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MMCCCCXLII.

THE INESTIMABLE PRIVILEGES OF BELIEVERS.

1 John iii. 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

OUR Lord was hated, reviled, and persecuted unto death but we see how glorious was his person, and how exalted his character. In the same manner his followers are treated with contempt: but God declares their state to be the most honourable upon earth. To this effect St. John represents them as slighted by man and honoured by God.

I. The present state of believers

The Scripture speaks of believers in the most. exalted terms. They are not merely servants, but "sons of God"."

This they are by adoption—

But God

[Every believer was once a child of wrath. takes whom he will into his own family: he adopts them as his sons, and makes them heirs of his glory".]

They are brought into this relation also by regene

ration

[Once they had only a carnal mind that was enmity against God; but they have been born again of the Holy Spirit'; they are renewed after the image of their heavenly Father.]

They enjoy this state "now"

[Rich and poor, learned and unlearned, partake alike of this honour; nor does God withhold it from any on account of their remaining infirmities; even now, while the world despises them, does God own his relation to them.]

What an unspeakably blessed state is this!

[How different is it from the state they were once in! How great the privileges which they enjoy by means of this relation! How sweet the sense of this relation often is to

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their souls! To what a glorious state does it lead them in a better world! Well might the Apostle break forth in wonder and admiration ".]

Yet, blessed as it is, it falls infinitely short of what it will be in,

II. Their future state

Very little is known respecting this

[We can form no idea of spiritual and glorified bodies. We cannot imagine how extensive will be the capacities of the soul. We have very faint conceptions of perfect holiness and perfect happiness. Even one who had seen Christ transfigured, says, "It doth not appear," &c.]

Yet there are some things revealed to us

[We shall see Christ, not merely by faith, but with our bodily eyes; not veiled as formerly, but in all his glory. We shall resemble him too in all his imitable perfections. This resemblance will result from our sight of him. Even "our bodies shall be fashioned like unto his glorious body." This shall be fully accomplished at the great day of his appearing.] These things we may be said to "know"

[We have already experienced the earnest of them in our hearts. When we believe in him, we have views of him which we had not before; these transform the soul into his imagek. Our Lord has given us the fullest assurance of these things'. St. Paul also leaves us no room to doubt m.]

INFER

1. How wonderfully different the lot of believers and unbelievers!

[Believers are the children of God. Unbelievers are the children of the wicked one". Believers can form no adequate conception of the happiness that awaits them. Unbelievers have no idea of the misery to which they are hastening. How different will be the appearance of each in that day! How different their feelings on secing Christ upon his judgmentseat! For what different ends will their capacities of soul and body be enlarged! What a different state will they experience to all eternity! Let none defer calling upon God for mercy. Let all seek his regenerating grace, and an admission into his family. If we will believe in Christ these blessings shall be ours °.]

h 1 John iii. 1.
1 John xvii. 24.

n John viii. 38, 44.

i Job xix. 25-27. k 2 Cor. iii. 18. m 1 Cor. xv. 49. Col. iii. 4.

• John i. 12.

2. How bright the prospects of the true Christian!

[The Christian's warfare will soon be over: then will come a blessedness which he cannot now conceive; another day may bring him to the full possession of it. Let these prospects animate every pious soul. Let none suffer their minds to be drawn away by the things of time. Let every one stand ready to take his flight. Let the beloved Apostle be our example 9.]

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THE FRUITS AND EFFECTS OF HOPE.

1 John iii. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

THE people of God are but little known to an ungodly world: instead of being considered according to their true character, they are regarded as hypocrites, enthusiasts, and disturbers of their brethren's peace. But this is easily accounted for the world know not God; and therefore it is no wonder that they know not his people. But the saints themselves have a very inadequate conception of the honour that is put on them, or of the glory that is reserved for them. They know indeed that they are sons of God; but they have very little idea of what is comprehended in that relation and as to their eternal state, they can form no precise judgment respecting it; they only know, in the general, that they shall be like God, and be with him for ever. Yet though so little known to the world, and to themselves, they have marks whereby they may be clearly distinguished; they may be known by their uniform endeavours after holiness. To this effect the Apostle speaks in the words before us; from which we shall take occasion to consider,

I. The Christian's hope

Christ is the fountain and foundation of a sinner's hope without Christ, all must have perished: nor has the most eminent saint any more hope than a fallen angel, except as he is interested in the merits of

Christ. But through him the believer has a glorious hope;

1. That he is a child of God

[Christ, having purchased us with his own blood, has reconciled us to God, and made us his children. He teaches his followers to consider themselves as standing in this relation to God, not merely like the angels who are his sons by creation, but in a more exalted manner by regeneration and adoption: and he teaches them to expect from him throughout their whole lives the blessing suited to that high dignity-

Now the true Christian hopes that he is brought into this happy state, and that he shall receive from God all those endearing tokens of affection which the relation of sonship emboldens him to expect. This hope of his is founded partly on the merits of his Saviour, and partly on the internal evidence which he has, that he is interested in the Saviour. The mere circumstance of Christ having laid down his life for him, would not be a sufficient ground for him to number himself among the family of God: but when he has the testimony of his own conscience that he has sought acceptance with God through the death of Christ, then he is enabled to indulge a hope that the privileges annexed to such a state belong to him.]

2. That he shall be with God, and like him, for

ever

[The blessings which the saints enjoy are not confined to this life: "Being sons of God, they are also heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ"." "Though they know not yet what they shall be, they know that, when they shall see him, they shall be like him; for they shall see him as he is." The time is coming, when they shall all be introduced into his immediate presence, and be with him and like him for This also is an object of the Christian's hope He believes that this is the heritage of the saints; and that "what God hath promised, he is able, and willing, to fulfil."]

ever.

That this is no barren hope, will appear from, II. The effect it produces in him--

Every Christian will endeavour to purify himself to the uttermost

[The Christian cannot wilfully live in any known sin: he will search out his corruptions, in order to subdue them; and

a The text does not say, iv lavr, in himself, but éπ' avrÿ, in him, that is, in Christ.

b ver. 1. John i. 12, 13. Matt. vi. 6, 8, 9, 31—33.

c Rom. viii. 15-17.

d

ver. 2.

He will propose to

his duties, in order to fulfil them himself the Lord Jesus Christ as his pattern: and though he can never hope to attain absolute perfection in this life, he will not rest satisfied with any thing short of that. He would gladly be" holy as God is holy, and perfect, even as his Father in heaven is perfect." He considers how the Lord Jesus acted in reference to God: how in reference to man; and what tempers he manifested in the whole of his deportment; then he labours to follow his example, and to "walk in all things as he walked."]

To these endeavours he will be stimulated by his hope in Christ:

[He cannot endure to think himself a child of God, and yet act like a child of the devil: he cannot please himself with a prospect of enjoying and resembling God in a future life, without seeking communion with him and a resemblance to him in the present world. He will feel himself impelled to holiness by a sense of duty; by a sense of gratitude'; yea, moreover, by a love of holiness itself.

We must not however imagine that it is by any power of his own that he thus " purifies himself;" the duty and the exertion are hish: but the power, both to will and to do, proceeds from God alone1.]

We shall improve this subject,

1. For conviction

[All profess to have a hope in Christ: but before we conclude that to be well-founded, we must examine what fruits it produces: Are we seeking after universal holiness? Are we contented with no measure of holiness short of perfection itself? Are we setting the Lord Jesus before us, and taking him for our pattern in all our tempers, and in our conduct towards God and man? This is the criterion by which St. John himself teaches us to judge of our hope: and St. James confirms it by declaring, that, if in any one point (the not bridling of our tongue, for instance) we allowedly deviate from this path, our religion is vain!." O consider this, lest your hope be only as the spider's web, that will be swept away with the besom of destruction!]

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2. For encouragement

e He knows he cannot be saved in any other way. Ps. xxiv. 3, 4. Matt. v. 8. Heb. xii. 14. Rev. xxi. 27.

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