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莱尔主教holiness-第21章

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   endeavour to shape his course in life。 He will lay to heart the saying
   of John; 〃He that saith he abideth in Christ ought himself also so to
   walk; even as He walked〃 (1 John ii。 6); and the saying of Peter; that
   〃Christ suffered for us; leaving us an example that ye should follow
   His steps。〃 (1 Peter ii。 21。) Happy is he who has learned to make
   Christ his 〃all;〃 both for salvation and example! Much time would be
   saved; and much sin prevented; if men would oftener ask themselves the
   question; 〃What would Christ have said and done; if He were in my
   place?〃

   (d) A holy man will follow after meekness; longsuffering; gentleness;
   patience; kind tempers; government of his tongue。 He will bear much;
   forbear much; overlook much; and be slow to talk of standing on his
   rights。 We see a bright example of this in the behaviour of David when
   Shimei cursed himand of Moses when Aaron and Miriam spake against
   him。 (2 Sam。 xvi。 10; Num。 xii。 3。)

   (e) A holy man will follow after temperance and self…denial。 He will
   labour to mortify the desires of his bodyto crucify his flesh with
   his affections and luststo curb his passionsto restrain his carnal
   inclinations; lest at any time they break loose。 Oh; what a word is
   that of the Lord Jesus to the Apostles; 〃Take heed to yourselves; lest
   at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness;
   and cares of this life〃 (Luke xxi。 34); and that of the Apostle Paul;
   〃I keep under my body; and bring it into subjection; lest that by any
   means when I have preached to others; I myself should be a castaway。〃
   (1 Cor。 ix。 27。)

   (f) A holy man will follow after charity and brotherly kindness。 He
   will endeavour to observe the golden rule of doing as he would have men
   do to him; and speaking as he would have men speak to him。 He will be
   full of affection towards his brethrentowards their bodies; their
   property; their characters; their feelings; their souls。 〃He that
   loveth another;〃 says Paul; 〃hath fulfilled the law。〃 (Rom。 xiii。 8。)
   He will abhor all lying; slandering; backbiting; cheating; dishonesty;
   and unfair dealing; even in the least things。 The shekel and cubit of
   the sanctuary were larger than those in mon use。 He will strive to
   adorn his religion by all his outward demeanour; and to make it lovely
   and beautiful in the eyes of all around him。 Alas; what condemning
   words are the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians; and the Sermon on the
   Mount; when laid alongside the conduct of many professing Christians!

   (g) A holy man will follow after a spirit of mercy and benevolence
   towards others。 He will not stand all the day idle。 He will not be
   content with doing no harmhe will try to do good。 He will strive to
   be useful in his day and generation; and to lessen the spiritual wants
   and misery around him; as far as he can。 Such was Dorcas; 〃full of good
   works and almsdeeds; which she did;〃not merely purposed and talked
   about; but did。 Such an one was Paul: 〃I will very gladly spend and be
   spent for you;〃 he says; 〃though the more abundantly I love you the
   less I be loved。〃 (Acts ix。 36; 2 Cor。 xii。 15。)

   (h) A holy man will follow after purity of heart。 He will dread all
   filthiness and uncleanness of spirit; and seek to avoid all things that
   might draw him into it。 He knows his own heart is like tinder; and will
   diligently keep clear of the sparks of temptation。 Who shall dare to
   talk of strength when David can fall? There is many a hint to be
   gleaned from the ceremonial law。 Under it the man who only touched a
   bone; or a dead body; or a grave; or a diseased person; became at once
   unclean in the sight of God。 And these things were emblems and figures。
   Few Christians are ever too watchful and too particular about this
   point。

   (i) A holy man will follow after the fear of God。 I do not mean the
   fear of a slave; who only works because he is afraid of punishment; and
   would be idle if he did not dread discovery。 I mean rather the fear of
   a child; who wishes to live and move as if he was always before his
   father s face; because he loves him。 What a noble example Nehemiah
   gives us of this! When he became Governor at Jerusalem he might have
   been chargeable to the Jews and required of them money for his support。
   The former Governors had done so。 There was none to blame him if he
   did。 But he says; 〃So did not I; because of the fear of God。〃 (Nehem。
   v。 15。)

   (j) A holy man will follow after humility。 He will desire; in lowliness
   of mind; to esteem all others better than himself。 He will see more
   evil in his own heart than in any other in the world。 He will
   understand something of Abraham's feeling; when he says; 〃I am dust and
   ashes;〃and Jacob's; when he says; 〃I am less than the least of all
   Thy mercies;〃and Job's; when he says; 〃I am vile;〃and Paul's; when
   he says; 〃I am chief of sinners。〃 Holy Bradford; that faithful martyr
   of Christ; would sometimes finish his letters with these words; 〃A most
   miserable sinner; John Bradford。〃 Good old Mr。 Grimshaw's last words;
   when he lay on his death…bed; were these; 〃Here goes an unprofitable
   servant。〃

   (k) A holy man will follow after faithfulness in all the duties and
   relations in life。 He will try; not merely to fill his place as well as
   others who take no thought for their souls; 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。〃 (Col。 iii。 23; Rom。 xii。 11。) 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 〃concerning the law of their
   God。〃 (Dan。 vi。 5。) They should strive to be good husbands and good
   wives; good parents and good children; good masters and good servants;
   good neighbours; good friends; good subjects; good in private and good
   in public; good in the place of business and good by their firesides。
   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?〃 (Matt。 v。 47。)

   (l) Last; but not least; a holy man will follow after spiritual
   mindedness。 He will endeavour to set his affections entirely on things
   above; and to hold things on earth with a very loose hand。 He will not
   neglect the business of the life that now is; but the first place in
   his mind and thoughts will be given to the life to e。 He will aim to
   live like one whose treasure is in heaven; and to pass through this
   world like a stranger and pilgrim travelling to his home。 To mune
   with God in prayer; in the Bible; and in the assembly of His
   peoplethese things will be the holy man's chiefest enjoyments。 He
   will value every thing 
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