Part 109 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 110 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[2.] Secondly, If ever you would perfect holiness, if ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then set the Lord always before your eyes, set yourselves always as in his presence. Psalm 41:12; 1 Sam. 2:1, 3. David was a man who was very high and eminent in holiness; but how came he to so great a height? why he tells you how, in that Psalm 16:8, "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." [Athenodorus, a heathen, could say that all men ought to be careful in the actions of their lives, because God was everywhere, and beheld all that was done. 1 Kings 20:39; Psalm 39:1; Jer. 20:10; Job10:12.] David did not by fits and starts set the Lord before him; "but he always set the Lord before him in his course." He had his eye upon the Lord, and so much the Hebrew word imports: I have equally set the Lord before me; that is the force of the original word, that is, I have set the Lord before me, at one time as well as another, without any irregular affections or passions, etc. In every place, in every condition, in every company, in every employment, and in every enjoyment, I have set the Lord equally before me; and this raised him, and this will raise any Christian, by degrees, to a very great height of holiness.
Psalm 119:168, "I obey Your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before You." The Hebrew word that is here rendered kept, signifies to keep carefully, diligently, studiously, exactly. It signifies to keep as men keep prisoners, and to keep as a watchman keeps the city or the garrison, yes, to keep as a man would keep his very life. But now mark what was the reason that David kept the precepts and the testimonies of the Lord so carefully, so sincerely, so diligently, so studiously, and so exactly. Why, the reason you have in the latter part of the verse, "for all my ways are before you." O sirs! it is as necessary for him who would be eminent in holiness—to set the Lord always before him, as it is necessary for him to breathe.
In that 31st chapter of Job, you have a very large narrative of that height and perfection of holiness which Job had attained to, and the great reason that he gives you for this is in the 4th verse, "does not he see my ways and count all my steps?" The eye of God had so strong an influence upon his heart and life, that it wrought him up to a very high pitch of holiness. Thescholar writes most exactly while his teacher's eye is upon him; and the child walks most exactly while his father's eye is upon him; and the servant works most exactly while his master's eye is upon him; and so certainly all the sons and servants of the most high God do hear most exactly, and pray most exactly, and walk most exactly—when they set themselves most as in the presence of the great God, who is all sight, who is all eye!
Ah friends! as ever you would be high in holiness, possess your hearts with a serious apprehension of God's presence, set yourselves daily as in his sight, as under his eye; and remember, though a man may easily baffle his conscience, and put out his light; and deceive the world—yet he shall never be able to baffle or deceive the eye of God's omniscience. You shall as soon get out of the reach of his hand, as you shall get from under the view of his eye. God has his windows in all our bosoms, and exactly and narrowly observes all that is done within us, and all that is done by us! If the serious consideration of his all-seeing eye will not influence us to labor after the highest degrees of holiness, I know not what will.
It was Seneca's advice to his friend Jucilius that whatever he was doing he should imagine that Cato did behold him. But my advice to you shall be this, upon every occasion, in every condition, and in every action, "set the Lord always before you." If the sharp and severe eye of a holy man, or of a holy friend, or of a holy relation will so overawe you, and so exceedingly influence you to the best of actions; then certainly the sharp, piercing, and all-seeing eye of God will do much more; and therefore let the Lord be always in your sight. But,
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