THE THREE-FOLD CORD

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 26, 1860

THE THREE-FOLD CORD.

WRITTEN BY A MISSIONARY IN BURMAH.

[BRo. SMITH: The following I have copied with some omissions and a few alterations and send for insertion in the Review. C. A. O.]

You hope dear brother that you have repented of sin, and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. You now desire above all things to grow in grace and attain the perfect love and enjoyment of God. But you find yourself perplexed about the way amidst the various directions of various classes of professed Christians; and you ask for a short manual of advice, plain to the understanding, and convincing to the heart. I present you therefore, with the "three-fold cord." Lay hold of it with the hand of faith and it will draw thy soul to God and to heaven. The first is the cord of secret prayer. Without this the others have no strength. Secret prayer is commonly considered a duty which must be attended to every morning and evening in order to keep a conscience void of offence. Consider secret prayer not only as a duty, but as one of the works of thy life. Make all practicable sacrifices to maintain it. Consider that thy time is short, and that business and company must not be allowed to rob thee of thy God. Thou wilt not only find these seasons refreshing at the time, but extending a salutary influence to all other seasons of prayer. Dost thou ask how to pray? There is one who is able and willing to teach thee. Whenever thou intendest to pray, draw near to Calvary; kneel at the foot of the mount; lift up thine eyes tremblingly and in tears to thy Saviour; confess thy unworthiness, implore forgiveness and the Holy Spirit will quickly come and teach thee how to pray. The second is the cord of self denial,—rough indeed, to the hand of sense, and so abused in the Roman catholic church that Protestants have become afraid of it, and thrown it away. But lay hold my brother with the hand of faith. It is one of the three, and without it the others will lack firmness and consistency. It is an acknowledged principle that every faculty of the mind and body is strengthened by use, and weakened by disuse. It is needless to produce proofs or illustrations; they are to be met with in every day's experience. Self-love, or the desire of self-gratification in the enjoyment of the riches, the honors and the pleasures of this world is the ruling principle of fallen man. The more it is indulged the stronger it becomes. But

The love of God flows just as much, As that of ebbing self subsides; Our hearts, their scantiness is such, Cannot sustain two rival tides. Both cannot govern in one soul; Then let self-love be dispossessed, The love of God deserves the whole, Nor will she dwell with such a guest.

And the way to dispossess self-love is to cease indulging it; to treat self as an enemy, a vicious animal for instance, whose propensities are to be thwarted, whose indulgences are to be curtailed as far as can be done, consistent with his utmost serviceableness, or, in the language of scripture, to deny self and take up the cross daily; to keep under the body and bring it into subjection; to mortify the members which are upon the earth; to cease from loving the world or the things that are in the world. Alas for those whose days are spent in pampering their bodies, under the idea of preserving their life and health; who toil to lay up treasures upon earth, under the idea of providing for their children; who conform to the fashions of the world with the idea of avoiding pernicious singularity; who use every means to maintain their character and extend their reputation under the idea of gaining more influence, and thereby capacity for serving the cause! How can such enter the kingdom of heaven? "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it." Wouldst thou, my brother, belong to the happy few? Wouldst thou subdue that inordinate self-love which has hitherto shut out the love of God from thy heart and impeded thy progress in the heavenly way? Adopt a course of daily, habitual, self denial. Cease gratifying thy inordinate appetites, be content with a very plain diet, reject

delicacies, fast often; keep thy body under. Cease adorning thy person, dress in plain apparel, discard all finery, cut off the supplies of vanity and pride; prefer inconveniences to slothful ease and carnal indulgence. Turn away thine eyes from vain sights and thine ears from vain sounds. Engage in no conversation, read no book that hinders thy communion with God. As to reputation, that last idol and most deadly tyrant over poor fallen man, follow the advice of Archbishop Leighton: "Choose always to the best of thy skill what is most to God's honor, and most like Christ and his example and most profitable to thy neighbor, and least serviceable to thine own exaltation."

Finally renounce all agreement with this world which lieth in the arms of the wicked one; renounce all worldly projects and pursuits except what are necessary for thy sustenance and that of those dependent on thee, and what are necessary to use or appropriate the avails of to the promotion of God's cause; avoid as much as possible the contaminating touch of worldly things; and by shutting the avenues of the soul against the solicitations of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, endeavor to weaken that deadly and tremendous influence which the world has gained over thee, and of which thou art hardly suspicious. Art thou ready on reading these pages to say, Alas for me! bound by a thousand chains and loaded with a thousand burdens how can I ever live a life of holy self denial? Remember there is one who is willing and able to help thee. It is commonly the case with young converts that the Holy Spirit draws them towards the path of self denial. We can all perhaps, remember the time when we had such a sense of our own unworthiness that we were desirous of denying ourselves of every unholy influence; when we had such a sense of the danger of temptation and the dreadful power of sin, that we were willing to renounce all things in order to live a holy life. Return, O mistaken soul to thy first love, God is still waiting to be gracious. Dost thou not feel a latent impulse as thou readest these lines? a secret conviction that this is the truth? an incipient desire to comply? Yield thyself to the heavenly influence. Make an immediate beginning. Wait not till thou seest the whole path clearly illumined; expect not meridian brightness while thy sun is yet struggling with the dark malignant vapors which rest on thy earthly horizon, the conflicts of a still darker world. The path of self denial is to carnal eyes a veiled path, a mystery of the divine kingdom. While thou hesitatest at the first sacrifice required, expect no further admonition, no further light. But if thou wilt do what thy hands find to do this hour, if thou wilt in childlike simplicity and humble obedience take the first step, thou shalt see the second which now thou seest not; and as thou advancest thou shalt find the path of self denial open most wonderfully before thee; thou shalt find it sweet to follow thy dear Lord and Saviour, bearing the cross, and shalt soon be enabled to say "Sweet is the cross above all sweets, to souls enamored with thy smiles."

The third is the cord of doing good. This imparts beauty and utility to the rest. It is written of the Lord Jesus that he went about doing good. Art thou his disciple, imitate his example. Do good. Let this be thy motto. Do all the good in thy power—of every sort, to every person. Regard every human being as thy brother; look with eyes of love on every one thou meetest. Rejoice in every opportunity of doing him any good, either of a temporal or spiritual kind. Comfort him in trouble, relieve his wants, instruct his ignorance, enlighten his darkness, warn him of his danger, show him the way of salvation, persuade him if possible, to become thy fellow traveler in that blessed way. Follow him with all offices of kindness and love, even as thou wouldst be pleased to have another do to thee. Bear with his infirmities. Be not weary in well doing. Remember that thy Saviour bore long with thee, beyond all conception, and covered thy pollution with the

robe stained in his own blood, that the wrath of God might not smite thee. And when he thus forgives thine immense debt, canst thou not bear with thy fellow debtor? Do good to the Lord the Lord thy Saviour. Is he far above thy reach? True he has ascended up on high; but still he lives in all his members. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." As thou hast opportunity therefore, do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith. As a true follower of Christ seek not thine own profit, but the profit of many that they may be saved. Since Christ hath suffered, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life, extend thy good wishes to earth's remotest bounds. But let the members of the household of faith, whatever be their language or country, share in thy warmest love. Regard each one as a part of thine own dear Saviour and be as happy to wash their feet as if they were the feet of thy Lord himself. Remember that notwithstanding present imperfections, ye are all hastening to be united to one another, and to God in a manner most ineffable, even as God is in Christ and Christ in God; and that the bosom of his love is opening to receive you all.