THE scriptures have told us what particular duties must be performed by us, in order to our salvation. It is not sufficient that men seek their salvation only in the observance of some of those duties; but they must be observed universally. The work we have to do, is not an obedience only to some, but to all the commands of GOD; a compliance with every institution of worship; a diligent use of all the appointed means of grace; a doing of all duty towards GOD and towards man.—It is not sufficient that men have some respect to all the commands of GOD, and that they may be said to seek their salvation in some sort of observance of all the commands; but they must be devoted to it. They must not make this a business by the by, or a thing in which they are negligent and careless, or which they do with a slack hand; but it must be their great business, being attended to as their great concern. They must not only seek, but strive; they must do what their hand findeth to do with their might, as men thoroughly engaged in their minds, and influenced and set forward by great desire and strong resolution. They must act as those that see so much of the importance of the things of religion above all other things, that every thing else must be as an occasional affair, and nothing must stand in competition with the duties of religion. This must be the one thing they do; Phil. iii. 13. This one thing I do.—It must be the business to which they are given up, which they follow daily as their great work, to which they make ⟨p. 14⟩all other affairs give place, and to which they are ready to make other things a sacrifice. They must be ready to part with pleasures, and honour, and estate, and life, and to •ell all that they may successfully accomplish this business.
THE scriptures have told us what particular duties must be performed by us, in order to our salvation. It is not sufficient that men seek their salvation only in the observance of some of those duties; but they must be observed universally. The work we have to do, is not an obedience only to some, but to all the commands of GOD; a compliance with every institution of worship; a diligent use of all the appointed means of grace; a doing of all duty towards GOD and towards man.—It is not sufficient that men have some respect to all the commands of GOD, and that they may be said to seek their salvation in some sort of observance of all the commands; but they must be devoted to it. They must not make this a business by the by, or a thing in which they are negligent and careless, or which they do with a slack hand; but it must be their great business, being attended to as their great concern. They must not only seek, but strive; they must do what their hand findeth to do with their might, as men thoroughly engaged in their minds, and influenced and set forward by great desire and strong resolution. They must act as those that see so much of the importance of the things of religion above all other things, that every thing else must be as an occasional affair, and nothing must stand in competition with the duties of religion. This must be the one thing they do; Phil. iii. 13. This one thing I do.—It must be the business to which they are given up, which they follow daily as their great work, to which they make ⟨p. 14⟩all other affairs give place, and to which they are ready to make other things a sacrifice. They must be ready to part with pleasures, and honor, and estate, and life, and to •ell all that they may successfully accomplish this business.
