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{Since the Heavenly Trade Is the Best Trade…
Exhortation to Good Traders in Christianity
Advice: Bless God for Good Trading
Objection: But May Not a Hypocrite Do All This?}
OBJECTION: But may not a hypocrite do all this by no more than a conscience brought from darkness to light and the work of common grace on his sin?
SOLUTION: Common light cannot see that Christ is desirable to obtain for himself, nor count all things dross and dung to win Him and obtain the excellence of the knowledge of Christ as his Lord. But saving light sees one Christ worth [more than] ten thousand worlds and renounces all to accept Him (Philippians 3:8).1449
Common light sees no evil in sin, but does see guilt, torment, loss of comfort, and sense of punishment (Genesis 4:13).1450 But true grace, when being exercised, loathes sin [even] when sin pretends love and flees from sin even when it offers the biggest reward. It fears sin even when it sees no danger and there is no fear of loss of present comfort or fear of future misery (Titus 2:11–12).1451 The gracious soul, like Joseph, when tempted with flattery, able to do it secretly, or pursued by restless importunity to wickedness, cannot accept it and sin against God (Genesis 39:9).1452 But common light can dwell with works of darkness and finds an unsanctified heart and life to be agreeable to it (2 Peter 2:1–2).1453 Common light and lust never fall out except when conscience is awakened or the sinner’s personal desires are threatened. But saving grace cannot bear that which is evil (Revelation 2:2),1454 or ever make a treaty with sin (Galatians 5:17).1455 Like Sarah, a gracious soul can never be at rest until the bondwoman and her son [sins] are driven out (Genesis 21:10).1456 Common grace may be offended by sin, but it never hates sin. There is no fundamental conflict between a soul that has only common grace and sin; such conflicts may be resolved under the right conditions (Luke 23:12).1457 And, if common grace seems to have an indignation against sin, it is not against every sin and at all times; it may be irreconcilable at some times. But saving grace hates the very being of sin (2 Corinthians 7:11).1458 As the tiger flees from a mere picture of a man,1459 so does grace abhor the appearance of evil, with a universal hatred of every species and kind of sin. This enmity comes from the very nature of grace and is thus irreconcilable to sin (Psalm 139:22);1460 this enmity is derived from the riches of grace (Psalm 97:10)1461 and the greatness of God’s love in redemption. A gracious soul cannot be reconciled to sin because sin cannot be reconciled to grace; sin cannot admit any love to or enjoyment of God. Sin interrupts the soul’s tranquility, holiness, and pleasure in God, the soul’s highest and only good.
Again, common light can live without a special acquaintance with God (Ephesians 2:13).1462 Common light can live far from God and have peace because its country is nourished by the King’s country (Acts 12:20),1463 and its welfare depends on divine pleasure in earthly things, all it looks for. But saving grace gets inside the veil (Hebrews 6:19)1464 to approach the mercy seat where it converses with God. To merely be called by His name, eat His bread, and wear His clothing will not satisfy grace. Grace wants to enjoy His bed also; it longs for intimate communion with God. “I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart” (Psalm 101:2 NASB). It loves the bride-chamber, closet, and secret corners with Him, never thinking itself near enough to, or long enough with Him.
1449“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8 NASB).
1450“Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear’” (Genesis 4:13 ESV).
1451“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12 NASB).
1452“There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9 NKJV).
1453“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned” (2 Peter 2:1–2 NASB).
1454“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false” (Revelation 2:2 NASB).
1455“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:17 ESV).
1456“Therefore she said to Abraham, ‘Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac’” (Genesis 21:10 NASB).
1457“Now Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for before they had been enemies with each other” (Luke 23:12 NASB).
1458“For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter” (2 Corinthians 7:11 NASB).
1459Tigers are usually wary of and avoid humans. But tigers that are surprised, especially with cubs, will attack humans. Notoriously, tigers that are in some way disabled from obtaining their usual prey may switch to a diet of humans.
1460“I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies” (Psalm 139:22 ESV).
1461“You who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 97:10 NKJV).
1462“But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13 NASB).
1463“Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country” (Acts 12:20 NKJV).
1464“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil” (Hebrews 6:19 NASB).
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