"He is Faithful that Promised."
"He which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the
day of Jesus Christ."--PHIL. i. 6.
Sanctifying Grace.
Reader! is the good work begun in thee? Art thou holy? Is sin
crucifying? Are thy heart's idols, one by one abolished? Is the world
less to thee, and eternity more to thee? Is more of thy Saviour's image
impressed on thy character, and thy Saviour's love more enthroned in thy
heart? Is "Salvation" to thee more "the one thing needful?" Oh! take
heed! there can be no middle ground, no standing still; or if it be so,
thy position must be a false one. The Saviour's blood is not more
necessary to give thee a title to Heaven, than His Spirit to give thee a
meetness for it. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is _none
of His_!" "Onwards!" should be thy motto. There is no standing still in
the life of faith. "The man," says Augustine, "who says '_Enough_,' that
man's soul is lost?" Let this be the superscription in all thy ways and
doings, "Holiness to the Lord." Let the monitory word exercise over thee
its habitual power, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."
Moreover, remember, that to be holy, is to be happy. The two are
convertible terms. Holiness! It is the secret and spring of the joy of
angels; and the more of holiness attained on earth--the nearer and
closer my walk is with God--the more of a sweet earnest shall I have of
the bliss that awaits me in a holy Heaven. Oh! my soul, let it be thy
sacred ambition to "Be holy!"
"REMEMBER _THIS_ WORD UNTO THY SERVANT, UPON
WHICH THOU HAST CAUSED ME TO HOPE!"