Part 93 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 94 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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(9.) Ninthly, To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness, consider that many who have been won over to Christ after you—do now in holiness much excel you. Are there not many children who have been in Christ but yesterday, as it were—and yet how do they outstrip their parents, not only in abilities—but in piety, who have been in Christ many years before them? And are there not many servants to be found who have not been in Christ seven years, who yet are more holy, more humble, more heavenly, more spiritual, more serious, and every way more gracious than their masters, who have been in Christ long before them? And are there not many poor, neglected, despised, and scorned Christians, who have been converted and sanctified but a few years—who yet are more fearful of sinning against God, and more careful of pleasing God, and more studious of glorifying of God, and more wise, and watchful, and circumspect in their walking with God, and more laborious and diligent in the use of all holy means whereby God may be exalted and lifted up in the world—than many great and rich Christians in the world, who yet have been in Christ very many years before them?
Paul had some kinsmen who were in Christ before him, as you may see in that Romans 16:5, 7, "Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Andronicus and Junia—they were also in Christ before me." And yet in grace and holiness he excelled them all. [2 Cor. 1:12, and 11:22-30; 1 Thes. 2:2-13.] You know many men in riding a journey do often set out after their neighbors—and yet they not only overtake them—but also get into their inns many hours before them. And among seamen, is there anything more common than for those who set sail some days after others—yet to get into their ports before them? Just so, there are many Christians who have set out heavenwards and holinesswards after others—and yet they have not only overtaken them—but also in grace and holiness gone far before them.
As Christ, in his youth, excelled all the doctors in the temple, Luke 2:46-48—just so, many Christians, even in their youth, as I may say, do excel other Christians, who, in respect of their years and opportunities, might have been doctors in Christianity. [Jerome writes of Paulinus, that in the first part of his life he excelled others, and in his latter part he excelled himself.] In this great city you have very many who have begun trade many years after others—and yet they are grown far greater and richer than those of their same trade, who have begun many years before them; and doubtless there are very many in this city who have begun the trade of Christianity, the trade of godliness, long after others, who yet are grown greater and richer in grace and holiness than those who have for very many years driven that trade. And oh, how should this alarm all such to double their diligence, and to strive and labor as for life to be eminent in holiness, yes, to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord! But,
(10.) Tenthly, To provoke you to labor after higher degrees of holiness, consider that there are no people under heaven who are so strongly obliged and engaged to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord as you are, for you are the only people on earth who are made partakers of the divine nature; and who have a more excellent spirit in you than the men of this world have; and who have more excellent principles in you—as knowledge, wisdom, faith, love, self-denial, humility, etc., to help on the advance and increase of holiness, than others have, whose souls are strangers, yes, enemies, to those noble and divine principles. [2 Pet. 1:4; Dan. 6:3; 1 Cor. 2:12.]
You are the only people on earth upon whom all exhortations and commands to grow in holiness, to increase in holiness, and to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord—does most immediately, most directly, most eminently, most roundly, and most fully fall, as you may easily see by comparing these scriptures together. [2Pe. 3:18; 2 Cor. 7:1, and 13:11; Col. 2:7; Heb. 6:1; 1 Cor. 15:58; Jude 10.] O sirs, how gloriously should that house be adorned with holiness, which is of God's own building! And how fruitful should those vineyards and gardens be, which are of God's own planting! And how full should those wells be, which are of God's own digging! And how sweet should those flowers be, which are of God's own planting! And how ripe should those fruits be, which are of God's own grafting!
O sirs, shall the eagle fly higher and higher; shall the sun shine brighter and brighter; and shall the giant refreshed with wine run swifter and swifter; and shall the woman who is with child grow fuller and fuller, and greater and greater? And shall not you who are the people of God's holiness—fly higher and higher in holiness, and shine brighter and brighter in holiness, and run swifter and swifter in the ways of holiness, and grow fuller and fuller, and greater and greater in the births of holiness?
O sirs, holiness in a Christian is not like a star in the sky, nor a stone in the earth, nor a bullet in a gun, which is always the same. But holiness is like to the seed, which, being sown in the furrows of the earth—first springs up into a blade, and then into an ear, and then into ripe corn, Mat. 13:23; Mark 4:28. Holiness is like to the waters in Ezekiel's sanctuary, which rise by degrees, Ezek. 47:3-4. First, it rose to the ankles, then to the knees, then to the loins, and then to a mighty river that could not be passed over. Holiness is like to the house of David, which grew stronger and stronger, 2 Sam. 3:1; and like to the cedars of Lebanon, which grow greater and greater, Hosea 14:6-7.
O Christians, there are none who are so strongly obliged to go on from faith to faith, and from strength to strength, and from holiness to holiness—as you are, Romans 1:17. Oh! you must labor to be filled up to the brim with holiness, Col. 1:13, and 2:7. Oh! you must strive to equalize the first three of David's worthies, 1 Chron. 11:21. Oh! you must endeavor to be like the brethren of Gideon, everyone resembling the children of a king, Judges 8:18. Oh, that you could all say as Elihu once did, "For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me; inside I am like bottled-up wine, like new wineskins ready to burst," Job 32:18-19. O my brethren—to be as full of holiness as new bottles are full of wine, or as the moon is full of light, or as the black clouds are full of rain, or as mother's breasts are full of milk—is the greatest happiness in this world.
O sirs! there are no people on earth who are engaged to love the Lord with such a vehement love as you, nor to trust in the Lord with such an inflamed faith as you, nor to hope in the Lord with such a raised hope as you, nor to delight in the Lord with such ravishing delights as you, nor to long after the Lord with such earnest longings as you, nor to fear before the Lord with so great a trembling as you, nor to be so zealous for God with such a burning zeal as you, nor to mourn over sin before the Lord with so great a mourning as you, nor tohate all things which are contrary to the nature of God, the being of God, the command of God, and the glory of God—with such a deadly hatred as you.
Well, remember this, namely—it is no little sin for any Christian to sit down satisfied under a little measure of holiness, considering the many and the great obligations which lie upon him to perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. But,
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