Walter Marshall (15 June 1628
– August 1680) was an English, non-conformist Puritan pastor and author best
known for his book on the Gospel Mystery of Sanctification[1],
which has been praised as perhaps the single greatest work on sanctification ever composed
. . . The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification was first published in
1692 after Marshall's death.[2]
I read this paragraph in relation to a current study that I found
profound in CHAPTER XII. HOLINESS THROUGH FAITH:
12.2.6. “. . . Particularly, you
must believe steadfastly that all your sins are blotted out, and that you are
reconciled to God, and have access to His favor by the blood of Christ; and
that He is your God and Father, and altogether love to you, and your all
sufficient everlasting portion and happiness through Christ.
Such apprehensions as these do present God as a very lovely object to
our hearts, and do thereby allure and win our affections, that cannot be forced
by commands or threatenings, but must be sweetly won and drawn by allurements. We must not harbour any suspicions that
God would prove a terrible everlasting enemy to us, if we would love Him;
for ‘there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear; because fear
has torment; he that fears is not made perfect in love. We love Him, because He
first loved us’ (1John 4:18, 19). David loved the Lord, because he was
persuaded that He was his strength, rock, fortress, his God, and the horn of his
salvation (Ps. 18:1, 2). Love, that
causes obedience to the law, must proceed from faith unfeigned, whereby we
apprehend the remission of our sins, our reconciliation with God by the merits
of the blood of Christ (1 Tim. 1:5; Heb. 9:14).” [Emphasis mine]
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