renew your faith daily in point of justification - Jeremiah Burroughs

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“The strength of sin is the Law. God’s justice in the Law giving men up unto sin, there lies the strength of sin. But now God through Christ, coming to men in the grace of the Gospel, gives deliverance from the strength of sin. Perhaps some of you have lain under the burden and power of sin, and you have thought the only way to get victory has been to resolve and strive against it. And you have done so, and yet you cannot get power over your sins. I remember one wrote to Luther, telling him that he had vowed and covenanted against his sin, and yet his sin prevailed against him until he understood the grace of the Gospel. And so maybe have you done, and yet your sin prevails because you take not this course.
Try the work of faith in point of justification. Renew your faith in God for the forgiveness of your sin through Jesus Christ. That’s the ready way; try that course. You who have tired of laboring against corruption, you have resolved and prayed and shed tears, and yet that will not do. Try this way: Renew your faith daily in point of justification by laying hold of the infinite riches of the grace of Christ in the gospel for pardon, for healing power to come in to help you against that which holds you, and this will not hinder your duties. You may pray, resolve, and fast as much as before, but be sure your great care is to renew your faith in point of justification, and there will come more healing in your souls by that than by anything else. Once you can touch Christ, the bloody issues of your sins that ran before come to be dried up, which you could not dry up, though you spent your time and pains and did all you could do. Here is a great difference between God’s forgiveness and man’s: a king may forgive but he cannot change and heal. But when God forgives, He heals and takes away that evil disposition from you that so weakened you for all good. When Christ comes, He comes with healing in His wings. Now blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, for there follows deliverance from the power of sin and a healing of the soul.”

- Jeremiah Burroughs, Gospel Remission

http://www.ligonier.org/store/gospel-remission-hardcover/

“A heavenly conversation brings much glory to the saints” – Jeremiah Burroughs

“A heavenly conversation is one that will bring much glory to yourselves. Though it’s true that the saints should aim at the glory of God most, there will come glory upon themselves whether they wish it or not if their conversations are in heaven. It’s impossible for the consciences of men not to be honored if they are walking in a heavenly conversation. There’s an excellent Scripture that shows that in glorifying God we glorify ourselves. In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, the apostle prays for them:
“Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power.”
To what end?
“That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He prays for the Thessalonians that they might walk so that they might have so much of the grace of God in them, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ might be glorified in them. Oh, this is that which all the saints should desire and endeavor after, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ should be glorified in them, and you in Him, he says. Labor that Christ may have glory in our glory, and then we shall have glory in Christ’s glory. This is a sweet and blessed life when the saints have such hearts that they can say, “Lord, let me have no glory, but that you may have glory in.” Then God says, “Is it so? Do you desire no further glory in this world but that I may have glory in? Then I will have no glory in this world but what you shall have glory in!” Christ will make us partakers of His glory as well as we shall make Him partaker of our glory. Oh, heavenly conversation that glorifies God will glorify the saints, too!”

– Jeremiah Burroughs, A treatise on earthly-mindedness