p ursuing holiness - wtsbooks.com · i. moore, t. m. (terry michael), 1949– ii. title. bt767.e39...

P U R S U I N G

H O L I N E S SI N T H E L O R D

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Jonathan Edwards for Today’s Reader

T. M. MOORE, SERIES EDITOR

Also in this series:Growing in God’s SpiritPraying Together for True Revival

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P U R S U I N G

HOLINESSI N T H E L O R D

J O N A T H A N

E D W A R D S

E D I T E D b y T . M . M O O R E

I N T R O D U C T I O N b y

R O B E R T M . N O R R I S

Ri i i

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© 2005 by The Jonathan Edwards Institute

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—exceptfor brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, withoutthe prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O.Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.

Page design by Tobias DesignTypesetting by Lakeside Design Plus

Printed in the United States of America

LLiibbrraarryy ooff CCoonnggrreessss CCaattaallooggiinngg--iinn--PPuubblliiccaattiioonn DDaattaaEdwards, Jonathan, 1703–1758.

Pursuing holiness in the Lord / Jonathan Edwards ; edited byT. M. Moore ; introduction by Robert M. Norris.

p. cm. — (Jonathan Edwards for today’s reader)Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN-10: 1-59638-012-8 (pbk.)ISBN-13: 978-1-59638-012-7 (pbk.)1. Holiness—Christianity—Early works to 1800. 2. Chris-

tian life—Congregational authors. I. Moore, T. M. (TerryMichael), 1949– II. Title.

BT767.E39 2005234'.8—dc22

2005049439

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To

James A. R. Johnson

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ContentsSeries Introduction ixEditor’s Preface xvIntroduction by Robert M. Norris 1

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1 A Call to Imitate 132 Seeking the Good of Our Souls (1) 213 Seeking the Good of Our Souls (2) 314 The Virtues of Paul toward God 395 The Virtues of Paul toward Men 536 The Virtues of Paul toward God and Men 617 Following Paul’s Example 81

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8 Hope and Comfort at Conversion 999 Hope and Comfort for the Christian 119

10 Reasons for This Doctrine 14111 Application of the Doctrine 151

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PPaarrtt 33:: TThhee PPrreecciioouussnneessss ooff TTiimmee aanndd tthhee IImmppoorrttaannccee ooff RReeddeeeemmiinngg IItt

12 The Preciousness of Time 17313 Improving Time 187

Index of Scripture 197

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Series IntroductionJonathan Edwards (1703–1758) is one of the great

figures of American church history. Pastor, theologian,evangelist, missionary, husband, and father, Edwards wasmightily used of God in his day, and his written works con-tinue to instruct and nurture those who take the time tostudy them in our own. During his tenure as pastor in theCongregational church in Northampton, Massachusetts,Edwards’s preaching was the catalyst God’s Spirit used toignite two powerful seasons of revival, including the GreatAwakening of the 1740s. He was a man of the Book and aman of the church, devoting himself to the study of God’sWord and the work of pastoral care and edification in con-gregations in New York City, Northampton, and Stock-bridge, Massachusetts, where he served as a missionary toNative Americans. Although he was elected president ofPrinceton College in 1757, his untimely death made histenure there all too brief.

This series is devoted to bringing the sermons andother works of Jonathan Edwards to today’s readers in aform that can make for careful reading, thoughtful consid-eration, lively discussion, and significant growth in thegrace and knowledge of the Lord. Edwards preached tofarmers and merchants, homemakers and youth, Native

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Americans and small-town professionals. Although his lan-guage can seem at times obscure and the logic of his argu-ments demands our diligent attention, the ordinary peopleof his day understood him quite well. For nearly three hun-dred years the works of Jonathan Edwards have instructedand inspired pastors, theologians, and lay readers to agreater love of God and more diligence in spreading God’slove to others. This suggests that Edwards’s works canserve us in our generation as well.

Edwards’s sermons and books are steeped in Scriptureand employ careful exposition and rigorous logic to makethe glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ clear and com-pelling. His was indeed a “rational Biblical theology,” toborrow a phrase from Dr. John Gerstner, to whom con-temporary Christians owe a great debt for his tireless pro-motion and exposition of the works of the greatesttheologian ever to grace the American ecclesiastical scene.For a variety of reasons—among them the demandingnature of Edwards’s writing; his use, at times, of archaic orunfamiliar terms; and the difficulty of procuring hisworks—contemporary readers have not availed themselvesof Edwards’s sermons and books as much as they might. Totheir enormous credit, the editors and publishers of theBanner of Truth Trust have labored to overcome these dif-ficulties by making a large number of Edwards’s worksavailable in two hefty volumes and by publishing individualsermons and books as separate publications. We are grate-ful to the Trust for granting us permission to use the edi-tion of Edwards’s works prepared by Edward Hickman,

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first published in 1834 and kept in print by Banner since1974, for the texts in this series.

The books in this series present the works of Edwards intheir original form, as prepared by Hickman, without signif-icant modification in his language. At times we have updatedthe spelling of a word, altered punctuation, or included Scrip-ture references that Edwards omitted in his texts. We haveadded headings and subheadings to clarify his arguments,divided some long paragraphs, and portioned each work intoshort chapters to allow for more careful and considered read-ing. We have also incorporated study questions at the end ofeach chapter to promote thoughtful reflection on the mean-ing and application of Edwards’s arguments and to encourageuse of his works in reading and discussion groups.

This series is prepared under the sponsorship of theJonathan Edwards Institute, whose mission—to promote andnurture a God-entranced worldview—mirrors that ofEdwards. We are grateful to Allan Fisher and the staff of P&RPublishing for their vision for and commitment to the planand purposes of this series. Our hope is that the books in thisseries will introduce Jonathan Edwards to a new generation ofreaders and draw them more deeply and passionately into theknowledge of God. We offer them with the hope that God,who sent the Spirit of revival to his church in Edwards’s day,might be pleased to use this series as he moves to revive,renew, and restore his glory in his Bride once again.

T. M. MooreThe Jonathan Edwards Institute

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= = =A series of volumes dedicated to the memory of one of

whom many people are unaware needs some explanation.Yet those who have known Jim Johnson understand at oncewhy an exploration of the thought of Jonathan Edwards isa fitting tribute.

Jim was a husband to Martha and father to three sons,Mark, Steve, and David, who are dedicated followers ofChrist. He was the mentor and encourager of untold num-bers of young men in every walk of life and served as anelder in his church, the Fourth Presbyterian Church inBethesda, Maryland.

Jim possessed many intellectual qualifications. Hewas trained in the liberal arts, and he possessed a doc-toral degree in jurisprudence. Far from living in aca-demic isolation, he also held various positions withinAmerican corporate life, and he worked and moved withease in government.

He was fully aware of the reality of the fallenness ofour humanity. He lived with it and experienced some of itsharshest dealings. Yet to each of his callings, and in all hisexperiences, Jim brought a devotion to Christ and a love oftruth. He was an example of one who sought to bring allof life captive to the Word of God.

Jim Johnson serves as a model to those who seek to har-ness a vital, living relationship with Christ with an honestpursuit of working that out with theological integrity andethical rigor. When faced with the diagnosis of inoperable

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cancer, he showed that, as Jonathan Edwards oftenremarked, Christians can die well. Like Edwards’s faith,Jim’s was real, true, and practical, and it demanded to beworked out in intellectual, experiential, and ethical ways.

Redeemed by Christ, Jim lived life in gratitude, whichis why each one of us who knew him mourned the passingof a great encourager, a powerful mentor, and a humble ser-vant of the Lamb.

Robert M. NorrisSenior Pastor

Fourth Presbyterian ChurchBethesda, Maryland

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Editor’s PrefaceWith this, the third volume in our series Jonathan

Edwards for Today’s Reader, it seems a good time to reflecton the progress of this series to date. The first two vol-umes focused primarily on the work of God’s Holy Spiritin bringing faith, growth, and revival to his people. Growingin God’s Spirit examined Edwards’s view of the role of theHoly Spirit in bringing new life to lost sinners and in help-ing them to make progress in the life of faith. Of course,that volume also looked at the believer’s responsibility inthe matter of Christian growth; however, the primary focuswas on the work of God’s Spirit in shining a divine andsupernatural light into the hearts of his people, and open-ing up the vision of life as a pilgrimage to glory, so that thefollowers of Christ might know him and grow in the graceand knowledge of the Lord.

In the second volume, Praying Together for True Revival(Edwards’s book, An Humble Attempt), we saw how theSpirit works to call God’s people together to pray that hewill send his Spirit with renewed power and glory torevive his people and awaken the lost to the salvation thatis in Jesus Christ. Again, the people of God have a dutybefore the Lord to come together in united, explicit,extraordinary prayer for the revival of true religion. But

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even this is the work of God’s Spirit, as must be thesought-for revival.

In this third volume we begin to explore more pointedlyEdwards’s teaching concerning the believer’s responsibilityfor growing in the life of faith, beginning with his or herrole in God’s work of sanctification. Once again God andhis grace take center stage—as in all of Edwards’s works—as the great Northampton preacher leads us through threesermons showing how God is pleased to work out his sal-vation in the lives of those who love him. But the primaryfocus is on what God requires of us—how we must take upour duties and make the most of every opportunity forimproving our relationship with Jesus Christ.

In a day when, over and over, we hear that Christians arenot all that different from their unbelieving contempo-raries at expressing their faith in everyday life, it is impor-tant that we understand and take up our calling to pursueholiness in the Lord. The Scriptures make this call in manyways: we are to work out our salvation in fear and trem-bling, to pursue holiness in the fear of the Lord, to be holyas God our Father is holy, to grow in the grace and knowl-edge of the Lord Jesus Christ, to run the race that is setbefore us with our eyes fixed on Jesus, to press on, to dogood as often as we have opportunity, to bear fruit that willabide, and so forth. There is no getting around the biblicalteaching that being a Christian means that we are to be dif-ferent from those around us who are not. Christians are tobe the light of truth in a world of relativism and darkness,a leaven of goodness in the loaf of a sinful world, the salt

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of the earth, and a city set on a hill for all to see. That weare all too often none of these things leaves us vulnerable tocharges of hypocrisy and irrelevance, and makes our procla-mation of the Good News of Jesus a matter of indiffer-ence, or even scorn, to a world searching for somethingsubstantial in which to hope.

Edwards’s call to pursue holiness in the Lord, there-fore, could hardly be more timely. As we begin to look morepointedly at Edwards’s teaching concerning the life offaith, we trust that this third volume in the series JonathanEdwards for Today’s Reader will mark out a path thatmany will take up anew with fresh vision and commitment.The call to holiness is an invitation to the path of blessed-ness, comfort, and joy in the Lord. It is not an easy path,and we may often stray from it into the wilderness of sin.However, the duty remains for each believer to considerhow we may begin to make better use of our time, redeem-ing more and more of it for the work of the kingdom andthe pursuit of holiness in the Lord. Without such a com-mitment, the life of faith is shallow and unfulfilling atbest, nonexistent at worst.

Let Edwards’s call to pursue holiness in the Lord catchyou up in a new way in the walk of faith. And, for those ofyou just joining us in this series, may it lead you to seekEdwards’s guidance and encouragement in the other vol-umes of our series as well.

T. M. Moore

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IntroductionAll of us, at some time or another, have to ask ourselves

the great questions of life, such as, Who am I? and Why amI here? These are questions to which every Christian hasfound answers. We know that, by faith, our true identity isto be found “in Christ.” Through his sacrifice on the crossof Calvary, we have been reconciled to God, and we are nowadopted into the family of God. Our purpose now is to livealways to the praise and glory of God.

Understanding and living the Christian life—whatScripture refers to under the idea of “sanctification”—layat the core of the preaching of Jonathan Edwards. Becausethis is the case, his work continues to make an impactupon believers in every generation. His practical outwork-ing of issues is soundly based upon a firm theologicalunderstanding. In our generation there are few thingsmore necessary than to grasp again the great doctrine ofsanctification. In the three sermons that are contained inthis volume, we see the theologian and the pastor marry-ing truth and application in a way that gives his work itstimeless quality.

Edwards knew from his own experience that lovingJesus lies at the heart of the way in which our practical obe-dience to him is worked out. It is what makes the Christian

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life a life of love and not simply one of duty. Edwardswrote eloquently of this in his “Personal Narrative”:

Holiness, as I then wrote down some of my contempla-tions on it, appeared to me to be of a sweet, pleasant,charming, serene, calm nature. It seemed to me it broughtan inexpressible purity, brightness, peacefulness and rav-ishment to the soul: and that it made the soul like a fieldor garden of God, with all manner of pleasant flowers;that is all pleasant, delightful and undisturbed; enjoyinga sweet calm, and the gently vivifying beams of the sun.The soul of a true Christian, as I then wrote [in] mymeditations, appeared like such a little white flower as wesee in the spring of the year; low and humble on theground, opening its bosom to receive the pleasant beamsof the sun’s glory; rejoicing as it were in a calm rapture;diffusing around a sweet fragrancy; standing peacefullyand lovingly in the midst of other flowers round about;all in like manner opening their bosoms to drink in thelight of the sun.

There was no part of creature-holiness that I then,and at other times, had so great a sense of loveliness of,as humility, brokenness of heart and poverty of spirit:and there was nothing that I had such a spirit to longfor. My heart as it were panted after this, to lie lowbefore God, and in the dust: that I might be nothing,and that God might be all; that I might become as a lit-tle child.1

2 I n t r o d u c t i o n

1. Samuel Hopkins, The Life and Character of the Late Reverend Mr.Jonathan Edwards (Boston, 1765), 29–30.


In each of the works that are included in this, the thirdvolume in the series Jonathan Edwards for Today’s Reader,we see some of the important truths of the doctrine of sanc-tification made clear. Edwards reminds us with pointed clar-ity that practical sanctification is intimately andindispensably dependent upon the union of the believer toChrist. With the apostle Paul he makes clear that all of ourspiritual life, both its origination and its continuance,springs from our spiritual union with Jesus Christ. Herecorded in his diary on Saturday, December 22, 1722:“This day, revived by God’s Holy Spirit; affected with thesense of the excellency of holiness; felt more exercise of loveto Christ than usual. Have, also, felt sensible repentance forsin, because it was committed against so merciful and gooda God.”

Gratitude for life in Christ draws out of the believer adesire for holiness, even as it creates in the believer a healthyhatred of the sin that mars our life and disfigures us.

It is because Jesus Christ has lived the life that we shouldhave lived—a life of obedience to the law of God—andbecause he has died the death that we deserved—because ofour failure to keep the commands of God—that we areaccepted by God. The constant theme of the whole of theScripture is the gospel. Scripture also makes clear that ourfaith is not a work. Our new status is based wholly on themerits of Christ and not on anything about us. While a paint-brush may be the instrumental cause of a work of art, the realand efficient cause is, of course, the painter. In the same way,while faith may be the instrumental cause of our union with

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Christ—that which brings about salvation—the real or effi-cient cause—that which is finally responsible for salvation—is God.

In Edwards’s sermon “The Character of Paul an Exam-ple to the Christians,” we are shown the importance ofseeking the salvation of our souls in Jesus Christ alone.The urgency and intensity with which we pursue this goalnever obscures the fact that it is in Christ and not in ourefforts or merit that salvation is secured. In fact, Edwardsurges us to follow Paul in looking away from our works.The apostle makes clear that being a Christian demands achange of attitude not only to our sin, but also to our righ-teousness. The gospel and it alone is the source of our lifeand our assurance. With the great apostle we must beadamant that any change to the gospel, no matter howsmall that change may be, will result in massive distortionsin our understanding and spiritual experience. In fact, anychange will result in the gospel being no gospel at all.Edwards points us to the very core of what we believe.

However, Edwards also makes clear that the gospel is nodead thing; rather it is alive, and he reminds us that we mustalways be applying the gospel to our lives. With this empha-sis he assists us in recognizing and avoiding the twin dangersof rationalism and mysticism. Too easily some Christiansmove from a living relationship with Christ to an emphasisupon preserving the truth. Undoubtedly the gospel is pro-found doctrine, but it is truth about grace; it is alive andcannot be confined to the realm of the intellect alone. Thegospel is not merely an exercise in rational thought.



What is also true is that some Christians move to theother extreme, where a relationship with Jesus Christ isunderstood in solely mystical terms, and faith is divorcedfrom content or action and confined to the realm of experi-ence alone. Edwards shows us in this sermon that the gospelis alive. We do not simply learn it when we are convertedand then move on from there. The example that Pauloffered to the Philippians was of a strength in faith thatgrew out of a love for Christ. It manifested itself in prayer,praise, and a contentment with the mysterious actions ofprovidence in life. Edwards shows us that the gospel is thecontinual need of the believer. Sanctification is about thegospel working itself out in the life, experience, and witnessof the Christian. He shows us the fallacy of restricting thegospel to conversion alone. Yet today there are many who inpractice see the gospel as necessary to find Christ and thensee growth in the Christian life as a matter of hard work andobedience. While Edwards clearly affirms the place and useof the law in the life of the Christian, he never confuses jus-tification with sanctification, though he affirms the impos-sibility of separating justification and sanctification. Heshows how sanctification flows out of our justification.

In this Edwards again offers a warning to much ofmodern thinking, where justification emphasized at theexpense of sanctification leads to antinomianism, and sanc-tification emphasized at the expense of justification leadsto moralism. The great Tertullian wrote, “Just as Christwas crucified between two thieves, so the doctrine of justi-fication is ever crucified between two opposite errors.” The



errors to which Tertullian referred, and which steal thegospel from the experience of the believer, are “legalism”and “antinomianism,” or, as we would better describe themtoday, “moralism” and “relativism.” Both are destructive ofthe Christian life, and both are seductive in their own ways.The moralist will tend to emphasize truth without grace,or imply that we must obey truth in order to be saved. Therelativist will emphasize grace without truth, implying thatwe are all accepted by God, and arguing that everyone hasto decide which “truth” is right for him. Edwards shows usafresh that truth without grace is not really truth, and thatgrace without truth is not really grace.

In the second of the sermons included here, “Hope andComfort Usually Follow Genuine Humiliation and Repen-tance,” Edwards carries on this theme by reminding us thatthe great reality with which we struggle is sin. Many areunaware of the seriousness, depth, and power of sin, whichis why the idea of the sacrifice of Christ and the free graceof God has such little effect upon them. Edwards brings usa healthy dose of exposition of the law and offers a power-ful vision of the offended holiness of God, which serve tobring us to the reality of the conviction of sin. For manyof us, who hold rather too high a view of ourselves, thiswill be a helpful corrective.

Others, however, have an overwhelming sense of theirown inadequacy and see only their failings, and to theseEdwards brings the sweetness of the Christian experienceof God’s comfort. He reminds us that when we come tothe gospel, there is repentance and reliance upon Christ.



The biblical repentance to which Edwards draws us ismarked out by its all-encompassing nature. We repent notonly of our sins but also of our righteousness, as we see theutter unacceptability of even our best deeds. By resting inChrist, by which we see ourselves as completely accepted byhim, his record becomes ours, and our record is imputed tohim. His blessings and the reward of his sacrifice becomeours, and our sin is imputed to him. The consequence ofthis is an intense humility in our lives, and with it a bless-ing of comfort and sense of pardon. Paradoxically, we dis-cover that the more sinful we see ourselves, the moreradical appears the nature of the grace of God, and thesweeter the fruit of repentance becomes in our lives. Gen-uine repentance is brought about, ultimately, neither by thefear of consequences nor by the fear of rejection, but as aministry of the Holy Spirit, who gives to us a deep con-viction of the mercy of God.

Many people fail to recognize the nature of God’sholiness, and so they also fail to appreciate the depth ofhuman sin; thus they never fully learn to rejoice in thegreat grace of God. Others fail to appreciate the total andpermanent nature of God’s acceptance of his people by thework of Christ upon the cross and so live lives of fear.Edwards guides us to the understanding that, the more yourealize the reality of your sinful nature, the more you areled to appreciate the enormity of the grace of God, and themore you are driven to find your assurance not in yourworks of righteousness, but rather in the grace of Christ.The gospel creates the only kind of grief over sin that is



clean and does not crush, for it always points to Christ’sdying for the believer, and thus always assures the Chris-tian that Christ will never abandon or fail. The sight ofChrist dying for us is at once the very thing that convictsus to be holy and yet assures us, at the same time, that weare unfailingly loved. For at the same time that the crossreminds us that Christ died for us, it also convicts ourconsciences to seek to be holy out of gratitude.

The third of the sermons in our selection is “The Pre-ciousness of Time.” In this address we are reminded notonly of the very practical nature of our faith—that it hasto be worked out in the details of life—but also of theintimate and necessary inseparability of the mind and thesoul in the whole process of sanctification. To be holy isnot simply to do great and noble acts. Holiness is not justabout what we “do” any more than it is about the way we“feel.” In an age of activism that is coupled with a curiousspiritualism that is often more interested in feeling than inconviction, Edwards offers us a helpful and necessary cor-rective. He shows us in this sermon that we do need tothink in order to be holy. He challenges the idea that holi-ness is either a matter of emotion or of action. Instead hereminds us of the biblical conjoining of mind and soul. Hestresses the fact of our accountability before God, whichhas to be recognized and then acted upon. Edwards viewedthe mind as the palace of faith, and knowledge was “the soilin which the Spirit planted the seed of regeneration in thesoul.” He addressed the mind in order that the soul shouldbe blessed. This corrective to the culture of our generation



reminds us that we cannot devalue Christian content inworship, education, or preaching without incurring a highcost. Already there seems to be little distinction betweenChristians and non-Christians in the ways they think orbelieve, or, indeed, in how they live.

Christian assurance cannot be found by looking at thetransformed life, for that may be a life often lived more bylaw and fear than by grace and repentance. Nonetheless, theimportance of transformation is that it is an evidence ofthe work of God’s Spirit. Edwards always brings us ahealthy reminder that the Holy Spirit bears fruit in everypart of the Christian life.2 He breaks down the artificialbarriers erected between what is sacred and what is secular,forcing the believer to take seriously the call to devote thewhole of his life, and every part of life, to the service ofGod as a fruit of union with Christ. Edwards knew andtaught that we will grow in intimacy with Christ only whenwe live out a union with Christ.

There can hardly be a subject of more importance forthe followers of Jesus Christ today than that of sanctifica-tion. In these pluralistic, relativistic, and “tolerant” times,many Christians have begun to dance to the piper of post-modernism and have lost sight of our calling to follow theapostle Paul in pressing on in holiness in the Lord. Thesermons by Jonathan Edwards included in this volume can


2. For Edwards on the role of the Spirit in Christian growth, seevolume 1 in this series, Growing in God’s Spirit (Phillipsburg, N.J.:P&R, 2003).


provide a healthy and encouraging corrective to our falter-ing faith, and lead us to heights of holiness, joy, and pow-erful living that can bring renewal to our lives, ourchurches, and our culture.

Robert M. NorrisSenior Pastor

Fourth Presbyterian ChurchBethesda, Maryland

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= Part 1 =

The Character of Paul an Example to the Christians


= Chapter 1 =

A Call to ImitateEdwards shows that God has been pleased to give us many examplesto follow in pursuing holiness in the Lord. God himself is our supremeexample, especially as manifested in Jesus Christ. But that particularexample has some limitations, as Edwards explains. So God calls usin his Word to imitate others like ourselves, sinful human beings whohave learned how to pursue holiness, and from whom we have muchto learn. Primary among these, Edwards argues, is the apostle Paul.

=

PHILIPPIANS 3:17Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so asye have us for an ensample.

The apostle in the foregoing part of the chapter hadbeen telling how he counted all things but loss for theexcellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, and in the texthe urges that his example should be followed.

He does this in two ways.1. He exhorts the Philippian Christians to follow his

example. “Brethren, be followers together of me.” He

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exhorts them to be followers of him together; that is, thatthey should all follow his example with one heart and soul,all agreeing in it, and that all, as much as in them lay,should help and assist each other in it.

2. That they should take particular notice of othersthat did so, and put peculiar honor on them; which isimplied in the expression in the latter part of the verse,“mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.”

C h r i s t O u r G r e a t E x a m p l e

We ought to follow the good examples of the apostlePaul. We are to consider that the apostle did not say thisof himself from an ambitious spirit, from a desire of beingset up as a pattern and eyed and imitated as an example toother Christians. His writings are not of any private inter-pretation, but he spake as he was moved by the HolyGhost. The Holy Ghost directed that the good examples ofthe apostle Paul should be noticed by other Christians andimitated. And we are also to consider that this is not acommand to the Philippians only, to whom the epistle wasmore immediately directed, but to all those for whose usethis epistle was written, for all Christians to the end of theworld. For though God so ordered it that the epistles ofthe apostles were mostly written on particular occasionsand directed to particular churches, yet they were writtento be of universal use. And those occasions were so orderedin the wisdom of Divine Providence that they are a part ofthat infallible rule of faith and manners which God has

1 4 P a u l a n E x a m p l e t o t h e C h r i s t i a n s


given to the Christian church to be their rule in all ages.And the precepts that we find in those epistles are no moreto be regarded as precepts intended only for those to whomthe epistle was sent, than the Ten Commandments thatwere spoken from Mount Sinai to the children of Israel areto be regarded as commands intended only for that people.And when we are directed to follow the good examples ofthe apostle Paul by the Holy Ghost, it is not merely as weare to imitate whatever we see that is good in anyone, lethim be who he may. But there are spiritual obligations thatlie on Christians to follow the good examples of the greatapostle. And it hath pleased the Holy Ghost in an especialmanner to set up the apostle Paul not only as a teacher ofthe Christian church, but as a pattern to other Christians.

The greatest example of all that is set before us in theScripture to imitate is the example of Jesus Christ, whichhe set us in his human nature and when in his state ofhumiliation. This is presented to us not only as a great pat-tern, but as a perfect rule. And the example of no man isset forth as our rule but the example of Christ. We arecommanded to follow the examples which God himself setus, or the acts of the divine nature: “Be ye therefore fol-lowers of God, as dear children” (Eph. 5:1). And: “Be yetherefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven isperfect” (Matt. 5:48).

But the example of Christ Jesus when he was on earth ismore especially our pattern. For, though the acts of the divinenature have the highest possible perfection, and though hisinimitable perfection is our best example, yet God is so much

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above us, his nature so infinitely different from ours, that itis not possible that his acts should be so accommodated toour nature and circumstances as to be an example of so greatand general use as the perfect example in our nature whichChrist has set us. Christ, though a divine person, was man aswe are men; and not only so, but he was, in many respects, apartaker of our circumstances. He dwelt among men. Hedepended on food and raiment and such outward supports oflife as we do. He was subject to the changes of time and theafflictions and calamities of this evil world, and to abuse frommen’s corruptions, and to the same law and rule that we are;he used the same ordinances, and had many of our trials, andgreater trials than we. So that Christ’s example is chieflyoffered in Scripture for our imitation.

O t h e r E x a m p l e s f r o m S c r i p t u r e

But yet the example of some that are fallen creatures, aswe are, may in some respects be more accommodated to ourcircumstances and more fitted for our instruction than theexample of Jesus Christ. For though he became a man as weare, and was like us, and was in our circumstances in somany respects, yet in other things there was a vast differ-ence. He was the head of the church, and we are the mem-bers. He is Lord of all; we are his subjects and disciples.And we need an example that shall teach and direct us howto behave toward Christ our Lord and head. And this wemay have better in some that have Christ for their Lord aswell as we, than in Christ himself.



But the greatest difference lies in this: that Christ hadno sin, and we all are sinful creatures, all carry about withus a body of sin and death. It is said that Christ was madelike us in all things, sin only excepted. But this wasexcepted, and therefore there were many things required ofus of which Christ could not give us an example, such asrepentance for sin, brokenness of spirit for sin, mortifica-tion of lust, warring against sin. And the excellent exampleof some that are naturally as sinful as we has this advantage:that we may regard it as the example of those who were nat-urally every way in our circumstances, and labored under thesame natural difficulties and the same opposition of heartto that which is good, as ourselves; which tends to engageus to give more heed to their example, and the more toencourage and animate us to strive to follow it.

And therefore we find that the Scripture does not onlyrecommend the example of Christ, but does also exhibitsome mere men, that are of like passions with ourselves, aspatterns for us to follow.

Old Testament saintsSo it exhibits the eminent saints of the Old Testament,

of whom we read in the Scripture that they inherit thepromises: “That ye be not slothful, but followers of themwho through faith and patience inherit the promises”(Heb. 6:12). In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, a greatnumber of eminent saints are mentioned as patterns for usto follow. Abraham is in a particular manner set forth as anexample in his faith and as the pattern of believers: “And



the father of circumcision to them that are not of the cir-cumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faithof our father Abraham, which he had, being yet uncircum-cised” (Rom. 4:12).

And so the prophets of the Old Testament are also rec-ommended as patterns: “Take, my brethren, the prophets,who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an exampleof suffering affliction, and of patience” (James 5:10).

New Testament saintsAnd so, eminently holy men under the New Testament,

apostles and others, that God sent forth to preach thegospel, are also examples for Christians to follow:“Remember them that have the rule over you, who havespoken to you the Word of God; whose faith follow, con-sidering the end of their conversation” (Heb. 13:7).

P a u l o u r P r i m a r y E x a m p l e

But of all mere men, no one is so often particularlyset forth in the Scripture as a pattern for Christians tofollow as the apostle Paul. Our observing his holy con-versation as our example is not only insisted on in ourtext, but also in 1 Corinthians 4:16: “Wherefore Ibeseech you, be ye followers of me.” And 1 Corinthians11:1: “Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ.” And1 Thessalonians 1:6, where the apostle commends theChristian Thessalonians for imitating his example: “andye became followers of us.” And 2 Thessalonians 3:7,



where he insists on this as their duty: “For yourselvesknow how ye ought to follow us.”

For the more full treatment of this subject I shall:I. Particularly mention many of the good examples of the

apostle Paul that we ought to imitate, which I shall treat ofnot merely as a doctrine, but also in the way of application.

II. I shall show under what strict obligation we are tofollow the good examples of this apostle.

And that I may be more distinct, I shall:1. Mention those things that respect his watchfulness

for the good of his own soul.2. Those virtues in him that more immediately respected

God and Christ.3. Those that more immediately respect men.4. Those that were exercised in his behavior both toward

God and man.

S t u d y Q u e s t i o n s

1. From this introduction to Edwards’s call to imitate the apos-tle Paul we might get the idea that believers learn the life offaith, at least in part, from observing and following theexamples of others. Has this been true in your experience?Who are some people who have served as examples to you inyour walk with the Lord? What have you learned from them?

2. Of course, Edwards insists that Christ is our supremeexample. What should we expect to learn from imitatingthe Lord Jesus? What are the limitations in his example?



3. Edwards mentions Old Testament and New Testamentsaints as good examples for us to follow. Let’s see if that’sbeen true in your experience. List one or two saints fromeach Testament, and summarize how their example hasbeen helpful to you:

a. Old Testament saints:b. New Testament saints:

4. Review the four areas of Paul’s example that Edwards plansto discuss (right at the end of this chapter). In which ofthese areas do you particularly sense a need for Paul’sexample to help you in your walk with the Lord? Explain.

5. What do you hope to gain from this study of the pursuitof holiness in the Lord? What are your goals? Is theresomeone you can enlist to pray with and for you as youundertake this study?



p ursuing holiness - wtsbooks.com · i. moore, t. m. (terry michael), 1949– ii. title. bt767.e39...

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