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14 - The Repentance of Believers - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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The repentance of believers repent ye and believe the Gospel Mark, Chapter one,
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verse fifteen. It is generally supposed that repentance and faith are only the gait
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of religion, that they are necessary only at the beginning of our Christian course,
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when we are setting out in the way to the Kingdom. And this
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may seem to be confirmed by the Great Apostle, where exhorting the Hebrew Christians
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to go on to perfection, he teaches them to leave these first principles of
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the doctrine of Christ, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works
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and of faith towards God, which must at least mean that they should comparatively
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leave these that at first took up all their thoughts, in order to press
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forward toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. And
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this is undoubtedly true, that there is a repentance and a faith which are
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more especially necessary at the beginning. A repentance which is a conviction of our
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utter sinfulness and guiltiness and helplessness, and which precedes our receiving that Kingdom of
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God, which our Lord observes is within us. And a faith whereby we
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receive that kingdom, even righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
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But notwithstanding this, there is also a repentance and a faith taking the words
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in another sense, a sense not quite the same nor yet entirely different,
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which are requisite after we have believed the gospel yea, and in every subsequent
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stage of our Christian course, or we cannot run the race which is set
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before us. And this repentance and faith are full as necessary in order to
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our continuance and growth in grace, as the former faith and repentance it's were
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in order to our entering into the Kingdom of God. But in what sense
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are we to repent and believe after we are justified? This is an important
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question and worthy of being considered with the utmost attention, and first, in
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what sense are we to repent? Repentance frequently means an inward change, a
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change of mind from sin to holiness, but we now speak of it in
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a quite different sense, as it is one kind of self knowledge, the
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knowing ourselves sinners YEA guilty helpless sinners, even though we know we are children
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of God. Indeed, when we first know this, when we first find
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the redemption in the blood of Jesus. When the love of God is first
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shed abroad in our hearts and His kingdom set up therein, it is natural
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to suppose that we are no longer sinners, that all our sins are not
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only covered but destroyed. As we do not then feel any evil in our
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hearts, we readily imagine none is there. Nay, some well meaning men
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have imagined this, not only at that time, but ever after, having
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persuaded themselves that when they were justified, they were entirely sanctified. Yea,
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they have laid it down as a general rule. In spite of scripture,
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reason and experience. These sincerely believe and earnestly maintain that all sin is destroyed
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when we are justified, and that there is no sin in the heart of
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a believer, but that it is altogether clean from that moment. But though
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we readily acknowledge he that believed is born of God, and he that is
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born of God does not commit sin, yet we cannot allow that he does
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not feel it from within. It does not rain, but it does remain,
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And a conviction of the sin which remains in our heart is one great
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branch of the repentance. We are now speaking of For it is seldom long
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before he who imagined all sin was gone, feels there is still pride in
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his heart. He is convinced both that in many respects he has thought of
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himself more highly than he ought to think, and that he has taken to
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himself the praise of something he had received, and gloried in it as though
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he had not received it. And yet he knows he is in the favor
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of God. He cannot and ought not to cast away his confidence. The
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spirit still witnesses with his spirit that he is a child of God. Nor
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is it long before he feels self will in his heart, even a will
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contrary to the will of God, a will every man must inevitably have,
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as long as he has an understanding. This is an essential part of human
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nature, indeed of the nature of every intelligent being. Our blessed Lord himself
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had a will as a man, otherwise he had not been a man.
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But his human will invariably subject to the will of his Father. At all
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times and on all occasions. Even in the deepest affliction, he could say,
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not as I will, but as THOU wilt. But this is not
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the case at all times, even with a true believer in Christ, he
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frequently finds his will more or less exalting itself against the will of God.
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He wills something because it is pleasing to nature, which is not pleasing to
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God. And he kneels or is a verse from something because it is painful
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to nature, which is the will of God concerning him. Indeed, suppose
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he continues in the faith, he fights against it with all his might.
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But this very thing implies that it really exists, and that he is conscious
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of it now self. Will, as well as pride, is a species
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of idolatry, and both are directly contrary to the love of God. The
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same observation may be made concerning the love of the world. But this likewise
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even true believers liable to feel in themselves, and every one of them does
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feel it more or less sooner or later, in one branch or another.
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It is true, when he first passes from death onto life, he desires
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nothing more but God. He can truly say, all my desire is onto
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THEE and onto the remembrance of Thy name, whom have I in heaven but
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THEE. And there is none upon earth that I desire beside THEE. But
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it is not so always. In process of time, he will feel again,
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though perhaps only for a few moments, either the desire of the flesh,
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or the desire of the eye, or the pride of life. Nay,
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if he does not continually watch and pray, he may find lust reviving
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Yea, and thrusting sore at him that he may fall till he has scarce
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any strength left in him. He may feel the assaults of inordinate affection Yea,
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a strong propensity to love the creature more than the creator, whether it
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be a child, a parent, a husband or wife, or the friend
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that is as his own soul. He may feel, in a thousand various
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ways a desire of earthly things or pleasures. In the same proportion, he
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will forget God, not seeking happiness in him, and consequently being a lover
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of pleasure more than a lover of God. If he does not keep himself
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every moment, he will again feel the desire of the eye, the desire
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of gratifying his imagination with something great or beautiful or uncommon. In how many
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ways does this desire assault the soul, Perhaps with regard to the poorest trifles
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such as dress or furniture, things never design to satisfy the appetite of an
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immortal spirit. Yet how natural is it for us, even after we have
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tasted of the powers of the world, to come to sink again into these
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foolish, low desires of things that perish in the using heart? Is it
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even for those who know in whom they have believed to conquer but one branch
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of the desire of the eye curiosity constantly to trample it under their feet,
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to desire nothing merely because it is new. And how hard is it even
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for the children of God Holy to conquer the pride of life? Saint John
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seems to mean by this nearly the same with what the world terms the sense
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of honor. This is no other than a desire of and delight in the
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honor that cometh of men, a desire and love of praise, and which
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is always joined with it a proportionable fear of dispraise. Nearly Allied to this
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is evil shame, the being ashamed of what wherein we ought to glory.
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And this is seldom divided from the fear of man, which brings a thousand
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snares upon the soul. Now where is he even among those that seems strong
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in the faith, who does not find an himself a degree of all these
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evil tempers, so that even these are but in part crucified to the world,
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for the evil root still remains in their heart. And do we not
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feel other tempers which are as contrary to the love of our neighbor as these
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are to the love of God? The love of our neighbor thinketh no evil?
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Do not we find anything of the kind? Do we never find any
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jealousies, any evil surmisings, any groundless or unreasonable suspicions. He that is
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clear in these respects, let him cast the first stone at his neighbor,
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who does not sometimes feel other tempers or inward motions which he knows our contrary
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to brotherly love. If nothing of malice, hatred, or bitterness, is
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there no touch of envy, particularly towards those who enjoy some real or supposed
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good which we desire but cannot attain. Do we never find any degree of
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resentment when we we are injured or affronted, especially by those whom we peculiarly
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love, and whom we had most labored to help or oblige. Does injustice
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or ingratitude never excite in us any desire of revenge, any desire of returning
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evil for evil instead of overcoming evil with good. This also shows how much
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is still in our heart which is contrary to the love of our neighbor.
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Coveteousness in every kind and degree is certainly as contrary to this as to the
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love of God, whether phil largre the love of money, which is too
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frequently the root of all evil, or pleonexia literally a desire of having more
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or increasing in substance. And how few even of the real children of God
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are entirely free from both. Indeed, one great man, Martin Luther,
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used to say he never had any coveteousness in him, not only in his
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converted state, but ever since he was born. But if so, I
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but not scrupled to say he was the only man born of a woman except
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him that was God, as well as a man who had not who was
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born without it. Nay, I believe never was anyone born of God that
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lived any considerable time after who did not feel more or less of it many
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times, especially in the latter sense. We may therefore set it down as
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an undoubted truth that coveteousness, together with pride and self will and anger remain
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in the hearts, even of them that are justified. It is their experiencing
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this which has inclined so many serious persons to understand the latter part of the
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seventh Chapter to the Romans. Not of them that are under the law,
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that are convinced of sin, which is undoubtedly the meaning of the Apostle,
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but of them that are under grace, that are justified freely through the redemption
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that is in Christ. And it is most certain they are thus far right.
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There does still remain, even in them that are justice, a mind
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which is in some measure carnal. So the Apostle tells, even the believers
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at Corinth, ye are carnal and heart bent to backsliding, still ever ready
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to depart from the living God. A propensity to pride self, will anger,
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revenge, love of the world yea, and all evil, a root
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of bitterness, which, if the restraint were taken off for a moment,
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would instantly spring up. YEA, such a depth of corruption, as without
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clear light from God we cannot possibly conceive, and a conviction of all this
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sin remaining in their hearts is the repentance which belongs to them that are justified.
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But we should likewise be convinced that as sin remains in our hearts,
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so it cleaves to all our words and actions. Indeed, it is to
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be feared that many of our words are more than mixed with sin, that
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they are sinful altogether. For such, undoubtedly is all uncharitable conversation, All
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which does not spring from brotherly love, All which does not agree with that
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golden rule. What ye would that others should do to you? Even so
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do unto them? Of this kind is all backbiting, all tale bearing,
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all whispering, all evil speaking, that is, repeating the faults of absent
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persons. For none would have others repeat his faults when he is absent.
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Now, how few are there, even among believers, who are in no
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degree guilty of this, who steadily observe the good old rule of the dead
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and the absent nothing but good I suppose they do. Do they likewise abstain
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from unprofitable conversation. Yet all this is unquestionably sinful and grieves the Holy Spirit
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of God. YEA, And for every idle word that men shall speak,
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they shall give an account in the day of judgment. But let it be
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supposed that they continually watch and pray, And so do not enter in this
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temptation that they constantly set a watch before their mouth and keep the door of
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their lips. Suppose they exercise themselves herein that all their conversation may be in
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grace season, with salt and meat to minister grace to the hearers. Yet
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do they not daily slide into useless discourse? Notwithstanding all their caution? And
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even when they endeavor to speak for God? Are their words pure free from
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unholy mixtures? Do they find nothing wrong in their very intention? Do they
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speak merely to please God and not partly to please themselves? Is it holy
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to do the will of God and not their own will? Also? Or
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if they begin with a single eye, do they go on looking on to
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Jesus and talking with him all the time they are talking with their neighbor.
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When they are reproving sin, do they feel no anger or unkind temper to
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the sinner? When they are instructing the ignorant? Do they not find any
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pride any self preference when they are comforting the afflicted or provoking one another to
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love and to good works? Do they never perceive any inward self commendation?
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Now you have spoken well, or any vanity, a desire that others should
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think so and esteem them on the account in some or all of these respects.
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How much sin cleaves to the best conversation, even of believers, the
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conviction of which is another branch of the repentance which belongs to them that are
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justified. And how much sin, if their conscience is thoroughly awake, may
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they find cleaving to their actions? Also? Nay, are there not many
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of these, which, though they are such as the world would not condemn,
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yet cannot be commended no nor excused, if we judge by the word
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of God? Are there not many of their actions which they themselves know are
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not to the glory of God? Many wherein they did not even aim at
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this, which were not undertaken with an eye to God? And of those
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that were, are there not many wherein their eye is not singly fixed on
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God? Wherein they are doing their own will at least as much as his,
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and seeking to please themselves as much, if not more, than to
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please God. And while they are endeavoring to do good to their neighbor,
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do they not feel wrong tempers of various kinds? Hence their good actions,
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so called, are far from being strictly such, being polluted with such a
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mixture of evil. Such are their works of mercy? And is there not
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the same mixture in their works of piety? While they are hearing the Word
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which is able to save their souls? Do they not frequently find such thoughts
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as make them afraid lest it should turn to their condemnation rather than their salvation?
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Is it not often the same case while they are endeavoring to offer up
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their prayers to God, whether in public or private, Nay, while they
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are engaged in the most solemn service, even while they are at the table
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of the Lord, what manner of thoughts arise in them? Are not their
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hearts sometimes wandering to the ends of the earth, sometimes filled with such imagination
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as make them fear lest all their sacrifice should be an abomination to the Lord,
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so that they are now more ashamed of their best dodoisies than they were
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once of their worse sins. Again, how many sins of omission are they
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chargeable with? We know the words of the Apostle to him that knoweth to
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do good, and doeth it not to him at his sin. But do
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they not know a thousand instances wherein they might have done good to enemies,
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to strangers, to their brethren, either with regard to their bodies or their
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souls, and they did it. Not. How many omissions have they been
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guilty of in their duty toward God. How many opportunities of communicating, of
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hearing His word of public or private prayer have they neglected? So great reason
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had even that holy man Archbishop usher after all his labors for God to cry
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out almost with his dying breath, Lord, forgive me for my sins of
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omission. But besides these outward omissions, may they not find in themselves inward
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defects without number, defects of every kind. They have not the love,
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the fear, the colf confidence they ought to have toward God. They have
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not the love which is due to their neighbor to every child of man,
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No, nor even that which is due to their brethren to every child of
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God, whether those that are at a distance from them or those with whom
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they are immediately connected. They have no holy temper in the degree they ought.
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They are defective in everything, in a deep consciousness of which they are
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ready to cry out with m diurenti I am aground all overrun with thorns or
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with job. I am vile, I abhor myself and repent as in dust
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and ashes. A conviction of their guiltiness is another branch of that repentance which
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belongs to the children of God. But this is cautiously to be understood,
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and in a peculiar sense. For it is certain there is no condemnation to
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them that are in Christ Jesus, that believe in Him and in the power
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of that faith, walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. Yet
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can they no more bear the strict justice of God now than before they believe?
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This pronounces them to be still worthy of death on all the preceding accounts,
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and it would absolutely condemn them thereto were it not for the atoning blood.
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Therefore, they are thoroughly convinced that they still deserve punishment, although it
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is hereby turned aside from them. But here there are extremes on one hand,
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and on the other a few steer clear of them. Most men strike
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on one or the other, either thinking themselves condemned when they are not,
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or thinking they deserve to be acquitted. Nay, the truth lies between.
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They still deserve strictly speaking, only the damnation of hell. But what they
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deserve does not come upon them, because they have an advocate with the Father,
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his life and death. An intercession still interpose between them and condemnation.
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A conviction of their utter helplessness is yet another branch of this repentance. I
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mean hereby two things. First, that they are no more able now of
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themselves to think one good thought, to form one good desire, to speak
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one good word, or do one good work, than before they were justified.
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That they have still no kind or degree of strength of their own,
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no power either to do good or resist evil, no ability to conquer or
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even withstand the world, the devil, or their own evil nature. They
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can, it is certain, do all these things, but it is not
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by their own strength. They have power to overcome all these enemies. For
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sin hath no dominion over them. But it is not from nature, neither
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in whole or in part. It is the mere gift of God. Nor
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is it given all at once, as if they had a stock laid up
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for many years, but from moment to moment. By this helplessness, I
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mean secondly, an absolute inability to deliver ourselves from that guiltiness or desert of
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punishment whereof we are still conscious ye, and an inability to remove by all
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the grace we have to say nothing of our natural powers, either the pride
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self will, love of the world, anger and general proneness to depart from
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God, which we experimentally know to remain in the heart even of them that
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are regenerate, or the evil which, in spite of all our endeavors,
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cleaves to all our words and actions. Add to this an utter inability wholly
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to avoid uncharitable and much more unprofitable conversation, and an inability to avoid sins
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of omission, or to supply the numberless defects we are convinced of, especially
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the want of love and other right tempers, both to God and man.
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If any man is not satisfied of this, If any believes that whoever is
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justified, is able to remove these sins out of his heart and life,
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let him make the experiment. Let him try whether, by the grace he
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has already received, he can expel pride self will, or in bread's sin
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in general. Let him try whether he can cleanse his words and actions from
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all mixture of evil, whether he can avoid all uncharitable and unprofitable conversation with
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all sins of omission. And lastly, whether he can supply the numberless defects
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which he still finds in himself. Let him not be discouraged by one or
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two experiments, but repeat the trial again and again, And the longer he
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tried, the more deeply will he be convinced of his utter helplessness in all
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these respects. Indeed, this is so evident a truth that well nigh all
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the children of God scattered abroad. However they differ in other points, yet
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generally agree in this that although we may by the spirit mortify the deeds of
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the body, resist and conquer both outward and inward sin. Although we may
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weaken our enemies day by day, yet we cannot drive them out by all
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the grace which is given at justification. We cannot extirpate them. Though we
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watch and pray, ever so much, we cannot wholly cleanse either our hearts
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or hands. Most sure we cannot till it shall please our Lord to speak
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to our hearts again, to speak the second time be clean, And then
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only the leprosy is cleansed, Then only the evil root the carnal mind,
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is destroyed and inbred sin subsists no more. But if there be no such
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second change, if there be no instantaneous deliverance after justification, if there be
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none but a gradual work of God, that there is a gradual work,
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none denies, then we must be content as well as we can, to
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remain full of sin till death, And if so, we must remain guilty
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till death, continually deserving punishment. For it is impossible the guilt or desert
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of punishment should be removed from us as long as all this sin remains in
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our heart and cleaves to our words and actions. Nay, in rigorous justice,
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all we think and speak and act continually increases it. In this sense,
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we are to repent after we are justified. Until we do so,
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we can go no further. For till we are sensible of our disease,
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it admits of no cure. But supposing we do thus repent, then are
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we called to believe the gospel. And this also is to be understood in
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a peculiar sense, different from that wherein we believed in order to justification.
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Believe the glad tidings of great salvation which God hath prepared for all people.
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Believe that he who is the brightness of his Father's glory, the expressed image
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of his person, is able to save unto the uttermost, all that come
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unto God. Through him. He is able to save you from all the
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sin that still remains in your heart. He is able to save you from
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all the sin that cleaves to all your words and actions. He is able
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to save you from sins of omission, and to supply whatever is wanting in
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you. It is true this is impossible with man. But with God man
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all things are possible, or what can be too hard for him who hath
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all power in heaven and in earth. Indeed, his bare power to do
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this is not a sufficient foundation for our faith that he will do it,
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that he will thus exert his power, unless he hath promised it. But
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this he has done. He has promised it over and over in the strongest
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terms. He has given us these exceeding, great and precious promises, both
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in the Old and the New Testament. So we read in the Law and
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in the most ancient part of the Oracles of God, the Lord thy God
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will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy
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God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Deuterotomy, chapter thirty,
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verse six. So in the Psalms, he shall redeem Israel, the Israel
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of God, from all his sins. So in the Prophet, then will
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I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your
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filthiness, and from all your idols. Will I cleanse you, and I
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will put my spirit within you, and you shall keep my judgments and do
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them. I will also save you from your uncleanness. Ezekiel thirty six,
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verse twenty five. So likewise, in the New Testament, blessed be the
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Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and
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hath raised up a horn of salvation for us to perform the oath which he
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swear to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we,
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being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve him without
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fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
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Luke one sixty eight. You have therefore good reason to believe he is not
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only able but willing to do this, to cleanse you from all your filthiness
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of flesh and spirit, to save you from all your uncleanness. This is
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the thing which you now long for. This is the faith which you now
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particularly need, namely that the great physician, the lover of my soul,
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is willing to make me clean. But is he willing to do this tomorrow
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or today? Let him answer for himself today. If you will hear my
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voice, harden not your hearts. If you put it off till tomorrow,
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you harden your hearts you refuse to hear his voice. Believe therefore, that
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he is willing to save you today. He is willing to save you.
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Now. Behold, now is the accepted time. He now saith be thou
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clean. Only believe, and you also will immediately find all things are possible
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to him that believeth continue to believe in him that loved THEE and gave himself
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for THEE, that bore all thy sins in his own body on the tree,
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And he saveth THEE from all condemnation by his blood continually applied. Thus
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it is that we continue in a justified state. And when we go from
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faith to faith, when we have faith to be cleansed from all indwelling sin,
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to be saved from all our uncleannesses, we are likewise saved from all
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that guilt, that desert of punishment which we felt before, so that then
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we may say, not only every moment, Lord, I want the merit
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of thy death, but likewise, in the full assurance of faith, every
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moment, Lord, I have the merit of thy death. For by that
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faith in His life, death and intercession for us renewed from moment to moment,
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we are every whit clean. And there is not only now no condemnation
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for us, but no such desert of punishment as was before, the Lord
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cleansing both our hearts and lives. By the same faith, we feel the
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power of Christ every moment resting upon us, whereby alone we are what we
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are, whereby we are enabled to continue in spiritual life, and without which,
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notwithstanding all our present holiness, we should be devils the next moment.
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But as long as we retain our faith in Him, we draw water out
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of the wells of salvation. Leaning on our beloved even Christ in us,
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the Hope of Glory, who dwelleth in our hearts. By faith, who
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likewise is ever interceding for us the right hand of God, we receive help
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from Him to think and speak, enact what is acceptable in his sight.
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Thus does He prevent them that believe in all their doings and further them with
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his continual help, so that all their designs, conversations, and actions are
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begun, continued, and ended in Him. Thus doth He cleanse the thoughts
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of their hearts by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that they may perfectly
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love Him and worthily magnify His holy name. Thus it is that in the
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children of God, repentance and faith exactly answer each other. By repentance we
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feel the sin remaining in our hearts and cleaving to our words and actions.
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By faith, we receive the power of God in Christ, purifying our hearts
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and cleansing our hands. By repentance, we are still sensible that we deserve
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punishment for all our tempers and words and actions. By faith, we are
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conscious that our advocate with the Father is continually pleading for us, and thereby
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continually turning aside all condemnation and punishment from us. By repentance we have an
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abiding conviction that there is no help in us. By faith we receive not
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only mercy but grace to help in every time of need. Repentance disclaims the
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very possibility of any other help. Faith accepts all the help we stand in
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need of from Him that hath all power and heaven and earth. Repentance says
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Without him, I can do nothing. Faith says I can do all things
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through Christ, strengthening me. Through Him, I cannot only overcome, but
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expel all the enemies of my soul. Through Him, I can love the
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Lord my God with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength Yea,
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and walk in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of my life.
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From what has been said, we may easily learn the mischievousness of that
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opinion that we are wholly sanctified when we are justified, that our hearts are
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then cleansed from all sin. It is true we are then delivered, as
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was observed before, from the dominion of outward sin. And at the same
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time the power of inward sin is so broken that we need no longer follow
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or be led by it. But it is by no means true that inward
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sin is then totally destroyed, that the root of pride, self, will
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anger, love of the world is then taken out of the heart, or
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that the carnal mind and the heart bent to backsliding are entirely extirpated. And
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to suppose the contrary is not, as sum may thing, an innocent,
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harmless mistake. No, it does immense harm. It entirely blocks up the
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way to any further change, For it is manifest they that are whole not
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need a physician, but they that are sick. If therefore, we think
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we are quite made whole already, there is no room to seek any further
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healing. On this supposition, it is observed to expect a further deliverance from
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sin, whether gradual or instantaneous. On the contrary, a deed conviction that
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we are not yet whole, that our hearts are not fully purified, that
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there is yet in us a carnal mind which is still in its nature enmity
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against God. That a whole body of sin remains in our heart weakened indeed
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but not destroyed, shows beyond all possibility of doubt the absolute necessity of a
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further change. We allow that at the very moment of justification we are born
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again. In that instant we experience that inward change from darkness into marvelous light,
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from the image of the brute and the devil, into the image of
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God, from the earthly, sensual, devilish mind to the mind which was
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in Christ Jesus. But are we then entirely changed, are we wholly transformed
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into the image of Him that created us? Far from it, We still
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retain a depth of sin. And it is the consciousness of this which constrains
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us to groan for a full deliverance to Him that is mighty to save.
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Hence, it is that those believers who are not convict of the deep corruption
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of their hearts, or but slightly and as it were, notionally convinced,
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have little concerned about entire sanctification. They may possibly hold the opinion that such
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a thing is to be either at death or some time they know not when
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before it, But they have no great uneasiness for the want of it,
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and no great hunger or thirst after it. They cannot until they know themselves
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better, until they repent in the sense above described, until God unveils the
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inbred monster's face and shows them the real state of their souls. Then only
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when they feel the burden will they groan for deliverance from it. Then,
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and not till then will they cry out in the agony of their soul,
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break off the yoke of inbred sin and fully set my spirit free. I
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cannot rest till pure within, till I am wholly lost in thee. We
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may learn from hence secondly, that a deep conviction of our to merit after
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we are accepted, which in one sense may be termed guilt, is absolutely
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necessary in order to our seeing the true value of the atoning blood, in
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order to our feeling that we need this as much after we are justified as
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ever we did before. Without this conviction, we cannot but account the blood
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of the Covenant as a common thing, something of which we have not now
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any great need, seeing all our past sins are blotted out. Yeah,
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but if both our hearts and lives are thus unclean, there is a kind
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of guilt which we are contracting every moment, and which, of consequence,
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would every moment expose us to fresh condemnation. But that he ever lives above
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for us to intercede is all atoning love, his precious blood to plead.
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It is this repentance and the faith intimately connected with it, which are expressed
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in those strong lines. I sin in every breath, Thy draw, nor
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do thy will, nor keep thy law on earth. As angels do above,
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But still the fountain open stands washes my feet, my heart, my
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hands, till I am perfected in love. We may observe. Thirdly,
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a deep conviction of our utter helplessness, of our total inability to retain anything
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we have received, much more to deliver ourselves from the world of iniquity,
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remaining both in our hearts and lives, teaches us truly to live upon Christ
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by faith, not only as our priest, but as our King. Hereby
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we are brought to magnify Him, indeed, to give him all the glory
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of his grace, to make him a whole Christ, an entire savior,
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and truly to set the crown upon his head. These excellent words, as
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they have frequently been used, have little or no meaning, but they are
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fulfilled in a strong and deep sense. When we, thus, as it
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were, go out of ourselves in order to be swallowed up in Him,
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when we sink into nothing, that He may be all in all, then
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his almighty grace, having abolished every high thing which exalted itself against him,
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every temper and thought and word and work is brought to the obedience of Christ.
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Londonderry, April twenty fourth seventeen sixty seven end of Section fourteen