have not acquainted
themselves
> with him, neither have any fellow****p with him; such as have no more
> intercourse with God, or the invisible world, than this animal had with
the
> visible. I will endeavour to draw the parallel between these. And may
God
> apply it to their hearts!
>
> 8. Every one of these is in exactly such a situation with regard to the
> invisible as the toad was in respect to the visible world. That creature
had
> undoubtedly a sort of life, such as it was. It certainly had all the
> internal and external parts that are essential to animal life; and,
without
> question, it had suitable juices, which kept up a kind of circulation.
This
> was a life indeed! And exactly such a life is that of the Atheist, the
man
> "without God in the world." What a thick veil is between him and the
> invisible world, which, with regard to him, is as though it had no
being! He
> has not the least perception of it; not the most distant idea. He has
not
> the least sight of God, the intellectual Sun; nor any the least
attraction
> toward him, or desire to have any knowledge of his ways. Although His
light
> be gone forth into all lands, and His sound unto the end of the world,
yet
> he heareth no more thereof than of the fabled music of the spheres. He
> tastes nothing of the goodness of God or the powers of the world to
come. He
> does not feel (as our Church speaks) the working of the Holy Spirit in
his
> heart. In a word, he has no more intercourse with a knowledge of the
> spiritual world, than this poor creature had of the natural, while shut
up
> in its dark enclosure.
>
> 9. But the moment the Spirit of the Almighty strikes the heart of him
that
> was till then without God in the world, it breaks the hardness of his
heart,
> and creates all things new. The Sun of Righteousness appears, and ****nes
> upon his soul, showing him the light of the glory of God in the face of
> Jesus Christ. He is in a new world. All things round him are become new,
> such as it never before entered into his heart to conceive. He sees, so
far
> as his newly-opened eyes can bear the sight,
>
> The opening heavens around him ****ne,
> With beams of sacred bliss.
>
> He sees that he has "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
> righteous;" and that he has "redemption in his blood, the remission of
his
> sins." He sees "a new way that is opened into the holiest by the blood
of
> Jesus;" and his "light ****neth more and more unto the perfect day."
>
> 10. By the same gracious stroke, he that before had ears but heard not
is
> now made capable of hearing. He hears the voice that raiseth the dead, -
the
> voice of Him that is "the resurrection and the life." He is no longer
deaf
> to his invitations or commands, to his promises or threatenings; but
gladly
> hears every word that proceeds out of his mouth, and governs thereby all
his
> thoughts, words, and actions.
>
> 11. At the same time, he receives other spiritual senses, capable of
> discerning spiritual good and evil. He is enabled to taste, as well as
to
> see, how gracious the Lord is. He enters into the holiest by the blood
of
> Jesus, and tastes of the powers of the world to come. He finds Jesus'
love
> far better than wine; yea, sweeter than honey or the honey-comb. He
knows
> what that meaneth: "All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia."
He
> feels the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost which
is
> given unto him; or, as our Church expresses it, "feels the workings of
the
> Spirit of God in his heart." Meantime, it may easily be observed, that
the
> substance of all these figurative expressions is comprised in that one
word
> faith, taken in its widest sense; being enjoyed, more or less, by
everyone
> that believes in the name of the Son of God. This change, from spiritual
> death to spiritual life, is properly the new birth; all the particulars
> whereof are admirably well expressed by Dr. Watts in one verse:
>
> Renew my eyes, open my ears,
> And form my soul afresh;
> Give me new passions, joys and fears,
> And turn the stone to flesh!
>
> 12. But before this universal change there may be many partial changes
in a
> natural man, which are frequently mistaken for it, whereby many say,
"Peace,
> peace!" to their souls, when there is no peace. There may be not only a
> considerable change in the life, so as to refrain from open sin, yea,
the
> easily besetting sin; but also a considerable change of tempers,
conviction
> of sin, strong desires, and good resolutions. And here we have need to
take
> great care, not, on the one hand, to despise the day of small things;
nor,
> on the other, to mistake any of these partial changes for that entire,
> general change, the new birth; that total change from the image of the
> earthly Adam into the image of the heavenly, from an earthly, sensual,
> devilish mind, into the mind that was in Christ.
>
> 13. Settle it therefore in your hearts, that however you may be changed
in
> many other respects, yet in Christ Jesus, that is, according to the
> Christian institution, nothing will avail without the whole mind that
was in
> Christ, enabling you to walk as Christ walked. Nothing is more sure than
> this: "If any man be in Christ," a true believer in him, "he is a new
> creature: Old things," in him, "are passed away; all things are become
new."
>
> 14. From hence we may clearly perceive the wide difference there is
between
> Christianity and morality. Indeed nothing can be more sure than that
true
> Christianity cannot exist without both the inward experience and outward
> practice of justice, mercy, and truth; and this alone is given in
morality.
> But it is equally certain that all morality, all the justice, mercy, and
> truth which can possibly exist without Christianity, profiteth nothing
at
> all, is of no value in the sight of God, to those that are under the
> Christian dispensation. Let it be observed, I purposely add, "to those
that
> are under the Christian dispensation," because I have no authority from
the
> Word of God "to judge those that are without." Nor do I conceive that
any
> man living has a right to sentence all the heathen and Mahometan world
to
> damnation. It is far better to leave them to him that made them, and who
is
> "the Father of the spirits of all flesh;" who is the God of the Heathens
as
> well as the Christians, and who hateth nothing that he hath made. But
> meantime this is nothing to those that name the name of Christ: - all
those,
> being under the law, the Christian law, shall undoubtedly be judged
thereby;
> and, of consequence, unless those be so changed as was the animal above
> mentioned, unless they have new senses, ideas, passions, tempers, they
are
> no Christians. However just, true, or merciful they may be, they are but
> Atheists still!
>
> 15. Perhaps there may be some well-meaning persons who carry this
farther
> still; who aver, that whatever change is wrought in men, whether in
their
> hearts or lives, yet if they have not clear views of those capital
> doctrines, the fall of man, justification by faith, and of the atonement
> made by the death of Christ, and of his righteousness transferred to
them,
> they can have no benefit from his death. I dare in no wise affirm this.
> Indeed I do not believe it. I believe the merciful God regards the lives
and
> tempers of men more than their ideas. I believe he respects the goodness
of
> the heart rather than the clearness of the head; and that if the heart
of a
> man be filled (by the grace of God, and the power of his Spirit) with
the
> humble, gentle, patient love of God and man, God will not cast him into
> everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels because his ideas
are
> not clear, or because his conceptions are confused. Without holiness, I
own,
> "no man shall see the Lord;" but I dare not add, "or clear ideas."
>
> 16. But to return to the text. Let me entreat all of you who are still
> "without God in the world," to consider with all your humanity,
benevolence,
> virtue, you are still
>
> lnclusi tenebris, et carcere caeco:
>
> Inclosed in darkness and infernal shade.
>
> My dear friends! you do not see God. You do not see the Sun of
> righteousness. You have no fellow****p with the Father, or with his Son,
> Jesus Christ. You never heard the voice that raiseth the dead. Ye know
not
> the voice of your Shepherd. Ye have not received the Holy Ghost. Ye have
no
> spiritual senses. You have your old, natural ideas, passions, joys, and
> fears; you are not new creatures. O cry to God, that he may rend the
veil
> which is still upon your hearts; and which gives you occasion to
complain, -
>
> O dark, dark, dark, I still must say,
> Amidst the blaze of gospel-day!
>
> O that you may this day hear his voice, who speaketh as never man spake,
> saying, "Arise, ****ne, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord
is
> risen upon thee!" Is it not his voice that crieth aloud, "Look unto me,
and
> be thou saved?" He saith, "Lo! I come!" Even so, Lord Jesus! Come
quickly!
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