The last set of men, who are included in the pfalmift's text, are those who, divested of all thoughts of future punishment, or of the opinion of the world, ftand in awe of God, through a fear of offending him. It is fear in one sense but it is accompained with that perfect love, which, in another fenfe, cafteth out fear.

V.

Beloved, now are we the fons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall fee him, as he is. -And every one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure.1 John, iii. 2, 3:

THE divine author of this paffage, among a multitude of heavenly themes, which he has proposed to our contemplation, has not proposed one more full of wonderful, and affecting matter than this. He fets before us our new birth, and inheritance our hopes, our motives-and glorification altogether, in one point of viewLet us follow him through the particulars of this wonderful display of grace.

Beloved, now are we the fons of God. By embracing, and fincerely obeying, the chriftian religion, we become heirs of all its promifes, and hopes the great curfe is removed-God's holy fpirit is fhed abroad in our hearts-and we are fitted for that heavenly ftate, which is prepared

for

We

for us. All this is the confequence of our being the adopted fons of God through Christ. are purified in this world; and shall be glorified in the next.

But what is this ftate of glory which is promised to us? We are acquainted with the things of this world; and know they are adapted to us, and we to them: but what notices have we of these heavenly things?

It is true, fays the apostle (in answer to this queftion) it doth not yet appear what we shall be. It is impoffible in this world to have any ideas of the glory of the next. Flesh and blood cannot reveal thefe things to us; neither are we capable of receiving them, if they should be revealed. In these things, as in many others, we must walk by faith, not by fight *.-Under the guidance therefore of faith, we are assured, that when he fhall appear, we shall be like him; for we fhall fee him as he is.-We have the fame fentiment rather more strongly expreffed, in St. Paul's epiftle to the Philippians: We look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

2 CORINTHIANS, V. 7,

The

propo

The great conclusion is, that every one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself as he is pure. And every one (if we may transpose the fition, and turn it into a teft) who doth not purify himfelf as he is pure, may be affured, that he hath not this hope in him.

VI.

Godly forrow worketh repentance-but the forrow of the world worketh death.-2 Cor. vii. 10.

ST. Paul, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, had delivered an inceftuous person to Satan. What is meant by that phrase, we are not clearly informed. It is probable he meant only to remove the offender from the communion of the faithful.-Whatever the punishment was, it is certain it wrought its proper effect; and the offender was reftored to his own peace of mind; and to the peace of the church.

To this event the apoftle alludes in the text; in which he places two kinds of forrow in oppofition to each other-godly forrow; and the forrow of the world: the former of which worketh · repentance; the latter, death.

Some people are apt to confider forrow and repentance as the fame thing. Hence arifesthe danger of a death-bed repentance, and the deceit, which men are inclined to put upon themselves. But they have no authority for fuch deceit from any thing the apoftle fays. He fays only that

godly