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I. THE CONDITION OF SUCCESS IN WORK FOR GOD IS HOLINESS.

1. Purity. Spiritual purity means power and beauty. It has a passive side (Ezekiel 36:25). But it has an active side (James 4:8).

2. Consecration. That person, possession, or thing is consecrated which is given to God according to His will and pleasure.

3. Obedience. No practical holiness is possible without obedience. For what is sin but disobedience?

4. But these three — purity, consecration, and obedience — do not set before us a complete idea of what the Bible means by holiness. It must have an inner life of which these are but the outer manifestations. The very heart of it is the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit.

II. THE CAUSE OF THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS. The Divine power. Christ has not said, "Follow Me" to any one to whom He has not also said, "My grace is sufficient for thee, My strength is made perfect in thy weakness." When God says, "Sanctify yourselves," it is the height of presumption and unbelief for us to sit down and say we cannot do it. The Lord is able to fulfil His promises. It is for us to obey.

(Homilist.)

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KJV: And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;

WEB: It happened after three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp;