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  DIVINELY COVETOUS
  by Thomas Brooks
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Summary: True holiness is a never-ending pursuit, making a man divinely
covetous for more of God's presence and perfection.

Topics: "Spiritual Growth", "Pursuit of Holiness"
Scripture References: 1 Peter 1:15

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DESCRIPTION
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Thomas Brooks emphasizes that true holiness is characterized by an
insatiable desire for greater holiness. A genuinely holy person
continually strives for higher degrees of holiness, recognizing that
mere measures of holiness are insufficient for their spiritual journey.
This relentless pursuit is fueled by a desire to glorify God, sin less,
and experience a deeper relationship with Him. Brooks asserts that true
holiness knows no limits, making a holy individual divinely covetous in
their quest for spiritual growth. Ultimately, a holy man will never feel
he has enough holiness, akin to the unquenchable desires seen in other
pursuits of life.

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CONTENT
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He who is truly holy will be still a-reaching and stretching

himself out after higher degrees of holiness. Yes, a man

who is truly holy can never be holy enough; he sets no

bounds nor limits to his holiness; the perfection of holiness

is the mark that he has in his eye; he hears, and prays, and

mourns, and studies, and strives--that he may come up to

the highest pitch of holiness.

Received measures of holiness will not satisfy a holy soul;

so much holiness as will keep hell and his soul asunder--will

not satisfy him; nor will so much holiness as will bring him

to eternal happiness satisfy him. He will be still reaching and

stretching out after the highest measures of holiness; his

desires are for more holiness. The beauties of holiness do

so affect him and inflame him, that he cannot but desire

to be more and more holy. "Lord," says the soul, "I desire

to be more holy, that I may glorify Your name more. Lord,

I desire to be more holy, that I may sin less against You,

and that I may enjoy more of You! I would be more holy,

that I may be more victorious over all earthly vanities."

A holy man earnestly prays for more holiness. He prays

that his spark of holiness may be turned into a flame, his

drop of holiness into a sea, and his mite of holiness into

a rich treasury.

I dare boldly to say, that that man was never truly holy,

who does not endeavor to get up to the highest pitches

of holiness. True holiness knows no restrictions nor limitation.

True holiness makes a man divinely covetous. Look! as the

victorious man can never make enough conquests, nor can

the ambitious man ever have enough honor, nor can the

voluptuous man ever have enough pleasure, nor can the

worldling ever have enough mammon--no more can a man

of holiness have ever have enough holiness. As the grave

and the barren womb are never satisfied, they never say

"it is enough," Proverbs 30:15-16--just so, a holy man,

while he is on this side eternity, he is never satisfied,

he can never say that he has holiness enough.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-brooks/divinely-covetous/
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