Walter Marshall (1628-1680) was a non-conformist pastor who served in churches at Fawley, Hursley, and Gosport England. He is best known for his book, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification. Marshall penned this book after a long battle with spiritual depression. Marshall’s depression stemmed from his lack of peace and assurance of salvation. After a visit with Thomas Goodwin, a local pastor, Marshall became convinced that he was resting on his good works and personal righteousness as the grounds of his right standing with God. According to Goodwin’s counsel, Marshall needed to focus on Christ and his righteousness and on believing in him for the forgiveness of his sins.
Below are some excellent quotes from Marshall’s book to encourage and ground you in your walk with Christ and your pursuit of holiness.
Zeal without knowledge. “Many others set upon the practice of holiness with a fervent zeal, and run very fast, but tread not a step in the right way; and finding themselves frequently disappointed and overcome by their lusts, they at last give over the work and turn to wallow again in the mire” (9).
Assurance necessary for true holiness. “Consider these things well, and you may easily perceive that our spirits are not in a fit frame for [pursuing holiness] while we apprehend ourselves under the curse and wrath of God, or while we are under prevailing suspicious that God will prove an enemy to us at last” (17).
We don’t need holiness to believe in Christ. “We are not to imagine that our hearts and lives must be changed from sin to holiness in any measure, before we may safely venture to trust on Christ for the sure enjoyment of himself, and his salvation”(86).
Holiness not necessary to come to Christ. “Any the least change of our hearts and lives from sin to holiness before our receiving of Christ and his salvation by faith, is not at all necessary according to the terms of the gospel, nor required in the word of God” (87).
God justifies the ungodly. “Christ would have us to believe in him that justifieth the ungodly; and therefore he doth not require us to be godly before we believe” (88).
Assurance necessary for true obedience. “He is a saving Lord; trust on him first to save you from the guilt and power of sin, and dominion of Satan, and to give you a new spiritual disposition; then, and not till then, the love of Christ will constrain you to resign yourself heartily to live to him that died for you” (2 Cor 5:14) (91).
Assurance necessary for godly sorrow. “Godly sorrow for sin is wrought in us by believing the pardoning grace of God; as it is found in by experience, that a pardon from a prince will sometimes sooner draw tears from a stubborn malefactor, than the fear of a halter will” (95).
Salvation includes holiness. “Great multitudes of ignorant people, that live under the gospel, harden their hearts in sin, and ruin their souls forever, by trusting on Christ for such an imaginary salvation, as consisteth not at all in holiness, but only in forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from everlasting torments. They would be free from the punishment due to sin; but they love their lusts so well, that they hate holiness, and would not be saved from the service of sin. The way to oppose this pernicious delusion is, not to deny, as some do, that trusting on Christ for salvation is a saving act of faith; but rather to show, that none do or can trust on Christ for true salvation, expect they trust on him for holiness: neither do they heartily desire true salvation, if they do not desire to be made holy and righteous in their hearts and lives. If ever God and Christ give you salvation, holiness will be one part of it; if Christ wash you not from the filth of your sins, you have not part with him (John 13:8)” (100).
God cannot be lovely to us unless we are sure that we are right with him. “Can we love God, and delight in him above all, while we look upon him as our everlasting enemy, and apprehend no love and mercy in him towards us, that may render him a suitable good for us, and lovely in our eyes” (106).
The conscience can only be cleansed if we are sure we are forgiven. “It is evident, that we do not aright receive the benefit of remission of sins, for the purging of our conscience from that guilt which lieth upon them, unless we have an assured persuasion of God’s forgiving them” (128).
You can only know you are elect if you have believed in Christ. “We cannot have a certain knowledge of our election to eternal life before we do believe; it is a thing hidden in the unsearchable counsel of God, until it be manifest by our effectual calling, and believing on Christ….Therefore, we must believe on Christ before we know our election, or else we shall never know it, and shall never believe. And it is no presumption for us to trust confidently in Christ, for everlasting life before we have any good evidence of our election, because God, that cannot lie, hath made a general promise, That whosoever believeth on him, shall not be ashamed, without making the least difference among them that perform this duty (Rom 10:11-12)” (140).
Don’t put any conditions between yourself and Christ. “If you put any condition of works or good qualifications between yourselves and Christ, it will be a partition wall which you can never climb over” (147).
Don’t entertain thoughts that God has not elected you. “Take heed of fostering any thoughts, that God hath absolutely decreed to show no saving mercy to you, or that you have already committed the unpardonable sin; or, that it is in vain for you to attempt the work of believing, because God will not help you in it. If such thoughts prevail in your hearts, they will do you more hurt than the most blasphemous thoughts that terrify you, or any the grossest abominations that ever you were guilty of, because they obstruct your believing on Christ for salvation” (148).
The gospel is self-authenticating. “But the truth of the gospel doth so clearly evidence itself by its own light, that, if people do not willfully shut their eyes, or blind themselves by their own pride, and love their lusts, they would easily perceive, that it is the truth of God, because the image of his grace, mercy, power, justice, and holiness, appears manifestly engraven upon it” (153).
Trust in Christ, not your resolutions. “Despair of purging the flesh, or natural man, of its sinful lusts and inclinations, and of practicing holiness, by your willing and resolving to do the best that lieth in your own power, and trusting on the grace of God and Christ, to help you in such resolutions and endeavors; rather, resolve to trust on Christ, to work in you to will and do, by his own power, according to his own good pleasure” (169).
Trust in Christ to work in you. “It is not enough for us to trust on Christ to help us act and endeavor so only as creatures; for so the worst of men are helped: He is God in whom we live, move, and have our being (Acts 17:28)….But we must trust on Christ to enable us above the strength of our own natural power, by virtue of the new nature which we have in Christ, and by his Spirit dwelling and working in us, or else our best endeavors will be altogether sinful, and mere hypocrisy” (171).
