December 5 AM

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17.

With what confidence and joy are we assured of our sanctification, both from the prayer of Jesus on earth, and his intercession in glory! Man cannot sanctify himself, it is the work of the Lord the Spirit; he effects it by his sovereign power; earth and hell shall not prevent it. O special mercy! Not to be left to act with the generality of professors, who, like Pilate, demand "What is truth?" and then turn away from it as offensive, and hate and oppose it. Yet, if there is but kept up a great cry and vehement zeal for good works and holiness, it is enough; no matter what principles they spring from. Nay, under pretence for these, truth is trampled under foot. But not so Jesus prayed, nor taught; nor are his members thus sanctified. Jesus is essentially the truth. We are sanctified to God no other way than in him, and by the faith of him. "We are chosen from the beginning through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John 8:32, saith Jesus; free from the deceitful hopes and vain confidences that are natural to us. Souls sanctified through the truth, are no longer left to deny the foundation truths of God's word; his sovereign, everlasting, electing love of sinners in Christ Jesus this essential truth, of their sins being atoned by the precious blood, and their persons justified by the perfect righteousness of Jesus imputed to them; the certain perseverance and sure glorification of every believing member of Christ. Thus our judgments are sanctified in truth, in opposition to the false notions of self-righteousness and sinless perfection. These proceed from self-ignorance, blindness to God's law, and leave its professors under a fatal error; nor are we left to dream of universal redemption which detracts from the glory of God by ascribing salvation to free- will; nor to reject the sovereign agency of the Holy Spirit, which reduces the gospel of grace to a covenant of works. Glory to our Lord, not only are we sanctified as to a right judgment in all things, but our affections are also sanctified to love the truth and cleave to it, seeing all our hopes center in it, and deriving all our comforts from it; and it is the delight and joy of our souls to live in conformity to the truth. Jesus hath our hearts. Fellowship with him is our heaven upon earth. What is contrary to that is hateful to us. Sin is become the burden, and holiness most pleasant to the sanctified soul. To fancy thyself perfectly freed from all sin, is a mark, not of a soul sanctified through the truth, but deceived by lies: but daily to feel a holy striving against sin, fervent desires after greater conformity to Jesus, and abiding in the truth of his word, is a full proof "of the sanctification of his Spirit unto obedience." 1 Pet.1:2.