Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
This gospel holiness respects Jesus Christ as its pattern. It proposeth no lower pattern for imitation, then to be conform to his image; he that is begotten again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, girds up the loins of his mind (which are the affections of his soul, lest by falling flat upon the earth he be hindered in running the race set before him, as looking to the forerunner his pattern) in this girdle of hope, that he may be holy in all manner of conversation, keeping his eye upon the precept and pattern, that his practice may be conform[ed].
It is written, saith he, Be ye holy for I am holy, the hope of seeing God, and being ever with him imposeth a necessity upon him who hath it, to look no lower, then at him, who is glorious in holiness; and therefore he is said to purify himself, even as he is pure; and knowing that this is the end of their being quickened together with Christ, that they may walk even as he walked; they, in their working and walking, aim at no less then to be like him; and therefore never sit down upon any attained measure, as if they were already perfect: the spotless purity of God expressed in his laws, is that whereto they study assimilation; therefore they are still in motion towards this mark, and are changed from one degree of glorious grace into another, into the same image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, who never gives over his putting them to cleanse from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit, till that be true in the truest sense, thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. ...
For more, see Robert McWard on Christ as the pattern for gospel holiness.
It is written, saith he, Be ye holy for I am holy, the hope of seeing God, and being ever with him imposeth a necessity upon him who hath it, to look no lower, then at him, who is glorious in holiness; and therefore he is said to purify himself, even as he is pure; and knowing that this is the end of their being quickened together with Christ, that they may walk even as he walked; they, in their working and walking, aim at no less then to be like him; and therefore never sit down upon any attained measure, as if they were already perfect: the spotless purity of God expressed in his laws, is that whereto they study assimilation; therefore they are still in motion towards this mark, and are changed from one degree of glorious grace into another, into the same image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, who never gives over his putting them to cleanse from all filthiness of the flesh and of the Spirit, till that be true in the truest sense, thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee. ...
For more, see Robert McWard on Christ as the pattern for gospel holiness.
