can be but one opinion, as to the posture of the heart-and that is, that it should be a posture of humility, of reverence, and of gratitude. And if it be the simple desire of us all to sanctify God in our hearts, we shall be directed aright in the movements of the outward as well as the inward man.

Let me conclude by earnestly requesting the attention of all who desire to see an enlargement in the number of those who attend public worship, and an increased fervour and delight felt in the service of the sanctuary, to the subject of the foregoing remarks. Let them consider, that if our people, instead of obliging the service of God to wait for them, were found waiting for the service of God-if, instead of coming into the meeting-house after worship has been commenced, whereby they at once show disrespect to the honour of God, mar the devotions of their brethren, and almost in all cases injure deeply, if not destroy their own, were all in their pews before the Minister enters if, with composedness of affections and fixedness of attention—if, with faith, and love, and humility, they raised their hearts and voices together all ac knowledging the same infirmity and dependence-all breathing forth the same desires for mercy to pardon their sins, and grace to help in time of need-all engaged with body, soul, and spirit in contemplating, admiring, and adoring the same eternal, unchangeable, and inexhaustible Source of all their blessings for time and for eternity-how noble would be the spectacle-how affecting-how heart-stirring-how closely resembling, sin only excepted, that blessed society, who sing the song of unmingled and unmeasurable love around the throne of the sanctuary above! Let us attempt great things, and we may expect great things.

Believe and Sing.

K.

O LET us "find no rest to our spirit,' until we have regained something of the frame of hearty and overflowing praise. If there be a heavenly nature, there must be a heavenly heart. Tongue and heart should be set on fire by love. But the Christian sometimes feels that he must not praise. He has not sensible tokens of love to call him forth, and therefore his harp is suffered to hang upon the willows,' and he cares not to takejit down even to sing one of the Lord's songs in this strange land.' But how little does he remember that this service of praise is the most successful means of resistance to the despondency of unbelief! Many have found with Bunyan, 'When I believe and sing, my doubtings cease.”

"REV. C. BRIDGES,"

9

BIBLE INSTRUCTION.

No. VIII.

SANCTIFICATION.

"God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth."-2 THESS. ii. 13.

THE views of sanctification, expressed in this passage, are very interesting and important. We shall present them briefly to our readers, and then give a more formal and general statement of the subject.

1. Sanctification is represented to be a necessary part of salvation. The latter is a general term, expressing the whole work of a sinner's deliverance from his iniquity. It includes pardon, acceptance, adoption, regeneration, growth in grace," perseverance in godliness, and final admission to the heavenly glory. Among these sanctification has its place, is equally necessary with them, is alike provided for in the Gospel, and although not constituting the whole work of a sinner's salvation, it is an essential part of it. If we could suppose a sinner pardoned without being sanctified, he might be delivered from the direct punishment of sin, but he could not be a partaker of the blessedness of holiness, either in this life or the next.

2. The sanctification of believers has been determined by God from the beginning. This is the habitual representation of the Scriptures. See Eph. i. 3, 4; 2 Tim. i. 9; 1 Pet. 1, 2. The reader is requested to consult these passages, and he will see they distinctly teach it is the unalterable purpose of God, that whosoever shall be saved, must be sanctifiedthat every disciple of Christ must be conformed to his moral image and therefore, that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is bound to conclude he is none of his.

3. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit. It is not what has been called his extraordinary work, in which he confers remarkable powers on the mind or body; nor his miraculous work, in which he imparts the power of performing mighty deeds; nor his common influence, by which he excites the minds or governs the purposes of unconverted men, for all these may be without holiness or salvation; but it is his saving work, in which he creates the soul anew in righteousness. It is the work in which he convinces the mind of sin, and righte ousness, and judgment-enlightening the understanding, subduing the will, renewing the heart, giving the mind a new

bias, bringing the character under the control of new and holy principles, and making the man a new creature. This is a work to which none but the Spirit is competent. He who at first created the soul must sanctify it.

4. The Holy Spirit sanctifies the sinner through "belief of the truth." He makes no new revelations to the mind, but, he makes a powerful application to it of those already given. He opens it to a clear understanding of them-reconciles it to them--and forms the spirit and regulates the conduct by them. The truth, without the Spirit, is a dead letter; but the Spirit does not act upon the sinner without the truth. This is the instrument which he uses, and by means of it he sanctifies the sinner.

Such are the interesting and comprehensive views of sanctification expressed in the passage prefixed to this paper. But instead of enlarging upon those, it will be more agreeable to the design of these essays to present our readers with a general and concise view of the whole subject. This, therefore, we shall now attempt.

use.

To sanctify means to set apart from a common to a sacred Thus the tabernacle and the temple were sanctified, when they were set apart for the worship of God. Thus also the prophets, priests, and kings of the Jews were sanctified, when they were anointed and set apart to their respective offices. Christ, too, is said to have been sanctified when he was anointed and sent into the world to redeem it. And so the sinner, when he is sanctified, is set apart by the Spirit of God, to enter on a new course of conduct, to do the will of God on earth and enjoy him in heaven. Hence it is that believers are called saints.-Rom. i. 7; 1 Cor. i. 2; Eph. i. 1. And it is not a little remarkable, that, in our times, this designation is applied to them as a term of reproach. Yet is there no one more justly or fully expressive of their state or character, implying that they have been set apart-to God-for his service by the Spirit-and that he dwells in them, influencing them to good, suppressing what is evil, enabling and exciting them to be faithful, and conforming them more and more to the mind and image of God.

From this brief explanation of sanctification, it will easily be seen wherein it differs from justification. The latter refers to the state, the former to the character of man; the latter changes the state of the sinner before God as a Judge-the former changes his feelings towards him as a Father; justification must first take place, sanctification accompanies or fol

lows it, as its necessary fruit and evidence; the ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ, sanctification has its seat in the heart; justification delivers from the guilt of sin, sanctification destroys its power; justification saves from the wrath of God, sanctification restores to his likeness. But while these two blessings are thus distinct, it is ever to be remembered they are inseparable. We may conceive of them separately, but they are never to be found apart. They are united in the purpose of God, Rom. viii. 29, 30; in the design of Christ's death, Eph. v. 25-7; in the nature of the Gospel, Tit. ii. 11-14; in the union of the soul with Christ, 1 Cor. i. 30; and in the experience of believers, 1 Cor. vi. 11. Indeed when the sinner is justified, it is by faith; but the very operation of faith is to sanctify. While it lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is justified thereby, it unveils the eternal world, works in the soul by love, overcomes the present world, and thus necessarily sanctifies the man. How much is it to be lamented, that men should ever have attempted to put asunder what God has thus indissolubly bound together the justification and sanctification of sinners. The one is done for us, the other is done in us; the one is effected by righteousness imputed, the other by righteousness implanted; the one is the direct effect of faith, the other its reflex iufluence. How fully and clearly are all these views of sanctification expressed in the definition of it given by the Westminster Divines in the Shorter Catechism. "Sanctifi cation is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." We are desirous of recommending the definitions of this incomparable catechism to the attention of our readers, and shall therefore simply follow the views of this definition in the farther explanation of the subject, because, also, we are not aware it would otherwise be in our power to present such a comprehensive, simple, and concise view of the whole subject. The definition may be analyzed in the following parti

culars :

1. Sanctification is a work. In this respect it differs from justification-the latter being an act and performed at once, the former a work which is gradual and progressive. At the same time, while this is true, we must be careful not to mistake in what sense sanctification is a gradual work. There is a definite point at which it commences in the soul, and this is regeneration. Till then the sinner is regarded as being "in

the flesh," and therefore not acceptable with God, neither in his person nor service. But that change having taken place, the person is sanctified, and henceforward set apart to the service of God. So far, therefore, as the beginning of sanctification is concerned, it may be said to be an act and done at once; it is of its future growth we speak when we say it is a work. Justification is perfected at once, because the ground of it is the righteousness of Christ, which can never be improved; but sanctification is imperfect, because the subject of it is the human character, in which its influence is expected to extend, till every thought shall be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. It is with reference to this growing influence that sanctification is said to be gradual, and so called a work, as distinguished from an act.

2. It is a work of God's free grace. This term grace is sometimes used in the Scriptures to express the favour of God toward sinners, manifested in Christ.-2 Tim. i. 9. In other places, it signifies the influence which the Holy Spirit exercises over the mind, and so it is used in the definition. Sanctification, from the commencement to its consummation in the soul, is the work of the Spirit. He begins it in regeneration, as it is written, "except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." He carries it on in all its hallowed influences in the character, as it is written again, "sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." He begins the work without any deserving on the part of the sinner, and he carries it on without any reason for it but his own sovereign grace. To his agency, in the sanctification of the soul, at every stage of its progress and at its final consummation, we must address the language of Zerubabel, as he laid the last stone on the second temple at Jerusalem, "Grace, grace unto it."

3. Sanctification is a gracious work of the Spirit, in which the sinner is renewed. The change which, in this work, passes on the soul, is radical and complete. It is compared, in its beginning, to a new birth; for although the powers existed before, they continue dormant till they are thereby called forth into life and energy.-John iii. 3. It is compared again to a new creation.-Ps, li. 10. A state of mind is produced that did not exist before, even reconciliation to God, and the character is brought under the government of new principles, such as faith, hope, and charity. It is likened also to death. Rom. vi. 2, 3.6. The taste for sinful pleasures and pursuits is destroyed. It is compared to life.Rom. vi. 4; Eph.