The Pursuit of Holiness, a Sequel to 'Thoughts on Personal Religion'

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Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009 - 180 pages
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. WHAT HAVE WE TO BEGIN UPON 1 glnb he toxralb fain habe filleb his bellg toith the husks that the stoine bib eat: anb no man gabe unto him. nb to.hen he cam to hitnself, he saib, gjoto manli hireb serbants of mji father's habe breab tnough anb to spare, anb I pmsh toith hanger! I totil artsc anb go to mji father.?Luke xv. 16-18. THE scope of our observations in the last Chapter was to show that saintliness is not something unattainable, or beyond our reach, inasmuch as the most eminent saints, both of the Old and New Testaments, are clearly proved to have been men of like passions as we are. The next question will be, How are we to proceed in attaining it ? and, first, How are we to begin ? The answer to this first question is specially important. For the principles which must guide us in the prosecution of this great work are the very same which must guide us at its commencement. So that the beginning is not a beginning merely, but a beginning which has a development wrapped up in it; it is a seed which has only to burst and shoot up, in order to become a blade, and then consecutively an ear, and the full corn in the ear. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him, says the Apostle to the Colossians, showing clearly that Christian progress proceeds in the very same method as the commencement of Christian life. And therefore in this work, more perhaps than in any other, it is true (and the thought is most encouraging to those who are disposed to begin) that Dimidium facti qui coepit habet, he who has begun has advanced half way towards the end. Upon what are we to begin then, if we desire to follow after Holiness ? I answer, upon the grace of our Baptism: this is the grand starting-point of all Christia...

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