The Christian in Complete Armour - Gurnall - XXVIII - Direction Sixth continued

Required reading
The Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Branch Second of Direction Sixth.

My summary

Today we continue Direction Sixth: 'and having on the breastplate of righteousness'.

We now consider instances wherein especially every Christian is to express the power of a holy and righteous life.  The Christian must maintain the power of holiness:

(i) in his contest with sin;

(ii) in his duties of God's worship;

(iii) in his particular calling and worldly employments.

What grabbed me

I was helped by the point about the need for holiness even when you are most zealous against sin: 'The Christian, when he shows most zeal against sin, and hath greatest victory over it, even then must he renounce all fiduciary glorying in this. The excellency of gospel holiness consists in self-denial. 'Though I were perfect,' saith Job, 'yet would I not know my soul,' Job 9:21; that is, I would not be conceited and proud of my innocence. When a man is lift up with any excellency he hath, we say, 'He knows it;' 'He hath excellent parts, but he knows it;' that is, he reflects too much on himself, and sees his own face too oft in the glass of his own perfections. They who climb lofty mountains find it safest, the higher they ascend, the more to bow and stoop with their bodies; and so does the Spirit of Christ teach the saints, as they get higher in their victories over corruption, to bow lowest in self-denial. The saints are bid to, 'keep themselves in the love of God,' and then to wait, 'looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life,' Jude 21. And, 'Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy,' Hosea 10:12. We sow on earth, we reap in heaven. The seed we are to sow is righteousness and holiness, which when we have done, with greatest care and cost, we must not expect our reward from the hand of our righteousness, but from God's mercy.'

Even in victory against sin, we must be vigilant!

Next week's reading
Read Branch Third of Direction Sixth.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.