Part 129 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness

Back to Part 128 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness

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Part 130 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness

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Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness

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[7.] Seventhly, The more a man is exercised and busied in the most internal and spiritual duties of religion—the greater measures of holiness that man has attained to.You know there are external duties of religion, and there are internal duties of religion. There are external duties of religion—such as public preaching, hearing the word, reading the word, fasting, singing of psalms, Christian conference, communion of saints, and receiving the Lord's supper, Mat. 6 and 23. Now such Christians who have but small measures of grace and holiness, and hypocrites and formalists who have not the least measure of true grace and holiness—these are most commonly exercised and busied about the external duties and services of religion; but very seldom, very rare, shall you find them in the more inward and spiritual duties of religion, Isaiah 1:11-19, and 58:1-5; Zech. 7:4-7.

But then, as there are external duties—just so, there are internal and spiritual duties—such as self-examination, self-resignation to God, self-loathing, self-judging, divine meditation, praying in the Spirit, watchfulness over the heart, and making application of the blood of Christ, the death of Christ, the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, and the word of Christ to a man's own soul.

Now the more any Christian is exercised and employed in these internal, spiritual, and evangelical duties and services, the greater heights and degrees of holiness that Christian is grown to: Phil. 3:3, "For we are the true circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." These Philippians were eminent in grace and holiness, as you may see in chapter 1. And they place no confidence in circumcision, nor in any such outward performances or services—but they were much in the exercise of grace, and in worshiping of God in the spirit, and in rejoicing in the person of Christ, the natures of Christ, the offices of Christ, the discoveries of Christ, the communications of Christ, the glorious operations of Christ, the precious promises of Christ, and in the heart-warming and heart-cheering blood of Christ.

Now to be much exercised in the most internal, spiritual, and evangelical duties of religion—argues a very great height of holiness. But,