Thefe do hunger and thirft after righteoufnefs, the full conformity of their fouls to Chrift, and cannot reft till they have full redemption through his Blood. And is it poffible that fuch fhould not be perfecting holinefs? No, nor that they should be long ere they attain to the perfection of holinefs, who are fo cleanfing themfelves from all filthinefs of flesh, as well as of spirit, and are in all things feeking the Lord with all their heart. The Lord whom they fo feek, will fuddenly come to his temple, and make their longing fouls his bleft abode. He cannot lie, who has faid, I am the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, and to him will I look, and with him will I dwell, who is humble and of a contrite fpirit, and trembleth at my word. My mercy is treasured up for fuch, in my Son, and in my promifes, whereon I have caufed them to hope, and have thus engaged their hearts to approach unto me. But this naturally leads me

III. To the third thing propofed, viz. the argument the Apostle ufes, at once to enforce this duty, and to encourage those who are called to the performance of it: Having thefe promifes, dearly beloved, let us fet upon, and accomplish this great work of perfecting holiness: a work fuppofed by some to be not only unneceffary, but even impoffible to be done in this life by any means whatever, and "much more, fay they, by cleanfing ourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit. For we can, we need do nothing! The filthinefs of fin may, and muft dwell in us, fo Jong as we live. Then death fhall do, what neither we nor any thing elfe (the Blood of Chrift not excepted) ever can do!" Oh, what a mercy, that these are not the words of God, but of man! of poor fhort-fighted man! a ftranger to his own privileges, and herein an enemy to his own happinefs. But we have not fo learn. ed Chrift, nor fo received his glorious declaration, who fent him to destroy the works of the Devil, and fave his people from their fins!

Confider we then this argument and encouragement: even those promifes from God, which relate to this very thing, namely, holinefs, or perfection in holiness, particularly thofe to which the text may more immediately refer. Thus faith the Lord, "I will fprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean. From all your filthinefs, and from all your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart will I give unto you. I will take the ftony heart out of your flefh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my fpirit within you, and ye fhall walk in my ftatutes: ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them. And I will be a God unto you, and ye fhall be my people, faith the Lord." To the fame purpofe is the clofe of the chapter preceding the text: Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath faid, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they fhall be my people," Again, thus faith the Lord, "I will circumcife your heart, that ye may love the Lord your God with all your heart, and will all your foul, and with all your mind, and with all your Arength;

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and your neighbour as yourfelf." Nor does the very firft promife, The feed of the woman fhall bruife the ferpent's head," as explained by St. John, imply any thing lefs. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifefted, that he might destroy the works of the Devil." Herein David exults, (Pf. cxxx.) Let Ifrael hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he fhall redeem Ifrael from all his iniquities." And it is to these and the like promifes, no doubt, the Apoftle to the Hebrews refers, when he would encourage the Chriftian believers by affuring them, that he who could not lie, had provided ftrong confolation for them who had fled for refuge, and laid hold upon the hope fet before them, even CHRIST JESUS. He had engaged himself by two immutable things, his word and his oath in performance whereof he fent his Son to "fave us from our fins." These are some of thofe exceeding great and precious promifes, which, as St. Peter fays, are given to believers, that encouraged by them, they might partake of the Divine nature, having efcaped the corruptions which are in the world through luft.

Having then these promiles, 1. upon record in the Word of God: 2. Enfured to us by our relation to Chrift: And, 3. urged upon us as an incentive to the important duty before us, we yield to the invincible force of fuch arguments, and fay, It is meet, right, and our bounden duty, to perfect holinefs in his fear, whom, because we love, therefore we delight to obey: confident that however heaven and earth may pafs away, the word of the Lord, that shall stand! Thefe mighty promifes fhine, engraved as in eternal brass, nor can all the powers of darkness erase these everlafting lines, which enforce the duty by motives fo powerful, wherein are connected fo great privileges with fuch juft commands. For what privilege fo great, as that of loving the Lord our God with all the heart, foul, ftrength, and mind? And what command fo juft, as that those who are so related to him, should have the highest esteem for their Maker, Preferver and Redeemer? A fense of these obligations to a mind under the agency of the Eternal Spirit, is a fufficient motive to conftrain it to the most cheerful obedience. And how much more, when by that fame Operation it difcerns the wonderful benignity of God, in engaging himself to do that for us, who have fo rebelled against him, wherein our only felicity can be found? O the riches of his goodness to fallen man, in providing for his restoration to present and eternal happiness, by an union with and conformity to himself!

It is true, the duty fo equitable in itself, and fo beneficial to its performers, has many and very great oppofitions to encounter: and whoever begins in good earneft, will find fuch enemies to grapple with, as, before that, he fcarce imagined the Chriftian foldier could meet with in the procefs of this war! He is now refolved upon the utmost fidelity to his Sovereign, and that nothing in him fhall rob Him of his right, fo juftly claimed, and dearly purchased, even at the immenfe price of his own most precious

Blood!

Blood! He never before, fo fully knew, what bondage he was in to those who had ufurped the dominion over him; nor what ftrong poffeffion the world, the flesh, and the Devil, had of his affections: the treachery, the deceit, the enmity, and unbelief of his heart! its stubbornnefs and pride, yea, and defperate wickednefs! All which being now discovered, he is refolved, that Jefus fhall be Lord of all his motions, and fhall bring all into captivity to the obedience of himself: yea, not a thought shall be excepted, but all be made fubject to him!

This occafions the accomplishment of that word, "I will fhew thee thy heart." But bear in mind, O Chriftian, this discovery is made, that he may do thee good; though once thou wouldst not have believed it, though a man from the authority of the Bible, and from the fincereft good-will, had told it unto thee.

Yet be not difcouraged. You have the promises; and you find even now they are fulfilling to you. Self was never fo abafed in you as now. Sin was never fo deteftable, and loathed, and abhorred by you, as at this day. Never did you feel fo willing to give it up, fo willing to part with the most darling luft, as you are now. There never were fuch a longing in your foul, to get rid of it all for ever, as in the prefent moment! Oh, what throes you feel to be delivered! What longings after God, whom your foul.

loveth!

You have often feen a beauty in religion; wonderful wifdom and goodness in the myftery of redemption by Chrift; the fuperior excellence of a godly life, and being all for God. And for it you have given up many, yea, all things you then faw a bar in your way; and, it may be, fuffered gladly the lofs of many things, for the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus your Lord. But now you efteem all as dung, that you may thus win Chrift, and be fo found in him, as that by any means you may attain unto the refurrection of the dead! not even fhrinking at the fellowship of his fufferings, and that not merely in the mortification of the members that are upon the earth, and in the daily cruci. fixion of the old man, for the destruction of the body of fin: not. merely, I fay, in wrestling with flesh and blood; but even with principalities and powers, and with the rulers of the darkness of this world; who, unwilling that all their faithful allies fhould be banished from the foul, exert their rage and malice, to deter you from the attempt. They hope, at leaft, to keep one (if it could be only one) in poffeflion. They fay, "It cannot, it need not be now; it may, it will be eafier and better done, by and by:. at death when you muft go, and all will be left at once; and you will not have any of that reproach which is caft upon fuch profeffors: And you have the promifes, the faithful promifes, which fhall, will, must be then accomplished." Thus Satan will tranfform himself into an angel of light and because he well knows the force of that exceeding weighty artillery," Having these promifes," he will endeavour by his abufe of them, to hinder you

from using them yea, he will even fo turn them against you, as to attempt to make them prove your overthrow, by eftablishing prefent unbelief, and by daily confirming it more and more in your foul: and, remember, all this he will do under the pretence of a ftable, firm faith in the promifes of God, as it refpects their future accomplishment.

O fellow-foldier, be not thou ignorant of his devices, who goes about, not only as a roaring lion, but as a wiley ferpent, feeking to beguile, that he may deftroy. That he gain no advantage here, refift him ftedfaft in the faith. Forget not, that JESUS, not death, ever lives to intercede, that he may fave you, coming unto God by him (and this is the work of life, not death only) to the uttermoft: that the promifes you now look for the accomplishment of, refer to life, not death to living, not dying, much less dead men. Thefe cannot be fo delivered from their enemies, as to ferve him without fear, in holinefs and righteoufnefs before him ALL THE DAYS OF THEIR LIFE! Therefore, to-day hear his voice, who fays, "Now is the accepted time, and (in this sense alfo) the day of falvation; " and do not harden your heart by unbelief, as if you fuppofed his Hand fhortened, that he could not thus fave, or his ear heavy, that he would not now hear your cry, which his own Spirit has infpired, and help you by proving that he is faithful who has promifed, and who alfo will do it.

as your

Therefore, you may expect him, 1. To bruife Satan and all his emiffaries fhortly under your feet. 2. To free you from all the impurity of your heart, though far exceeding what you once thought; by enabling you to love him as he has commanded, and foul longs, even with all its powers in their utmost extent, and for ever. For he will take the ftony out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh; and this, you are fure, cannot refer to any but living men; otherwife the fimile would be utterly impropér. Therefore, 3. hold faft your fhield, and now plead his promifes; and you fhall baffle all your foes, and prove that thefe promises are not only a strong incentive to duty, but a fufficient fupport to you under every trial you are expofed to in endeavouring to be faithful in the difcharge of it; yea, even fhould your trials come from quarters leaft expected, yet no lefs calculated to hurt you, and in fuftaining whereof you are alfo conforming to the death, and sharing the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ: Your opponents, perhaps may be men profeffing great zeal for godliness, and even teachers of it, yea, and eminent in their way: although, as a late great man fays, "they knew little more of it than the Baptism of John," or at most, the first principles of the doctrine of Chrift; neverthelefs they deny the neceflity, if not declare the impoffibility of even going on to perfection, because they imagine there is no fuch thing to be attained in this life; and therefore set aside the advice of our Apoftle, and cut up, as far as they can (yet without any bad defign) by the very roots all the advantages intended you by thefe promifes. Their

VOL. XIX. Feb. 1796.

Their attacks will be varied, as their and your circumstances may be. Some will endeavour to bear you down, and to frighten you out of your hope. Others will try to rally you out of it by fcoffs, and witty banter. There may be fome who will attempt to wreft your fhield out of your hand by cool argument, and apparently out of the greatest good-will to you. They will perhaps fay," they pity you from their very hearts, as deluded perfons: and the more fincere and friendly they appear, fo much greater will be your danger, and the greater neceflity you will be laid under to hold fast the beginning of your confidence; left they take from you your great recompence of reward, your Crown.

But you muft obferve, that however varied their manner may be, the end is the fame; and their arguments, when stripped of the falfhood which clothes them, are very nearly, if not quite, the fame. It is not to be expected that they should be otherwise, as they are all inftructed at the fame School, whether of art or nature; where the leffons of a fixed determination against holiness, our holiness, personal holiness, and, above all, perfection in holinefs, are continually read with great precision: where lectures are perpetually given upon this fcience, with all the embellishments of rhetoric and force of fophiftry, to pupils, who are well prepared to receive and digeft what is fo fuited to their tafte: even an inveterate enmity against God, and his likeness: a distrust of his Word, which is, as far as it goes, a denial of his exiftence: and a fettled diflike to that univerfal rule of the Chriftian's life, and teft of the fincerity of his profeffion, "Deny thyfelf; take up thy Crofs daily, and follow me." Now, as they will tell you the vanity of your purfuit, and demonftrate its folly, if not madness; and confirm the whole by retailing all that hath been faid of the weakness (perhaps, wickednefs) of all its votaries (much of which they have only heard fay); fo they will fele&t all the miscarriages of Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, Saints and Martyrs, and efpecially of all who have either profeffed or preached the doctrine of holiness in our day, to prove their point. All this they will urge home upon you, and fo try to face you out of your hope in God through Chrift!

Therefore, if you have been fledfaft against other adversaries, you must fland immoveable again ft thefe. And that you may, remember that you change not your arms. Keep to this, " It is written; " or, to the words of our text, "Having thefe promifes." By this fimple fword of the Spirit, you will hew in pieces all their arguments, however well contrived and plaufible. Do not give up this, nor admit of any gloffes or interpretations put upon it, which would rob God of his glory, and man of his only way to happiness here, and the one fure path to it to all eternity. Should you quit the Spirit's fword, and lay hold on carnal reafon in its place, you are, you will, you must be foiled. That will be to you, as Saul's armour to David, unproved: and whenever you make a trial, will be entirely infufficient for its work. Let them

come