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THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CHRISTIAN INNOCENCE
IT is impossible to read the history of God’s ancient people, or to survey the world around us, without being filled with wonder at the patience and forbearance of God. In vain were all his mercies to the Jews in delivering them from their bondage in Egypt, and in giving them Possession of the promised land: no manifestations of his power and grace were sufficient to convince them of his exclusive right to their service, or to knit them to him as their only Lord and Saviour. They would make to themselves idols of wood and stone, and transfer to them the allegiance which they owed to God alone. Yet, instead of breaking forth against them in wrathful indignation to destroy them, he bore with them, and, with tender anxiety for their welfare, said, “How long will it be ere they attain to innocency?” Precisely thus does he wait for us also, who, notwithstanding all that he has done for the redemption of our souls, are ever prone to depart from him, and to fix on the creature that regard which is due to him only. Yet he is waiting to be gracious to us also, and longing for the return of our souls to him as their proper rest.
In illustration of this pathetic complaint, I shall consider,
I. What is the attainment here specified—
Perfect innocency is utterly unattainable in this life—
[Once we possessed it in our first parents: but since the Fall, we all have inherited a corrupt nature; since “it was impossible to bring a clean thing out of an unclean.” Nor can we by any means wash away so much as one sin that we have ever committed. Rivers of tears would be insufficient for that. Sinners therefore we must be even to the end.]
Yet is there in a scriptural sense an innocency to lie attained—
[Our Lord said of his disciples, “Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you [Note: Joh_15:3.].” And we too may be clean, yea so clean as to be “without spot or blemish,” if only we use the means which God himself has appointed [Note: Eph_5:26-27.]. There is “a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness [Note: Zec_12:1.];” even the Redeemer’s blood, which is able to “cleanse us from all sin [Note: 1Jn_1:7.]” — — — The Holy Spirit also will renew our souls, and make us “partakers of a divine nature [Note: 2Pe_1:4. ],” and “sanctify us throughout in body, soul, and spirit [Note: 1Th_5:23.],” — — — and enable us, in the whole of our life and conversation, to approve ourselves “Israelites indeed in whom there is no guile” — — —
This is scriptural innocency: and this every sinner in the universe may attain. It is freely offered to all [Note: Isa_55:1.] — — — and has actually been vouchsafed to the most abandoned of mankind [Note: 1Co_6:11.] — — — Nor shall it be withheld from any one that will seek it at the hands of God [Note: Joh_6:37.] — — — God himself pants, if I may so say, to give it us: “Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be [Note: Jer_13:27.]?” Those to whom it was offered in my text were wicked idolaters [Note: ver. 4.]: and therefore we cannot doubt but that it will be granted to us also.]
II. The expostulation respecting it—
Long has God borne with us, even as he did with his people of old—
[Who amongst you has not harboured idols in his heart? — — — and whom has not God followed with warnings, exhortations, and entreaties, even to the present hour? — — —]
And how much longer must he bear with us?
[Have we not already provoked him long enough? — — — Or do we hope ever to enjoy his favour if we attain not to innocency? — — — O! delay not to seek this inestimable gift. Is it so small a matter to possess the forgiveness of your sins through Jesu’s blood, and the renovation of your souls by the influence of the Holy Spirit, and the entire conformity of your lives to the mind and will of God, that you will not set yourselves to seek them in the exercise of faith and prayer? — — — How long shall it be ere you begin to seek these blessed attainments? Will you wait till old age, and give to God only the dregs of your life? Or will you put off this necessary work to a dying hour? Believe me, that is by no means a fit season for so important a work as this, and who can tell whether time for it shall be allowed you then, or grace be given you for the execution of it? The attainment is difficult in proportion as it is delayed, and what bitter regret will you feel to all eternity, if the season afforded you for the attainment of this blessing pass away unimproved, and you be called with all your sins upon you into the eternal world! I would address you all in the very spirit of my text, and say to every one among you, “Seek the Lord whilst he may be found, call upon him whilst he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and unto our God, for he will abundantly pardon [Note: Isa_55:6-7.].”]
Address—
1. Those who think this blessing unattainable—
[Were this innocency really unattainable, God would never have so pathetically expressed his concern respecting it. But perhaps you think that the infirmities which of necessity cleave to our fallen nature are inconsistent with it. This however is by no means the case. If the heart be upright before God, then shall we be accepted of him in Christ Jesus, and “be presented before him faultless with exceeding joy.”]
2. Those who desire to attain it—
[Be sure you seek it in the appointed way. Seek not forgiveness only, nor renovation only, nor holiness only; but seek them all in their proper order, and in harmonious operation. First, your sins must be blotted out through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, next, must your soul be renewed after the Divine image by the power of the Holy Ghost, and lastly, must these blessings manifest themselves in holiness of heart and life. No one of these can be spared. And though we have placed them in the order in which they must be sought, yet will they all be vouchsafed to every one, who believes in Christ, His sins will all be cast into the depths of the sea, and the moral change also be begun, which shall issue in everlasting happiness and glory.]
3. Those who through mercy have attained it—
[Is it true that any one in this life is authorized to conceive of himself as “innocent” before God? Yes surely; else our Saviour would never have declared his own Apostles “clean.” Not that any attainment, however great, will supersede the necessity of continued watchfulness: for St. Paul himself felt the need of “keeping under his body, and bringing it into subjection, lest, after having preached to others, he himself should become a cast-away:” and the proper use of all the promises is, “to cleanse yourselves by means of them from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God.”]