Perfecting holiness in the fear of God....2 Cor. vii. 1.

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WHO are thus exhorted? Saints in Christ. What for? to labor to get perfect holiness to obtain the favor of God? No: they are already perfectly justified in his sight and sanctified to his glory: but some reject this; they legalize the gospel, (if I may so speak) under a specious shew for holiness, as though that was to procure more for us from God than the blood and righteousness of his dear Son this is aiming to perfect holiness, in ignorance and unbelief; this eclipses the glory of Christ's work for us, inverts the order of gospel economy, and brings perplexity and distress upon God's children: for, this is the glory of the gospel, that moment a sinner is justified by the faith of Christ, he is sanctified by the Spirit of Christ. Our title to heaven and our meetness for glory, come together by the same rich grace: being brought into the sense of God's favor, we have also suitable dispositions to enjoy him. What then? Are we to be idle in the christian life, to live and walk according to the course of this world, fulfiling our carnal lusts? No: those who do, have no reason to think they possess a holy faith in a holy Jesus, or that a holy God is their father in Christ. Saint of God, thou art called to perfect holiness in the fear of God. 1st. How is this to be done? By living a life of faith on the Son of God, who came to destroy the works of sin and satan, and to conform us to the image of God. We are daily to look to Christ, to be sanctification in us, as well as righteousness to us; we have daily sins to be subdued, graces to be exercised, and duties to be performed. Only the grace of Christ is sufficient for us: and by that we are enabled to go on, perfecting holiness. It is a constant, progressive work. No one is perfect in holiness. Every saint is going on PERFECTING it to the end of life in the holy, loving fear of the Lord. 2d. Why is this to be done? It is our calling: we must follow it as our trade: the more holiness from Christ, the more happiness with him it brings honor and glory to Christ; it proves that his religion. is of a holy nature, that we possess a holy faith, and that it works by the love of Christ in holy love to him: so it puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men by living down their carnal objection, that the doctrine of absolute, unconditional salvation leads to licentiousness. Yet, 3d. Here is no room for legal boasting of our holiness; for "the Lord works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure," ....Phil.ii. 13. In all that we are and do, we are to follow after holiness: "Holiness to the Lord, shall be upon the bells of the horses.".... Zech. xiv. 20.

Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, believest thou this?....John xi. 26.

In great declining of strength, dejection of spirits, and in consideration of the near approach of death, these precious words of our dear Lord were brought to my mind; they were as a comforting, reviving draught to my spirits. Lord I bless thee for them. O, my soul, dwell on them. Am I a sinner born to die? Is death the wages of sin? Must these eyes which now read thy precious sayings be soon closed by death? Must the hand which now directs this pen be shortly stiff in death? Yet dost thou my Lord say, living and believing in thee, I shall never die. Dost thou ask me, “Believest thou this? Lord, thou who knowest all things, knowest that by thy grace I can say, THOU ART THE SON OF GOD: thou hast fulfilled thine own promise, "O death, I will be thy plague. O grave, I will be thy destruction."....Hosea xiii. 14. "Death is swallowed up in victory."....1 Cor. xv. 54. "Shall never die :" death has lost his form; he is changed from a substance into a SHADOW....Psalm xxiii. 4. Only children and fcols are afraid of a shadow. Glory to thee my Lord, that I am a man in understanding, and by thee am made "wise unto salvation." Death has lost both his sting and his strength; sin is atoned; the law is fulfilled: I believe in thee, O Jesu, who hath done both for the victory; 'tis mine; I have it in possession; thy word cannot fail; thou hath said, "I shall never die." The terrors of death are changed into the sweet composure of sleep. I shall soon fall into this precious rest, sleep in thee;' thou shalt soon wipe away all tears from mine eyes; I shall awake with thee, and sin and sorrow shall be no more for ever. O, well mayest thou ask, "Believest thou this?" For in the faith of this consists all my comfort, which results in loving thee and glorifying thee in life and in death.

"Faith works by love:" it works by the Father's everlasting love, in giving his only Son to be our Saviour: it works by the precious love of thee, thou sin-atoning, law-fulfilling, justice-satisfying, death-conquering Son of God: it works by the love of thee, thou soul-renewing, faith-begetting, sin-subduing spirit of holiness and truth. This is the given principle of love, which faith springs from, lives upon, and works by: here faith is all in all; for it brings Christ and all his victories into the heart, puts death and every enemy under our feet, silences all satan's accusations and all legal condemnations: "this is the victory, even our faith."....1 John v. 4.

O soul reviving joy of faith,

Which lives upon my Saviour's word!
It triumphs o'er the pow'rs of death,
Possest of vict'ry in my Lord.

Christ lives and says, I ne'er shall die,
His word I'm sure he will fulfil:
He's truth itself, he cannot lie,
And death is subject to his will. M.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God....1 John iii. 21.

1st.

"Behold

A TEXT misapplied, is like a bone out of joint, which puts the body to pain: this text may have such an effect upon the soul; for, what poor sinner is there upon earth, but his heart must condemn him for coming short of God's glory and perfect obedience to his holy law? Must he therefore give up his confidence towards God? Yes, if we so understand the text. But surely this was not the apostle's design; for this would effectually destroy love to God, and distress his dear children's souls, by taking away the comfort of faith, that "there is No condemnation to them in Christ Jesus,".... Rom. viii. 1. What meaneth he then? Plainly to establish our hearts in the faith of God's love to us in Christ, and from this love experienced in the heart, in love to our brethren in Christ: this is an experienced truth, if faith and love abate, our hearts condemn us and our confidence towards God grows weak: in proportion to our lively faith and warm love, confidence towards God is strong. As to FAITH: the apostle calls on us....1 John iii. 1. what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." Now, are you beholding, believing and living upon this stupenduous love of God in Christ? Are you dwelling upon it? Does it engage your attention? Does it captivate your affections? Does it swallow up the low, mean, inordinate love of the world? If not your heart will condemn you; your confidence in God will abate; you will not delight in him with the affection of a child, nor draw nigh to him with joyful gladness, as to your loving father. So, 2d. Of LOVE: love to the brethren of Christ the apostle is here treating of: lively faith in Christ ever begets warm love to our brethren; then we have strong confidence towards God, that he is our loving Father and we his obedient children; but if love be wanting, our hearts will smite and reproach us and confidence in God forsake us. See hence, that all our comforts spring from our confidence towards God, and all our distress from our hearts condemning us for want of faith and love. O, let us cry to the blessed Spirit, to enable us to live more upon the love, the matchless, everlasting, unchangeable love of God to us in Christ Jesus. Let us be thankful that he has given us feeling hearts, which are not like the wicked, hardened by the deceitfulness of sin; but are tender, to feel the least condemnation; and when our hearts condemn us, let us flee to our great high-priest, who is touched with a feeling of our infirmities....Heb. iv. 15.

My heart doth oft condemn,
When God condemneth not:
He justifies me in the Lamb,
And all my sins doth blot.

But still he bids me care
To walk in faith and love,
In him, and to his children dear,
And taste his joys above.

M.

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall....1 Cor. x. 12.

FORMAL professors of his name are called the Lord's people, as well as those who are possessors of his love: the former for want of love to God have no zeal for his glory: hence they are careless of their walk and are liable to fall from the height of a towering profession into the bottomless pit of perdition. Possessors of God's love are also liable to fall, though not out of the hands of Christ into hell, yet into many things which may wound their souls, bring a hell into their consciences, a dishonor on the name and gospel of Christ, and give the enemies thereof an occasion to blaspheme that worthy name by which they are called. O Christians, see to your standing you are called upon as you love your dear Saviour, as you value the peace of God, and the comfort of your souls, "to take heed lest you fall." Be not high minded, but fear: you stand by faith. the dreadful falls of others are here set before us for ensamples, types. or patterns of the awful judgment of God against sin," and as a warning to us to beware that we fall not as they did. 1st. Into idolatry: O, beware of sacrificing your precious time and attention to heathenish vanities. Any thing that takes your heart from God is an idol. Mixing with the wicked and profane, to partake of their carnal joys, is a species of idolatry. You as good as say, I cannot find complete happiness in my God, therefore I seek it here: "covetousness is idolatry."....Col. iii. 5. A covetous man seeks that in his gold which can only be enjoyed in God: be sure the anger of the Lord will smoke against such. 2d. "Fornication." O, beware of this gross sin of the flesh, and also of spiritual fornication against your Lord Christ. 3d. "They tempted Christ:" O, beware how you distrust the grace, power, and faithfulness of Christ to keep you and comfort you, so as to withdraw your faith in him, hope on him, and prayer to him: or tempt him, by presuming on his power to keep you, in the midst of snares and temptations you wilfully run into. 4th. "They murmured:" O, watch against a spirit of dissatisfaction with the dispensations of providence, and the displays of grace: the pride of our nature is prone to find fault with both. What caused all this? Why, 5th. "They lusted after evil things:" this is the source and spring of every sin: "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death."....James i. 15. What is the sovereign antidote against all this? Standing in, and walking by the faith of the Son of God: this brings fellowship with God. Hence lust is killed in the heart, that it cannot break out into sin in the life: "Be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.".... Pet. iv. 7.

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power....

1 Cor. iv. 20.

'IT is the wisdom of a christian to improve from the various objects he meets with: see we an open profane sinner? Beware of looking down upon him with Pharisaic pride and supercilious contempt: behold in him your own wicked nature: remember grace alone made the difference: be humble; adore the God of grace: see we only the form of godliness in any? Paul tells us how to act: "from such turn away, "....2 Tim. iii. 5. You will get no good from them: there is little hope of doing good to them; leave them: why so? Because they are strangers to the vital power of godliness and destitute of the inward experience of the grace of Christ upon their souls true they may make a great shew; have vast zeal for the interest of a party; be very warm and violent for the form of sound words, a consistent plan of doctrine and a set of scripture notions; but yet after all, it is but the notion and form of things which float in their heads, and swim on the surface of their understandings: their hearts are dead to the love of Christ, but alive to the love of the world: they join the men of the world in their contemptuous sneer upon the power of self-denying godliness: and in irreligious banter upon those who seperate themselves from the ungodly and profane, and live and walk under the influence of spiritual feelings and experience: all this they account precise folly, and condemn as rank enthusiasm. Have you the power of godliness? Is Christ the power of God in your heart? Is your soul alive to him? Is your body the temple of the Holy Ghost? Does God dwell in you, and delight over you? Is it your daily delight to study the word, rely upon the promises, taste the grace, feel the power, feed upon the comfort and live upon the fullness of the love of Christ? What have you to do with the men who are content with mere form, shadow or notion; and are strangers to the power of all this? Catch the infection of their secure spirit you may: by such the keen edge of your spiritual affections may be blunted; you may be drawn to lie supinely down by them and into spiritual slumber with them; But of all men there is the least hope of these rising from their security, running the heavenly race with you, and of being spiritually profitable to you think of this and turn from them: know your danger: though not of losing your soul, yet of losing the life, comfort and power of godliness: O, what is a christian without this? How comfortless the moments? How dejecting the hours? How distressing the days! How doleful the nights without experiencing the power of Christ! Yea, what is life itself, without the experience of his grace and love!