Vast as this blessing was, he did not doubt of obtaining it in their behalf. This appears from,
II. The assurance given —
To the attainment of this blessed state God " calleth us" in his Gospel —
[" God hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holi- ness," even to the highest measure of it that can possibly be attained. He says not only, " Be ye holy, for I am holy?;" but, " Be ye holy, as I am holy," and " perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect2."]
And, as " the God of peace," he promises to raise us to it —
[" God, having given us his Son to bear our sins in his own body on the tree, and to " make reconciliation for us through the blood of the cross," is pleased to reveal himself to us under the endearing character of " the God of peace :" and being now " our God and Father in Christ Jesus," he under- takes to do for us all that shall be necessary for our final acceptance with him in the day of judgment. He promises to " sprinkle clean water upon us, and to cleanse us from all our filthiness, and from all our idols a." He teaches us also to look, not to his mercy only, or his power, to effect this, but to his truth and faithfulness, yea, and to his very justice too: " He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness V This, I say, he promises to us, being first of all become, through the atoning blood of Christ, a " God of peace." We are not to get sanctification first, and then, in consequence of that sanctification, to find him a " God of peace ;" but first to look to him as reconciled to us in Christ Jesus, and then to experience the sanctifying opera- tions of his Spirit. This order must be particularly noticed in our text, as also in the Epistle to the Hebrews, where it is particularly marked0: if we overlook this, we shall be in danger of misapprehending and perverting the whole Gospel of Christ : but if we bear this in mind, then may we expect from God a full and complete salvation. In many places does he pledge his faithfulness to do for us all that we can stand in need of, and never to discontinue his mercies towards usd
He may pivnish us, and hide his face from us ; but he
will not utterly abandon us, or cast us offe.]
y 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. z Matt. v. 48. a Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 27.
" 1 John. i. 9. c Heb. xiii. 20, 21.
* 1 Cor. i. 8, 9. and 2 Thess. iii. 3. e Ps. lxxxix. 30—36. Jer. xxxii. 40.