in. procured by Chrift's doing the will of the Father's and offering himself a facrifice that he might fanctify the people with his own blood, is the Spirit of all the literal purifications under the Old-Teftament difpenfa tion, and as it is the work and office of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ, to take of his, and fhew it to them, fo leading to him as the fountain opened to the house of David for fin, and for feparation for uncleannefs. That feparation from God which is the fruit of uncleannefs by reason of fin, is removed only by washing hereHence it is called the wafhing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft. Titus iii. 5. As regeneration, being born of God, born of the fpirit, is. explained by John, 1ft epiftle v. 1. "whofoever be lieveth that Jefus is the Chrift, is born of God,"-fo this washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghoft is faid to be fhed forth abundantly or richly thro' Jefus Chrift, as the Spirit teftifying of Chrift agreeable to the word, fhews a rich abundance of all things in him pertaining both to life and godlinefs, which is com municated through the knowledge of him who is made of God, Sanctification. The fanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth are fpoken of together, 2d Thef. ii. 13. For as foon as the knowledge of Chrift or belief of the truth takes place, they are fanctified or fet apart through that truth to the obedience of it. Active fanctification takes place in their attendance to his revealed will, agreeable to ift Peter i. 22. feeing ye have purified your fouls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren." Hence that which governs the disciples of Chrift in their obedience, is his revealed will or law, which is put into their hearts with the knowledge of himself, of the dignity and allfufficiency of his one facrifice to take away fin, on account of which he will be merciful to their unrighteoufnefs, and remember their fins not more-and of his authority and dominion at the Father's right hand in the heavenly places, far above all prin cipality, cipality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named. I fay, with the knowledge of the glory of Chrift, comes the authority of his Law into the mind and heart; which may not in any inftance be difpenfed with, and in obedience to which, active fanctification is made manifeft. The law or word of Chrift, thus put into the heart, is the good treasure of the heart, by which the difciples bring forth good things Mark iv. 20. "And thefe are they which are fown on good ground; fuch as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit." Hence they are exhorted, let the word of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wifdom." Col. iii. 16. This is able to make the man of God perfect, thoroughly furnished to every good work by which also they are faved, if they keep in memory what the apoftles preached unto them. As for holinefs, That which will ever benefit a guilty confcience, is in Chrift, who is called freequently, the Holy One, in many paffages in the prophet Isaiah, as well as in the Pfalms, and in the Acts of the apoftles, and other parts of the facred writings. And therefore fhould a man look to his Maker, and his eye have refpect to the Holy One of Ifrael; the holinefs of Jefus Chrift is perfect, is what he has pleaded with fuccefs with the Father; and it is made manifeft in keeping the Father's commandments, in doing always the things that pleafe him, in keeping his ftatutes, his teftimonies, and his laws, and obferving them with his whole heart. But the holinefs that is commonly pleaded for as neceflary in order to bene Τ fit * "The bolinels that is commonly pleaded for as necessary in order to benefit by Chrift's righteousness" however the expreffion may be difavowed, yet it is what is fome way or other maintained or pleaded for by the greatest part of the most esteemed religious teachers and writers. This appears to be the defign of the frequent abufe of Hebrews xii. 14. "follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man fhall fee the Lord" which is an evident direction to the believing Hebrews in their Chriftian courfe; though as it is often partially quoted and mifapplied, it is quite pervered from its o riginal defign; as may be feen by its connexion with the foregoing and fol fit by Christ's righteoufnefs, is often ufed as an argument to free from obedience to the divine will. Shock- ing to mention! Yet it is abundantly evident. fuch perfons are preffed with any of the precepts of the new teftament, how frequent will they answer, "As for ner, 68 lowing part of the chapter or epiftle. Those who pervert it, make use of it to excite unbelievers to get a principle of grace implanted in their hearts, in or der to their being benefited by Chrift's righteoufnefs, faying after this man"without a new nature, a divine principle of grace in the heart, you cannot go to heaven." This principle is often spoken of as a work of the fpirit diftinct from the faith of the gofpel, which produces holy actions, or from which they flow as motion from natural life. Yea, multitudes fay, that faith itself fprings from this principle of holinefs. Hence it is by them calJed, a grace of the Spirit wrought in the heart." And fo instead of looking into the apoftles teftimony to find what they report concerning Jefus Chrift, and the evidences they hold forth of the truth of this report; (the belief of which is the faith of the gofpel, according to Ifaiah liii. 1. 2d Theff. i. 10.) perfons are led to look within themselves, to fee if any thing they have experienced amounts to a work of the Spirit, which they may look upon as a principle of holiness that has faith fpringing therefrom, drawing their encouragement from this good work (not barely from the finished work of Christ, of which the apostles teftify) as if they had the effential REQUISITE in order to being benefited by Christ's righteoufnefs. To point to one particular inftance. In a confeffion of faith published at. the defire of the church in Marblehead, annexed to Doctor Pemberton's fermon at the ordination of Mr. Story, are thefe words, page 26. “ As man"kind came into this world wholly averfe to God and his ways, their hearts "must be changed in order to their being juftified, and reftored to the divine "favour," which appears as difficult to reconcile with Ifaiah liii. 11. By his knowledge fhall my righteous fervant juftify many; for he fhall bear their iniquities," and Romans iv. 5. " but to him that worketh not. but beheveth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs," as to reconcile that other paffage in the fame page, "I believe it is "God's ufual and ordinary way when he does beftow his faving grace on. "any, to beltow it in their ufe of means,"--with thofe paffages of fcripture where he is pleafed to make known his way. Romans ix. 15, 16." for he faith unto Mofes, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compaffion on whom I will have compaffion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that fheweth mercy." Romans x. 20. "But Efaias is very bold, and faith, I was found of them that fought me not: I was made manifeft to them that asked not after me"--or with what actually took place as recorded in the new teftament, in the inftances of Matthew fitting at the receipt of cuftom, or Peter and Andrew cafting a net into the fea, or James and John mending their nets, orSaul on his journey to Damafcus, or the woman taken in adultery in the very act, or Onefimus run away from his master, or the three thousand mentioned in Acts ii. or the character of the Corinthians, or of the Ephefians, when the gospel found them. Thefe things appear as difficult to reconcile, as the Doctor's own words with the words of the apostle. for thefe things, they are externals-the great thing is to have the heart right with God"-as if it were poffible to manifeft a heart right with God without an ex ternal obedience to his will! That I may be fully understood, I will mention one inftance. When a man is preffed in confcience with the rules laid down in Matt. xviii. 15, 16, 17. and1ft Corinth. v. 11, how often will he acknowledge with a figh, that things are not right, and he is very forry! But will excuse himself by taking fanctuary in this refuge of lies, and hiding place of deceit; "It will be well for me to take care of my own heart. The great thing is to look within, that all is right there that I have a holy difpofition of heartwhich I hope I have; for I am fure I mourn before God that things are as they are. I defire heartily to have "The arts of perfwafion, which are "fo finely difplayed in the writings of "the celebrated orators of Greece and "Rome, are worthy to be imitated by those who are employed in a nobler caufe. The fpoils of Pagan learning may with great propriety be confe"crated to adorn the fanctuary of the "moft HIGH GOD." Page 8. 66 27, ift of Corin. i. 25, 26, 28. "Because the foolishness of God is wifer than man, and the weakness of God is fronger than men. For ye fee your calling, brethren, how that not many wife men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God hath chofen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife, and God hath chofen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty And bale things of the world, and things which are defpifed, bath Gad chofen; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are." Chap. iii, 19. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God: For it is written, he taketh the wife in their own craftiness." They rather appear calculated to form as ftriking a contraft as can well be imagined. As that pamphlet is in view, it may not be amifs to take notice refpecting the Charge therein, of the inexpreffible difproportion between the authority that would have appeared in reading a fingle text of fcripture as the mind of Chrift fignified by his apoftles concerning the duty of the elders of the churches; and that which did appear in the repetition of "WE charge. you-WE charge you-Moreover, WE charge you-again WE charge 'you---finally, WE charge you." Page 19 to 23, have them as they ought to be. And if that be the cafe, I hope the fin will not lie at my door." Thus multitudes choose to deceive themselves; although Jefus Chrift faid to his difciples, "then are "then are ye my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you"-not if they are fure they are heartily forry he has any thing for them to do fo difagreeable to them. But this evidences that fuch perfons are not taught of God to know Christ or have not the faith of the gofpel. If they had been taught to call Jefus LORD by the Holy Ghoft, it would appear in their doing the things that he fays, As holiness refpects believers, it denotes their feparation to the fervice of Christ. Rom, xii. 1. "I be feech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye prefent your bodies a living facrifice, holy," &c, From the confideration of the mercies of God manifest in Chrift, fet forth in the former part of that epiftle, the apostle befeeches the believing Romans to prefent their bodies a living facrifice, holy-that is, to fet themselves apart to his fervice, taking their place under Christ as members of his body the church, there to act as those prefented to him: As when a thing is prefented, it changes its mafter; it is prefented to the fervice of him to whom it is devoted. When therefore any appear presenting themfelves with their whole heart to the fervice of Christ, it is to be received as an evidence of their being translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. But however much any may be fond of speaking about their inward holiness of heart, while they live in neglect or dif obedience to the commandments of Chrift, they deceive themselves. The holiness both of the old and new teftament, is to be understood of a people fet apart to the service of God; and could only be manifeft in obedience to his will declared in that teftament which they were under. So the holiness the apostle Peter exhorts the disciples to, is their feperation to Chrift to obferve his |