We shall, I. Ascertain the nature of holiness —
Holiness is a conformity of heart and life to the revealed will of God —
But, to enter more fully into the subject, it implies,
1. That we love the whole will of God —
[There is not any thing that more truly characterizes a Christian than this : it draws a line of distinction between him and all other persons upon earth. The self-righteous Pharisee, and the most refined hypocrite, have secret objections against the law of God ; they think its precepts too strict, and its sanctions too severe. They would be glad if it left them some- what greater latitude. They would be content that it should forbid gross outward sins, and insist on the performance of outward duties : but that it should call for continual self-denial, that it should require brokenness of heart and contrition for the most secret offences, and demand the utmost exertion of all our faculties in the service of our God, this appears too much ; they would wish for an easier way to heaven.
But a person that possesses the smallest measui'c of true holiness, is the very reverse of this. He lothes himself for not complying more perfectly with the demands of the law ; but he never condemns the law as too strict ; he would not have it require one jot or tittle less than it does. He even admires and loves it for its purity ; he says with David, " The com- mandment of the Lord is pure, therefore thy servant loveth it." He acknowledges it to be not only " holy, and just, but good" also, and calculated to make every one happy that obeys it. And though he cannot obey it perfectly, he can truly say, " I delight in the law of God after my inward man :" yea, the language of his heart is, " O that my ways were made so direct, that I might keep thy statutes."]
2. That we live in no allowed deviation from it — [We mean not to say, that a Christian experiences no
deviations from the law of God; (for, alas! he is conscious of many) but he does not alloio them. Others will obey the will of God as far as will consist with their interests and reputation ; or with the exception of some bosom sin ; but there will always be found, in insincere persons, some secret lust for which they plead-, and in reference to which they say, " Pardon thy servant in this thing."
But true holiness admits of no reserves, no limitations, no exceptions : and he who possesses it will stop short of nothing that God has commanded. He may do what is wrong, either
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through ignorance or temptation ; but he will not persist in it : he will endeavour to mortify the whole body of sin. He will no more allow himself in secret sins, whether of omission or of commission, than he will commit the greatest enormities. Like David he says, " I esteem thy commandments concerning all things to be right ; therefore 1 hate every false way ;" that is, I love the ways of duty, so that I would walk in them even if there were no reward ; and I hate the ways of sin, so that I would shun them, though I were sure never to incur punish- ment.]
3. That we actually grow in a conformity to it — [Sanctification is a progressive work. A child of God arrives not at full stature but by degrees : he is constantly growing in grace : the vernal bloom gradually advances to the autumnal fruit. There may indeed be seasons wherein he may appear to decline, or may really suffer a declension : but if he have the grace of God in his heart, he will revive, and return to God with more fervour and steadfastness. Nor will he ever think he has already attained, or is already perfect ; but " forgetting the things that are behind, he will reach forward unto that which is before."