June 30 PM

By one offering, he hath perfected for ever them who are sanctified. Heb. 10:14.

My soul is caught;

Heav’n’s sovereign blessings clust’ring from the cross

Rush on her, in a throng, and close her round

The pris’ner of amaze!

I beg this plea to be admitted, as an excuse for a second meditation on this text. O sinner! if you believe in a crucified Saviour, you are born of God—know the love of God—are sanctified by God—and are for ever perfected before God. All this flows from the one offering of the Son of God; bore witness to in the word, and in our hearts by the Spirit of God. This, like every other truth of Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit’s love and grace, is to have its use and influence upon our hearts and lives. Lord grant it may. Consider, (1st.) hath Christ for ever perfected you before God, in taking away your sins, and reconciling your person? O, then, with what holy boldness, and filial confidence, may you draw nigh to God! Heaven is open to you. God rejoices over you, and he will eternally receive you. (2d.) Hold the mystery of this faith in a pure conscience. Answer every demand, and every threatening of the law, with this one offering. Plead your perfection by it to divine justice. Thus you will honour, both the offering; the law, which is fulfilled by it; and justice, which his perfectly satisfied with it. (3d.) Seek no other, look not to any other object or thing within or without you, for peace with God, and reconciliation to his favour, than the one offering of Christ. Reject with the utmost abhorrence, that proud, popish notion of more justifications than one: rejoice in that glorious one, perfected, for ever, by the one offering of the Son of God. For any attempt towards it, is an act of the greatest dishonour, highest unbelief, and vilest ingratitude to our dear Saviour. (4th.) As you are for ever perfected before God, be ever perfecting holiness in the fear of God. While this faith is kept clear and lively in the heart, it works by the most generous love of Christ, and works in us the most fervent love to him: and love is the very life of holiness. Love, and live as you will: love, and go where you will: love, and you will be dead to all that God forbids, and alive to all that he commands. (5th.) Let not the sight of your own imperfection and unprofitableness, as a miserable sinner, deject your mind, or distress your soul; so as to cause you to let go the faith, that Christ hath for ever perfected you before God. What thou hast attained, saith Christ, hold fast till I come. Rev. 2:25.

Amazing mystery! O for faith

To hold it in my conscience fast!

We are for ever perfected

In Christ our Head, from first to last.