1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon

8/12/2019 1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon

1/4

"Holiness, without which and

more

profitable

to your

preachers, the Jews

in

no man shall

see

the Lord." -

sou .

t

is a solemn thing to Ezekiel's time had that: nor

Heb.1.2:14.

hear C;od saying, Without keeping company with godly

Reader- I offer

you

this

holiness

no man

shall see

the

people, Joab, and C;ehazi, and

passage of Scripture as a

Lord." Heb. 1.2:14.

Demas had that.

Yet

none

of

subject for

self-inquiry; and I

I shall endeavour,

by C;od's

these were

holy.

These things

invite you to think over

the

help, to set

before

you what

alone

are

not holiness. A man

question before

your eyes,

true

holiness is, the reasons

may have anyone

of

them,

."Are you holy "

why it is so needful, and

the

and yet never see the Lord.

It is l

question

that can

way

in

which

alone it can be

What then

is

true holiness

never

be out of season.

The

attained. The

Lord

grant you

It is

a hard question

to

wise man tells us, 'There

is

a

may see

and feel the answer. I

do

not mean that I

time to

weep, and a time

to

importance of the subject, and find a want of matter on the

laugh,

a

time to keep

subject. But I

fear

lest I

silence, and a time to should give a

defective

speak/' (Eccles. 3:4,7.)

view of holiness, and not

but there

is

no time, no,

say

all

that ought

to

be

not

a day, in which a

said; or lest I should

man ought not to be

speak

things about

it

that

holy. Reader,

are you

ought not to be spoken,

It is a question that

and so do harm. Suffer

concerns

all ranks and lay down this

paper,

when

me, however, to say a few

conditions of

men.

Some are

you have read it, wiser and

words that may help to

clear

rich, and some are poor, some

better

men.

your mind. Remember only,

learned, and some unlearned,

I First then, let me try to

when I have said

all,

that my

some masters, and

some

show

you

what true

holiness

account

is but a poor imperfect

servants;

but

there

is

no rank

is, and what sort of persons

outline at the

best.

or

condition in life

in

which a

man ought not to be holy.

are

those

whom C;od

calls

Holiness is the habit of

Reader,

are

you

holy

being of

one

mind with C;od,

Iask to

be

heard today

A man may go great

according

as

we

find

his mind

about this question. How

lengths, and yet

never reach

described in

Scripture. It is

the

habit

of

agreeing

in C;od's

stands the

account

between

true

holiness. It is not

your

souls and C;od

Stay

a

knowledge, Balaam had that:

judgment, hating what he

hates,

loving what he loves,

little,

Ibeseech

you,

while I

nor great profession,

Judas

reason

with

you about

Iscariot

had

that:

nor doing

and measuring everything in

holiness.

I

believe

I might

many things, Herod had

that:

this world

by

the standard

of

have chosen a

subject more

nor

zeal

for

certain matters in

his word. He who most

popular and pleasant. Iam

religion, Jehu had that: nor

entirely

agrees with

C;od,

he

sure I might have found

one

morality and outward

is the most holy man.

more easy to handle. But I feel

respectability

of conduct,

the

A holy man will

deeply I could not have

young ruler had

that:

nor endeavour to shun every

chosen

one more

important

taking pleasure in hearing

known sin, and

keep

every

October, 996

t

THE COUNSEL of Chalcedon

t

2


2/4

known commandment. He

will have a decided bent of

mind.

towards

Ood,

'a hearty

desire to

do his will, a greClter

fear

ofdispleasing

him

than

of

displeasing the world,anda

love o.

all

his ways. He will

feel what

PClulfelt

when

he

.

said, "I delight

in

the law

of

Ood after the inward

man,"

R o m ~ 7 : 2 2 ) and what a ~ d

felt when he said, "I esteem

all thy

precepts

concerning all things to

be right, and I hate

every

f ~ l s e way." Psalm

119:128.

A holy man \:ViII strive

to l1e like our LordJesus

Christ; .o have the mind

that was

in

him, and

to

be

conformed to his

image.

It

will be his

aim

to bear with

and forgive

others,

even as

Christ

forgave

us; to be

unselfish, even as Christ

pleased not himself,

to

walk

in love,

even as Christ

loved

us; tbbelowly-minded and

I; umblt,

tven as Christ made

himself of

no

reputation and

humbled himself; He will

remember thafChrist was a

faithful

witTless fot the truth,

that he came not

to

do

his

own will, that t was his nieat

arid drink

to

do his Father's

will, that he would

stoop

to

any work in otderto minister '

to

others; that he was meek

and patientundeT;undeserved

insults., that he thought

more.

of godly poor men than:of

kings,

that hewas

full.of love

and

compassion

to

sinnl; rs,

that he was bold and

uncompromising in

denouncing

sin,

that he

sought not the praise of

men,

when he might have had it;

. that

hI;

Went

about

doing

good, that he was separate

. from

w o r ~ d l y people, thilt

he

continued instant

in

prayer, .

that he woi.M not

let

eyen his

nearest relations stand in his

way when Ood's work was to

be done. These thIngs a holy

man williry

to

remember. By

them he will endeavour to

shoW his course

in

life. He

win

lay

to

heart the

saying of

.

John, ~ ' H e that

saith

he

abideth In Christ

ought

himself

also so to

walk,

even

.

as he walked;" (I John 2:6)

and the

saying of

Peter, that

"Christ

suffered

fOfus, l e ~ v i n g

us an e x a m p l e t h ~ t

ye should

follow his

steps."

I

Peter

2:21.

Much time would be sayed;

and. much. sin

prevented;

if

men would oftener

sk

themselves the question, ,

What would Christ say and

do, if he were in my

placid"

But

time would

fail

me if I

were

to

mention all

the things

22

all COUNSl'L

()f

Chalcedon ct )ber,1996

which

go to

milke up hoMess

of \%lTacter. Still Imust .ask .'

you to bear with mewhile I

name a few things which, '

come

uppermost

in .my .

thoughts, he darYs we

live. in

make me anxious

that there

shouldl1eno

mistake

'uppn

this subject. How

(;an we

know whether

we

are holy,

unless

we

have

a clear View

of whatholiness k ~ s inl '

J\ holYmaU will ..

follow

after meekness,

long-suffering,

gentleness, .

kind temper, government

.

of

his

tongue,

He will

.bear much,

forl1earmuch,

overlook much,

and be ,

slow to talk of standing on

his

rights. ):'\ll,l

.

see

~ ~ r i g h t

example of

thiS

benayioVT of

.

David when Shimei cursed

him, and of

Moses

when

Aaron and

i r i ~ m spake

against him.

A

holy

manwiU follow ,

after temperance

and self

denial. He will

labour

to;

mortify

the

desires

of his

bodW

.

to crucify his Aesh with its

affections and

lusts; to. curb his

passions,

to

r,e*aiTl.his' cam ,.

inclinations,

lest at any

time

.

they.break IO(jse., ~ I

w ~ a t . a

word is thafof the Lord

Jesus

,

to the

apostles,

T a k e h e e ~

to

yourselyes, .lest at any time

your hearts be overcharged

withsllrreitij1g, ilnd

drunkenness" a)1d cares of tliis

life;"(Lu1


3/4

my body

and

bring it into spiritual wants and misery

after

the

fear

of (jod. 1do not

subjection, lest that

by any around

him

as

far

as he

can.

mean

the fear of a slave, who

means when 1have preached

Such was Dorcas, full of good

only works because

he

is

to others, 1

myself should

be

works

and

almsdeeds,

which

afraid

of punishment, and

cast-away." 1Cor. 9:'17.

she

did;

not merely purposed

would

be idle

if he did not

A

holy man

will follow

and

talked about,

but did.

dread

discovery. 1mean rather

after

charity and

brotherly-

Such an

one

was Paul, I will

the

fear of a child, who

kindness. He will endeavour

very

gladly spend

and

be

wishes

to

live

and

move

as if

to observe

the

golden rule, of

spent for you,"

he

says

he

was always

before

his

doing

as he

would have

men

"though

the

more abundantly

father's face, because he loves

do

to

him,

and speaking as

he

1 ove

you the less

1be

loved.

him. What a noble example

would

have men

speak to

IICor. 16:1'1,15.

Nehemiah

gives

us of this

A holy man will follow

When

he

became governor at

him. He will

be

full of

affection

towards

his brethren,

after

purity of

heart.

He will

Jerusalem he might have been

their bodies, their

property,

dread

all

filthiness and

chargeable to

the Jews, and

uncleanness of spirit, and seek

required of them money for

their

characters,

their

his

support.

The

former

feelings,

their

souls.

He

governors had done so.

that loveth another,"

says

There was none to blame

Paul,

"hath fulfilled the

him if he did. But he says,

law. Rom. 13:8.

He

will

abhor

all

lying, slandering,

"So

did

not L

because of

the

fear

of (jod. Nehem.

backbiting, cheating,

dishonesty,

and unfair

5:15

dealing,

even in

the

least

to avoid all things that might

A

holy

man will follow

things. The shekel and cubit

draw him into

it.

He knows

after

humility.

He will desire

of the

sanctuary

were larger

his

own heart is like tinder,

in lowliness of mind to esteem

than

those in common

use.

and will diligently

keep

clear

all

others

better than

himself.

Alas

what condemning

of the sparks of temptation.

He will see more evil in his

Who shall

dare

to

talk

own

heart than in

any

other in

words are the

13th

chapter of

1Corinthians, and the

strength, when David can

the

world. He will understand

faUl

There is

many

a hint

to

something of Abraham's

Sermon

on

the

Mount, when

laid alongside the conduct of

be gleaned

from

the

feeling, when he says, I am

ceremonial law. Vnder t the

dust and

ashes;"

and Jacob's

many professing

Christians

man who only

touched

a

when

he says,

I am less than

A

holy

man will follow

bone, or a dead body, or a

the least of all thy mercies;"

after a spirit of mercy and

grave, or a

diseased

person,

and Job's

when he says, I

am

benevolence

towards

others. became

at

once

unclean in the

vile;"

and

Paul's

when he

says,

He will not stand all the day

sight of (jod. And

these

I

am the

chief of sinners."

idle. He will not be content

things were

emblems

and

Holy Bradford, that faithful

with doihg

no

harm, he will

figures.

Few

Christians

are

martyr of Christ, would

t y to

do

good. He will

strive

ever

too watchful and too

sometimes

finish

his

letters

to

be

useful in his

day and

particular about this point.

with these words, A most

generation, and to lessen the


miserable sinner,

John

October,

996

t THE COUNSEL

of Chalcedon

t

23


4/4

Bradford."

Ciood

old Mr.

Cirimshawe's last words,

when he lay on his death

bed, were these, Here goes

an unprofitable servant."


after faithfulness

in

aU

the

duties

and

relations

in

life.

He

will try, not merely

to

fill his

place as well as others, but

even better, because he has

higher motives and

more

help

than they. Those words of

Paul

should never be

forgotten, Whatever ye

do,

do it heartily as unto the

Lord."

Not

slothful in

business,

fervent in spirit,

serving the

lord."

Holy

persons should

aim

at doing

everything well, and

should

be ashamed

of

allOwing

themselves to do anything

ill,

if

they

can

help

it.

Like

Daniel, they should

seek to

give no occasion against

themselves,

except

as

concerning the law of their

Ciod. They should strive

to

be

good husbands, and good

wives, good parents, good

children; good masters, and

good servants;

good

neighbours,

good

friends, and

good subjects.

Holiness is

worth little indeed, if it

does

not bear this kind of fruit. The

Lord Jesus

puts

a searching

question

to

his people, when

he says, What do

ye more

than

others "

Last, but not least, a

holy

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

BULK RATE

Permit No. 1553

Greenville, SC

29602

man

will

follow

after spiritual value everything, and

place,

mindedness. He will and company, just in

endeavour

to set

his affections

proportion as

it draws him

entirely on

things

above,

and

nearer

to

Ciod.

He will enter

to

hold

things on

earth

with a

into

something of

David's

very loose

hand. He will not

feeling,

when he

says,

My

neglect the business of

the

life soul

followeth

hard after

that now is, but the first place thee." 'Thou art my portion."

in

his

mind and thoughts will Psalm 63:8 - 119:57.

be given to

the life

to come. Such

is

the

outline of

He will aim to live

like

one holiness,

which

I

set

before

whose treasure is in heaven, you; such is the character

and topass through this world. which those who

are

called

like

a stranger and

pilgrim

holy

follow

after.

(TO E

traveling to his home. To CONTINUED)

commune with

Ciod

in

prayer,

in the Bible, and in the

assembly of his people, these

things will

be the

holy man's

chiefest

enjoyments. He will

24 i THE COUNSEL

of Chalcedon

i October,

1996

Documents

1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon