we now commit is done in despite of all his powerful assistances, in defiance of his reproofs: an ungrateful return for infinite loving kindness!

As the Holy Spirit is the immediate minister of God's will upon earth, and transacts all the great affairs of the church of Christ; if while he pours out the riches of his grace upon us, he finds them all unsuccessful, no wonder if he appeal to all the world, in the words of the prophet, against our ingratitude: "And now, O ye men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" These, and many more such which we meet with in the Holy Scriptures, are the highest expressions of the deepest concern; such as imply the utmost unwillingness to deal severely, even with those whom yet, by all the wise methods of his grace, he could not reform. The Holy Spirit here represents himself as one who would be glad to spare sinners if he could; and therefore we may be sure it is grievous to him that by their sins they will not suffer him.

For men thus to disappoint the Holy Spirit of love, for that too is his peculiar title; to make him thus wait that he may be gracious; and pay attendance on us through our whole course of folly and vanity, and to stand by and be a witness of our stubbornness, with the importunate offers of infinite kindness in his hands, is a practice of such a nature that no gracious mind can bear the thoughts of it. It is an argument of God's unbounded mercy, that he is pleased to express that he is only grieved at it; that his indignation does not flame out against those who are thus basely ungrateful, and consume them in a moment. Sermons, vol. ii, pp. 515, 516.

SECTION III.

The efficient Cause of Holiness.

THERE can be no point of greater importance to him who knows that it is the Holy Spirit which leads us into all truth and into all holiness, than to consider with what temper of soul we are to entertain his divine presence, so as not either to drive him from us, or to disappoint him of the gracious ends for which his abode with us is designed; which is not the amusement of our understanding, but the conversion and entire sanctification of our hearts and lives.

These words of the apostle contain a most serious and affectionate exhortation to this purpose. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

The title "Holy," applied to the Spirit of God, does not only denote that he is holy in his own nature, but that he makes us so that he is the great fountain of holiness to his church; the Spirit from whence flows all the grace and virtue by which the stains of guilt are cleansed, and we are renewed in all holy dispositions, and again bear the image of our Creator. Great reason, therefore, there was for the apostle to give this solemn charge concerning it, and the highest obligation lies upon us all to consider it with the deepest attention.-Sermons, vol. ii, p. 514.

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE DIVINE LAW.

SECTION I.

Its Nature.

Now this law is an incorruptible picture of the High and Holy One that inhabiteth eternity. He is he who, in his essence, no man hath seen or can see, made visible to men and angels. It is the face of God unveiled; God manifested to his creatures as they are able to bear it; manifested to give, and not to destroy life-that they may see God and live. It is the heart of God disclosed to man. Yea, in some sense, we may apply to this law what the apostle says of his Son, it is απαύγασμα της δόξης και χαρακTYP TNS VπOGAσews avre, the streaming forth [or outbeaming] of his glory, the express image of his person.

"If virtue," said the ancient heathen," could assume such a shape as that we could behold her with our eyes, what wonderful love would she excite in us!" If virtue could do this! It is done already. The law of God is all virtues in one, in such a shape as to be beheld with open face by all those whose eyes God hath enlightened. What is the law but divine virtue and wisdom assuming a visible form? What is it but the original ideas of truth and good, which were lodged in the uncreated mind from eternity, now drawn forth and clothed with such a vehicle as to appear even to human understanding?

If we survey the law of God in another point of view, it is supreme, unchangeable reason; it is unalterable rectitude; it is the everlasting fitness of all things that are or ever were created. I am sensible what a shortness, and even impropriety, there is in these and all other human

expressions, when we endeavour by these faint pictures to shadow out the deep things of God. Nevertheless, we have no better, indeed no other way, during this our infant state of existence. As we now know but " in part," so we are constrained to "prophesy," that is, speak of the things of God "in part" also. "We cannot order our

speech by reason of darkness," while we are in this house of clay. While I am a child, I must "speak as a child:" but I shall soon put away childish things: for "when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away."

But to return. The law of God (speaking after the manner of men) is a copy of the Eternal Mind, a transcript of the Divine Nature: yea, it is the fairest offspring of the Everlasting Father, the brightest efflux of his essential wisdom, the visible beauty of the Most High. It is the delight and wonder of cherubim and seraphim, and all the company of heaven, and the glory and joy of every wise believer, every well instructed child of God upon earth. Sermons, vol. i, pp. 309, 310.

SECTION II.

Its Properties.

SUCH is the nature of the ever blessed law of God. I am, in the third place, to show the properties of it: not all; for that would exceed the wisdom of an angel; but those only which are mentioned in the text. These are three it is holy, just, and good. And first, the law is holy.

:

In this expression the apostle does not appear to speak of its effects, but rather of its nature: as St. James, speaking of the same thing under another name, says, "The wisdom from above," (which is no other than this law,

written in our heart,) "is first pure," chap. iii, 17, ayun, chaste, spotless; eternally and essentially holy. And consequently when it is transcribed into the life, as well as the soul, it is, (as the same apostle terms it, chap. i, 27,) Aρnokkia kadapa kaι aμiavтos, pure religion, and undefiled; or, the pure, clean, unpolluted worship of God.

It is, indeed, in the highest degree, pure, chaste, clean, holy. Otherwise it could not be the immediate offspring, and much less the express resemblance, of God, who is essential holiness. It is pure from all sin, clean and unspotted from any touch of evil. It is a chaste virgin, incapable of any defilement, of any mixture with that which is unclean or unholy. It has no fellowship with sin of any kind: for "what communion hath light with darkness?" As sin is, in its very nature, enmity to God, so his law is enmity to sin.

Therefore it is that the apostle rejects, with such abhorrence, that blasphemous supposition that the law of God. is either sin itself, or the cause of sin. God forbid that we should suppose that it is the cause of sin, because it is the discoverer of it; because it detects the hidden things of darkness, and drags them out into open day. It is true, by this means, as the apostle observes, ver. 13, "sin appears to be sin." All its disguises are torn away, and it appears in its native deformity. It is true likewise that "sin, by the commandment, becomes exceeding sinful:" being now committed against light and knowledge, being stripped even of the poor plea of ignorance, it loses its excuse, as well as disguise, and becomes far more odious both to God and man. Yea, and it is true, that "sin worketh death by that which is good;" which in itself is pure and holy. When it is dragged out to light it rages the more when it is restrained it bursts out with greater violence. Thus the apostle speaking in the person of one who was convinced of sin, but not yet delivered from it,