And that we should find continual matter of rejoicing in the testimony of a good and tender confcience. He means, laftly, that our Paffions and Appetites should be fo regulated and inflamed with divine love, that a “peace, passing underftanding, may keep our hearts and minds thro' Chrift Jefus," and we may "dwell in love, and in God, and God in us." Thus fhall we be able to adopt the following language, very expressive of the full affurance of hope:

“ 'Tis done at lait, the great deciding part, “The world's fubdued, and thou haft all my heart: "It triumphs in the change, and fixes here, "Nor does another feparation fear;

"No various fcenes to come, no change of place, * Shall thy lov'd image from my foul efface; "Nor length, nor breadth, nor diftant height above, "Nor depth below, shall part me from thy love.”

And all this, that "whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to the glory of God; " that whatever we do in word or deed, we may "do all in the name of the Lord Jefus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, thro' him.”. 3. And now, fhall not this blefling be ours? Can we hear of this renovation of our fallen nature, of this health and good conftitution of foul, and not long to poffefs it? Surely this fanctification, fo excellent in itself, and fo beneficial in its effects, must appear in the eyes of all that are enlightened, to be far more defirable than the moft valuable of those earthly vanities, which fo univerfally engage the attention, and engrofs the affections of mankind! Surely one cannot even tranfiently behold this divine, perfection and beauty without emotion, and cannot attentively confider it without being overcome with defire, and made (as it were) fick of love! How lovely is this

image

image of God, this divine nature! How honourable and happy to be clothed with it! To have all our fins forgiven, and our confciences fprinkled from guilt! To have all our diseases healed, and our fouls restored to perfect foundness! To have our life redeemed from eternal deftruction, and our heads crowned with loving-kindness and tender mercies! To have God's approbation on earth,, and to hear him fay in that day, "Well done!" O what equals this?

"And fhall the victor now “Boat the proud laurels on his painted brow? Religion! Oh thou Cherub! heavenly bright, "Oh joys unmix'd and fathomiefs delight! "Thou, thou art all !".

4. As to the way in which this holiness is obtained, I must beg leave to make that a distinct head of difcourfe, having enlarged fo much on the points already treated. In the mean time, let us carefully confider what hath been advanced; let us mark, learn, and inwardly digeft it; and let us lift up our hearts unto God in earnest prayer for his blefling upon it! Thus fhall we become more and more acquainted with its excellency and neceffity. Our defires after it will be maintained! and encreased, and we fhall even "hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs." And then we shall not: only be prepared to receive benefit by what may hereafter be faid, but shall be in the high way to have our defires accomplished, for "bleffed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."

1.

THESS. V. 23, 24.

May the very God of Peace fanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole fpirit, and foul, and body, be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Faithful is he that calleth you, who alfo will do it."

AVING confidered the nature and extent of Sanctification, I proceed now, fecondly, as was propofed, to fhew how it may be obtained?

1. With regard to this, I muft obferve, 1ft, We cannot produce this change in ourfelves by any wifdem or power of our own. This will be readily allowed by all who attentively confider what has been already advanced on the nature of Sanctification. For it appears by the account given above, that previous, at leaft to fome meafure of fanctification, and while in our natural ftate, we are devoid of all wifdom and power to do any manner of thing that is good. And this is confirmed by our Lord, who faith, "Without me ye can do nothing. Now if we can do nothing without him, how can we do

this,

this, fo great, fo wonderful a work? Can the blind restore himself to fight? Can the dead raise himself up? Can the dead in fin quicken his own foul? Alas! he does not even know that he is dead, but fleeps on ftill and takes his reft; and if he did know, he has no ability to perform what is fo fupernatural. What then must be done in this cafe? Where fhall we find relief? St. Paul tells us, "Our fufficiency is of God;" and again, "God worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleafure." Hence it is, that in the words of our text, he directs his prayer unto God for this bluffing, "May the very God of peace, as δὲ ὁ Θεός της ειρήνης :” It Mhould rather be rendered, "May the God of Peace himfelf fanctify you." It is his peculiar work: Only "he who commanded light to fhine out of darkness, " can "fhine into our hearts;" only he who created the world, and brought order out of confufion, new-create our fouls. We must acknowledge his workmanship," if we are "created in Chrift Jefus unto good works."

can

2. I obferve, 2dly, God works this change in us, by communicating to us his holy Spirit in his various graces. As a Spirit of Wifdom and Revelation, he difpells the darkness of our minds, and makes us light in the Lord." As a Spirit of Holiness, he fubdues our Wills, and raifes our Affections to God and Heaven. As a Comforter, he removes our guilty fears, scatters our doubts, and fprinkles our confciences from dead works,, that we may ferve the living God. He compofes the tumult of our breafts, gives us " peace and joy thro' believing," and fills us with ftrong confolation. He is the earnest of our future in. heritance in our hearts," and it is by him we are fealed to the day of redemption." Hence it is

that.