loved you and died for you; who suffered without the gate, that his people might be sanctified with his own blood. O that we might all advance towards heaven, progress in religion, and ever wait upon the Lord. "They that wait upon the Lord shall re66 new their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; "they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

SERMON XXXIV.

THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF HOLINESS.

HEBREWS XII. 14.

Follow holiness, without which, no man shall see the Lord.

MAY I be allowed to introduce this subject as the most so lemn and important, that can be brought into the view of chris tians. This comprehends the whole extent of the christian cha racter for time and eternity. If we are holy, we are happy-the reverse is eternal misery. This single article determines the destiny of all the children of men; hence, it ought to be a matter of the highest attention. If holy, happiness is its inseperable consequence a different character stands connected with inexpressible misery. No person then can wonder at the Apostle's affirmation, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."This holiness, in putting on the new man, which is created in righteousness. It is what St. Peter terms, "a participation of "the divine nature." St. Paul stiles it, "Christ formed within "us." The sanctified soul is the scriptural temple of God :"Ye are the temples of God, as God hath said, I dwell in them ❝and walk in them," Holiness is a ray from the sun of righteousness, a beam from the Father of lights. All the glories of nature opened to the mind of the philosopher, are as shadows on

his glass, compared with the transcendent beauty of holiness.. The highest glory a creature can receive, "is to be holy, as God "is holy." Holiness brings an intelligence into the nearest possible resemblance of the great Supreme.

It would be impertinent to spend a moment on the phrase of seeing God; every christian knows it involves the whole possession of the most perfect felicity. Therefore, the idea in the text is fully comprehended in this expression, "Without holiness, no "happiness." Crowns and sceptres, the riches of Croesus, and the worlds of Alexander, are pleasures of a moment, They vanish previous to enjoyment. "What is a man profited, if he "should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what ❝can he give in exchange for his soul?" Happiness is the eager pursuit of the whole world, yet no object is more missed, or less obtained. Let us contemplate the practice of man; their language is," let us take our pleasure, acquire wealth, eat drink and be merry, for these contain the essence of felicity." But whatever a dark world think or say, an infinitely wise God has fixed the whole matter," holiness is happiness." This is its nature, fruits and effects. Professions, external appearances, and a model of performances answer not the purpose. We may proclaim with a loud voice," We are not as other men are, we are no extor❝tioners, adulterers or unjust persons, we pray much, fast often, ❝and pay all our dues to church and state." Yet, alas! how remote is this from gospel holiness? There are many who are pure in their own eyes, and yet not washed from their filthiness. Some are whited sepulchres, that appear beautiful outwardly, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.

Some display themselves in apparent holiness, like metears of the night, and make an ineffectual noise, like crackling of thorns under a pot. These external shows are mere resemblances, and far from realities.

In the constitution of gospel holiness, three ingredients are of essential.consequence: a holy nature, a holy frame of mind, and holy walk and conversation.

An holy disposition lies at the foundation of all this business This is the fundamental constituent of its nature. "He is not a jew, who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a jew who is one inwardly, "and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in "the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Hearken to our Lord, when he lays the foundation of this holiness:"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, "he cannot see the kingdom of God." That is, he must be so changed as to have an holy nature and disposition, before an actual conformity to God can take place. He must be made a new creature, created a new in Christ Jesus, &c. This ground work of holiness, however inexplicable to us in an abstracted view, however marvelous the operation may be, yet nothing can be more real or certain. The wind bloweth where it listeth, "and thou hearest the sound thereof, and canst not tell whence "it cometh, and whether it goeth; so is every one that is born "of the Spirit." We know that our food, in a manner hidden from us, diffuseth itself through the whole body, by certain functions adapted to the purpose; so here this is termed the "hidden

man of the heart; a life hid with Christ in God." We know not how our souls and bodies become united, and how they reciprocally operate upon each other. The most illiterate man is acquainted with the fact; but all the studies of philosophic science have never explained. Although perhaps we shall remain forever ignorant of the modus of the introduction of this principle, as we are of the principle of life, the principle of breathing, which we experience every moment, yet it is as substantial a certainty as life and breath. An idealist may renounce the one, and a phy siologist the other, yet the christian will ever firmly believe in these renovating influences of the Spirit of God.

That holiness which has its origin in this fountain, and manifests itself by its issues, we shall endeavour to consider under the following particulars, a certain illumination of the mind-an

election of the soul of new objects-and from both these arise new affections, and a practice to which the gospel gives the style of holiness.

These things will forever remain as wonderful and incredible to the dark mind, as the doctrine of the new birth to Nicodemus, who was afterwards known by the denomination of the night disciple.

The first thing originating from regeneration, and as a radical sonstituent of holiness, is what is commonly stiled an illumination of the mind. This illumination is in experience a very extensive phrase. It sheds its light and influence over every branch of religion, both in experience and practice. No procedure in the business of life without light, so this will appear to be the case in this spiritual illumination. This whole business, the renova tion of man, and forming him unto holiness, rendering him acceptable to God and meet for heaven, is with great propriety and accuracy, described in our Shorter Catechism, in answer to the question of effectual calling, by saying, "It is a work of God's "Spirit, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our "minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he

doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, as freely "offered in the gospel." The first thing created in the natural world was light, so in the new creation, the source of all holiness is light. When in the beginnings the Spirit moved upon the dark chaotic mass, and God said, "Let there be light and there แ was light." So in this matter of holiness, "God who com"manded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our "hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in "the face of Jesus Christ." Formerly, "They had their un"derstandings darkened, being alienated from the life of God, "through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness "of their minds." Here the line of distinction is formed between the ungodly and souls that have entered upon holiness. The former are in darkness, which cannot be described but by saying it ie