Part 144 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 145 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[9.] Ninthly, If you are a holy person, if you have that genuine holiness, without which there is no happiness, then know for your comfort—that you are a person very high in favor with God, you are one of his special treasured people. Deut. 14:2, "You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you to be his own special treasure from all the nations of the earth." "He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works." All God's holy ones are his treasured ones, God has a peculiar respect for their persons: Dan. 9:23, "O Daniel! you are greatly beloved," or as the Hebrew word, signifies, you are a man of desires. Now Daniel is called a man of desires, because the desires of God run out strongly after him, as one who was singularly beloved of him, and as one who was highly in favor with him.
And as God has a peculiar respect for their persons—just so, he has a peculiar respect for their duties and services: Proverbs 15:8, "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord—but the prayer of the upright is his delight." God takes more delight to hear the prayers of the upright, and to grant the prayers of the upright, than the upright takes delight to pray. However burdensome and troublesome their prayers may be to others—yet they are still delightful to God; but more of this in the next particular.
And as God has a peculiar respect for their services—just so, he has a peculiar respect for their tears, for he puts them into his bottle, Psalm 56:8. And as he has a peculiar respect for their tears—just so, he has a peculiar respect for their names, for he writes them in his book, Luke 10:20. And as he has a peculiar respect for their names—just so, he has a peculiar respect for their blood, Psalm 116:15; and this Cain found by woeful experience, from the cry of his brother's blood.
O sirs! God by making of you holy, has made you like himself, like his Son, like his Spirit, and like his most glorious angels, which excel in strength; and what does this speak out but God's special favor? God makes many rich, and many great, and many honorable, and many mighty, and many wise, and many noble, and many beautiful, and many successful, whom he will never make holy. But in making of you holy, God has made you spiritually great, rich, honorable, wise, and beautiful, etc., Eph. 1:3, and this speaks you out to be highly in the favor of God. Holiness is a singular fruit of God's special favor and love. God has a common favor and love for all men, yes, for the worst of men; witness that common preservation, and common protection, and common provision, which he grants to them. But God has a special love and favor, and this runs out only to his holy ones, Eph. 2:4-5. Holiness is a divine beam, a heavenly drop, a choice pledge of God's special favor and love. O sirs! though the world may slight you, and enemies revile you, and friends disfavor you—yet let this support you, let this rejoice you—that you are God's treasured possession! "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6. But,
Back to Part 143 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 145 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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