Part 114 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 115 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[7.] Seventhly, If ever you would attain to higher degrees of holiness, then fall with all your might, upon subduing and crucifying your most raging corruptions, and your most daring lusts. "Therefore, put to death whatever in you is worldly: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5. Oh do not defer! Oh do not delay the work of spiritual mortification! Oh do not think that you can both fight and overcome, fight and triumph in one day! Oh do not think that your golden and your silver idols will lay down their weapons, and yield the field, and lie at your feet, and let you trample them to death without striking a blow! Isaiah 2:20. Oh remember that besetting-sins will do all they can to keep their ground, and therefore you must arise with all your strength against them, and crush them to powder, and burn them to ashes! Oh deal with them as they dealt with the Levite's concubine—force them to death, and cut them to pieces! Judges 19. Oh leave not the palm, or the skull of this cursed Jezebel undevoured, undestroyed! 2 Kings 9.
Oh deal with your most enraged lusts as the Philistines dealt with Samson—pluck out their eyes, and force them to grind in the mill of mortification, until their strength is utterly consumed and wasted. While Saul lived and kept the throne, and was in his strength, little David was kept exceeding weak and low; but when Saul was dethroned and slain, little David quickly grew stronger and stronger, 2 Sam. 3:1. Just so, all the while a darling sin lives and keeps the throne in the heart, grace and holiness will be kept exceeding weak and low; but when your darling sin is dethroned and slain by the power and the sword of the Spirit, grace and holiness will quickly grow stronger and stronger, and rise higher and higher, Romans 8:10, 13.
When men would have a rough field fitted for the plough, and fitted to bring forth fruit, will they not first fall with all their strength, and with all their might, upon grubbing up by the roots the strongest trees, and the sturdiest oaks, knowing that when these are grubbed up, weaker trees will easily fall? Just so, as ever you would have your hearts and lives full of the fruits of righteousness and holiness—fall with all your strength, and with all your might, upon grubbing up by the very roots your beloved sins, your strongest lusts—and then the rest of your corruptions will easily fall. When Goliath was slain, the Philistines fled, and were easily brought under control. When a general in an army is cut off, the common soldiers are quickly routed. Down but with your darling sins! and then the conquest of other sins will be easy.
When a man has eaten poison, nothing will make him thrive, until he has vomited up the poison which he has eaten. It is not the most wholesome food, the choicest dainties, nor the richest cordials—which will increase the health and strength in such a person; until his poison is vomited out. Beloved sins—they are the poison of the soul, and until these are vomited up, and cast out by sound repentance, and the exercise of faith in the blood of Christ, the soul will never thrive in grace and holiness! All the wholesome food of the gospel, and all the dainties and cordials of heaven, will never beget divine health or strength in their souls—who will not part with their darling sins! And therefore, as ever you would be strong in the grace of the Lord, draw up all the strength that ever you are able to make, and with the greatest courage, fall on upon your bosoms-sins, and never cease until in the strength of Christ you have got a complete victory and conquest over them.
In the law it was the blood of the sacrifice, and the oil—which cleansed the leper; and these are tokens of the blood of Christ and the Spirit of grace. Ah friends! as ever you would be cleansed from your darling sins, which do so exceedingly hinder the increase of holiness—be often in looking upon a crucified Christ, and in the application of his blood to your own souls.
I have read of five men, who being asked what was the best means to mortify sin, gave these answers. Says the first, "The best means to mortify sin is to meditate of death." Says the second, "The best means is to meditate on the judgment-day." Says the third, "The best means is to meditate on the joys of heaven." Says the fourth, "The best means is to meditate on the torments of hell." But says the fifth, "The best means is to meditate on the death and sufferings of Christ." Doubtless the last man hit the nail on the head! The daily sight of a bleeding, groaning, dying Savior—is the only thing which will subdue and mortify darling sins!
"Education," says Lactantius, "may cover vices—but it never cuts off vices; it may hide a lust—but it can never quench a lust. Just as black patches may cover some deformities in nature—but they can never cure them." Ah sirs! if you do not kill your darling sins, they will kill your precious souls! When Sennacherib's army was destroyed by an angel, Isaiah 37, and he returned home with a hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips, he inquired of one, what he thought the reason might be, why God so favored the Jews; to which he replied, "That Abraham their father, was willing to sacrifice his beloved son to death at the command of God; and that ever since that time God favored that people." "Well", said Sennacherib, "if that is it, I have two beloved sons, and I will sacrifice them both to death, if that will procure their God to favor me." Which when his two sons heard, they (as the story goes,) slew their father, being more willing to kill than be killed, Isaiah 37:38. O friends! you must kill or be killed! If your beloved sins are not mortified, they will prove the death and ruin of your immortal souls! Therefore never leave looking up to a crucified Christ, until virtue flows from Him to the crucifying of those special besetting sins which do most obstruct and hinder the growth and increase of holiness. But,
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