Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount Discourse XIII

1This is a listening version of John Wesley's sermon, Upon Our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Discourse Thirteen. It is the sermon as printed in John Wesley's 1771 Works. Rendered in modern English.

2Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21.

3Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? Matthew 7:22.

4And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. Matthew 7:23.

5Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house upon a rock. Matthew 7:24.

6And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it did not fall, for it was founded upon a rock. Matthew 7:25.

7And everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: Matthew 7:26.

8And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell, and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:27.

9Our divine teacher having declared the whole counsel of God, with regard to the way of salvation, and observed the chief hindrances of those who desire to walk in it: now closes the whole with these weighty words; thereby as it were setting his seal to his prophecy, and impressing his whole authority on what he had delivered, that it might stand firm to all generations.

10For thus says the Lord, that none may ever conceive, there is any other way than this, Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord; have we not prophesied in your name? And in your name have cast out devils? And in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me you that work iniquity. Therefore everyone that hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: and it fell, and great was the fall of it.

11I design in the following discourse, first, to consider the case of him, who thus builds his house upon the sand: secondly, To show the wisdom of him who builds upon a rock, and thirdly, To conclude with a practical application.

12And, first, I am to consider the case of him who builds his house upon the sand. It is concerning him our Lord says, Not everyone that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. And this is a decree which cannot pass: which stands fast forever and ever. It therefore imports us in the highest degree, thoroughly to understand the force of these words. Now what are we to understand by that expression, That says to me, Lord, Lord? It undoubtedly means, “that thinks of going to heaven by any other way than that which I have now described.” It therefore implies, (to begin at the lowest point) all good words, all verbal religion. It includes whatever creeds we may rehearse, whatever professions of faith we make: whatever number of prayers we may repeat, whatever thanksgivings we read or say to God. We may speak good of his name; and declare his loving-kindness to the children of men. We may be talking of all his mighty acts, and telling of his salvation from day to day. By comparing spiritual things with spiritual, we may show the meaning of the oracles of God. We may explain the mysteries of his kingdom, which have been hidden from the beginning of the world. We may speak with the tongue of angels (1 Corinthians 13:1) rather than men, concerning the deep things of God. We may proclaim to sinners, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Yes, we may do this with such a measure of the power of God, and such demonstration of his Spirit, as to save many souls from death, and hide a multitude of sins. And yet it is very possible, all this may be no more than saying, Lord, Lord! After I have thus successfully preached to others, still I myself may be a castaway. I may in the hand of God, snatch many souls from hell, and yet drop into it, when I have done. I may bring many others to the kingdom of heaven, and yet myself never enter there. Reader, if God has ever blessed my word to your soul, pray that he may be merciful to me a sinner!

13The saying, Lord, Lord! may, secondly, imply, the doing no harm. We may abstain from every presumptuous sin, from every kind of outward wickedness. We may refrain from all those ways of acting or speaking, which are forbidden in holy writ. We may be able to say to all those among whom we live, Which of you convinces me of sin (John 8:46)? We may have a conscience void of any external offence, towards God and towards man. We may be clear of all uncleanness, ungodliness and unrighteousness, as to the outward act: or (as the apostle testifies concerning himself,) touching the righteousness of the law (Philippians 3:6), that is, outward righteousness, blameless. But yet we are not hereby justified. Still this is no more than saying, Lord, Lord! And if we go no farther than this, we shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven.

14The saying, Lord, Lord! may imply, thirdly, many of what are usually styled good works. A man may attend the supper of the Lord, may hear abundance of excellent sermons, and omit no opportunity of partaking all the other ordinances of God. I may do good to my neighbor, deal my bread to the hungry (Isaiah 58:7), and cover the naked with a garment. I may be so zealous of good works, as even to give all my goods to feed the poor (1 Corinthians 13:3). Yes, and I may do all this, with a desire to please God, and a real belief that I do please him thereby: (which is undeniably the case of those our Lord introduces, saying to him, Lord, Lord!) and still I may have no part, in the glory which shall be revealed.

15If any man marvels at this, let him acknowledge he is a stranger to the whole religion of Jesus Christ: and in particular, to that perfect portraiture of it, which he has set before us in this discourse. For how far short is all this, of that righteousness and true holiness, which he has described in it! how widely distant from that inward kingdom of heaven, which is now opened in the believing soul? Which is first sown in the heart as a grain of mustard-seed (Matthew 17:20), but afterwards puts forth great branches, on which grow all the fruits of righteousness, every good temper and word and work.

16Yet as clearly as he had declared this, as frequently as he had repeated, That none who have not this kingdom of God within them, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: our Lord well knew, that many would not receive this saying, and therefore confirms it yet again: Many, (says he; not one; not a few only; it is not a rare or an uncommon case) shall say to me in that day: not only, we have said many prayers; we have spoken your praise; we have refrained from evil; we have exercised ourselves in doing good: but what is abundantly more than this, We have prophesied in your name. In your name have we cast out devils; in your name done many wonderful works. We have prophesied: we have declared your will to mankind; we have showed sinners the way to peace and glory. And we have done this, in your name, according to the truth of your gospel. Yes, and by your authority, who did confirm the word, with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. For in or by your name, by the power of your word and of your Spirit, have we cast out devils; out of the souls which they had long claimed as their own, and of which they had full and quiet possession. And in your name, by your power, not our own, have we done many wonderful works: insomuch that even the dead heard the voice of the Son of God speaking by us, and lived. And then will I profess even to them, I never knew you: no, not then, when you were casting out devils in my name. Even then I did not know you as my own: for your heart was not right toward God. You were not yourselves meek and lowly, you were not lovers of God and of all mankind: you were not renewed in the image of God. You were not holy as I am holy. Depart from me, you who notwithstanding all this, are workers of iniquity; You are transgressors of my law, my law of holy and perfect love.

17It is to put this beyond all possibility of contradiction, that our Lord confirms it by that apposite comparison. Everyone, says he, who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them, shall be likened to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house: as they will surely do, sooner or later, upon every soul of man; even the floods of outward affliction, or inward temptation; the storms of pride, anger, fear or desire. And it fell and great was the fall of it: so that it perished forever and ever. Such must be the portion of all, who rest in anything short of that religion which is above described. And the greater will their fall be, because they heard those sayings, and yet did not do them.

18I am, secondly, to show the wisdom of him that does them, that builds his house upon a rock. He indeed is wise, who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. He is truly wise, whose righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. He is poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3); knowing himself even as also he is known. He sees and feels all his sin, and all his guilt, till it is washed away by the atoning blood. He is conscious of his lost estate, of the wrath of God abiding on him, and of his utter inability to help himself, till he is filled with peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. He is meek and gentle, patient toward all men, never returning evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing, till he overcomes evil with good. His soul is thirsty for nothing on earth, but only for God, the living God. He has a heart of love for all mankind, and is ready to lay down his life for his enemies. He loves the Lord his God with all his heart (Matthew 22:37), and with all his mind and soul and strength. He alone shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, who in this spirit does good to all men (Galatians 6:10); and who being for this cause despised and rejected of men; being hated, reproached and persecuted, rejoices and is exceeding glad (Matthew 5:12), knowing in whom he has believed; and being assured, these light, momentary afflictions will work out for him an eternal weight and glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

19How truly wise is this man! He knows himself: an everlasting spirit, which came forth from God, and was sent down into a house of clay, not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him. He knows the world; the place in which he is to pass a few days or years, not as an inhabitant, but a stranger and sojourner (1 Peter 2:11), in his way to the everlasting habitations: and accordingly he uses the world, as not abusing it (1 Corinthians 7:31), and as knowing the fashion of it passes away. He knows God, his Father and his Friend, the parent of all good, the center of the spirits of all flesh, the sole happiness of all intelligent beings. He sees, clearer than the light of the noon-day sun, that this is the end of man, To glorify him who made him for himself, and to love and enjoy him forever. And with equal clearness he sees the means to that end, to the enjoyment of God in glory, even now to know, to love, to imitate God, and to believe in Jesus Christ whom he has sent (John 17:3).

20He is a wise man, even in God’s account; for he builds his house upon a rock: upon the rock of ages, the everlasting rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Fitly is he so called; for he does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To him both the man of God of old, and the apostle citing his words bear witness, You, Lord, in the beginning have laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They shall perish, but you remain; they all shall grow old like a garment. And as a vesture you shall fold them up and they shall be changed: but you are the same and your years shall not fail. (Hebrews 1:10-12). Wise therefore is the man who builds on him; who lays him for his only foundation; who builds only upon his blood and righteousness, upon what he has done and suffered for us. On this corner-stone he fixes his faith, and rests the whole weight of his soul upon it. He is taught of God to say, Lord, I have sinned: I deserve the nethermost hell. But I am justified freely by your grace, through the redemption (Romans 3:24) that is in Jesus Christ. And the life I now live, I live by faith in him, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). The life I now live: namely, a divine, heavenly life; a life, which is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). I now live even in the flesh, a life of love, of pure love both to God and man: a life of holiness and happiness, praising God and doing all things to his glory.

21Yet let not such an one think, That he shall not see war any more, that he is now out of the reach of temptation. It still remains, for God to prove the grace he has given: he shall be tried as gold in the fire (1 Peter 1:7). He shall be tempted no less than they who do not know God: perhaps abundantly more. For Satan will not fail to try to the uttermost, those whom he is not able to destroy. Accordingly, the rain will impetuously descend: only at such times and in such a manner, as seems good, not to the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2), but to him whose kingdom rules over all. The floods, or torrents, will come; they will lift up their waves and rage horribly. But to them also, the Lord that sits above the water-floods, that remains a King forever, will say, Thus far shall you come (Job 38:11) and no farther: here shall your proud waves be stayed. The winds will blow and beat upon that house, as though they would tear it up from the foundation. But they cannot prevail: it does not fall: for it is founded upon a rock. He builds on Christ by faith and love: therefore he shall not be cast down. He shall not fear, though the earth is moved (Psalm 46:2), and though the hills are carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters of it rage and swell, and the mountains shake at the tempest of the same: still he dwells under the defense of the Most High (Psalm 91:1), and is safe under the shadow of the Almighty.

22How nearly then does it concern every child of man, practically to apply these things to himself? Diligently to examine, on what foundation he builds, whether on a rock or on the sand? How deeply are you concerned to inquire, what is the foundation of my hope? On which do I build my expectation of entering into the kingdom of heaven? Is it not built on the sand? Upon my orthodoxy or right opinions, (which by a gross abuse of words I have called faith!) Upon my having a set of notions (suppose more rational or scriptural than others have.) Alas! what madness is this? Surely this is building on the sand: or rather on the froth of the sea! Say, I am convinced of this. Am I not again building my hope on what is equally unable to support it? Perhaps on my belonging to “so excellent a church: reformed after the true scripture-model: blessed with the purest doctrine, the most primitive liturgy, the most apostolical form of government.” These are doubtless so many reasons for praising God, as they may be so many helps to holiness. But they are not holiness itself. And if they are separate from it, they will profit me nothing. Nay, they will leave me the more without excuse, and exposed to the greater damnation. Therefore if I build my hope upon this foundation, I am still building upon the sand.

23You cannot, you dare not rest here. Upon what next will you build your hope of salvation? Upon your innocence? Upon your doing no harm? Your not wronging or hurting anyone? Well; allow this plea to be true. You are just in all your dealings: you are a downright honest man. You pay every man his own: you neither cheat, nor extort: you act fairly with all mankind. And you have a conscience towards God: you do not live in any known sin. Thus far is well. But still it is not the thing. You may go thus far, and yet never come to heaven. When all this harmlessness flows from a right principle, it is the least part of the religion of Christ. But in you it does not flow from a right principle, and therefore is no part at all of religion. So that in grounding your hope of salvation on this, you are still building upon the sand.

24Do you go farther yet? Do you add to the doing no harm, the attending all the ordinances of God? Do you at all opportunities partake of the Lord’s supper? Use public and private prayer? Fast often? Hear and search the scriptures, and meditate on it? These things likewise ought you to have done, from the time you first set your face towards heaven. Yet these things also are nothing, being alone. They are nothing without the weightier matters of the law (Matthew 23:23). And those you have forgotten. At least you do not experience them; faith, mercy, and the love of God: holiness of heart: heaven opened in the soul. Still therefore you build upon the sand.

25Over and above all this, are you zealous of good works? Do you, as you have time, do good to all men? Do you feed the hungry and clothe the naked, and visit the fatherless and widow (James 1:27) in their affliction? Do you visit those that are sick? Relieve those who are in prison? Is any a stranger and you take him in? Friend, come up higher. Do you prophesy in the name of Christ? Do you preach the truth as it is in Jesus? And does the influence of his Spirit attend your word, and make it the power of God to salvation? Does he enable you to bring sinners from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God? Then go and learn what you have so often taught, By grace you are saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but of his own mercy he saves us (Titus 3:5). Learn to hang naked upon the cross of Christ, counting all you have done but dung and dross (Philippians 3:8). Apply to him just in the spirit of the dying thief, of the harlot with her seven devils. Else you are still on the sand, and after saving others, you will lose your own soul.

26Lord! increase my faith (Luke 17:5), if I now believe! else, give me faith, though but as a grain of mustard-seed (Matthew 17:20)! But what does it profit, if a man says he has faith, and has no works? Can that faith save him (James 2:14)? O no! That faith which has not works, which does not produce both inward and outward holiness, which does not stamp the whole image of God on the heart, and purify us as he is pure (1 John 3:3): that faith which does not produce the whole of the religion described in the foregoing chapters, is not the faith of the gospel, not the Christian faith, not the faith which leads to glory. O beware of this, above all other snares of the devil, of resting on unholy, unsaving faith! if you lay stress on this, you are lost forever: you still build your house upon the sand. When the rain descends and the floods come, it will surely fall, and great will be the fall of it.

27Now therefore, build upon a rock. By the grace of God, know yourself. Know and feel, that you were shaped in wickedness, and in sin did your mother conceive you (Psalm 51:5): and yet that you yourself have been heaping sin upon sin, ever since you could discern good from evil. Own yourself guilty of eternal death: and renounce all hope of ever being able to save yourself. Let it be all your hope, to be washed in his blood, and purified by his Spirit, who himself bore all your sins, in his own body upon the tree (1 Peter 2:24). And if you know he has taken away your sins, so much the more abase yourself before him, in a continued sense of your total dependance on him for every good thought and word and work, and of your utter inability to all good, unless he water you every moment (Isaiah 27:3).

28Now weep for your sins, and mourn after God till he turns your heaviness into joy. And even then weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15): and for those who do not weep for themselves. Mourn for the sins and miseries of mankind: and see, but just before your eyes, the immense ocean of eternity, without a bottom or a shore; which has already swallowed up millions of millions of men, and is gaping to devour those who yet remain. See here the house of God, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1); there, hell and destruction without a covering. And from this learn the importance of every moment, which just appears, and is gone forever!

29Now add to your seriousness, meekness of wisdom. Hold an even scale as to all your passions, but in particular, as to anger, sorrow and fear. Calmly acquiesce in whatever is the will of God. Learn in every state wherein you are, to be content with it (Philippians 4:11). Be mild to the good: be gentle toward all men; but especially toward the evil and the unthankful. Beware not only of outward expressions of anger, such as calling your brother Raca (Matthew 5:22), or you fool! but of every inward emotion contrary to love, though it goes no farther than the heart. Be angry at sin, as an affront offered to the Majesty of heaven; but love the sinner still: like our Lord, who looked around at the Pharisees with anger (Mark 3:5), being grieved for the hardness of their hearts. He was grieved at the sinners, angry at the sin. Thus be angry and sin not (Ephesians 4:26).

30Now hunger and thirst, not for the meat that perishes (John 6:27), but for that which endures to everlasting life. Trample under foot the world and the things of the world: all these riches, honors, pleasures. What is the world to you? Let the dead bury their dead (Matthew 8:22): but follow after the image of God. And beware of quenching that blessed thirst, if it is already excited in your soul, by what is vulgarly called religion, a poor, dull farce, a religion of form, of outside show, which leaves the heart still cleaving to the dust, as earthly and sensual as ever. Let nothing satisfy you but the power of godliness, but a religion that is spirit and life; the dwelling in God and God in you; the being an inhabitant of eternity; the entering in by the blood of sprinkling within the veil (Hebrews 10:20), and sitting in heavenly places with Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).

31Now, seeing you can do all things through Christ strengthening you, be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Love friends and enemies as your own soul. And let your love be long-suffering, and patient towards all men. Let it be kind, soft, benign: inspiring you with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection. Let it rejoice in the truth, wherever it is found, the truth that is after godliness. Enjoy whatever brings glory to God, and promotes peace and good-will among men. In love cover all things; of the dead and the absent speaking nothing but good: believe all things, which may any way tend to clear your neighbor’s character: hope all things, in his favor, and endure all things, triumphing over all opposition. For true love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8), in time or in eternity.

32Now be pure in heart (Matthew 5:8); purified through faith from every unholy affection, cleansing yourself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Being through the power of his grace, purified from pride by deep poverty of spirit, from anger, from every unkind or turbulent passion, by meekness and mercifulness, from every desire but to please and enjoy God, by hunger and thirst after righteousness; now love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength.

33In a word. Let your religion be the religion of the heart. Let it lie deep in your inmost soul. Be little and base, and mean and vile, (beyond what words can express) in your own eyes; amazed and humbled to the dust, by the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Be serious. Let the whole stream of your thoughts, words and actions flow from the deepest conviction, that you stand on the edge of the great gulf, you and all the children of men, just ready to drop in, either into everlasting glory or everlasting burnings. Let your soul be filled with mildness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering towards all men: at the same time that all which is in you is thirsty for God, the living God; longing to awake up after his likeness (Psalm 17:15), and to be satisfied with it. Be a lover of God and of all mankind. In this Spirit do and suffer all things. Thus show your faith by your works (James 2:18): thus do the will of your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). And as sure as you now walk with God on earth, you shall also reign with him in glory (2 Timothy 2:12).