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 our own  passions,  or  the  giving*  of  our  substance  to relieve  the  poor,  or  the  bestirring  ourselves  to  lead sinners back  to  God,  or  the  laying  down  of  our  lives for the  brethren — whatever  it  be  we  must  never  allow self to  stand  between  us  and  our  duty. But the battle must  first  be  fought  and  victory  gained  at  home — in and  with  ourselves. For a  Christian  to  gratify all his  cravings  would  be  not  less  unreasonable  than for a  fever  patient  to  indulge  in  copious  draughts  of cold  water  with  the  certainty  of  fatal  consequences. Our natures  perturbed  by  sin  require  homoeopathic treatment — further perturbation  by  self-denial  will restore them  to  life  and  health.

" He  humbled  Himself — and  God  exalted  Him, that  every  tongue  should  confess  the  Lord  Jesus." Brethren, besides  confessing  the  greatness  of  Christ's sufferings  and  the  greatness  of  His  glory  we  must  not forget to  acknowledge  the  malice  of  our  sins  for which He  suffered. When Joseph's  brethren  sold him into  slavery  and  to  prove  his  death  falsely  exhibited to  his  father  a  bloodstained  garment,  Jacob cried out:  "A  most  wicked  beast  hath  devoured Joseph." How much  more  wicked  was  that  beast  of sin  which  sent  back  to  His  Father  Christ's  earthly garb — His torn  and  bleeding  humanity! Christ was to His  Father  as  a  vase  of  priceless  worth,  but  when filled with  our  putrid  wickedness  the  Father  crushed and ground  Him  unto  dust. Christ was  the  only  begotten and  well-beloved  Son  of  the  God  of  armies, but when  He  donned  the  rebel  uniform  of  sin  His Father caused  Him  to  be  tortured  and  executed.