that we are faid "to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghoft;" and love, meeknefs, gentlenefs, long-fuffering, and every holy affection and temper is in Scripture afcribed to the Spirit of God. Yea, Sanctification itself, with all that it includes, is there faid to be the work of the Spirit *. 3. And as God begins this work by giving us his Spirit, fo he maintains it by caufing his Spirit to continue with us. For as the beginning, fo the continuance of Sanctification depends neceffarily upon his infpiration. For as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine," and the fap of the vine abide in it; "no more can we, except we abide in Chrift," and the Spirit of Chrift abide in us. "If any man (do not obferve this, and) abide not in him, he is caft forth as a branch, and is withered." Hence Chrift ex horts us, "Abide in me, and I in you; and, for our encouragement, adds, "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit; and every branch in me that beareth fruit, my Father purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." The fum of the matter is this: All our wisdom in fpiritual things, holiness, and happiness, arife from the prefence of the Spirit in While He continues to enlighten, fanctify, and comfort us, fo long we know, obey, and are happy. But if He forfake us, (which it is not his will to do) all our good vanifhes, and we are left the fame ignorant, unholy, miferable creatures we were before. us. 4. It plainly follows from what has been advanced, that our Sanctification can only be increafed by an increase of the Spirit's influences. 2 Theff. ii. 13. For For if the beginning and continuance of our Sanctification depend fo entirely on the beginning and continuance of the operations of the Spirit, fo must an increase of it, on an increase of those operations. The more deep, conftant, and univerfal those influences are, the more deep, conftant, and univerfal must our Sanctification be. So that, in order to our full, perfect, and entire Sanctification, we must be filled with the Spirit," muft receive all those measures of grace purchased for us, and promised to us; must be filled with all the fulness of God," muft "dwell in God, and God in us." Thus fhall "all the good pleasure of his will be fulfilled in us, and the work of faith with power;" we shall be made "perfect and entire, lacking nothing;' " fhall ftand complete in the whole will of God, being "holy, as He that hath called us is holy.'" 5. It appears, therefore, if ever we are fanctified, we must be indebted to God for our fanctification, muft acknowledge Him the Author of it. Now none of us can doubt his power in this matter. "He is able," we know, “to do for us exceeding abundantly, above all that we can ask Or think, according to the power that worketh in us." But is he willing? Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And furely we have no more reason to doubt his willingness than his power; for he is a "God of Peace," as the Apoftle informs us in our text. Had it been otherwife, we could have had little hope of being forgiven, and much lefs of being renewed; we could have expected nothing but utter deftruction, having been rebels againft his government, and traitors to the King of kings, and Lord of lords. But here is our comfort, He is a "God of peace." He has made peace for us by the blood of the crofs." He is in Chrift reconciling the world to to himself, not imputing their trefpaffes to them," and "Peace be unto you," is the language of his love. He fent his angels to bring tidings of peace upon earth, and ha appointed his minifters to proclaim peace throughout all lands. 6. And now fay, whether it is reasonable to call his willingness in queftion? "If he hath not withheld from us his only begotten Son, but freely delivered him up for us all," to fufferings, to death, even the moft ignominious and accurfed death of the cross, "how fhall he not with him. freely give us all things ?" Efpecially the bleffings he purposely died to procure? Did Chrift fuffer without the camp that he might fanctify the people by his blood," and will he deny them the fanctification he thus purchased? Surely he will not. "If while we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we fhall be faved by his life." Oh! what confolation is here! That love which gave us Christ, can deny us nothing good.-We are his offspring, his children, and he is our Father: And will our heavenly Father refufe us what he knows to be neceffary for us? I appeal to yourselves. "If a fon afk bread of any of you who is a father, will he for bread give him a ftone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a ferpent?" Now, "if ye being evil," angry, peevish, unkind, if ye "know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more will your heavenly Father," who is pure, boundlefs, univerfal love, "give his holy Spirit to thofe that afk him?" Sing we then, "Away my unbelieving fear, "Fear fhall in me no more take place: "But But fhall I therefore let him go, "I never will give up my shield.” 7. For confider further, he hath invited us to come to him for this bleffing: "Faithful is he that hath called you* .” God hath, in a variety of ways, (by his providence, his word, his minifters, his Spirit,) called us to come to him for fanctification. And will he mock his helpless creatures? Will he deceive our confidence, and difappoint our expectations? Will he bid us come to him for fanctification, and when we are come, turn his back upon us, and refufe us the bleffing? Far be the thought from us! Surely this would be a degree of cruelty rarely to be met with among men, abandoned as they are; and to afcribe this to God, would be highly derogatory to his glory, and little. lefs than blafphemy. It would be to impeach his divine love, his darling attribute, and to make him altogether fuch a one as ourselves. 8. But that unbelief, as to this point, may be banished from among us, that it may make its appearance no more, I must add we have not only the divine wisdom, and power, and love, all engaged to fanctify us, but his faithfulness alfo. "Faithful is he that hath called you." This intimates that God hath promised it, and this he certainly hath done in many places, and in various forms of expreffion. By Mofes he fays, I will circumcife thy heart, and the heart of thy feed, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and foul, and ftrength." By Jeremiah he fays, "I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts; a promife the Apoftle thought fo preci * Ver. 24. ous, bus, that he quotes it twice as a principal and diftinguishing blefling of the New Covenant. By Ezekiel God promifes, "I will fprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthinefs and idols will I cleanfe you. A new heart will I give unto you, and a right fpirit will I renew within you." Chrift himself affures us, "They that hunger and thirst after righteoufness shall be filled," and that his followers "fhall be perfect, as their Father in heaven is perfect.": And, to mention no more, St. Peter confiders God's promifes in general as made with a view to this one end, when he fays, "There are given to us exceeding great and precious promifes, that by thefe (by the accomplishment of these) we might be made partakers of the divine nature,' even that image of God, in which we were originally created, knowledge, holiness and happiness, or, in one word, Sanctification. 9. Plain it is then that this fanctification is promifed, and that repeatedly, and in the most exprefs terms. Now, obferve who it is that hath made these promifes; not a weak and helpless, falfe and perfidious, fickle and inconstant worm of the earth, whofe malice and wickednefs might prompt him to deceive us, if he were ever so able, or whofe power might be infufficient, if he were ever fo willing, to fulfil his promifes. But it is God, our Maker, Preferver, and Redeemer, the Great I AM, the Everlafting and Unchangeable Jehovah, whofe wifdom and power, holiness and justice, truth and love, are equally infinite; who is poffeffed of all poffible perfections, and all whofe perfections oblige him (fo to fpeak) to fulfil his promifes. That love, immenfe and unfearchable, which firft induced him to promife, must as ftrongly incline him to perform; and this, confidering |