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The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification (eBook)

Walter Marshall (Author)

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Description: Walter Marshall’s classic seventeenth-century treatment of the doctrine of sanctification lays out in clear and simple terms the means by which a Christian might be enabled to grow in holiness. His basic proposition may seem foreign to many modern believers, who are desperately striving to produce in themselves the fruits of obedience, and so guarantee God’s continuing favor. But it is as scriptural as it is refreshing: sanctification, just like justification, is God’s free gift of grace, and can be apprehended only through the faith which looks to Christ and his perfect work.

Many books have been written on sanctification and holiness, some helpful and some not. But of all the works that attempt to define what holiness is, or teach a Christian what he ought to do, very few devote much space to the question of means – how can I do what I know I should, when my natural inclinations seem so opposed to all that is right? Apart from an understanding of the means by which a Christian may become progressively more holy, a mere description of the nature of holiness will be of no practical help.

That is why Marshall’s work is so vital. Ever since Adam’s fall, mankind has been powerless to perform that which is good. The problem is not merely one of education – we certainly do need to be taught what is good, but we also must be enabled to do it. And, while God tells us what to do in his law, he enables us to do it only through the gospel.

Why is this? Because the gospel unites us by faith to the only One who can truly perform acceptable acts of righteousness; and who can, moreover, produce those same acts in us, from the inside out. The message of the gospel is that we do not become holy by doing, but by not doing – we do not work so that we may become holy, but we become holy by faith, with the result that we begin to work naturally, from our heart. Sadly, many who recognize this truth in the matter of justification forget it when it comes to sanctification. But we are no more able for the latter than we are for the former, apart from the work of Christ in us.

It may be objected that such a teaching must result in license and lawlessness. But as Marshall demonstrates, it is actually the teaching of a works-based sanctification that issues in lawlessness, for it throws the pursuit of holiness on the abilities of the flesh, which can do nothing according to God’s law. The pursuit of sanctification by the gospel-truth of faith in Christ is the only means that can ever be successful.

This truth, when apprehended, produces some marvelous results: first, it gives all glory to God alone, for the whole process of salvation – without him, none of it is possible. Second, it serves to alleviate the tormented conscience, and makes the yoke of Christ’s law easy and refreshing indeed – for it turns our eyes to him, when before they were fixed on the impossible weight of the law hanging over our weak resolve. And finally, it actually produces true and acceptable holiness, where years of ardent efforts had left only failure and defeat – for it is only through gospel faith that Christ’s power flows through us because of our vital union with him.

For all these reasons, John Murray speaks of The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification as the most important book on sanctification that has ever written. He may well be right.

Walter Marshall was an English Presbyterian minister – a Puritan – best known today for this excellent work on sanctification. Born in 1628, he was forced to leave his parish in the infamous Great Ejection of 1662. However, he remained faithful to the call of God, shortly finding another congregation which he pastored until his death in 1680.

Table of Contents

Chapter One
That we may acceptably perform the duties of holiness and righteousness required in the law, our first work is to learn the powerful and effectual means by which we may attain to so great an end. This direction may serve instead of a preface, to prepare the understanding and attention of the reader for those that follow.

Chapter Two
Several endowments and qualifications are necessary to enable us for the immediate practice of the law. Particularly we must have an inclination and propensity of our hearts thereunto; and therefore we must be well persuaded of our reconciliation with God, and of our future enjoyment of the everlasting heavenly happenings, and of sufficient strength both to will and perform all duties acceptably, until we come to the enjoyment of that happiness.

Chapter Three
The way to get holy endowments and qualifications necessary to frame and enable us for the immediate practice of the law, is to receive them out of the fullness of Christ, by fellowship with Him; and that we may have this fellowship, we must be in Christ, and have Christ Himself in us, by a mystical union with Him.

Chapter Four
The means or instruments by which the Spirit of God accomplishes our union with Christ, and our fellowship with Him in all holiness, are the gospel, by which Christ enters into our hearts to work faith in us, and faith, by which we actually receive Christ Himself, with all His fullness, into our hearts. And this faith is a grace of the Spirit, by which we heartily believe the gospel and also believe on Christ as He is revealed and freely promised to us in this, for all His salvation.

Chapter Five
We cannot attain to the practice of true holiness by any of our endeavors while we continue in our natural state and are not partakers of a new state by union and fellowship with Christ through faith.

Chapter Six
Those that endeavor to perform sincere obedience to all the commands of Christ, as the condition by which they are to procure for themselves a right and title to salvation, and a good ground to trust on Him for the same, do seek their salvation by the works of the law, and not by the faith of Christ, as He is revealed in the gospel and they shall never be able to perform sincere and true holy obedience by all such endeavors.

Chapter Seven
We are not to imagine that our hearts and lives must be changed from sin to holiness in any measure, before we may safely venture to trust on Christ for the sure enjoyment of Himself and His salvation.

Chapter Eight
Be sure to seek for holiness of heart and life only in its due order, where God has placed it, after union with Christ, justification and the gift of the Holy Ghost and, in that order, seek it earnestly by faith as a very necessary part of your salvation.

Chapter Nine
We must first receive the comforts of the gospel, that we may be able to sincerely perform the duties of the law.

Chapter Ten
That we may be prepared by the comforts of the gospel to perform sincerely the duties of the law, we must get some assurance of our salvation in that very faith by which Christ Himself is received into our hearts. Therefore, we must endeavor to believe on Christ confidently, persuading and assuring ourselves, in the act of believing, that God freely gives to us an interest in Christ and His salvation, according to His gracious promise.

Chapter Eleven
Endeavor diligently to perform the great work of believing on Christ in a right manner, without any delay; and then also continue and increase in your most holy faith, that so your enjoyment of Christ, union and fellowship with Him, and all holiness by Him, may be begun, continued and increased in you.

Chapter Twelve
Make diligent use of your most holy faith for the immediate performance of the duties of the law, by walking no longer according to your old natural state, or any principles or means of practice that belong unto it; but only according to that new state which you receive by faith, and the principles and means of practice that properly belong thereunto; and strive to continue and increase in such manner of practice. This is the only way to attain to an acceptable performance of those holy and righteous duties, as far as it is possible in this present life.

Chapter Thirteen
Endeavor diligently to make the right use of all means appointed in the Word of God for the obtaining and practicing holiness only in this way of believing in Christ and walking in Him, according to your new state by faith.

Chapter Fourteen
That you may seek holiness and righteousness only by believing in Christ and walking in Him by faith, according to the former directions, take encouragement from the great advantages of this way and the excellent properties of it.
The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification (eBook)
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Monergism Books is a Reformed Christian Internet bookseller with the goal of equipping Christians in the truth by making available the finest classic resources of historical orthodoxy. This is done in the hope that the church will embrace, and recover a Christ-centered gospel and the true Biblical doctrines of the historic faith.


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