DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3689#0026
a 4 ^ Serious Call to
We cannot offer to God the service of Angels; we cannot
obey him as man in a state of perfection could; but fallen men
can do their best, and this is the perfection that is required of us;
it is only the perfection of our best endeavours, a careful labour
to be as perfect as we can.
But if we stop short of this, for aught we know, we stop short
of the mercy of God, and leave ourselves nothing to plead from
the terms of the Gospel. For God has there made no promises
of mercy to the slothful and negligent. His mercy is only
offered to our frail and imperfect, but best endeavours to practise
all manner of righteousness.
As the law to angels is angelical righteousness, as the law to
perfect beings is strict perfection, so the law to our imperfect
nature is, the best obedience that our frail nature is able to
perform.
The measure of our love to God, seems in justice to be the
measure of our love of every virtue. We are to love and practise
it ' with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and
' with all our strength.' And when we cease to live with this
regard to virtue, we live below our nature, and instead of being
able to plead our infirmities, we stand chargeable with negligence.
It is for this reason that we are exhorted, to work out our
salvation with fear and trembling ; because unless our heart and
passions are eagerly bent upon the work of our salvation ; unless
holy fears animate our endeavours, and keep our consciences
strict and tender about every part of our duty, constantly
examining how we live, and how fit we are to die, we shall in all
probability fall into a state of negligence, and sit down in such a
course of life, as will never carry us to the rewards of heaven.
And he that considers, that a just God can only make such
allowances as are suitable to his justice, that our works are all
to be examined by fire, will find, that fear and trembling are
proper tempers for those, that are drawing near so great a trial.
And indeed there is no probability, that anyone should do all
the duty that is expected from him, or make that progress in
piety, which the holiness and justice of God requires of him, but
he that is constantly afraid of falling short of it.
Now this is not intended, to possess people's minds with a
scrupulous anxiety, and discontent in the service of God, but to
fill them with a just fear of living in sloth and idleness, and in
the neglect of such virtues, as they will want at the day of
Judgment.
It is to excite them to an earnest examination of their lives,
to such zeal, and care, and concern after Christian perfection, as
they use in any matter that has gained their heart and affections.
We cannot offer to God the service of Angels; we cannot
obey him as man in a state of perfection could; but fallen men
can do their best, and this is the perfection that is required of us;
it is only the perfection of our best endeavours, a careful labour
to be as perfect as we can.
But if we stop short of this, for aught we know, we stop short
of the mercy of God, and leave ourselves nothing to plead from
the terms of the Gospel. For God has there made no promises
of mercy to the slothful and negligent. His mercy is only
offered to our frail and imperfect, but best endeavours to practise
all manner of righteousness.
As the law to angels is angelical righteousness, as the law to
perfect beings is strict perfection, so the law to our imperfect
nature is, the best obedience that our frail nature is able to
perform.
The measure of our love to God, seems in justice to be the
measure of our love of every virtue. We are to love and practise
it ' with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and
' with all our strength.' And when we cease to live with this
regard to virtue, we live below our nature, and instead of being
able to plead our infirmities, we stand chargeable with negligence.
It is for this reason that we are exhorted, to work out our
salvation with fear and trembling ; because unless our heart and
passions are eagerly bent upon the work of our salvation ; unless
holy fears animate our endeavours, and keep our consciences
strict and tender about every part of our duty, constantly
examining how we live, and how fit we are to die, we shall in all
probability fall into a state of negligence, and sit down in such a
course of life, as will never carry us to the rewards of heaven.
And he that considers, that a just God can only make such
allowances as are suitable to his justice, that our works are all
to be examined by fire, will find, that fear and trembling are
proper tempers for those, that are drawing near so great a trial.
And indeed there is no probability, that anyone should do all
the duty that is expected from him, or make that progress in
piety, which the holiness and justice of God requires of him, but
he that is constantly afraid of falling short of it.
Now this is not intended, to possess people's minds with a
scrupulous anxiety, and discontent in the service of God, but to
fill them with a just fear of living in sloth and idleness, and in
the neglect of such virtues, as they will want at the day of
Judgment.
It is to excite them to an earnest examination of their lives,
to such zeal, and care, and concern after Christian perfection, as
they use in any matter that has gained their heart and affections.