henfive injunction! You are surrounded by contagion. Contamination lurks on every fide. The objects which custom and example obtrude on your regard are too often like unto whited fepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and all uncleannefs. The paths which you are invited to tread lead among graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. Linger not in the precincts of deftruction. Sport not amidst the breath of infection. Pity the wretched victims of corruption: but come out from among them and be ye feparate. Such is the mandate! Does the Father of mercies iffue a command unaccompanied with encouragement to obedience? Never. What, in the prefent instance, is the encouragement? I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith the Lord Almighty. What though folly fhuts her doors against your return? My portals open at your approach. What though pride disclaims your friendship? I will love you as a Father. What though the 'world difowns you as her children? Ye fhall be my fons and daughters, faith Jehovah. Within the fcope of this promife what blef 1 1 fing is not comprised! To be rescued from the dominion of darkness and tranflated into the kingdom of light; to be tranfformed from enemies into fervants of the Moft High; to be made objects of love to Infinite Goodness; to be sheltered under the wings of Omnipotence; to be guided by the fuperintendence of Eternal Wisdom; to be washed in the blood, fanctified by the grace, accounted as the brethren, of God's Incarnate Son; to receive into our hearts the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father! to have the Spirit itself bear witnefs with our fpirit that we are the children of God; to be heirs of God and joint-beirs with Chrift; to rejoice under every earthly trial with joy unspeakable and full of glory in the hope of an incorruptible inheritance of blifs: these are among the privileges of the fons and daughters of the Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved; let us cleanfe ourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Mark the earnestness of affectionate entreaty with which the Apostle animates you to labour for the high prize of your calling. I speak, he cries, almost immediately before he delivers the words of the text, I speak as unto my children. Bear Bear with me if I feel a portion of his earneftness. I speak as unto I Speak as unto my children. Shall these ftupendous mercies be propofed to you in vain? When the Lord of the univerfe, the God whofe favour conftitutes the bleffedness of angels and archangels, ftretches forth to you the arms of paternal love do you recoil, do you hesitate, do you loiter? When Jefus the Redeemer of mankind points to the crofs on which he died for your offences, and thence directs. your eyes to the mansions in His Father's houfe will you prove yourselves dead to gratitude, blind to glory? When the Spirit of fanctification is folicitous to shed abroad the love of God in your hearts: will you refuse the grace of adoption, will you feal yourselves the children of the devil? Far be fuch infatuation! Be you, like youthful Timothy, an example to believers. Haften to range yourselves under the ftandard of Heaven. Survey the promifed recompenfe, the victor's crown. But prepare your hearts for the warfare. Prepare to contend againft principalities and powers of darknefs, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the prince of this world, the God of this world. Prepare to cleanse yourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit. The body of corruption muft must be kept under abfolute control. The deeds of the flesh must be mortified; its affections and lufts must be crucified. The baptifmal vow muft be fulfilled. The vain imaginations of the heart must be repreffed; the malignant paffions quelled; the afpiring fchemes, the prefumptuous confidence, the empty wifdom of unhumbled nature renounced. Every thought must be brought into fubjection, reduced under captivity to Chrift Jefus. There must be no referve; no bartering and trafficking for heaven; no pretext of compenfation for one finful habit by many acts of obedience. The furrender of the foul to God must be total. Not fome filthiness, but all filthiness must be abjured: not all filthinefs of the flesh only, but all filthinefs alfo of the fpirit. The purpose of cleanfing, the practical aim of cleanfing, muft be univerfal. Nothing which pollutes in the eyes of God muft be tolerated. Not only muft all filthiness be cleansed away, but holiness must be perfected. A negative character is unknown to the Scriptures. If you are anxious to be purified from iniquity; you are anxious likewife for pofitive acquifitions, for continual progréfs in holiness. For thofe acquifitions in that progrefs, you are incefVOL. II. fantly Ee fantly to labour. The pattern of your Saviour is to dwell upon your mind. To transfer into your own difpofitions an encreafing portion of his Spirit; to form your own conduct into a nearer and nearer, however diftant, refemblance of his excellence; to grow in grace, to add virtue to virtue, to prefs forward towards the mark, to furmount the remaining obftacles of fin, to break the bands which retard your exertions; to be holy as Chrift is holy, perfect as he is perfect; to redouble your speed when you discover yourself to have lingered, your diligence when you perceive that you have been careless: behold the tenor of your life, if you are bent on perfecting - holiness. But who is fufficient for thefe things? No man. How then is holiness to be perfected? In the fear of God. Fear God: and the difficulties of a Chriftian courfe are no longer the fubject of defponding apprehenfion. The fear of God infures the prefence of His all-fufficient grace. The fear of God infpires lowliness ; but in working lowlinefs it creates confidence in Him who has promifed to uphold the humble. It fummons to unremitting fupplication but teaches that He whom you fupplicate is mighty to fave. Go on : |
