men there are some appearances of the Deity, that do not entitle to his special love. In princes there is a shadow of his sovereignty, yet they may be the objects of his displeasure; but a likeness to God in holiness attracts his eye and heart, and infinitely endears the creature to him. Now this attribute is in a special manner provoked by man's sin, and we are restored to the favour and friendship of God, in such a manner as may preserve the honour of it entire and inviolable.

This will fully appear, by considering what our Redeemer suffered for the purchasing our pardon, and the terms upon which the precious benefits of his death are conveyed to us; and what he hath done to restore our lost holiness, that we may be qualified for the enjoyment of God.

First. God's infinite purity is declared in his justice; in that he would not pardon sin, but upon such terms as might fully demonstrate how odious it was to him. What inflamed the wrath of God against his beloved Son, whom by a voice from heaven he declared to be the object of his delight ? What made him inexorable to his prayers and tears, when he solicited the divine power and love, the attributes that relieve the miserable, crying, ** Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee, let this cup pass from me?” What made him suspend all comforting influences, and by a dreadful desertion afflict him when he was environed with sorrows? It is sin only that caused this fierce displeasure, not inherent, (for the Messiah s was cut off, but not for himself,”) but imputed by his voluntary undertaking for us,

God so loved the world,” and so hated sin, that he gave his Son to purchase our pardon by sufferings. When his compassions to man were at the highest, yet then his antipathy against sin was 80 strong, that no less sacrifice could reconcile him to us. Thus God declared himself to be unappeasable to sin, though not to sinners.

Secondly. The privileges that are purchased by our Redeemer's sufferings, are dispensed upon those terms which are honourable to God's holiness. I will instance in the three great benefits of the evangelical covenant: the pardon of sin, adoption into God's family, and the inheritance of glory, all which are conditional, and annexed to special qualifications in the persons who have a title to them.

1. The death of Christ is beneficial to pardon and life, only

a

و

to those who repent and believe. The holy God will by no means spare the guilty, that is, declare the guilty innocent, or forgive an incapable subject. All the promises of grace and mercy are with respect to repentance from dead works, and to a lively faith. “ The Son of God is made a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins." And the apostle tells us, that “ being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The first includes a cordial grief for sins passed, and sincere effectual resolutions to forsake them; and hath a necessary conjunction with pardon, as by virtue of the divine command, so from a condecency and fitness with respect to God the giver of pardon, and to the quality of the blessing itself. The other qualification is faith, to which justification is in a special manner attributed; not in respect of efficiency of

; merit, for the mercy of God upon the account of Christ's satis faction is the sole cause of our pardon : but as a moral instrument, that is the condition upon which God absolves man from his guilt. And this grace of faith, as it respects entire Christ in all his offices, so it contains the seed and first life of

evangelical obedience. It crucifies our lusts, overcomes the world, works by love, as well as justifies the person by relying on the merits of Christ for salvation.

2. Adoption into God's family (the purchase of Christ's meritorious sufferings, Gal. 1. 7. who redeemed us from the servitude of sin and death) is conferred upon us in regeneration. For this prerogative consists not merely in an extrinsic relation to God, and a title to the eternal inheritance; but in our participation of the divine nature, whereby we are the living images of God's holiness. Civil adoption gives the title, but not the reality of a Son; but the divine is efficacious, and changes us into the real likeness of our heavenly Father. We cannot enter into this state of favour, but upon our cleansing from all impurity :“be separate from the pollutions of the profane world, and I will receive you, and will be a father unto

you,
and
ye

shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6. 17. These are the indispensable terms upon which we are received into that honourable alliance. None can enjoy the privilege, but those that yield the obedience of children.

66

а

mediately, but begins in our vocation and justification, which are the intermediate links in the chain of salvation : as natural causes work on a distant object, by passing through the medium. God first gives grace, then glory. The everlasting covenant that is sealed by the blood of Christ, establishes the connexion between them: “ blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Mat 5. 8. The exclusion of all others is peremptory and universal : “ without holiness no man shall see the Lord.” Heb. 12. 14. “ The righteousness of the kingdom” is the only way of entering into it. A few good actions scattered in our lives are not available, but a course of obedience brings to happiness. ". Those who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory and honour, and immortality, shall inherit eternal life.” Rom. 2. 7. This is not a mere positive appointment, but grounded on the unchangeable respect of things. There is a rational convenience between holiness and happiness, according to the wisdom and goodness of God; and it is expressed in scripture by the natural relation of the seed to the harvest, both as to the quality and measure : “ what a man sows, that shall he reap.” Gal. 6.7. We must be like God in purity, before we can be in felicity. Indeed, it would be a disparagement to God's holiness, and pollute heaven itself, to receive unsanctified persons, as impure as those in hell. It is equally impossible for the creature to be happy without the favour of the holy God, and for God to communicate his favour to the sinful creature. Briefly, according to the law of faith, no wicked person hath any right to the satisfaction Christ made, nor to the inheritance he purchased for believers.

Thirdly. Man in his corrupt state is deprived of spiritual life, so that till revived by special grace, he can neither obey nor enjoy God. Now the Redeemer is made a quickening principle to inspire us with new life.

In order to our sanctification he hath done four things :

1.' He hath given us the most perfect laws as the rule of holiness.

2. He exhibited the most complete pattern of holiness in his life

upon the earth. 3. He purchased and conveys the spirit of holiness, to renew, and to enable us for the performance of our duties.

.

4. He hath presented the strongest inducements and motives to persuade us to be holy.

1. He hath given to men the most perfect laws as the rule of holiness. The principal parts of the holy life, are, “ ceasing from evil and doing well.” Isa. 1. 16, 17. Now the commands of Christ refer to the purifying of us from sin, and the adorning us with all graces for the discharge of our universal duty.

(1.) They enjoin a real and absolute separation, “ from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” 2 Cor 7. 1. The outward and inward man must be cleansed, not only from pollutions of a deeper dye, but from all carnality and hypocrisy. The

grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching them to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts,” Tit. 2. 11, 12, all those irregular and impetuous desires which are raised by worldly objects, honours, riches and pleasures, and reign in worldly men; pride, covetousness and voluptuousness. The gospel is most clear, full and vehement, for the true and inward mortification of the whole body of corruption, of every particular, darling sin. It commands us “to pluck out the right eye, and to cut off the right hand,” Mat 5. 29, 30. that is, to part with every grateful and gainful lust. It obliges us to “ crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts.” Gal. 5. 2, 11.

The laws of men regard external actions as prejudicial to societies : but of thoughts and resolutions that break not forth into act, there can be no human accusation and judgment; they are exempted from the jurisdiction of the magistrate. But the law. of Christ reforms the powers of the soul, and all the most secret and inward motions that depend upon them. It forbids the first irregular impressions of the carnal appetite. We must hate sin in all its degrees, strangle it in the birth, destroy it in the conception. We are enjoined to fly the appearances and accesses of evil; whatever is of a suspicious nature and not fully consistent with the purity of the gospel, and whatever invites to sing and exposes us to the power of it, becomes vicious, and must be avoided. That glorious purity, that shall adorn the church when our Redeemer presents it “ without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," Ephes. 5. 27 every christian must aspire to in this life. In short, the gospel commands us to be holy as God is holy," 1 Pet. 1. 15. who is infinitely distant from the least conceivable pollution.

:

(2.) The precepts of Christ contain all solid substantial goodness, that is essentially necessary in order to our supreme happiness, and prepares us for the life of heaven. In his sermon on the mount, he commands to us humility, meekness and mercy, peaceableness and patience, and doing good for evil, which are so many beams of God's image, the reflections of his goodness upon intelligent creatures. And that comprehensive precept of the apostle describes the duties of all christians : “ whatsoever things are true.” Phil. 4. 8. Truth is the principal character of our profession, and is to be expressed in our words and actions : “ whatsoever things are honest” or venerable, i. e. answer the dignity of our high calling, and agree with the gravity and comeliness of the christian profession: “ whatfoever things are just," according to divine and human laws : “ whatsoever things are pure," we must preserve the heart, the hand, the tongue, the eye, from impurity; “ whatsoever things are lovely and of good report;' some graces are amiable and attractive in the view of men, as easiness to pardon, a readiness to oblige, compassion to the afflicted, liberality to the necessitous, sweetness of conversation without gall and bitterness; these are of universal esteem with mankind, and soften the most savage tempers: “if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." And St. Peter excites believers, to join to their faith, by which the gospel of Christ is embraced, intellectual and moral virtues, without which it is but a vain picture of christianity: “add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness charity.” 2 Pet. 1. 5. He enforces the command; “give all diligence that these things abound in you, and ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ.” Now these graces purify and perfect, refine and raise the human nature, and without a command their goodness is a strong obligation.

I will take a more distinct view of the precepts of Christ, as they are set down in that excellent abridgment of them by the apostle. “The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. 2 Tit. 11. 12.