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The Pathway of Safety; or, Counsel to the Awakened By the Right Rev. Ashton Oxenden, D.D. CHAPTER IX – DANGERS FROM WITHIN AN EVIL HEART—PRIDE—TEMPER—UNCHARITABLENESS—SELFISHNESS—IDLENESS—INFLUENCE OF BAD HABITS THE Christian is now in an enemy’s country. He is living in a world at enmity for the most part against his Lord, and against himself as one of His followers. He is exposed, therefore, as we have seen, to numberless outward Dangers. But these are not all; not indeed are they his worst enemies. Besides these, there are Dangers from within—enemies in the very citadel of his own heart. I shall now speak of these. And may God speak by me for your profit! To begin with, I would have you always bear this in mind—that we have all of us to contend with a corrupt and evil heart. Although the heart may have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, there is a remnant of sin and corruption, which still clings to us, and will cling to us to the very last. Hence, in every really earnest soul there is a continual and mighty struggle: ‘the old man’ rebels against ‘the new man.’ There is an inward conflict ever going on. All God’s people feel this more or less. Hear what St. Paul says of himself; ‘To will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not; for the evil that I would not, that I do.’ ‘I find then a law, that when I would do good evil is present with me.’ (Rom. 7) In the beginning of a Christian’s course, he is often disposed to fancy that the work of grace is already completed, that the warfare is over, and that henceforth all will be smooth and peaceful. And then he thinks it strange to find himself tried and perplexed by inward struggles. He believes; and fancies that he shall never again be troubled by weakness of faith. The flame of love burns brightly in his heart; and he imagines that it will never flag, or grow dim again. Ah, but he forgets that he has within him this evil heart, always ready for what is wrong. For, though he can say with thankfulness, ‘I delight in the law of God, after the inward man,’ he is forced by sad experience, to add, ‘But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and leading me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.’ (Rom. 7.22, 23) Marvel not, then, dear Christian reader, if you find that there is a sore conflict going on within you. But rather rejoice; for it is a proof that there is life in your soul. Neither marvel, if you feel the weight and pressure of indwelling sin; for the more you know of true holiness, the more sensible will you be of the existence of sin within you, and the more you will be distressed at its presence. How was it that, time back, you felt nothing of all this? There were no ‘fightings within’ then; no strivings for the mastery; no groanings for deliverance. No; for Satan at that time held you fast. Your soul was slumbering; it was ‘sleeping the sleep of death.’ Be thankful if it is otherwise with you now. And be not surprised when I tell you, that you will have to carry on a vigorous and unceasing warfare against the corruptions of your own heart, as long as you remain here. Let me now try and point out to you in what various ways these corruptions will show themselves. And so let me put you upon your guard. 1. Beware of PRIDE. But you will say, perhaps, ‘Now that I have taken the gospel as my rule, is there any fear of pride springing up in my heart?’ Yes, there is much fear of it. There is a root of Pride naturally growing in every heart. And this shows itself even in God’s people. And this shows itself even in God’s people. Poor foolish man is pleased with being made much of. He likes to feel that he is of some consequence. The idea of being looked down upon, and passed by, is very painful to most of us. We can bear anything sooner than this. Many of us would be willing, if called upon, to undergo actual suffering for Christ’s sake. We could endure persecution. All this is much easier than to put up with contempt, and to be little esteemed by those about us. And yet cheerfully to accept this is Christ-like. This is what He bore so willingly for us; and it is what we should be willing to bear also. Such is the true spirit of the gospel—not merely to confess that we are nothing, but to feel that we are nothing, and to be willing that others should think so too—to feel no repining at being overlooked, cast into the shade, yea, trampled under foot. Oh, what an attainment is this! And yet how few, how very few, reach it! But there is also such a thing as spiritual pride. And this is an evil into which many a young believer falls. Now that the Holy Spirit has begun to enlighten you, and you already see things, as it were, with new eyes, and know many truths which you were, but a short time ago, quite ignorant of, perhaps you feel astonished that others can be so blind. Then comes the Tempter, and fills you with the notion that you are better than they, that your sight is clearer, your knowledge greater, and your strength firmer. You are also tempted perhaps to feel that you are on a rock, and fancy that you shall never be moved. If it be so with you, let me put in a word in time. You see more than you did, and more perhaps than many; but there is much dimness yet. You have much still to learn. Your strength is only weakness. Can that little infant, which you notice in the street, walk alone? It may try; but it will fall. Its mother’s hand must lead it, and its mother’s arm support it. And you are but as a little child. The everlasting arms’ must be underneath you, or your strength will surely give way. ‘Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.’ The holiest men are generally the humblest. Was Abraham proud? He speaks of himself as ‘dust and ashes.’ (Gen. 18.27) Was Isaiah proud? He says, Í am a man of unclean lips.’ (Isa. 6.5) Was Jeremiah proud? When God called him to his high office, his answer shows how unworthy he felt himself of so great an honour; ‘Ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.’ (Jer. 1.6) Was St. Paul proud? He felt himself to be ‘less than the least of all saints;’ ‘not meet to be called an apostle.’ (Eph. 3.8; 1 Cor. 15.9) But, observe here, there is such a thing as false humility, which, in fact, is nothing more nor less than pride in its very worst shape. When, for instance, a man speaks of himself as being nothing, in order that he may get the credit of being thought humble; or when he is for ever talking of his sinfulness, and yet has no sorrow on account of sin—this is nothing but a dressed-up humility. It is pride, under another name; and if it lurks in your breast, may God strip you, and take it from you! It is not a humble appearance merely that we want, or a humble speech, or a humble character among men, but a humble heart, and a humble walk. Oh that we may be sincere in this matter! Oh that we may be low in our own eyes and willing to be low in the eyes of others! There is a great charm in Humility. Even the world knows something of its loveliness. But, what is of more consequence, it is pleasing in the sight of God: ‘He hath respect unto the lowly, but the proud He knoweth afar off.’ (Ps. 138.6) It is ‘the poor in spirit’ that He loves to ‘satisfy with good things.’ And it is ‘to the humble’ that ‘He giveth more grace.’ ‘His sweet dews and showers of grace (says Archbishop Leighton) slide off the mountains of pride, and fall on the low valleys of humble hearts and make them pleasant and fertile.’ Another Christian writer remarks, that ‘the emptier the vessel, and the lower it is let down in the well, the more water it draws up; so the more the soul is emptied of self, and the lower it is let down by humility, the more it fetcheth out of the well of salvation.’ The bough that bears the most fruit usually bends the lowest. Seek, then, a really humble, lowly, meek spirit. Think much of God’s greatness and holiness and then look at your own littleness and vileness. Ask the Lord to lift up the veil, and constantly show you to yourself. Ask Him to keep you daily from pride. Learn to ‘walk humbly with thy God;’ for, as has been well said, ‘He who walks humbly cannot fall, since he is down already.’ Remember, too, that it is written, ‘Pride goeth before destruction.’ Bend thy neck to the Savior’s gentle yoke. Go with Mary, and sit at the feet of Jesus, and ‘learn of Him, for He was meek and lowly in heart.’ How sweet, and how true, are the words of the Christian poet on this point: The bird that soars on highest wing Builds on the ground her lowly nest; And she that doth most sweetly sing Sings in the shade, when all things rest. In lark and nightingale we see, what honor hath humility
When Mary chose the better part, She meekly sat at Jesus’ feet; And Lydia’s gently-opened heart Was made for God’s own temple meet. Fairest and best adorned is she whose clothing is humility.
The saint that wears heaven’s brightest crown In deepest adoration bends; The weight of glory bows him down Then most, when most his soul ascends. Nearest the throne itself must be the footstool of humility.
The process by which God teaches humility is sometimes a most painful one. It must be so. For the cutting down and crushing of pride is a severe work. There are hours when the soul of the believer is made to smart bitterly. But when he is thus taken down into the valley of humiliation much salutary truth is learnt, which would not otherwise come home to the heart. Grace abounds in that valley; and he comes out of it more lowly, but more happy—more distrustful of himself, but more full of confidence as he looks out of himself to God. **************************************************** The Pathway of Safety; or, Counsel to the Awakened, Ashton Oxenden **************************************************** PREVIOUS CHAPTER -- NEXT CHAPTER ©God’sGWG
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