Part 73 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 74 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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"Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace." Proverbs 3:17. O sirs, the way of holiness is the safest way, the noblest way, the sweetest way, the cleanest way, thepleasantest way, and the happiest way; and therefore hold on, and hold up in that way, though the world, the flesh, and the devil should cry out, "There is a lion in the way, there is a lion in the way," Proverbs 26:13.
It is said of Hannibal, that notwithstanding the rough rocks, and the craggy cliffs of the Alps—yet he proceeded onward in his design for Italy, with this resolution, that he would eitherfind a way or make a way. Just so, must Christians hold on in a way of holiness, notwithstanding all the rocks and obstacles and difficulties that they meet with in that way.
It is an observation of some of the learned, that those who were marked to be preserved in Jerusalem, were marked with the letter tau, which is the last of all the Hebrew letters, to signify that they must run the race of holiness even to the last, Psalm 44:17-22; Ezek. 9:4. O sirs, in the face of all your sins and unworthiness, God holds on in ways of mercy towards you; and why then should not you hold on in ways of sanctity towards him? Shall Satan persevere in his enmity against holiness? and shall wicked men persevere in their opposition to holiness? and shall formalists persevere in their neglect of holiness? and will not you persevere in your pursuit of holiness?
A good farmer will not give over sowing until he has sowed all his land; nor will a good physician give over his patient until he has cured him; nor will a good workman give over his work until he has finished it; no more should a good Christian give over his pursuit of holiness, until he is come up to the highest perfection of holiness. Look! as God carried on the work of creation from day to day until he had finished it, and as Christ carried on the work of our redemption from day to day until he had completed it—just so, Christians should look to a daily carrying on of the work of holiness in their hearts and lives, until that work be perfected and completed.
The philosopher being asked in his old age, why he did not give over his practice, and take his ease? answered, "When a man is to run a race of forty furlongs, would you have him sit down at the thirty-ninth, and so lose all his pains, and the prize for which he runs? Surely not! O Christians, you are racers, and you must run to the end of your race, Heb. 12:1; [What had it availed Peter to have escaped the first and second watch, if he had stuck at the iron gate, and had not passed through that also?] It is not enough to begin well, and to run well for a time—but you must hold out in running until you come to the goal, or else you will lose all the pains and labor that ever you have taken in religion, you will lose all the prayers that ever you have made, and you will lose all the sermons that ever you have heard, and you will lose all the fasts that ever you have observed, and you will lose all the tears that ever you have shed, and you will lose all the alms that ever you have given—if you do not hold out to the end. If you do not persevere in well-doing, you will lose your crown, and be undone forever after all your doings. A progress in holiness is requisite not only to your consolation—but also to your salvation, Mat. 24:13. But,
[4.] Fourthly, Evidence and declare the truth and reality of your holiness—by a resolute standing up for purity of religion, and for purity of worship and ordinances, in opposition to all mixtures and corruptions whatever. O sirs, the great God is concerned about nothing more in all the world, than upon purity in his worship, James 1:27. There is nothing that does so provoke and exasperate God against a people, as mixtures in his worship and service, Mat. 21:12-13; John 2:15-17. Pollutions in worship do sadly reflect upon the name of God, thehonor of God, the truth of God, and the wisdom of God; and therefore his heart rises against them. The very spirit, life, and soul of the second commandment lies in these words, "You shall not make to yourself any engraved image," etc. In matters of divine worship God abhors that men should mix their water with his wine, their dross with his gold, their chaffwith his wheat, etc. When once men come to be so bold as to defile his worship with their mixtures, then God is resolved to be a swift and a terrible witness against them, as you may clearly see by comparing these notable places of Scripture. [Lev. 10:1-2; Ezek. 5:11-12, and 23:38-39; Jer. 7:29-30; Ezek. 8:17-18; Rev. 22-23; Deut. 4:2, and 12:32.]
There is no sin which does so incense and provoke God to jealousy and wrath against a people, as mixtures in worship. God can bear with defilements anywhere, but in his worship and service—and that,
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Part 74 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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