Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the LifeBrown, John
Religion
Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Brown, John
Bible. John XIV, 6 -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Jesus Christ; Justification (Christian theology); Sanctification
4. Albeit it be true that the power and grace of God alone, doth begin
and carry on this work of sanctification in the soul: yet though he
might, did he but see it for his glory, carry on and finish this work in
the soul, without the intervention of second causes or means, he hath
notwithstanding thought it fit, for the glory of his name, to work this
work by means, and particularly by believers setting about the work. He
worketh not in man as if he were a block or a stone, but useth him as a
rational creature, endued with a rational soul, having useful and
necessary faculties, and a body fired by organs to be subservient to the
soul in its actions. Therefore the believer must not think to lie by and
do nothing, for he is commanded to work out his own salvation, and that
because it is God that worketh in him both to will and to do. Because
God worketh all, therefore he should work; so reasoneth the apostle. So
that God's working is an argument and motive to the man to work, and not
an argument to him to lie by idle and do nothing. And here is the holy
art and divine skill requisite in this business, to wit, for the
believer to be as diligent and active as if he could bring forth fruit
in his own strength, and by his own working; and yet to be as abstracted
from himself, his own grace, ability, knowledge, experience, in his
working, as if he were lying by like a mere block, and only moving as
moved by external force.
5. The soul that would make progress in Christianity, and grow in grace,
would remember that Christ is proposed to us as a copy, which we are to
imitate, and that therefore we should set Christ continually before us
as our pattern, that we may follow his steps, 1 Pet. i. 15, and ii. 21.
But withal it would be remembered, that he is not like other ensamples
or copies, that can help the man that imitateth them in no other way
than by their objective prospect; for looking by faith on this copy,
will bring virtue to the man that studieth to imitate, whereby he shall
be enabled to follow his copy better. O! if we knew in experience what
this were, to take a look of Christ's love, patience, long-suffering,
meekness, hatred of sin, zeal, &c, and by faith to pore in, till, by
virtue proceeding from that copy, we found our hearts in some measure
framed into the same disposition, or at least more inclined to be cast
into the same mould!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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