=> Pb. Ixxxiv. 7, and cxix. 106 ; Col. i. 10; 2 Cor. vii. 1, seq.
108 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, KARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
feet : but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' i Received measures of holiness will not satisfy a holy soul ; so much holiness as will keep hell and his soul asunder will not satisfy him ; nor so much holiness as will bring him to happi- ness will not satisfy him ; he will be still reaching and stretching out after the highest measures of holiness ; his desires are for more holi- ness, Ps. xxvii. 4. The beauties of holiness do so aifect him and inflame him, that he cannot but desire to be more and more holy. Lord, saith the soul, I desire to be more holy, that I may glorify thy name more, that I may honour my profession more, and that I may serve my generation more. Lord, I desire to be more holy, that I may sin less against thee, and that I may enjoy more of thee ; I would be more holy, that I may be more prevalent with thee, and that 1 may be more victorious over all things below thee. And as a man of holi- ness desires more holiness, so a man of holiness earnestly prays for more holiness, Ps. li. 2, 7. He prayeth that he may be filled with the fruits of righteousness, and that he may go on from faith to faith, and from strength to strength, Job xvii. 9, and Prov. iv. 18 ; he prayeth that his spark of holiness may be turned into a flame, his drop of holiness into a sea, and his mite of holiness into a rich treasury ; he prayeth that he may, like the eagle, fly higher and higher, and that his soul may be like the rising sun, that shines brighter and brighter till it be perfect day ; he prayeth that he may, like the giant refreshed, rejoice to run his course, and that holiness in his soul, like the waters in Ezekiel's sanctuary, may still be rising higher and higher. It was Beza's prayer, ' Lord, perfect what thou hast begun in me, that I may not suffer shipwreck when I am almost at heaven.' And as a man of holiness prayeth for more holiness, so a man of holi- ness believes for more holiness. Ps. li. 7: in your translations you read the words prayerwise, but in the Hebrew the words run in the future thus : ' Thou wOt purge me from sin with hyssop, and I shall be clean : thou wilt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.' In the sense of all his sinfulness and vileness, he believes that God will give out greater measures of purity and sanctity to him : ' Thou wilt purge me, and I shall be clean : thou wilt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.' So in Ps. Ixv. 3, ' Iniquities prevail against me : as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.' Though for the present iniquity did prevail, yet he had faith enough to believe that God would purge him from his transgressions, and that he would mortify prevailing corruptions. And as a man of holiness believes for more holiness, so a man of holiness hopes for more holiness, 1 John iii. 2-4. In every ordinance he hopes for more holiness, and under every providence he hopes for more holiness, and under every muta- tion and change of his condition he hopes for more holiness, 2 Pet. iii. 14. When he is in prosperity, he hopes that God will make him
^ A metaphor from runners in a race, who strain and stretch out themselves to the utmost, that they may take hold on the mark or prize that is set before them.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 100
more zealous, thankful, cheerful, fruitful, and useful ; and when he is in adversity, he hopes that God will inflame his love, and raise his faith, and increase his patience, and strengthen his submission, and quiet his heart in a gracious resignation of himself to God. I dare boldly say that that man was never truly holy, who endeavours not to get up to the highest pitches of holiness. Ille non est bonus, qui non vult esse melior. True holiness knows no restrictions nor limitation. But now counterfeit holiness is either like Hezekiah's sun, which went backward ; or like Joshua's sun, which stood still ; or hke Ephraim's morning cloud, which soon passed away. No round but the highest round in Jacob's ladder will satisfy a holy soul. True holiness makes a man divinely covetous. Look, as the victorious man can never make conquests enough, nor the ambitious man can never have honour enough, nor the voluptuous man pleasure enough, nor the worldUng mammon enough, nor the wanton vain embraces enough, no more can a man of holiness have ever holiness enough in this world. As the grave and the barren womb are never satisfied, they never say it is enough. Pro v. xxx. i5, 16; so a holy man, whilst he is a-this side eternity, he is never satisfied, he can never say that he hath holiness enough.