The witness of the spirit sermons Author:John Jackson 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: not to seek an answer to the question before us, but to be content to " work out our own salvation with fear and trembling," leaving the assurance of our justifi... more »cation to the revelation of the judgment-day. And it is true, that a secure confidence is as unscrip- tural as it is detrimental to growth in holiness ; and that it is vouchsafed ordinarily only to the tried soldier of Jesus Christ, when he has fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, to be able to look with undoubting eye on the crown of righteousness already laid up for him in heaven. But it is one thing to have an assurance of final salvation ; and another to have a reasonable belief that we are now in a state of acceptance with God. And without such a belief, what room is there for the peace and joy which are the characteristic blessings of the Gospel ? How can the Christian " serve God without fear," rejoice in the Lord always, yea, even in this world's sorrow be always rejoicing, if the weight of sin, perhaps unpardoned, is upon him, and he knows not whether the eye of G-od is on him in anger or in love ? With the apostle the fact of justification is the ground of peace and joy. " Being justified (having been justified) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace (or state of grace) wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."1 And 1 Rom. v. 1,2. a trusting belief of acceptance through Christ is not so much exhibited as a privilege, as -enjoined as a duty. " Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." " Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward."1 It is...« less