1. Purifying our hearts from sin —
[Our blessed Lord is said to " dwell in use," and to be " one with us, even as he and his Father are onef." Now it is a fact, that his people are universally, and without excep- tion, holy. And whence comes this? Is it from any power of their own ? No ; it is from the mighty working of his power in us : as the Apostle says, " I am crucified with Christ : nevertheless I live : yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for meC Were we "separate from him, we could do nothing11:" but, through the mighty working of his power in us, we " die unto sin and live unto righteousness," and attain a meetness for our heavenly inheritance.]
2. Transforming us into his blessed image —
[This, after all, is the crowning work of redemption. Till this is effected, we may well stand in doubt both of our- selves and others. St. Paul, addressing the Galatian converts, says, " My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you1." To say the truth, till this is effected, nothing is done to any good purpose. It is not Christ on the cross, nor Christ in heaven, no, nor Christ in the heart, that will save us, unless his image be there formed in righteousness and true holiness. This is strongly declared by the Apostle Paul, in the third chapter of this epistle ; where he says, " Put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him ; where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circum- cision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free ; but Christ (that is, the image of Christ) is all, and in allk." But, when this great work is wrought, we need not fear : we may entertain a well-founded hope ; yea, we may have " a full assurance of hope," that, " where he is, there we shall be also ;" and that, " when He, who is our life, shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory1."]
Address —
1. Those who are deluding themselves with false hopes —
[There is not any one who does not conceive himself entitled to indulge a hope of happiness hereafter. But, to entertain any such hope without having received the Lord
e Eph. iii. 17. f John xvii. 21, 23. & Gal. ii. 20.
& John xv. 5. ! Gal. iv. 19, 20. * Col. iii. 10, 11.
i Col. iii. 4.