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that which moves God to it, is his own free grace and good pleasure,-Phil. ii. 13. All the children of men are by nature wholly polluted with sin, and it is wholly of God's free grace that any of them are sanctified. It may be here remarked, that the meritorious cause, or the price of our sanctification, is the surety-righteousness of Jesus Christ.— 1 John iii. 5; 1 Pet. i. 18, 19.

Obs. 155.—In sanctification the sinner is renewed in the whole man after the image of God.

The effect of the work of the Spirit of God in sanctification, is the renewal of the whole man. This expression is very comprehensive, and shows the necessity of a universal change being wrought on the whole man, both soul and body; for such a one can alone be called a new creature.-See 1 Thess. v. 23. The soul must be renewed in all its powers, and faculties, and affections,-not that the very substance is changed, but new qualities must appear in the whole soul; and all the members of the body must become instruments of righteousness to work holiness. In a word, the whole man must be devoted to God, and an unreserved surrender made to him; which alone is a reasonable service, and which alone can constitute a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to him through Jesus Christ.-Rom. xii. 1.

The sinner must be renewed after the image of God. This consists in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and every other spiritual grace.--1 Cor. xv. 49; Col. iii. 10. But there can be no likeness to God, without studying conformity to his Son Jesus Christ, who is the image of the invisible God," to whom we must be conformed in his life, and death, and resurrection.

Obs. 156.-In sanctification the believer is enabled more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness.

Here it may be remarked, that the "renewing of the whole man after the image of God," refers to the renovation of the nature; and that the "being enabled more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness," refers to the renovation of the life, by which alone it can be discovered that a change has taken place.

The renovation, which respects the life and conduct, consists of two parts :

1. A dying unto sin. This consists in an earnest endeavour,

with the assistance of the grace of God, to destroy the root of sin in the soul, by a continual application of the blood of Christ to the conscience; by which the guilt of sin is removed, and the conscience purified from dead works to serve the living God. And together with this, there must be a hatred of all sin, and of every appearance of evil; and an earnest endeavour to improve the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and his Word and Spirit; and a looking up to him for grace, that corruption may be more and more weakened.

2. A living unto righteousness. This consists in loving and abounding more and more in inward holiness, and in the practice of every good word and work, flowing from the principle of grace implanted in the soul by the Spirit of God. The nature of that righteousness or obedience which is required of believers, may be thus described :-

1. New obedience must be built on a Gospel foundation: it must be regulated by the Word of God.

2. New obedience must proceed from Gospel principles. The mind must be enlightened with the knowledge of Christ; the conscience must be sprinkled from dead works to serve the living God; and the will and affections must be renewed by the Holy Spirit.

3. New obedience must be influenced by Gospel motives. Such are these :-the redeeming love of God; his authority laid upon us as our God in Christ; the example of Christ, and of God in him, as our Father and Friend; and the hope of eternal life as the free gift of God.

4. New obedience must be performed in a Gospel manner, that is, in the exercise of faith in Christ, of love to him, and of humility.Heb. xi. 6; Luke xvii. 10.

5. New obedience must be directed to a Gospel end,-that is, that we may be made like God; that we may be a praise and a name to him in the earth; that we may be fitted for the inheritance of the saints in light; and that we may edify others, and endeavour to promote their happiness.— Matt. v. 16; 1 Cor. x. 31.

That which enables the sinner more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness, is the grace of God, which is strengthened from time to time by the Spirit, and at death springs up unto everlasting life.-Isa. xl. 31, and John i. 16.

The means which the Spirit of God makes use of for the promotion of holiness of heart and life, are the following:

1. The reading of the Word; the hearing of the Word read and preached, meditation, prayer, and the sacraments. But in order that these may prove effectual, the blessing of the Spirit must be sought.

2. The example of the saints, so far as they followed the Lord; but above all, the example of Jesus Christ, who "hath left us an example that we should follow his steps."

3. The providences of God; a due improvement of which cannot fail to show the evil, and deformity, and danger of sin, and the beauty of holiness as well-pleasing to the Lord.-Rom. ii. 4.

Death unto sin, and life unto righteousness, spring from the virtue that is in the death and resurrection of Christ; by which the members of his mystical body are rendered conformable to him. This appears from Rom. vi. 4–6. also Phil. iii. 10.

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Here it may be remarked, that although holiness is absolutely necessary, it is not necessary that upon it we may build our title to eternal life,--that by it we may render ourselves accepted in the Beloved, that by it we may be justified in the sight of God,-that it may be the ground of our hopes for eternity; for, were this the case, the finished work of Christ would be of little moment.--See 1 Pet. i. 16; 1 Thess. iv. 3; Tit. ii. 14; Rev. xxi. 27.

INFERENCES.

From this subject we learn,-1. That believers must work while it is called to-day. 2. That they stand in continual need of the grace of the Spirit for subduing remaining corruption. 3. The necessity of prayer for the Spirit of holiness. 4. That man cannot sanctify himself; and that every saved sinner may sing of the freeness of Jehovah's grace. 5. That partial love to God evidences no sincerity of love. 6. That it is the duty of the believer to die more and more unto sin, and not to give over the contest until it be completely destroyed. 7. That unless we bear the image of God, we cannot enjoy him. S. That the divine life is a hidden, but an active life. 9. That every change is not a change after the image of God. 10. That the sanctified soul is not idle in the work of the Lord. 11. The beauty of holiness, and the deformity of sin. 12. That it is the Spirit that sanctifies. 13. The happiness of the holy, and the misery of the unholy.

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The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

ANALYSIS AND PROOFS.

We are here taught,―

1. That the believer has the assurance of God's love. Rom. v. 5.-"The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us." See also Isa. xxxii. 17, and xii. 1.

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2. That the believer enjoys peace of conscience. Rom. v. 1.Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

3. That the believer possesses joy in the Holy Ghost. 1 Pet. i. 8.-" In whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” See also Rom. xiv. 17.

4. That the believer increases in grace. Prov. iv. 18."The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." See also Hos. xiv. 5.

5. That the believer is enabled to persevere in grace. Jer. xxxii. 40.-"I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me." See also 1 Pet. i. 5.

EXPLANATION.

Obs. 157.--All those benefits which are said to accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are inseparably connected with them.

This is evident; for all that are justified, are adopted; and all that are justified and adopted, are sanctified and glorified; according to Rom. viii. 30, &c. They are inseparably connected in the purposes of God, in the promises of God, and in the doctrines of the Gospel,-Luke i. 74, &c.; Heb. viii. 10, &c. They are connected in the experience of believers,-1 Cor. vi. 11; in the use of the law of God, not as a covenant, but as the rule of life to believers,-Rom. viii. 1-4; in the offices of Christ,-1 Cor. i. 30; and in the end of the death of Christ,-Tit. ii. 14; and they are connected in the offer of the Gospel,-1 Thess. iv. 7.

It may be here remarked, that the first three benefits here mentioned, viz., assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, flow from a sight and sense of justification, adoption, and sanctification; and that the last two, viz., increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end, belong to the being of a justified, adopted, and sanctified

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Obs. 158.-In this life the believer has the assurance of the love of God.

Assurance of the love of God may be viewed in two respects : -the assurance of faith and the assurance of sense. The foundation of the former is the infallible word of God, who cannot lie; that of the latter is the person's present experience of the communications of divine love. By the former, we are assured of the truth of God's revealed declaration, particularly in the offer of Christ in the Gospel; by the latter, we are assured that the work of God is begun in the soul, and that this work is saving and gracious. By the former, we are assured, on God's own testimony, that he hath given us Christ and his salvation fully and without reserve; by the latter, we are assured that the work of salvation is already begun in the soul. The assurance of faith may be thus briefly defined :—It is not an assurance that I am in a state of grace, but an assurance that God is willing to receive me, if now for the first time I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This assurance is absolutely necessary to salvation, being neither more nor less than faith itself, or a belief that God hath given his Son to be the Saviour of sinners, and that Christ is able and willing to save them. That this is not the assurance here referred to, is evident from this, that it is said to accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification; whereas the assurance of faith, or faith itself, is absolutely necessary to put us in possession of these great benefits.

The assurance of sense, or the sensible assurance of God's love, which is that here referred to, is not absolutely necessary to the happiness of the believer's state; but is peculiarly useful in some things, which are much calculated to promote the glory of God, and the good of the soul; and as it is attainable, we ought to give diligence that it may be obtained. See Isa. 1. 10.

That the assurance of sense, or the sensible assurance of God's love, is attainable, is evident from many instances

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