Latest / Philosophy and Faith / 41 - Christian Perfection, Part 2 - Sermons on Several Occasions

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41 - Christian Perfection, Part 2 - Sermons on Several Occasions · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Christian perfection Part two. Those who have duly considered these
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  Speaker 1: things must allow that the privileges of Christians are in
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  Speaker 1: no wise to be measured by what the Old Testament
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  Speaker 1: records concerning those who are under the Jewish dispensation. Seeing
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  Speaker 1: the fullness of times is now come, the Holy Ghost
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  Speaker 1: is now given, the great salvation of God is brought
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  Speaker 1: unto men by the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Kingdom
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  Speaker 1: of Heaven is now set up on earth, concerning which
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  Speaker 1: the Spirit of God declared of old. So far as
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  Speaker 1: David from being the pattern or standard of Christian perfection,
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  Speaker 1: he that is feeble among them at that day shall
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  Speaker 1: be as David, and the house of David shall be
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  Speaker 1: as God, as the Angel of the Lord before them
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  Speaker 1: Sechariah twelve eight. If therefore you would prove that the
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  Speaker 1: apostle's words, he that is born of God sineth not,
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  Speaker 1: are not to be understood according to their plain, natural,
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  Speaker 1: obvious meaning, it is from the New Testament you are
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  Speaker 1: to bring your proofs, else you will fight as one
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  Speaker 1: that beatth the air. And the first of these which
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  Speaker 1: is usually brought is taken from the examples recorded in
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  Speaker 1: the New Testament. The Apostles themselves, it is said, committed sin, nay,
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  Speaker 1: the greatest of them, Peter and Paul, Saint Paul by
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  Speaker 1: a sharp contention with Barnabas, and Saint Peter by a
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  Speaker 1: dissimulation at Antioch. Well, suppose both Peter and Paul did
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  Speaker 1: then commit sin? What is it you would infer from
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  Speaker 1: hence that all the other Apostles committed sin? Sometimes there
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  Speaker 1: is no shadow of proof in this. Or would you
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  Speaker 1: thence infer that all the other Christians of the Apostolic
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  Speaker 1: age committed sin worse and worse? This is such an
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  Speaker 1: inference as one would imagine a man in his senses
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  Speaker 1: could never have thought of. Or will you argue thus,
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  Speaker 1: if two of the Apostles did once commit sin, then
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  Speaker 1: all other Christians in all ages do and will commit
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  Speaker 1: sin as long as they live. Alas my brother is
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  Speaker 1: a child of common understanding, would be ashamed of such
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  Speaker 1: reasoning as this. Least of all, can you, with any
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  Speaker 1: color of argument, infer that any man must commit sin
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  Speaker 1: at all? No God forbid we should thus speak. No
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  Speaker 1: necessity of sinning was laid upon them. The grace of
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  Speaker 1: God was surely sufficient for them, and it is sufficient
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  Speaker 1: for us at this day, with the temptation which fell
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  Speaker 1: on them. There was a way to escape, as there
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  Speaker 1: is to every soul of man in every temptation, so
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  Speaker 1: that whosoever is tempted to any sin need not yield.
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  Speaker 1: For no man is tempted above that he is able
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  Speaker 1: to bear. But Saint Paul besought the Lord thrice, and
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  Speaker 1: yet he could not escape from his temptation. Let us
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  Speaker 1: consider his own words literally translated. There was given to
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  Speaker 1: me a thorn to the flesh, an angel or messenger
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  Speaker 1: of Satan, to buffet me. Touching this, I besought the
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  Speaker 1: Lord thrice that it or he might depart from me.
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  Speaker 1: And he said, unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee.
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  Speaker 1: For my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly.
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  Speaker 1: Therefore will I rather glory in these my weaknesses, that
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  Speaker 1: the strength of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I
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  Speaker 1: take pleasure in weaknesses, for when I am weak, then
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  Speaker 1: am I strong. As this scripture is one of the
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  Speaker 1: strongholds the patrons of sin, may be proper to weigh
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  Speaker 1: it thoroughly. Let it be observed, then, first, it does
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  Speaker 1: by no means appear that this thorn, whatsoever it was
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  Speaker 1: occasion Saint Paul to commits sin, much less laid him
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  Speaker 1: under any necessity of doing so. Therefore, from hence it
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  Speaker 1: can never be proved that any Christian must commit sin. Secondly,
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  Speaker 1: the ancient Father's inform us it was bodily pain, a
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  Speaker 1: violent headache saith Rtullian, the putic to which both Chrysostom
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  Speaker 1: and Saint Jerome agree. Saint Cyprian expresses it a little
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  Speaker 1: more generally in those terms many ingrievous torments of the
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  Speaker 1: flesh and of the body. Thirdly, to this exactly agreed
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  Speaker 1: the Apostle's own words athorn to the flesh, to smite, beat,
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  Speaker 1: or buffet me. My strength is made perfect in weakness,
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  Speaker 1: which same word occurs no less than four times than
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  Speaker 1: these two verses only. But fourthly, whatsoever it was, it
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  Speaker 1: could not be either inward or outward sin. It could
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  Speaker 1: no more be inward stirrings than outward expressions of pride, anger,
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  Speaker 1: or lust. This is manifest beyond all possible exception from
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  Speaker 1: the words that immediately follow. Most gladly will I glory
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  Speaker 1: in these my weaknesses that the strength of Christ may
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  Speaker 1: rest upon me? What did he glory in pride? In anger?
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  Speaker 1: In lust? Was it through these weaknesses that the strength
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  Speaker 1: of Christ rested upon him? He goes on. Therefore, I
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  Speaker 1: take pleasure in weaknesses, For when I am weak, then
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  Speaker 1: am I strong? That is, when I am weak in body,
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  Speaker 1: then am I strong in spirit? But will any man
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  Speaker 1: dare to say, when I am weak by pride or lust?
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  Speaker 1: Then am I strong in spirit? I call you all
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  Speaker 1: to record this day, who find the strength of Christ
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  Speaker 1: resting upon you? Can you glory in anger or pride
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  Speaker 1: or lust? Can you take pleasure in these infirmities? Do
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  Speaker 1: these weaknesses make you strong? Would you not leap into hell?
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  Speaker 1: Were possible to escape them even by yourselves? Then judge
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  Speaker 1: whether the apostle could glory and take pleasure in them.
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  Speaker 1: Let it be lastly observe that this thorn was given
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  Speaker 1: to Saint Paul above fourteen years before he wrote this epistle,
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  Speaker 1: which itself was wrote several years before he finished his course,
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  Speaker 1: so that he had after this a long course to run,
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  Speaker 1: many battles, to fight, many victories to gain, and great
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  Speaker 1: increase to receive in all the gifts of God and
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  Speaker 1: the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Therefore, from any spiritual weakness,
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  Speaker 1: if such it had been, which he at that time
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  Speaker 1: felt we could by no means infer that he was
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  Speaker 1: never made strong, that Paul the aged, the Father in Christ,
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  Speaker 1: still labored under the same weaknesses, that he was in
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  Speaker 1: no higher state till the day of his death. From
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  Speaker 1: all which, it appears that this instance of Saint Paul
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  Speaker 1: is quite foreign to the question, and does, in know
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  Speaker 1: why clash with the assertion of Saint John, he that
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  Speaker 1: is born of God sinneth not, but does not Saint
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  Speaker 1: James directly contradict this. His words are in many things
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  Speaker 1: we offend all James three two, and is not offending
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  Speaker 1: the same as committing sin in this place I allow
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  Speaker 1: it is I allow the persons here spoken of did
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  Speaker 1: commit sin, yea that they all committed many sins. But
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  Speaker 1: who are the persons here spoken of? Why? Those many
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  Speaker 1: masters are teachers whom God had not sent, probably the
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  Speaker 1: same vain men who taught that faith of that works
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  Speaker 1: which is so sharply approved in the preceding chapter. Not
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  Speaker 1: the Apostle himself, nor any real Christian that in the
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  Speaker 1: word we used by a figure of speech common in
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  Speaker 1: all other as well as the inspired writings, the Apostle
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  Speaker 1: could not possibly include himself or any other true believer,
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  Speaker 1: appears evidently first in the same word in the ninth verse,
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  Speaker 1: therewith saith he bless we God, and therewith curse we men.
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  Speaker 1: Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing true,
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  Speaker 1: but not out of the mouth of the Apostle, nor
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  Speaker 1: of any one who is in Christ a new creature. Secondly,
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  Speaker 1: from the verse, immediately preceding the text and manifestly connected
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  Speaker 1: with it, my brethren, be not many masters or teachers,
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  Speaker 1: knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation, For in
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  Speaker 1: many things we offend all, we who not the apostles,
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  Speaker 1: not true believers, but they who know they should receive
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  Speaker 1: the greater condemnation because of those many offenses. But this
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  Speaker 1: could not be spoke of the Apostle himself, or any
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  Speaker 1: who trod in his steps, seeing there is no condemnation
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  Speaker 1: to them who walk not after the flesh, but after
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  Speaker 1: the spirit. Nay. Thirdly, the very verse itself proves that
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  Speaker 1: we offend all cannot be spoken either of all men
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  Speaker 1: or of all Christians, for in it there immediately follows
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  Speaker 1: the mention of a man who offends, not as the
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  Speaker 1: first we first mentioned did from whom therefore he is
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  Speaker 1: professedly contradistinguished and pronounced a perfect man. So clearly does
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  Speaker 1: Saint James explain himself and fix the meaning of his
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  Speaker 1: own words. Yea, lest any one should still remain in doubt.
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  Speaker 1: Saint John, writing many years after Saint James, puts the
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  Speaker 1: matter entirely out of dispute by the express declaration above recited.
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  Speaker 1: But here a fresh difficulty may arise. How should we
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  Speaker 1: reconcile Saint John with himself? In one place, he declares,
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  Speaker 1: whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin? And
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  Speaker 1: again we know that he which is born of God
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  Speaker 1: sinneth not. Then yet in another he saith. If we
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  Speaker 1: say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and
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  Speaker 1: the truth is not in us. And again if we
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  Speaker 1: say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar,
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  Speaker 1: and his word is not in us. As great a
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  Speaker 1: difficulty as this may at first appear, it vanishes away
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  Speaker 1: if we observe first that the tenth verse fixes the
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  Speaker 1: sense of the eighth, if we say we have no
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  Speaker 1: sin in the former being explained by if we say
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  Speaker 1: we have not sinned in the latter verse. Secondly, that
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  Speaker 1: the point under present consideration is not whether we have
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  Speaker 1: or have not sinned. Heretofore, then neither of these verses
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  Speaker 1: asserts that we do sin or commit sin. Now, thirdly,
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  Speaker 1: that the ninth verse explains both the eighth and the tenth.
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  Speaker 1: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
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  Speaker 1: to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
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  Speaker 1: all unrighteousness, as if he had said, I have before
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  Speaker 1: affirmed the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.
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  Speaker 1: But let no man say I need it, not I
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  Speaker 1: have no sin to be cleansed from. If we say
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  Speaker 1: that we have no sin, that we have not sinned,
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  Speaker 1: we deceive ourselves and make God a liar. But if
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  Speaker 1: we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, not
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  Speaker 1: only to forgive our sins, but also to cleanse us
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  Speaker 1: from all unrighteousness, that we may go and sin no more.
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  Speaker 1: Saint John therefore is well consistent with himself as well
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  Speaker 1: as with the other Holy writers, as will yet more
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  Speaker 1: evidently appear if we place all his assertions touching this matter.
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  Speaker 1: In one view, he declares, first the blood of Jesus
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  Speaker 1: Christ cleanseth us from all sin, Secondly, no man can
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  Speaker 1: say I have not sinned. I have no sin to
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  Speaker 1: be cleansed from. Thirdly, but God is ready both to
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  Speaker 1: forgive our past sins and to save us from them
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  Speaker 1: for the time to come. Fourthly, these things I write
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  Speaker 1: unto you, Saith the Apostle, that ye may not sin.
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  Speaker 1: But if any man should sin, or have sinned, as
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  Speaker 1: the word might be rendered, he need not continue in sin,
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  Speaker 1: seeing we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 1: the Righteous. Thus far all is clear. But lest any
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  Speaker 1: doubt should remain in a point of so vast importance,
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  Speaker 1: the Apostle resumes this subject in the third chapter and
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  Speaker 1: largely explains his own meaning. Little children, Saith, he let
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  Speaker 1: no man deceive you, as though I had given any
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  Speaker 1: encouragement to those that continue in sin. He that doeth
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  Speaker 1: righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that
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  Speaker 1: committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth
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  Speaker 1: from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God
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  Speaker 1: was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil.
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  Speaker 1: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, for
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  Speaker 1: his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because
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  Speaker 1: he is born of God. In this the children of
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  Speaker 1: God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Here,
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  Speaker 1: the point which till then might possibly have admitted of
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  Speaker 1: some doubt in weak minds, is purposely settled by the
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  Speaker 1: last of the inspired writers, and decided in the clearest
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  Speaker 1: manner in conformity. Therefore, both to the doctrine of Saint
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  Speaker 1: John and the whole tenor of the New Testament, we
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  Speaker 1: fix this conclusion. A Christian is so far perfect as
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  Speaker 1: not to commit sin. This is the glorious privilege of
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  Speaker 1: every Christian, yea, though he be but a babe in Christ.
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  Speaker 1: But it is only of those who are strong in
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  Speaker 1: the Lord and have overcome the wicked one, or rather
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  Speaker 1: of those who have known Him. That is from the beginning,
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  Speaker 1: that it can be affirmed they are in such a
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  Speaker 1: sense perfect as secondly, to be freed from evil thoughts
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  Speaker 1: and evil tempers, first from evil or sinful thoughts. But
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  Speaker 1: here let it be observed that thoughts concerning evil are
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  Speaker 1: not always evil thoughts, that a thought concerning sin and
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  Speaker 1: a sinful thought are widely different. A man, for instance,
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  Speaker 1: may think of a murder which another has committed, and
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  Speaker 1: yet this is no evil or sinful thought. So our
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  Speaker 1: blessed Lord himself doubtless thought of or understood the thing
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  Speaker 1: spoken by the devil when he said, all these things
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  Speaker 1: will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and
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  Speaker 1: worship me. Yet had he no evil or sinful thought,
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  Speaker 1: nor indeed was capable of having any, And even hence
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  Speaker 1: it follows that neither have real Christians. For every one
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  Speaker 1: that is perfect is as his master Luke six forty. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: if he was free from evil or sinful thoughts, so
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  Speaker 1: are they likewise. And indeed, whence should evil thoughts proceed
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  Speaker 1: in the servant who is as his master, out to
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  Speaker 1: the heart of man, if at all procede evil thoughts
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  Speaker 1: Mark seven twenty one, They if therefore his heart be
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  Speaker 1: no longer evil, then evil thoughts can no longer proceed
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  Speaker 1: out of it. If the tree were corrupt, so would
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  Speaker 1: be the fruit. But the tree is good. The fruit
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  Speaker 1: therefore is good also Matthew twenty two thirty three. Our
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  Speaker 1: Lord himself bearing witness, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit.
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  Speaker 1: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, as a
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  Speaker 1: corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. Matthew seven seventeen
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  Speaker 1: and eighteen the same happly privilege of real Christians. Saint
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  Speaker 1: Paul asserts from his own experience, the weapons of our
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  Speaker 1: warfare saith, he are not carnal, but mighty through God,
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  Speaker 1: to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations or reasonings. Rather,
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  Speaker 1: for so the word legimus signifies all the reasonings of
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  Speaker 1: pride and unbelief against the declarations, promises or gifts of God,
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  Speaker 1: and every high thing that exalted itself, against the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the
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  Speaker 1: obedience of Christ second Corinthians ten four. And as Christians
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  Speaker 1: indeed are freed from evil thoughts, so are they secondly
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  Speaker 1: from evil tempers. This is evident from the above mentioned
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  Speaker 1: declaration of our Lord himself. The disciple is not above
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  Speaker 1: his master, but every one that is perfect shall be
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  Speaker 1: as his master. He had been delivering just before, some
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  Speaker 1: of the sublimest doctrines of Christianity, and some of the
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  Speaker 1: most grievous to flesh and blood. I say, unto you,
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  Speaker 1: love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,
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  Speaker 1: And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek,
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  Speaker 1: offer also the other. Now these he well knew the
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  Speaker 1: world would not receive, and therefore immediately adds, can the
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  Speaker 1: blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into
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  Speaker 1: the ditch, as if he had said, do not confer
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  Speaker 1: with flesh and blood, touching these things with men void
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  Speaker 1: of spiritual discernment, the eyes of whose understanding God hath
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  Speaker 1: not opened, lest they and you perish together. In the
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  Speaker 1: next verse, he removes the two grand objections with which
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  Speaker 1: these wise fools meet us at every turn. These things
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  Speaker 1: are too grievous to be born, or they are too
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  Speaker 1: high to be obtained, saying, the disciple is not above
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  Speaker 1: his master. Therefore, if I have suffered, be content to
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  Speaker 1: tread in my steps, and doubt ye not, then, but
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  Speaker 1: I will fulfill my word. For every one that is
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  Speaker 1: perfect shall be as his master. But his Master was
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  Speaker 1: free from all sinful tempers. So therefore is his disciple.
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  Speaker 1: Even every real Christian. Every one of these can say,
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  Speaker 1: with Saint Paul, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live,
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  Speaker 1: yet not I, but Christ liveth in me words that
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  Speaker 1: manifestly describe a deliverance from inward as well as from
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  Speaker 1: outward sin. This is expressed both negatively. I live not
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  Speaker 1: my evil nature, the body of sin, is destroyed, and positively,
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  Speaker 1: Christ liveth in me. And therefore all that is holy
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  Speaker 1: and just and good. Indeed, both these Christ liveth in
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  Speaker 1: me and I live not are inseparably connected. For what
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  Speaker 1: communion hath light with darkness? Or Christ with belile? He therefore,
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  Speaker 1: who liveth in true believers hath purified their hearts by faith,
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  Speaker 1: insomuch that every one that hath Christ in him, the
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  Speaker 1: hope of glory purifieth himself, even as he is pure
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  Speaker 1: First John three three. He is purified from pride, for
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  Speaker 1: Christ was lowly of heart. He is pure from self
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  Speaker 1: will or desire. For Christ desired only to do the
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  Speaker 1: will of his father and to finish his work. And
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  Speaker 1: he is pure from anger in the common sense of
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  Speaker 1: the word. For Christ was meek and gentle, patient and
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  Speaker 1: long suffering. I say, in the common sense of the word,
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  Speaker 1: for all anger is not evil. We read of our
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  Speaker 1: Lord himself Mark three five, that he once looked round
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  Speaker 1: with anger, But with what kind of anger? The next
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  Speaker 1: word shows Silai poor Menos being at the same time
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  Speaker 1: grieved for the hardness of their hearts. So then he
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  Speaker 1: was angry at the sin, and in the same moment
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  Speaker 1: grieved for the sinners angry or disa please at the offense,
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  Speaker 1: but sorry for the offenders, with anger, yea hatred. He
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  Speaker 1: looked upon the thing with grief and love upon the persons.
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  Speaker 1: Go Thou that art perfect, and do likewise be thus angry,
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  Speaker 1: and thou sinnest, not feeling a displacency at every offense
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  Speaker 1: against God, but only love and tender compassion to the offender.
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  Speaker 1: Thus does Jesus save his people from their sins, and
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  Speaker 1: not only from outward sins, but also from the sins
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  Speaker 1: of their hearts, from evil thoughts and from evil tempers. True,
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  Speaker 1: say some, we shall thus be saved from our sins,
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  Speaker 1: but not till death, not in this world. But how
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  Speaker 1: are we to reconcile this with the express words of
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  Speaker 1: Saint John. Herein is our love made perfect, that we
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  Speaker 1: may have boldness in the day of judgment, Because as
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  Speaker 1: he is, so are we in this world. Apostle here,
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  Speaker 1: beyond all contradictions, speaks of himself and other living Christians,
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  Speaker 1: of whom, as though he had foreseen this very evasion
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  Speaker 1: and set himself to overturn it from the foundation, he
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  Speaker 1: flatly affirms that not only at or after death, but
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  Speaker 1: in this world they are as their master. First John
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  Speaker 1: for seventeen. Exactly agreeable to this are his words in
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  Speaker 1: the first chapter of this epistle, First John one five.
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  Speaker 1: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
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  Speaker 1: If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one
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  Speaker 1: with another, And the blood of Jesus Christ, his son,
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  Speaker 1: cleanseth us from all sin. And again, if we confess
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: it is evident the apostle here also speaks of a
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: deliverance wrought in this world. For he saith not the
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: blood of Christ will cleanse at the hour of death
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: or in the day of judgment, but it cleanseth at
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: the time present us living Christians from all sin. And
• 22:13
  Speaker 1: it is equally evident that if any sin remain, we
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: are not cleansed from all sin. If any unrighteousness remain
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: in the soul, it is not cleansed from all unrighteousness.
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: Either let any sinner against his own soul say that
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: this relates to justification only, or the cleansing us from
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: the guilt of sin. First, because this is confound in
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: together what the apostle clearly distinguishes who mentions first to
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: forgive us our sins and then to cleanse us from
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: all unrighteousness. Secondly, because this is asserting justification by works,
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: and the strongest sense possible is making all inward as
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: will as outward holiness necessarily previous to justification. For if
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: the cleanse here spoken of is no other than the
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: cleansing us from the guilt of sin, than we are
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: not cleansed from guilt, that his are not justified, unless
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: on condition of walking in the light as he is
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: in the light. It remains then that Christians are saved
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: in this world from all sin, from all unrighteousness, that
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: they are now in such a sense perfect as nought
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: and evil tempers. Thus hath the Lord fulfill the things
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: he spake by his holy prophets, which have been since
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: the world began by Moses, in particular, saying Deuteronomy thirty six,
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: I will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: heart and with all thy soul. By David crying out,
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: create in me a clean heart and renew a right
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: spirit within me, and most remarkably by Azeki in those words,
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: your idols. Will I cleanse you a new heart? Also
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: will I give you and a new spirit. Will I
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: put within you and cause you to walk in my statutes?
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: And ye shall keep my judgments and do them. Ye
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: shall be my people, and I will be your God.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: I will also save you from all your uncleannesses. Thus
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: saith the Lord, your God. And the day that I
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities, the heathen
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places.
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: I the Lord have spoken it, and I will do it. Ezekiel,
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: thirty six twenty five. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved,
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: both in the Law and in the prophets, and having
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: the prophetic word confirmed unto us in the Gospel by
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: our blessed Lord and and his apostles, let us cleanse
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: in the fear of God. Let us fear lest so
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: many promises being made us of entering into His rest,
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: which he that hath entered into has ceased from his
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: own works. Any of us should come short of it.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: This one thing let us do forgetting those things which
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: Let us press toward the mark for the prize the
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: high calling of God in Christ Jesus, crying unto Him
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: day and night, till we also are delivered from the
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: of God. The Promise of sanctification Ezekiel thirty six twenty
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: five by the Reverend Charles Wesley, God of all power
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: and truth and grace, which shall from age to age endure,
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: whose word, when heaven and earth shall pass, remains and
• 26:07
  Speaker 1: stands forever shore calmly to thee my soul looks up
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: and waits. Thy promises to prove the object of my
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: steadfast hope, the seal of Thine eternal love, that I
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: thy mercy may proclaim that all mankind thy truth may see.
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: Hallow Thy great inglorious name and perfect holiness in me.
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: Choose from the world. If now I stand adorned in
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: righteousness divine, if brought under the promised land, I justly
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: call the Savior mine, perform the work Thou hast begun
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: my inmost soul to thee. Convert Love me forever, Love
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: thine own, and sprinkle with thy blood my heart, Thy
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: sanctifying spirit, poor to quench my thirst and wash me clean. Now, Father,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: let the gracious shower descend and make me pure from sin.
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: Purge me from every sinful blot, My idols all be
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: cast aside. Cleanse me from every evil thought, from all
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: the filth of self and pride. Give me anew a
• 27:19
  Speaker 1: perfect heart from doubt and fear and sorrow. Free the
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: mind which was in Christ impart. And let my spirit
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: cleave to THEE. Oh, take this heart of stone away
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: thy rule. It doth not cannot own, and me no
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: longer let it stay. O. Take the way, this heart
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: of stone, the hatred of my carnal mind, out of
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: my flesh, at once remove, Give me a tender heart,
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: resign'd and pure and fill'd with faith and love within me.
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: Thy good spirit, place spirit of health and love and power.
• 27:56
  Speaker 1: Plant in me thy victorious grace, and sin shall never
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: enter more. Cause me to walk in Christ my way,
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: and I thy statute shall fulfill in every point. Thy law, obey,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: then perfectly perform Thy will. Hast Thou not said, who
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: canst not lie? That I thy law shall keep and do? Lord?
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: I believe, though men deny, they all are false. But
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: Thou art true. O that I now from sin released
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: thy word might to the utmost prove enter and the
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: promised rest the canaan of thy perfect love. There, Let
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: me ever ever dwell by Thou, my God, and I
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: will be thy servant. O set to thy seal. Give
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: me eternal life in THEE from all remaining filth within.
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: Let me in THEE salvation have from actual and from
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: inbred sin, my ransom soul persist to save, wash out
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: my old original stain. Tell me no more. It cannot
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: be demons or men. The lamb was slain, his blood
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: was all poured out for me. Sprinklet YESU on my heart.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: One drop of thy all cleansing blood shall make my
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: sinfulness depart and fill me with the life of God. Father.
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: Supply my every needs to stain the life thyself hast given.
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: Call for the corn, the living bread, the manner that
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: comes down from Heaven, the gracious fruits of righteousness, thy
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: Blessing's unexhausted, store in me abundantly increase, Nor let me
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: ever hunger more. Let me no more in deep complaint
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: my leanness. All my leanness cry alone, consumed with pining
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: want of all my father's children. Aye, the painful thirst,
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: the fond desire, Thy joyous presence shall remove, while my
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: full soul doth still require thy whole eternity of love,
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: Holy and true and righteous Lord, I wait to prove
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: thy perfect will. Be mindful thy gracious word, and stamp
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: me with thy spirit, seal thy faithful mercies. Let me
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: find and wish Thou causest me to trust, Give me
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: the meek and lowly mind, and lay my spirit in
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: the dust. Show me how foul my heart hath been,
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: when all renewed by grace I am, when thou hast
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: emptied me of sin. Show me the fullness of my shame.
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: Open my faith's interior eye. Display thy glory from above,
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: and all I am shall sink and die lost in
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: astonishment and love confound. Oh e'er power me with thy grace,
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: I would be by my abhorred All might, all majesty,
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: all praise, all glory be to Christ, My Lord. Now
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: let me gain perfection's height. Now let me into nothing, fall,
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: be less than nothing in thy sight, and feel that
• 31:18
  Speaker 1: Christ is all in all. End of section forty one