ciples that belong to man in the state in which he is born, ye shall die. Ye shall suffer all the misery that throughout eternity is the portion of the wicked, which is called death, as death is the greatest evil in this world. This denounces the wrath of God against all who do not live to God, and seek salvation in the way he has ap pointed, however harmless, and even useful they may be in society. At the same time, it proves that nothing that can be done by man in a state of nature, in his best efforts and highest attain ments, will lead to God and to life. The Apostle thus repeats what he had affirmed in the sixth verse, that to be carnally minded is death.

But if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body.The deeds of the body are the works which corrupt nature produces. The believer does not walk according to them or indulge these, but mortifies them or puts them to death. Those to whom the Apostle wrote had mortified the deeds of the body, yet they are hére called to a further mortification of them, which imports that this is both a gradual work, and to be continued and persevered in while we are in the world. This shows that the sanctification of the believer is progressive.

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Some persons have objected to the doctrine of progressive sanctification, and have conceived that to suppose it is a very great error. They

hold that there is no more progress in sanctifica tion than there is in justification, and that both are complete at once on believing the truth. There is just so much truth in this as serves to make the error plausible. It is quite true that there is a sense in which believers are perfectly sanctified from the moment they believe. That sanctification, however, is not in themselves; it is in Christ, as well as their justification is in him. The moment they believe they are justified in Christ, and perfectly righteous, and the moment they believe, they are sanctified in him and are perfectly holy. Viewed in Christ, they are "complete." But there is a personal sanc tification, which commences with the new birth on believing the truth, and which is not perfected till death. Many passages of Scripture import this doctrine. The following prayer of the Apostle is explicit and decisive :-" And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly."_ Thess. v. 23. The Apostle Peter begins his second Epistle by praying that grace might be multiplied to those to whom he wrote, and concludes it by enjoining on them to grow in grace. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.".

Believers have sanctification through the truth. John, xvii. 17. It must then be in proportion as the truth is understood and believed. It is

also through faith in Christ, Acts, xxvi. 18. If so, according to the degree of faith will be the degree of sanctification. But all Christians are not equal in faith, neither then are they equal in sanctification; and as a Christian advances in faith, he advances in sanctification. If he may say, Lord increase my faith, he may likewise say, Lord increase my sanctification.

Through the Spirit.-It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, who testifies of Christ and his salvation, and according to the new nature which he communicates, that the believer mortifies his sinful propensities. It is not then of himself he is able to do this. No man overcomes the corruptions of his heart but by the influence of the Spirit of God. Though it is the Spirit of God who enables us to mortify the deeds of the body, yet it is also said that we do it. We do this through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in men according to the constitution that God has given them. The same work is, in one point of view, the work of God, and in another the work of man.

Ye shall live.-Here eternal life is promised to all who, through the Spirit, mortify the deeds of the body. The promises of the Gospel are not made to the work, but to the worker; and to the worker, not for his work, but according to his work, for the sake of Christ's work. The

promise, then, of life is not made to the work of mortification, but to him that mortifies his flesh; and that not for his mortification, but because he is in Christ, of which this mortifica tion is the evidence. That they who mortify the flesh shall live, is quite consistent with the truth, that eternal life is the free gift of God ; and in the giving of it there is no respect to the merit of the receiver. This describes the cha racter of all who shall receive eternal life; and it is of great importance. It takes away all ground of hope from those who profess to know God, and in works deny him.

› V. 14.—For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are. the sons of God. add o

Here is a proof of what had just been said. namely, that if, through the Spirit, those whom the Apostle addressed mortified the deeds of the body, they shall live; for all who do so are led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads those in whom he dwells to the mortification of sin. He takes of the glory of the person of Jesus, as God manifest in the flesh, and of his office, as the one Mediator between God and man, and discovers it to his people. Convin cing them of their sinful condition, and of Christ's righteousness, he leads them to re nounce every thing of their own, in the hope of acceptance with God. He teaches them as the

Spirit of truth, shines upon his own word, strives with them by it externally, and internally by his grace, conducts, guides, and brings them forward in the way of duty, and, as the promised Comforter fills them with divine consolation. Thus he leads them to Christ, to holiness, and to happiness. This shows us the cause why the children of God, notwithstanding their remaining ignorance and depravity, and the many temptations with which they are assailed, hold on in the way of the Lord. "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." "Thy Spirit is good, lead me to the land of uprightness." This leading is enjoyed by none but Christians; for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."

The sons of God.-God has appointed that, in two ways, his people should be his sons; one is by adoption, the other is by birth. The Apostle here, and in the following verses, exhibits four proofs of our being the sons of God. The first is our being led by the Spirit of God; the second is the Spirit of adoption which we receive, crying, Abba, Father; the third is the witness of the Spirit with our spirits; the fourth is our sufferings in the communion of Jesus Christ; to which is joined the fruit of this state