"God is not unrighteous to forget their labour of love.' There is not the least fruit of holiness," giving a cup of cold water to a disciple of Christ," but it shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Nothing shall be lost; but all the fragments shall be gathered up, and kept safe for ever. Every thing else in this world, however specious, shall be consumed as "hay and stubble;" when the meanest, the most secret fruit of holiness, shall be gathered as "gold and silver" into God's treasury. Let no soul fear the loss of any labour in the duties of holiness, in the most secret contest for inward purity, for outward fruitfulness in the mortification of sin, resistance of temptations in self denial,—all that you know, and what you do not know, shall be called over, and abide eternally in its reward.

But this is not all. Holiness will abide forever in its principle. It is true, some gifts shall be done away as useless in a state of glory; and some graces shall cease as to some special acts, as faith and hope, as far as they respect future and unseen things; but all those graces in which holiness consists, shall, in their present nature, improved into perfection, abide for ever. In our knowledge of them, we have our principal insight into our eternal condition in glory; and this is a firm foundation of consolation, and a part of our chiefest joy in this world. Is it not a matter of unspeakable refreshment that these poor bodies, after they have been made a prey to death, dust, worms, and corruption, shall be restored to life and immortality, freed from sickness, weakness, and weariness, and vested with qualities like those of Christ's glorious body, which yet we understand not? Is it not unspeakable joy, to think that these souls shall be delivered from all their darkness, instability, and alienation from spiritual things? But this is not all. Our poor low graces shall be continued, purified, and perfected. That love whereby we now adhere to God as our chiefest good; that faith whereby we are united to Christ our everlasting Head; that delight in the ways and ordinances of God, wherein his presence is enjoyed; that affection which we have

for all in whom we see the image of Christ; with the entire principle of spiritual life which is now in us, shall all be purified, perfected, and pass into glory. That very holiness which we here attain, those inclinations and dispositions of mind, those powers and abilities in obedience and adherence to God, which now contend with the weight of their own weakness and imperfections, shall be gloriously perfected in immutable habits, unchangeably acting our souls in the enjoyment of God; and this also shews us how much it concerns us to be well acquainted with the doctrine of sanctification, and, above all, to be really interested in it.

5. There is a spiritual and heavenly glory in it in this world. Hence the Church, the king's daughter, is said to be all "glorious within ;" her inward adorning with the graces of the Spirit, is called Glory; and the progress of believers in holiness, is called their being "changed from glory to glory;"—from one degree of glorious grace to another. As this, next to the comeliness of Christ's righteousness put upon us, is our only beauty in the sight of God, so it has a real spiritual glory in it; it is the first fruits of heaven; it is a ray of eternal light; a principle of eternal life, and the entire nature of that love, whereby we shall eternally adhere to God.

6. This is that which God indispensably requires of us; and indeed it is all that he requires, for it comprises the whole duty of man; and this surely renders it needful for us both to know what it is, and diligently to seek a participation of it; for what servant, who has any sense of his relation and duty, if he know that his master requires but one thing of him, will not endeavour to be acquainted with it, and to perform it!

But we are by no means to suppose that God requires this holiness of us, that we may thereby make an atonement for our sins, though this principle is deeply rooted in our nature, and has been the source of amazing superstitions both among the Heathens and the Papists; nor is this required, that it may become our righteousness for our justification in future; for we are justified freely by grace, through the redemption that is in

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Christ," and not by works;-nor is it required that thereby we should merit life; for all that we can do is no more than our duty, and even that cannot be performed but by grace; and eternal life is the free gift of God, and not a reward of debt. Much less is holiness required, that by doing more than our duty we should supererogate in the behalf of others; which monstrous fiction of the Church of Rome exceeds all the Pharisaism of the Jews.

Carnal Reason indeed concludes, That if what God requires be not necessary on one of these accounts, it is not necessary at all; nor can it conceive why good works should be performed, unless they are in some degree meritorious; for it has no regard to the authority of his command; nor to the necessity of the renovation of his image in us, in order to communion with him here, and enjoyment of him in glory; nor to his wisdom in appointing holy obedience, as the means of expressing our gratitude to him, and of glorifying him in the world; but the first true saving light that shines by the gospel into our souls, begins to undeceive us in this matter; and there is no greater evidence of our receiving an evangelical baptism into the spirit of the gospel, than the clear compliance of our minds with the wisdom of God herein.

7. But besides the command of God, we are to consider the precious promises he has made to perform this good work in us. He who requires it of us, knows that we have it not in ourselves. Now God has multiplied his promises to this purpose:-He has said "I will take away the heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh, a new heart will I give you,-a new spirit I will put within you,-I will write my law in your heart, -I will put my fear in your heart, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments." Jer. xxxi. 33, &c.-The whole of our sanctification is comprised in these promises. To be cleansed from the defilements of sin, to have a heart inclined always to fear God, and to walk in his ways accordingly, is to be sanctified, or to be holy; and all this God promises directly to work in us.

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And here we may digress a little, to consider what regard we ought to have to the command on the one hand, and to the promise on the other; to our own duty, and to the grace of God. Some would separate these things as inconsistent. A command, they suppose, leaves no room for a promise; and a promise, they think, takes off the influencing authority of a command. If holiness be our duty, there is no room for grace; and if it be an effect of grace, there is no place for duty but all these arguments are a fruit of the "wisdom of the flesh;" the "wisdom that is from above" teacheth us other things. It is true, that works and grace are opposed in the matter of justification as utterly inconsistent: "If it be of works, it is not of grace; and if it be of grace, it is not of works ;" but our duty and God's grace are no where opposed in the matter of sanctification; for the one supposes the other. Neither can we perform our duty herein without the grace of God; nor does God give us his grace for any other end than that we may rightly perform our duty. He who denies either that God commands us to be holy in a way of duty, or promises to work holiness in us in a way of grace, may with as much modesty reject the whole Bible. Both these, therefore, we must duly regard, if we intend to be holy. In our regard to the command, our consciences must be affected with the authority of it, as the command of God; for holiness is obedience, and obedience respects the authority of the command. We must also see and understand the reasonableness and advantage of the command. Our service is a reasonable service; and in keeping his commands there is great reward; and hence we delight in it as holy, just, and good, because the things it requires are equal, easy, and pleasant to the new nature; and we have a due regard to the promise, when (1.) We walk in a constant sense of our own inability to comply with the command from any power in ourselves; for "our sufficiency is of God." (2.) When we adore that grace which has provided help and relief for us. (3.) When we act faith in prayer and expectation on the promise for supplies of grace for all

holy obedience;-and (4.) When we have a special regard to it in particular temptations and particular duties; when on such occasions we do not satisfy ourselves with respect to the promise in general, but exercise faith on it in particular for assistance.

8. To come yet nearer to our principal design, I say it is the Holy Ghost who is the immediate sanctifier of all believers, and the Author of all their holiness.

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suppose I need not insist on the confirmation of this assertion; I have before proved that he is the immediate Dispenser of all divine grace; besides, it is such an avowed principle in general, that "the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of all God's elect ;" that as it is not questioned, so it need not be further proved.

CHAPTER II.

Sanctification a Progressive Work.

HAVING Considered several things relating to sanctification in general, I shall, in the next place, give a description of it, and then explain it more particularly.

Sanctification is an immediate work of the Spirit of God on the souls of believers, purifying their natures from the pollution of sin, renewing in them the image of God, and thereby enabling them, from a spiritual and habitual principle of grace, to yield obedience to God, according to the tenour of the new covenant, by virtue of the life and death of Jesus Christ.

I shall take up this general description, and in the consideration of its parts give some account of the true nature and effects of this work, especially wherein it is opposed or called in question.

It was before proved to be the work of the Spirit of God, a real, internal, powerful work, in and on the souls of believers; and it differs from regeneration, chiefly on account of the manner of its being wrought. The work of regeneration is instantaneous, consisting in one single creating act; hence it is not capable of degrees; no one is more or less regenerate than ano