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8/12/2019 1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon
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"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
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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
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8/12/2019 1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon
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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
A holy man will follow
miserable sinner,
John
October,
996
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8/12/2019 1996 Issue 8 - Are You Holy? - Counsel of Chalcedon
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Bradford."
Ciood
old Mr.
Cirimshawe's last words,
when he lay on his death
bed, were these, Here goes
an unprofitable servant."
A holy man will follow
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.
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man
will
follow
after spiritual value everything, and
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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