providence and grace to the children of men. "Christ gave himself for his church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it: He suffered without the camp, that he might sanctify the people by his own blood." The Spirit of God is termed the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit of holiness; not only because he is holy in himself, but also because it is his office to sanctify and make us holy: and God "chastens us for our profit, that we may be made partakers of his holiness." Yea, and in every dispensation towards us, whether pleasing or painful, God has this same end in view, for "his divine power has given us all things that pertain unto life and unto godliness," as well as those exceeding great and precious promises" whereby these blessings are made over to us, "that we may bé made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world." 3. Hence it is that much hath been said of sanctification in every age since Christianity was first established in the world until now. It has appeared to be of such great importance, that many who have had the glory of God and the good of mankind at heart, have written upon the subject, and not a few of these admirably well. Many excellent things have been advanced upon this point both by ancient and modern authors; by our own countrymen and by strangers. And it is a doctrine concerning which there has been but little dispute, unless in our own age, an age fruitful of controversies of all kinds. And probably it would have been less disputed even now, had the Scriptures been more attentively and carefully consulted on the head. But be that as it will, as the subject is by no means exhausted, and as the Scriptures only can make us wise unto salvation, whatever others do, let us consider them diligently upon all points of doctrine, and especially upon this, so manifestly of the greatest consequence. Having then seen the importance of sanctification, proceed we now to consider, 1st. Its nature and extent. And, 2dly. How we may attain it. And, 1st. Let us consider the nature and extent of sanctification. 1. Sanctification is often ascribed in the Old Testament to things without life. In the books of Moses, the tabernacle, altar, laver of brass, the priests' garments, and various other things used in the Israelitish worship, are said to be sanctified. So afterwards, in the ་ historical books, the temple and the various utensils in the templeservice are said to be sanctified. Now all that can be meant by that expression thus applied, is, that they were separated from common and profane use, and dedicated to the immediate worship and service of God. And indeed this seems to be the primary and original meaning both of the Hebrew word, wp, in the Old Testament, and of the Greek word, aya?w, in the New, translated to sanctify: They both signify to separate and to dedicate, devote, or consecrate. Thus the whole body of priests were sanctified in a ceremonial manner, they were separated from common and civil employments, and consecrated to the service of God in his sanctuary, 2. This observation may give us light respecting the nature of our sanctification. It also implies a separation and dedication, not indeed, ceremonial and figurative, but real: a real separation from sin and the service thereof, and a dedication to God and his service. Accordingly, it is said, Christ" gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us to himself a peculiar people," a people consecrated entirely to him; and “he died for all, that they who live," who are quickened by his death, "might not henceforth," from the time they are quickened, “live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose again." Passages of Scripture these, which point out unto us very clearly the nature of that sanctification, which we have already seen to be the grand end of the death of Christ. 3. But this matter will be still better understood by considering the words of our text: May the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, ολοτελεις. The word is of very extensive meaning, and signifies every part, and every part perfectly." And what we are to understand by every part, we learn from the following clause : "And may the whole of you, (axonλngov vμav, all that belongs to you,) the spirit, the soul, and the body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This is an exact translation of the words, and it appears therefrom that the apostle in this passage, considers man as divided into three parts, which he very expressly and particularly enumerates, the spirit, the soul, and the body, prefixing the article to each. 4. I am well aware that some persons, eminent for learning and piety, consider this text in a somewhat different light. They suppose that by the word spirit, the Apostle means their spiritual estate, viz. the Spirit of God, with his various graces, wishing that it might be preserved to them whole and entire that by the other 218 two phrases, soul and body, (which they say make up the whole man) he means their natural estate, wishing it also might be preserved blameless. They argue, that man cannot consist of three parts, appears hence, "the soul is either matter or not matter, there is no medium: But if it be matter, it is part of the body; if not matter, it coincides with the spirit." (See Bengelius and Wesley's Notes.) This reasoning is perhaps very just; it is possibly more philosophical to consider man as consisting only of a material and immaterial part. But then is it certain that St. Paul spoke with philosophical exactness here? Is it not rather probable that he alluded to the then prevailing opinions, and followed the Greek writers, who, it is certain, frequently consider man as composed of three parts, spirit, soul, and body. This he might do without any intention of teaching us the niceties of philosophy, and merely that he might express the matter he had in hand more strongly, leaving points of mere speculation just as he found them; even as we, who firmly believe that man consists only of two parts, do nevertheless frequently pray that our body, soul, and spirit may be consecrated to God, by which form of expression we would only be understood to mean all that belongs to us, all our powers and faculties of soul and body. Be this as it will; in this light I beg leave to understand the Apostle, as meaning, by these different phrases, to signify that every part of us, all our faculties, and all our members, must be sanctified and devoted wholly to God; a doctrine which, it will be readily allowed, the whole Scripture inculcates upon us. 5. By the (vo vεvua,) Spirit, I would, with the Greek writers, understand the superior faculties of the mind, such as the understanding, will, conscience, and memory, which are purely spiritual, and exist (no doubt) in the blessed angels, and in the spirits of just men made perfect. By the (ux) soul, I mean the inferior faculties, the passions and appetites, which it seems we have in common with the beasts that perish, only more refined. And by the body, I intend all that is material. Now let us briefly consider how each of these is to be sanctified. And, 1st. The spirit, including the understanding, will, conscience, and memory. By the understanding, I here mean, that faculty, whereby we apprehend, consider, judge, and reason. Now experience and Scripture agree to inform us, that this stands in great need of sanctification, for it is naturally overspread with gross darkness, and employed as an instrument of iniquity. "Darkness covers the earth," says the prophet, "and gross darkness the people." All mankind, by nature, like the Ephesians, are “alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them;" and hence the apostle affirms, "there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." This is true of the Jews and Gentiles, who are one and all become "vain in their imaginations, and their foolish, uveos, undiscerning, heart is darkened." are therefore grossly ignorant of what it most concerns us to know: what we are, whence we came, and whither we are going: what the world is in which we live, and whether we are to live in another if so, how we may ensure happiness there, and how get rid of our present misery: who is the author of our being, what he is in himself, and what he is to us: what obligations we are under to him, and how we may fulfil these obligations: the value of his favour, and how we may attain it. Plain it is, the heathen in general could never come to any certainty in these respects; and if we are not so dark as they, we owe it to the oracles of God. But the truth is, though by the Scriptures we have some speculative knowledge in these points, yet our knowledge has no proper influence upon us while destitute of the illumination of the Holy Ghost, but we are practically as ignorant as they, as far from all saving knowledge in things spiritual and divine. 7. But by sanctification, a manifest alteration is made. The understanding is then freed from its natural darkness in the things of God, and is enlightened by divine truth, to receive whose cheering beams it now dedicates its powers. Hereby we attain that knowledge, which before we had no conception of, nor desire after.. Spiritual things appear to us in a new light, and we judge of them in a new manner. We have neither that aversion to consider, nor that inability to understand them which we before laboured under; but we think of them with delight, and apprehend them with readiness. Hence we become savingly acquainted with them. "We know the truth, and the truth makes us free." "The gospel comes to us, not in word only, but also in power :" being "turned from darkness to light," and disposed to receive more and more light continually, we are also turned" from the power of Satan unto God." In other words, the light communicated to our understanding influences our will, and brings it into subjection to the holy will of God, whom we serve as well as know, and whose service we find to be perfect freedom. This leads me to observe, 2dly, that, 8. From the darkness of the understanding arises the perverseness of the will, which in our unholy state of nature opposes the holy will of God. Not discerning the vanity of the world, its unsa tisfactory nature, and short duration, we choose it for our portion, and foolishly seek our happiness in it. Not knowing the all-sufficiency of God, and his willingness to afford us solid and lasting comfort in his favour and presence, we shun his ways, and decline all fellowship with him. Not seeing the sinfulness of sin, and its destructive consequences, we do not loathe and abhor it, but roll it under our tongue as a sweet morsel and are prone to commit it, as the sparks to fly upwards. To holiness we have a strange aversion, arising from our ignorance of its excellent nature and blessed consequences. God's commandments we refuse to obey; they are grievous to us, because we understand not their reasonableness and happy tendency. To his dispensations we will not submit, not knowing that they are directed by infinite wisdom and almighty love, and assuredly work for good to them that love God. Now this perverse will is that φρονημα σαρκος, "that carnal mind, which is enmity against God, which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be," under the dominion of which, whosoever is, "he cannot please God." 9. But by the sanctification of the will, following the sanctifica tion of the understanding, a glorious change is wrought. For being enlightened with the knowledge of God, we are no longer averse to his service, but consider it at once our duty and happiness to love him, and live to his glory. The vail which covered the world and concealed its vanity being withdrawn, we turn our backs upon it, and, astonished at our former folly, cry out, "what have I to do any more with idols ?" and affirm, concerning the creatures, "Miserable comforters are ye all." Sin appears in all its deformity, accompanied with a long train of miseries, and we flee from its pernicious touch, and "abhor the garment spotted by the flesh." Holiness shines forth in all its lustre and beauty, and we embrace it with our whole soul. We have respect to all God's commandments, and delight to fulfil them, convinced they are "true and righteous altogether, more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter than honey and the honey-comb; and moreover, that in keeping them there is great reward." We acquiesce in all the dispensations of his providence, and with sweet complacency and delight acknowledge, "good is the will of the Lord." How many soever our disappointments, losses, and sufferings are, still we say, "not my will, but thine be done. Be it unto me even as thou wilt.' دو "We see the hand, we worship and adore, |