Precept and Practice – JULY 24 – Self-abnegation

The great lesson taught to the Apostles – and in the end it was taught more completely than ever men were taught it before – was self-abnegation.   They came at last not to think about themselves at all.   This unselfishness is never preached to them, because it cannot be taught by preaching.   If a man has self-surrender pressed incessantly upon him, this keeps the idea of self ever before his view.   Christ does not cry down self, but He puts it out of a man’s sight by giving him something better to care for, something which shall take full and rightful possession of his soul.    The Apostles, without ever having any consciousness of sacrificing self, were brought into a habit of self-sacrifice by merging all thoughts for themselves in devotion to a Master and a cause, and in thinking what they could do to serve it themselves.

(The Reverend Henry Latham – Pastor Pastorum)

Seek not your life – for that is death.   But seek how you can best and most joyfully give your own life away – and every morning for ever, fresh life shall come to you from over the hills.

(Edward Carpenter)

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From the Introduction to Precept and Practice

The kindly welcome given to my other little books, ‘Being and Doing’ and ‘Character and Conduct,’ must be my excuse for adding another collection of extracts to the number now in circulation.

The quotations are gathered from the books of many earnest thinkers, and deal with Life in all its length and breadth, with ourselves, our characters, our plain unvarnished faults and weaknesses, our often untoward circumstances, and with all that drags us down;-  with our purposes, our religion, our love and friendships, and with all that uplifts us;-  with our relation to others, our influence and responsibilities, and finally with those stages of our journey which bring us to the Road’s Last Turn and to the Silent Land.

CONSTANCE  M. WHISHAW