Tuesday Evening Service 8/7/2025

Call Yourself A Christian - Part 1

Puritan: David Clarkson

Watch the Full Sermon HERE. 

As we haven’t yet done a teaching from Clarkson let me give you a short biography of his life.

Puritan David Clarkson was born in Bradford, Yorkshire 1622. He was educated at Trinity Cambridge. He served in Kent and Surrey just prior to his ejection for non-conformity in 1662.

For the next ten years we don’t know much about his life, other than he ministered and continued his work quietly where he could.

In 1672 he became the pastor of Mortlake. Then 10 years later he became, co-pastor, at Leadenhall Street London, and if any of you know the name, it’s the church where John Owen pastored.

This tells you the calibre of the man, that he was called to co-pastor with the now frail and somewhat limited John Owen.

After Owen’s death, Clarkson took over as the lead pastor (what shoes to fill). Clarkson did so with great humility, he did so, only for three years before his death in 1686.

Clarkson’s sermons and discourses are known to be some of the greatest ever spoken and written in the English language. His works became a pillar and must in pastors and minsters desks for hundreds of years.

Tonight, and over the next few times, I will be drawing from a discourse from volume one of Clarkson’s works. The one we will be drawing from is titled ‘Of Taking Up The Cross’ - Clarkson drawing predominantly from Luke 14:27

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be My disciple.

Before we go into the message and content of Clarkson’s sermon. Let me share our puritan prayer. Which is from the Valley of Vision page 330, or 182 in the paperback and is entitled ‘Vain Service’.

O MY LORD, Forgive me for serving thee in sinful ways— by glorying in my own strength, by forcing myself to minister through necessity, by accepting the applause of others, by trusting in assumed grace and spiritual affection, by a faith that rests upon my hold on Christ, not on him alone, by having another foundation to stand upon beside thee; for thus I make flesh my arm. Help me to see that it is faith stirred by grace that does the deed, that faith brings a man nearer to thee, raising him above mere man, that thou dost act upon the soul when thus elevated and lifted out of itself, that faith centres in thee as God all-sufficient, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, as God efficient, mediately, as in thy commands and promises, immediately, in all the hidden power that faith sees and knows to be in thee, abundantly, with omnipotent effect, in the revelation of thy will. If I have not such faith I am nothing. It is my duty to set thee above all others in mind and eye; But it is my sin that I place myself above thee. Lord, it is the special evil of sin that every breach of thy law arises from contempt of thy Person, from despising thee and thy glory, from preferring things before thee. Help me to abhor myself in comparison of thee, And keep me in a faith that works by love, and serves by grace.

Clarkson’s discourse is not a small amount of words. It’s 62 jam-packed small writing pages. So as I always say, we will be no more than a stone skimming through much of it. But every now and then, we will drop anchor and delve into some deeper things that Clarkson preaches on.

Let me read the verse again but first read a few of the verses before we get to verse 27.

Turn to Luke 14, and I will read from verse 25 through to verse 33.

Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

Verse 27 (the main text)

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be My disciple.

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For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘this man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Maybe some of the most stark and striking words you will ever hear. Definitely not words that fit well in today’s culture. But they fitted no better during Christ’s time.

Look who is with Jesus at this time ‘a great multitude’. Jesus is addressing a great multitude of people. This is what we see within the mega church, great multitudes, all claiming to be followers of Christ. All claiming they love Jesus.

There was a Hillsong worship song out a few years ago, written by, at the time, a member of Hillsong. His name was Marty Sampson, The song title was ‘More Than Life’. The chorus lyrics was ‘I love You more than life’. Marty Sampson apostatised a number of years ago, saying he no longer desires to follow Jesus, as he no longer believes.

The multitude may follow, but it does not mean they are followers.

And Clarkson, for over 60 pages addresses this, and challenges the listener and reader about their own true devotion and discipleship.

Clarkson starts by saying (I may from time to time flit between saying and writing)  - he did both.

On Jesus Clarkson says:

He seeing multitudes following him, takes occasion to tell them upon the terms they must follow him.

He continues:

Lest any of them should deceive themselves and think that a bare outward profession of Christ would be sufficient, a safe, easy, external following him would serve their turn, he tells them what he did expect from every one that would be his follower and disciple.

Clarkson then adds:

It’s not so safe and easy a thing to be a Christian as they might suppose. It will cost them more than they did imagine.

Now the hate thing is indeed jarring is it not? If it was hate as we think, then it would be a contradiction to the word, and the law.

So what does Jesus mean by hate?

If you don’t hate your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters.

What? - I have to hate everyone close to me in order to be a believer?

Clarkson explains it as this, as many other do also:

If any man be willing to be a disciple of mine he must have such an affection to me, as to hate all other things for my sake, otherwise I will never own him, he is but a pretender, he is not, he cannot be a Christian.

Does Jesus truly mean hate your relations. No.

Clarkson explains further:

You must be willing to freely part with them for Christ’s sake, as if you did hate them.

Meaning the way we find it easy to walk away from the things we hate - we ought to have that level of commitment and love towards following Christ.

Remember Jesus when He meets the man who desires to follow but first wants to bid farewell just a few chapters back in chapter 9 of Luke’s gospel.

Luke 9:61-62

And another also said, “Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “no one, having put his hand to the Plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

You think that’s harsh? The guy can’t say goodbye. The guy before was challenged about his dad’s funeral.

Jesus throughout had a message of self-denial, of willing to suffer for the sake of the gospel. He did.

The expression of hate, is to say we must be willing to let go of everything and even everyone to follow Him, in a way that hate easily walks away, and gives it up.

Have you noticed how quickly those that love the world, are so so quick to walk away from God and His people? They love their flesh so much that they won’t even spare a thought for you, as they leave.

Why can they? because they love the world, they love sin more than they love you and Christ.

Clarkson writes:

You must love Christ more than all these, more than the dearest of these, and shew you do so indeed by quitting them rather than forsake, dishonour or displease Christ.

He adds the kicker at the end of the sentence:

If you do not, you love these more than Christ.

That is literally only the first page of the sixty two pages. Clarkson calls it simply ‘The First Proposition’.

The second is this:

‘It Is Not Enough To Part With All, But We Must Be Willing To Suffer All.’

So we must be willing to leave all, but also suffer all.

It’s a hard sell in this world. In fact, I would say, and this is indeed what Christ is indeed saying, it’s an impossible sell to anyone who does not truly love Him.

Clarkson says that the cross:

…signifies all affections for Christ’s sake. It denotes all suffering, calamities, torments, even those that are most humiliating, and grievous.

How can we call ourselves true followers if we are not willing to follow Him who suffered so gravely for His people, and our very own sin?

Amazing isn’t it, that we are so blessed by Christ’s suffering, yet we refuse to suffer for His sake?

That we can’t handle pain or persecution, in fact for some it’s not even pain or persecution, often its self-indulgent need, and self-induced pain. While saying in the next breath they are a follower of Jesus. How can we truly be if we act nothing like Him we follow?

I will paraphrase how Clarkson puts this: The truth is, when that cross is laid upon us, and we refuse to bear it. I quote Clarkson now, ‘we cannot be a disciple of his.’

Oh I know it’s a challenging teaching - but how, oh how have we so cheapened Christianity, and made easy believe-ism , and a lack of sacrifice so acceptable.

Clarkson then wonderfully, and as his writing always is, unapologetically gives us the definition of a disciple. He says:

A disciple and a Christian are all one.

That’s important I believe, because we have learned and so categized Christianity today to think that sacrifice, that suffering, that boldness, that commitment, is only for some. And only for the ministers, or the certain called.

Luther said:

Cristiani, sunt, cruciani

Christians are cross bearers.

Its who we are, its who we all are, or nothing at all.

Today we see it as only for some, while others are all somehow of a different type.

We have allowed fear, and the world, and society, and weak believers, and selfish, carnal immature Christians, and false teaching, among other things, to now shape Christianity, and categorise it.

Not all are called to the same ministry, but we are all called to pick up our cross, brothers and sisters. You don’t get a pass on that as a believer. Yet we have been giving passes for it seems ever.

Clarkson is addressing it because it was an issue then, Paul addressed it because it was an issue then, calling the Corinthians out as mere men, due to their lack of self-denial. And Jesus addresses it because it was an issue then. Nothing new here.

Throughout history there have been followers, who only follow at a distance, only when its safe, only if it doesn’t cost them.

Clarkson again defines a Christian as those that:

Do not flinch from it, nor decline from it, nor turn from it… they had rather lose all they have in the world, and suffer all that an enraged world can inflict on them, than deny any truth of Christ, or decline any way of Christ or commit any sin against Christ.

He adds:

This is their temper, their practice, who are Christians, and those who are otherwise disposed, let them call themselves whatever they will, they are not Christians.

That is the first three pages, and I promise I’ve missed out 50%. That’s what you get from puritan teachings.

Okay, let me just share one more part to close. Where Clarkson shares on the meaning of bearing the cross. Do we brothers and sisters truly know what that means? He starts by saying:

The cross includes loss and damage. The greatest losses as well as the least; the loss of all outward things, as well as the loss of any.

He adds:

When Christ was nailed to the cross, he was bereaved of all, and fastened to it naked; he had not so much as a garment left.

The truth is brothers and sisters, what we won’t let go of for Christ’s sake, forfeits us calling ourselves Christians.

Oh how cheap is it to be a Christian today. Oh how we need to do so little yet wear the crown.

Like J.C. Ryle does in his wonderful book called ‘Holiness’.

Clarkson when explaining “bearing the cross talks much about ‘the cost’.

Ryle writes this regarding the cost:

It will cost a man the favour of the world. He must be content to be thought ill of by man if he pleases God. He must count it no strange thing to be mocked, ridiculed, slandered, persecuted, and even hated.

Similarly Clarkson says:

Sit down, and cast up what it is likely to cost you. If you will give up yourselves to Christ entirely, to follow him in all his was seriously, and closely, and faithfully, you are likely to meet with all the hatred, and opposition… I must look to meet with many a bitter taunt and jeer.

He says way more but then adds this question at the end of the paragraph.

Can you endure this or can you not? If not, your profession of Christ is vain. If you promise yourselves ease, safety, respect, plenty and a quiet enjoyment of what is gratifying to the flesh, and think the cross will not come near you, you are far from following Christ.

Today we see Christianity everywhere being compromised. Of course its compromised under the lie of love, and care, and unity, and kindness. But in truth the Christian life today is on a mission of avoidance of self-protection.

It’s become safe. Our flesh has found its own doctrines to avoid the cross.

Let me start to wrap up with this. If all Clarkson says is do or die, or you are, or you are not, we could be truly demoralised.

However, as we move through his work, it would be of no benefit if we don’t learn and grasp and grow to maturity, and therefore be better equipped for suffering.

Clarkson therefore goes on to talk of always preparing for the cross, he says:

Whether the cross be far off of near, a Christian must make account for it and prepare for it.

How often is all our preparation about avoiding controversy, avoiding tension, avoiding the possibility of a backlash?

Clarkson says:

Him whose heart is so linked, glued to his relations and outward enjoyments, that he cannot part with them… is not of the temper fit for a Christian.

Of course it’s important to say, that we are not out on a limb here, God through His Word, and Christ’s teaching, does also give us the tools for preparing.

Let me mention another puritan work on preparation, for suffering. John Flavel has wrote a wonderful work on preparation. It’s simply called ‘Preparation For Suffering’.

It’s in volume six of his six volume work. But it’s also a puritan paperback by the Banner of Truth.

The very point these men are writing about preparing means it’s something we ought to truly learn. Also that truly most Christians are preparing for not suffering, all their actions are to avoid suffering. They mostly only prepare for avoidance, and that indeed is not bearing the cross at all.

Flavel writes this in chapter 4:

Readiness for sufferings will bring the heart of a Christian to a holy rest and tranquillity in a suffering hour, and prevent that anxiety, perturbation, (disturbance) and distractions of mind, which puts a sinking weight into affliction.

So next time as we move through Clarkson’s work, we will dive into a section where Clarkson talks of preparing ourselves for the cross.

Let me give a little taste of it.

One:

make your peace with God, having peace with God will not only help you bear the cross, but have triumph over it.

How do we attain peace? By being obedient, by walking in His ways.

Two:

Get as much love to Christ as you can.

Clarkson adds:

Much love will make you willing, ready and resolute to suffer for Christ.

The truth is the more we love Christ, the more we will be willing to suffer for Him.

Three:

Learn to deny yourself. Be continually practicing self-denial. It’s self that is pinched by the cross, and so makes us loathe to take it up.

Clarkson adds:

Until self be renounced, the cross will not be endured.

Clarkson then give seven points of what self-denial looks like. We will go there next time.

Amen.