'1
7
A
TREATISE
ON
SANCTIFICATION.
BY
GEORGE JUNKIN, D.D. LL.D.,
LATE PRESIDENT OF WASHINGTON COLLEGE, AT LEXINGTON, VA.
PHILADELPHIIIA:
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION,
No. 821 CHESTNUT STREET.
N
6 o 
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1864, by
THE TRUSTEES OF THE
PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF PUBLICATION,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Eastern District
of Pennsylvania.
STEREOTYPED BY WESTCOTT & THOMSON.
a.   i
.e I,'' 
CONTENTS.
PREFACE........................................................................
CHAPTER I.
HOLINESS-THE TERM AND THING DEFINED...........................
CHAPTER II.
HAPPINESS-SPRINGS FROM LEGITIMATE ACTION.....................
CHAPTER III.
HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS-THEIR RELATIONS AND PROPOR
TIONS........................................................................
CHAPTER IV.
MAN IS UNHOLY................................................................
CHAPTER V.
MAN'S INABILITY TO MAKE HIMSELF HOLY............................
CHAPTER VI.
SANCTIFICATION IS THAT PROCESS BY WHICH HOLINESS IS RE    PRODUCED IN THE SOULS OF MEN.................................
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOLY GHOST, THE SANCTIFIER......................................
3
PAGE
7
9
14
21
25
27
32
44 
4                     CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VIII.
PAGE
ON REGENERATION-SANCTIFICATION BEGUN........................... 49
CHAPTER IX.
THE NECESSITY OF REGENERATION...................................... 59
CHAPTER X.
REGENERATION MYSTERIOUS-OBJECTIONS............................. 63
CHAPTER XI.
EVIDENCES OF REGENERATION............................................. 70
CHAPTER XII.
THE INHABITATION OF THE SPIRIT..................................... 80
CHAPTER XIII.
ON SAVING FAITH............................................................ 84
CHAPTER XIV.
ON REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE................................................ 90
CHAPTER XV.
SANCTIFICATION COMPARED WITH JUSTIFICATION.................... 98
CHAPTER XVI.
THE ORDER OF THE GRACES............................................... 102
CHAPTER XVII.
PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF SANCTIFICATION........................... 106
CHAPTER XVIII.
INSTRUMENTALITIES BY WHICH THE SPIRIT WORKS IN THE PRO     GRESS OF SANCTIFICATION............................................ 117
CHAPTER XIX.
TEMPTATION AND PRAYER-MEANS OF GROWTH..................... 126 
CONTENTS.                    5
CHAPTER XX.
PAGI
TEE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.................................................. 132
CHAPTER XXI.
SANCTIFICATION IMPERFECT-O BJECTION............................. 137
CHAPTER XXII.
SANCTIFICATION COMPLETED, NEGATIVELY-REMARKS ON IDEN    TITY......................................................................... 141
CHAPTER XXIII.
SANCTIFICATION POSITIYE-RUNS INTO ETERNITY................... 148
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE JUDGMENT-A CONFIRMATION IN BLISS: NOT AN END OF
MORAL GOVERNMENT.................................................... 156
1 *  
PREFACE.
THIS little treatise on SANCTIFICATION is designed as a
coun       ter-part to my book on JUSTF ICATION.         This latter,
published first in 1839 took its rise from the agitations of
the times, caused by innovations upon our doctrinal standards, which seriously affected that great central doctrine
of Christianity. Its substance was first given to the public
in the VINDICATION, in 1836: which was used on the appeal before the General Assembly of that year. Inasmuch,
however, as that was both controversial and judicial, it appeared to me advisable to strip the matter of that form,
and present the doctrines in a shape better adapted for
general reading. To the second edition of that work was
added a short chapter on Sanctification. That brief appendix is now expanded in this little volume. It is, of course,
more practical than the former treatise: that, regards
legal relations; this, moral and spiritual qualities. The
doctrines, however, of the two books are inseparable from
each other, and from practical religion. Without the
atonement, no sinner can be pardoned. Without the
righteousness-the perfect obedience of Christ, no sinner
c        an be                 justified. Without pardon an d  justiic ation no sin                                                   7 
PREFACE.
nercan be sanctified. And without sanctification-holiness,
no man shall see the Lord.
The agitations of these times having thrown me out of
regular employment, in the pulpit; it occurred to me and
to others, that the pen and the press, both rivals and aids
to the pulpit, might enable me still to preach the ever-blessec
gospel, and that, even after I shall have passed away beyond the agitations of wars and rumours of wars.
The Lord accompany, by his Holy Spirit, both this and its
predecessor, so shall my feeble labours become instrumental in saving souls; and to his name be all the glory evermore. Amen.
8 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER I.
HOLINESS-THE TERM AND THING DEFINED.
THE meaning of words in the New Testament,
used to express ideas common to it with the Old,
cannot be certainly and safely ascertained by reference to classical Greek. As they are virtually
translations we are bound to define and limit them
by the meaning of the words, in Old Testament
writings, for which they stand. This rule of interpretation is a necessity springing from the
imperfection of all human language. Words are
not, correctly speaking, vehicles of thought, as
they are often called: but only arbitrary, conventional instruments for calling up or suggesting
thoughts, which have previously existed in the
mind of the person to whom they are addressed.
To one born blind, the words red, white, and blue,
give no ideas, but simply that of sounds; but to
him who has had the conception of these colours,
9 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
the words at once recall them. Moreover, words
are very generally inadequate instruments-they
fall short of a full and accurate suggestion of ideas.
This is felt by all writers and all readers; and
often leads to the accumulating of terms-the
piling up of epithets, whereby the writer or speaker
labours to develop his idea by many words, which
he would not do if one could accomplish the object.
And yet, after all this accumulation, it is felt
that the thought is very imperfectly presented.
We are necessitated, therefore, to look to Old
Testament usage in settling the meantng of New
Testament words and phrases.
The term Sanctification and its cognates come
prominently under this law of hermeneutics. The
primary idea, suggested by it, is the setting apart
of the object or subject from a common to a special
use or service-but generally a religious use. Jeremiah (vi. 4,) calls upon the children of Benjamin
to sanctify war against Jerusalem-"prepare ye
war  against her."   Israel was  commanded- to
sanctify all the first born. Thus the seventh day
was sanctified-set apart to the special use of mental, moral, and religious culture: the materials for
the construction of the tabernacle were dedicatedconsecrated to this particular religious use.   So
the Israelitish people -so all who are admitted by
baptism into the visible church are holy unto the
Lord. See Exod. iii. 5: xvi. 23: xix. 6: xx. 8:
Matt. vii. 6: 1 Cor. iii. 17: 2 Pet. i. 18.
10 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
But the secondary and most common use, at
least in the New Testament, is that of preparation
for sacred service. This comes within the region
of morals. The term sanctification, literally means
the process of making holy; and implies a deficiency or absence of the qualities expressed by the
word holy. -Holiness is an abstract term, expressive of the entire sum of moral perfections. The
inscription on the high priest's mitre-" HIoliness
to the Lord,"-is an ascription to him of all moral
excellence: "Who is like unto thee, glorious
in holiness."  "God  sitteth upon the throne of
his holiness." "Once I have sworn by my holiness."
"Judah hath profaned the holiness of the Lord."
In this absolute sense the term is not applied to
imperfect beings: yet may we speak of the thing,
and so also explain the term-under the twofold distinction, of freedom from all impurity, sin,
imperfection, on the one hand; and of the
possession of all purity, uprightness, and perfection,
on the other. And for convenience we shall designate these two aspects, by the epithets negative
holiness, and positive holiness.
Negative holiness is ascribable to God; to the
angels, who have kept their integrity and consequently their first estate, and to the spirits of just
men made perfect; but not to men upon earth and
yet compassed with infirmity.
"I find no fault in him," is the testimony of
the miserable judge who delivered over the Holy
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12      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
One of Israel to the executioners, and "there is
no iniquity with the Lord our God."   "He is the
rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are judgment; a God of truth and without iniquity, just
and right is he."   "Shall not the judge of all the
earth do right?" But in this negative sense sanctification cannot be spoken of God while holiness
may; he cannot be made holy, for there is no impurity to be removed. Yet we are commanded,
" Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself-" (Isa. viii.
13,) and it is foretold "They shall sanctify my
name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and
shall fear the God of Israel."'{Isa. xxix. 23.) But
here the primary sense of the word is to be understood,-they shall consecrate-set apart God, in
the temple of their hearts and hold him only as the
object of their supreme love and adoration.
Neither can the angels be negatively sanctified.
They have no corruption to be removed, and are in
this negative sense holy already. But positively
they are capable of sanctification by an increase of
purity and perfection, as we shall see.
The same is true of redeemed spirits already in
heaven. They are perfectly holy by negation;
yet will they be sanctified in the other sense, by
perpetual increase in spiritual excellence. But
whilst here in the flesh, even in the negative sense,
holiness cannot be ascribed to men, but very partially; and sanctification, in both senses, is expressive of their condition who believe in the Saviour 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
of lost men: the process is advancing, but not
complete.
Holiness, viewed as a positive state, is the possession of moral qualities, and the presence of
these entitles the person to the epithet holy. "The
Lord hath sworn by his holiness." (Amos iv. 2.)
"Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."
(Heb. xii- 14.) The former passage pledged the
entire attributes of Jehovah for the punishment of
Israel's sin; and when he confirmed the gospel
promise by an oath, he pledged all his divine perfections for the security of his redeemed.   In this
sense all those passages are to be understood which
ascribe holiness to the Lord: " Give thanks at the
remembrance  of  his  holiness-" "Judah  hath
profaned the holiness of the Lord." And so, the
seraphic doxology, " Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord
God Almighty"- ascribes to him all good and
excellent and glorious attributes-justice and
mercy, goodness and truth.  " God is a Spirit,
infinite, -eternal, and unchangeable, in his being,
wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and
truth;" and the summation of all these we have in
that one divine word-God is Love.
2
13 
14      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER II.
HAPPINESS-SPRINGS FROM LEGITIMATE ACTION.
"HAPPY are thy men," said the queen of Sheba,
after witnessing the elegancies of the royal palace,
the richness and splendour of its decorations, the
number, dress, and beautiful order of his retinue, as
it was established under the direction and by the
taste of the most learned and scientific of Israel's
kings. "-Happy are thy men, happy are these
thy servants, which stand continually before thee,
and that hear thy wisdom." (1 Kings, x. 8.)
"Whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."-" He
that keepeth the law is Happy."-"-appy is that
people whose God is the Lord."-" Happy is the
man that findeth wisdom."-" -Happy is the man
whom God correcteth."-" Happy is he which hath
mercy on the poor." From such statements it is
obvious that happiness is found in a great variety
of circumstances, and springs from a great variety
of relations: and it is an interesting inquiry, what
is that, which, being common to all, justifies the
common appellation, happy, as applied to all?
Is it not this? that in all these circumstances 
A TR'EATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and relations, there are called into action some
right principles or powers of our nature; and that
they are legitimately and duly exercised. If this
be so, then we might define happiness by its origin
and cause; and say it is a state of mind resulting
from the legitimate activity of our faculties of
body, mind, and heart. Johnson's definition" Happiness is the multiplication of agreeable consciousness," would require the latter phraseagreeable consciousness-to be itself defined. But
what we here propose coincides with the facts of
these and innumerable other cases.
1. There is always activity of body, mind, or
heart, wherever we use the word happy, as descriptive of our feelings. When we look upon a beautiful flower, painting, statue, articles of furniture;
or listen to a piece of well-composed and well-executed music, our material frame is called into a
state of high excitement, of thrilling action, and
we are pleased, delighted, happy. Sonic of these
may moreover affect more than the bodily organs.
A painting may, whilst it thrills the nerves, also,
by its historic substance, at once call the understanding and even the reason and moral affections
into active play.  "The crossing of the Alps," or,
"' the crossing of the Delaware;" "the embarking
of the Pilgrims:" " the star spangled banner," or,
"rally round the flag, boys;" what conceptions in
the understanding and what overwhelming passions
15 
16        A TREATISE  uON  SA.NCTIFICATION.
do they not arouse? Let any man look within his
own bosom, and he will perceive not only the blood
coursing his veins more rapidly, and his nerves
quivering throughout his whole system;  but his
intellect grasping magnificent thoughts:  and his
moral sympathies bearing onward in the most intense activity. Now these activities place the mind
in that state called happy, and this happiness is
characterized by its antecedent cause. Each peculiar form of action has its own peculiar emotion.
If the excitation lies in the bodily organs only, it
will be followed by a state of mind which we should
denominate pleasure. The lowest of these forms
of happiness which result from the gratification of
the mere animal appetites, are, to a large degree,
common to us with the mere animals. And when
men are content with these, or look to them as
their chief good, they are exceedingly likely to
make them their god and to give them illicit adoration-" Whose god is their belly and whose glory is
their shame."
2. Hence the limitation of activities, in our definitions, to those which are legitimate. Fully aware
of the tendency to excess and the deception practised by calling corrupt pleasures by the name of
happiness, we would guard against it. Malachi
reproves Israel-" We call the proud happy; yea,
they that work wickedness are even set up." This
misapplication is often mischievous; for, when all
accounts are balanced, unlawful actions do not find 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
the balance on the credit side of the sheet. " Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy
good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but
now he is comforted, and thou art tormented."
Whatever is in excess beyond legitimate use of
God's good creatures, will recoil. No man can
violate the laws of God, physical, intellectual, or
moral, with impunity. If he eat and drink to excess, he may deceive himself into the belief that
his pleasures are happiness, but misery will follow,
and gout may throw the balance against him.
Happiness, after all, is as the gratification of legitimate desire.
3. There is a phrase in which our topic has to
do with the idea of a negation. As happiness implies a positive activity, the negation of action
implies the absence of enjoyment, but not a contradictory state-not a condition of misery. The
clod and the stone are not happy, neither are they
miserable. But, it may occur, does not the removal of pain-its mere absence, bring pleasure?
Doubtless felicity, less or more, is always experienced on such occasions. It is not however a mere
negation, when the aching wound, either in the
flesh literally, or in the spirit, is healed. It is the
absence of positive activity, contrary to the laws
of body and mind: and it is the return of either or
both to their state of legitimate activity which is
the cause of the pleasure. The removal of an evil,
which is an unnatural state of the system, in viola     2 *
17 
18      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
tion of its laws, is necessarily and instantaneously
followed by the restoration of its proper functions,
in other words, of its legitimate activities.
4. Or, to give another turn to the thought-it
is the unvarying activity of the supreme law of
life, self-love that secures happiness. This law is
universal as living existence. Every living thing,
I was about to say; every living thing desires its
own happiness. We imply as much when we indulge the poetic formula-" The earth mourneth
and languisheth," "the earth mourneth and fadeth
away," "the new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth." Thus sacred poetry represents the love of
life of the vegetable fighting for its own well-being.
And it also represents the young ravens as crying
unto God, and all the beasts of the field looking,
and not in vain, unto him for their food.  "The
young lions roar after their prey, and seek their
meat from God." (Ps. civ. 21.) But this is poetry. Very true; and poetry is more natural than
prose; and it is more easily understood.  There is
a love of life in the young dahlias, and the young
lilies, which God clothes so beautifully: and in the
young lions, whom he feeds in the desert.
5. But this law of life is found, of course, in a
higher development, in the higher nature. It is
as necessary within the sphere of morals and religion as it is among the lilies of the field, the
prowling inhabitants of the desert, the tenants of
the air, and the monsters of the deep. Insects and
1
i 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
creeping things; birds and beasts; men, angels,
and devils;-all, all are subjects of this first law
of nature-self-love-a prime necessity to selfpreservation.
Without this, moral government is impossibleinconceivable. For, if the desire of happiness, the
love of life were not, then pain and pleasure were
as impossible to a man as to a mushroom; to an
angel of glory, as to a cedar of Lebanon; to a
demon in the bottomless pit, as to a rock in the
profound of Vesuvius. But now, if the bruising of
my flesh or the wounding of my immortal part,
were a matter of entire indifference-if I were insensible to pain or to happiness, how could you
address motive to me? How could I be influenced
by hope or by fear? How could promises to
obedience or threatenings to disobedience be of
any avail? But, take away the ideas of reward
and of punishment, and what have you left of
moral government? "If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do?" (Ps. xi. 3.)
Of approach toward this fearful precipice, there
are some alarming symptoms in our country. Our
free suffrage-the very expression, "the will of
the people is the law of the land," generates-or
at least hath a strong tendency in the carnal mind,
to generate the idea, that the will of man, within
the sphere of law, politics, and trade, has superseded the will of God: and it is greatly to be
feared, we have millions of population, in whom
19 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
this freedom of will has already run out into the
grossest infidelity; yea into blank, bold, and souldestroying atheism. Certainly, subjection to the
will of God as such; whether made known in his
word, or by the glimmering lights of unsanctified
reason, have little practical influence in ruling the
understandings, swaying the hearts, and regulating the conduct of that large population which flood
us from the overflowings of the Danube and the
Elbe, the Scheldt, the Mayne and the Rhine.
20 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER III.
HOLINESS AND HAPPINESS-THEIR RELATIONS AND
PROPORTIONS.
THE reader is doubtless prepared to fall in with
our first position in this chapter; viz. That holiness,
in the order of nature, precedes happiness: that a
holy being, in the sense explained, must necessarily be happy; and an unholy one must, by a like
necessity, be unhappy. This seems to be an unavoidable deduction from the preceding discussions.
Assuming that God is holy and just, exercising
over all his works a government like himself, it is
impossible not to see that the protection and defence
of those who do no iniquity, but keep the commandments of God, must constitute a large part of
his actual rule; and the punishment of all iniquity
its counterpart. And such is the testimony of
holy Scripture. " God is angry with the wicked
every day;" "he loveth righteousness and judgment."   In Hieb. xii. 14, we  are commanded to
"follow peace with all men, and holiness, without
which no man shall see the Lord." So Matt. v.
8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
21
-k 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
see God." Now for our purpose, whether the
beatific vision is mainly here intended or not, these
are pointed proofs of the necessity of holiness, in
order to happiness. There are two words translated blessed in the New Testament. One of these
signifies a benediction, simply calling for good words
upon the person-as Luke  xix. 38, "Blessedbe the king-let the king be well spoken of, who
cometh in the name of the Lord." (Eph. i. 3,)
"Blessed-well spoken of-be  the Father of our
Lord, &c." The other word which occurs in the
eight beatitudes, one of which has just been quoted,
signifies, happy, and that is here used in a simply
declarative sense, not in the form of a benediction
or supplication of a good. He does not say, let
them be blessed-let a blessing come upon them,
but asserts the fact:  "Happy are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God." In this and Heb. xii. 14,
the connection between holiness and happiness is
very distinctly affirmed, and I think their relative
position too. The order of time in regard to graces
we cannot be said to define; but at least there is
an order of nature, in which we can speak with
safety of them. As truth is in order to goodness,
so holiness is in order to happiness; holiness is
uniform and necessary antecedent; and happiness
is uniform and necessary consequent; that is, one
is cause, the other is effect.
The same appears from 1 John iii. 2, 3;  "Beloved, now are we the sons-begotten ones of God,
22
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I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him  as he is.  And
every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." Now, as will appear
hereafter, regeneration is the beginning of sanctification, and as the word sons is equivalent to begotten ones-regenerated ones, the apostle makes
this the starting point of our transformation into
his likeness: and by consequence our introduction
to the beatific vision. Purification thus runs
parallel with happiness. So in Ps. xxiv. 3-5.
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or
who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath
clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted
up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He
shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Here
again the glory and felicity of heaven are consequent upon holiness-clean hands and a pure
heart.
The beatific vision is that direct and immediate
vision, contemplation, beholding of God in the
heavenly world, of which we can have but feeble
conception.   "It doth not yet appear what we shall
be, but we      *  * *  shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is." "Now we see through a glass
darkly, then face to face." No man, John tells us,
hath seen God at any time; that is, the pure Godhead apart from the humanity. But these passages,
23 
24      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and Job xix, 26, where he assures us that, "in my
flesh shall I see God," do surely set forth a vision
yet future-a vision or beholdinig of God in the
world of glory, transcending all possible conceptions of the human mind, while here in the flesh.
And what is specially pertinent to our purpose,
this beatific vision is consequent upon holiness, and
without this no man shall enjoy it.
Now if holiness is so indispensable and so efficient, we may fairly conclude that all advances in
holiness will run parallel with happiness.   In other
words, that purity of heart is not only the necessary antecedent, but also the measure of bliss.
This, however, we must postpone until we come to
treat of the progressive nature of sanctification. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER IV.
MAN IS UNHOLY.
No person can east his eye over the world in
which we dwell, without discovering evidence of
fearful depravity. Our history is one continued
narrative of folly, vice, and wickedness. If the
countless volumes of this vast criminal record were
removed from all our libraries, our literature would
be almost annihilated; dislocated fragments only
would remain. What have governments been but
systems of agencies for practising wickedness?
What have kings and princes been but scourges of
the nations? And still, after all that God has done
toward ameliorating the human condition, "Man's
inhumanity to man, makes countless thousands
mourn." At no period in our history have there
been more horrible exhibitions of human depravity than during these few years past. Heaven-daring impiety vies with man-slaughtering
ferocity in filling up the record of man's shame,
and treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath,
and revelation of the righteous judgments of God.
To this unblushing human record answers, with
soul-sickening exactness, the divine testimony.
3
25 
26      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
From the blood of righteous Abel down to the
martyrs of early Christianity, blood stains the annals of our race. God came down and inspected
the vast area, and behold it was utterly depraved.
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was
great in the earth, and that every imagination of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." "What is man, that he should be clean,
and he that is born of a woman that he should be
righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his
saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.
How much more abominable and filthy is man, which
drinketh iniquity like water?" (Job xv. 14-16.)
And in Rom. iii., the apostle sums up a'series of texts
in proof of the doctrine of total depravity.   "As
it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.
There is none that understandeth, there is none that
seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the
way, they aretobgetliher become unprofitable; there
is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat
is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have
used deceit; the poison of asps is under their
lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:  their  feet  are  swift  to  shed  blood:
destruction and misery are in their ways: and
the way of peace have they not known: there
is no fear of God before their eyes." But it is
unnecessary to dwell on this point. In theory,
all men admit this total depravity, and in practice they demonstrate it. The evidence is complete. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER V.
MAN'S INABILITY TO MAKE HIMSELF HOLY.
THE man who violates law comes under its curse,
and pollutes and disables himself from all holy actions.  The fountain is corrupted, and "who can
bring a clean thing out of an unclean?"  "Not
one," is Job's answer. Adam, that is man, by his
sin lost "that righteousness wherein he was created; incurred the corruption of his nature, whereby
he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all that is spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all evil, and that continually:"-(Confession, p. 153.) " Man, by his fall into a state Qf sin,
hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual
good accompanying salvation: so as a natural man
being altogether averse from that which is good,
and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength,
to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereto."
(Confession, p. 47.)  So the  Scriptures  teach.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly." (Rom. v. 6.)
"Because the carnal mind is enmity against God;
for it is not subject to the law of God, neither in
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28      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
deed can be." (Rom. viii. 7.) "For without me, ye
can do nothing." (John xv. 5.) "Therefore said
I unto you, that no  man can (86vaat,a is able)
come unto me, except it were given unto him of
my Father." (John vi. 45, 65.)
Now "a rational agent is said to be able to do a
given thing, when, upon the putting forth of his
energies toward that thing, it is done: and when it
does not follow upon such exertion of his powers,
he is said to be unable. In other words, ability implies the existence of a power of causation, and
always refers to the proper effect. Every effect is
proportioned to its cause, both in nature or quality,
and in degree. Like produces like. Physical
ability can produce only physical results. Strength,
or mere brutal force, can affect only strength or
resistance of the same kind. Intellectual ability
can be efficient only to intellectual results.  Intellectual power or ability may plan the machinery
whereby a man can lift a ton weight: but to say
that a man's intellect has ability to lift a ton, is
absurd, equally with affirming that mere natural
strength is able to plan the machinery. Nor is the
absurdity a whit less, when it is affirmed that man
has natural ability to perform a moral act. Each
part of his nature-his animal, his intellectual, his
moral powers-has its own peculiar ability-one
faculty or class of faculties cannot perform the
functions of another. Animal ability'(or strength)
and intellectual or moral results: intellectual ability 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and animal or moral results; and moral ability,
and intellectual or animal results, are all equally
absurd. To yield obedience is a moral result-to
repent (I mean saving repentance) is a moral operation-to believe in and love God, are not animal,
nor intellectual, nor physical effects or results, but
moral; yea, the very essence of all morality, and
therefore, in the very nature of the thing, no
natural ability of any conceivable kind can qualify
man to repent and love God. Moral ability alone
can qualify him-by that only can he turn to God
and live in him. Now this moral ability exists not
in the soul unborn of the Spirit. There death
reigns until the Spirit of life takes up his abode
there."   Vindication, pp. 51, 52.
Sec. 2. This utter inability is itself a sin; and
this corruption and carnality and enmity are not
self-apologetic: they do not excuse the perpetrators,
do not release them from obligations to law, and to
love and serve God with a pure heart fervently.
If it were otherwise-if sin were its own excuseif the gambling spendthrift could cancel his bond
with an empty purse: why then commerce would
stagnate, because credit would die. Let a man's
wicked moral bankruptcy be recognised as a foreclosure of all demands of duty; and social order
and Christian morality are gone. Satan and his
followers are at once independent of the moral
government of the universe. Against such consequences, however, the Bible and sound reason,
3 *
29 
30      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
which never are opposed, completely protect us;
inasmuch as they hold men to their accountability,
notwithstanding their spiritual bankruptcy.
Were it not so, no moral agent could commit
more than one sin: for being then corrupted and
disabled, and made opposite to all good, he cannot,
according to this theory, be held accountable any
farther: no law extends over him. But sin is not
imputed where there is no law. John tells us that
"sin is the transgression of the law," (1 John iii. 4,)
and Paul says, "Where there is no law, there is
no transgression." But Satan and his associates
are not the only free intelligences of the universe, as
this theory teaches. They are just as much bound
by Divine authority as the angels in glory and the
spirits of just men made perfect. Their secession
does not place them outside and beyond the range
of Jehovah's empire.  "Wash ye, make you clean"
— " 0 Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness"-" Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways."
All commands to sinners to forsake their sins are
declarations of their legal and rightful obligations
to Divine authority. "Draw nigh to God, and he
will draw nigh to you: cleanse your hands, ye
sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
(Jas. iv. 8.) Repent, believe. All such are commandments of authority, and are binding wherever
applicable. Angels of glory and devils in hell;
souls redeemed and in heaven; and souls lost and
in the burning lake, are as really and as truly sub 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
ject to the government of God, as are saints and
sinners in this middle region where we dwell.  Indeed, we challenge the human intellect to conceive
of an intelligent being, endowed with a moral sense,
that is under no obligation to submit to its Creator's
authority.
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0 
32      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER VI.
SANCTIFICATION IS THAT PROCESS BY WHICH HOLI  NESS IS'RE-PRODUCED IN THE SOULS OF MEN-ITS
INSTRUMENTALITIES.
THE word process is here used, for the purpose
of expressing the idea of complexity.   This is not
an act, accomplished in an instant, but a work, consisting of a variety of operations; and implies a
variety of instrumentalities and agencies, and these
operating in diversities of methods, times, and seasons. As a work we may analyze it into its instrumentalities or the instruments employed in and
about the operations; and its efficient agent-the
Divine Spirit, by whose life-giving power the whole
change is effected.
In this chapter let us take up the Instrunmentalities.
1. And first, in general we may say, that the
entire arrangements and doings of Divine provi'ence in reference to each individual whom the
Lord will bring unto glory, are parts and portions
of his instruments for their sanctification. Known
unto God are all his works; he governs all his 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
creatures and all their actions; and it is because
he foreordains whatsoever comes to pass, that he
knows them all. Of this infinite series of events,
all that precede regeneration are preparatory instruments.
2. The place of one's birth has much to do with
these preparatory steps. Birth in a Christian
land; and especially of Christian parents, is ordered of God, with direct reference to the great
purposes of his mercy. Compare your condition,
reader, in these regards, with that of the Japanese,
the Chinese, the Hindoo, the Persian, the wild Arab
of the desert, the youth of Timbuctoo, the Red
man of our wilderness, the citizens of Naples, old
Rome, or southern Ireland; and how obviously is
God's partiality to you displayed? Why are you
thus favoured? Is it not that you may have access to all the means of grace, and may thus early
be led on in the way to glory?  The Lord has thus
ensured to you all the other means which he ordinarily uses toward the process of sanctification;
and among these, the parental care and solicitude,
so indispensable to the very continuance of your
being in this world, and in which you have been so
distinguished from the great masses of infant humanity. This providence gives you early instruction in the way of salvation. Ere you could be
taught the art of reading, you were taught the
grand elements of saving doctrine, then, ability to
read and opportunity to exert it in searching the
33 
34      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
oracles of God, was superinduced; you were led
to the open fountains of spiritual knowledge.
From the mother's lap and the father's knee, you
were carried to the house of God, and there, from
the pulpit, the Sabbath-school, and catechetical
class, learned the duties and the privileges of religious worship. These invaluable blessings were
yours at a period that lies beyond the reach of
present reminiscence. Not by memory, but by
faith in the testimony of others, you know that God
was thus kind and provident.
3. Special providences innumerable lead in the
same direction: health and sickness, but in different ways, have conduced to the same end. The
former, which ought to be the more influential, has
not always, indeed not generally, been so. We
often underrate blessings, until they depart. Sickness and pain, evils in themselves, are often used
as means for good. The rod and reproof bring
wisdom. When we pass down into the valley of
the shadow of death-into deep and sore afflictions,
we reap the peaceable fruits of righteousness; i. e.
all reap, who are rightly exercised thereby.
Among these wonder-working providences, none
are more conspicuous than war. By it, God chastises his church and its members; and makes its
fearful burdens instrumental in forcing the attention of sinners and saints to eternal things. In
what innumerable instances has the Lord come
down recently to the battle-field and the hospital; 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and, by occasion of their unutterable sorrows,
drawn away the hearts of sinful men toward heavenly things?  Oh! what heart-piercing shrieks
have gone up, God be merciful to me, a sinner!
yea, burst forth, with an earnestness utterly unknown during health and outward prosperity. As
the thunder from the watery cloud above him,
awaked and aroused the soul of the monk of Eisleben, and led him on toward his conversion; so the
thunders of the sulphurous canopy have, by the
same Divine energy, made the souls of thousands
to feel themselves trembling on the verge of eternity, and constrained them to cry out in painful
consternation-oh! what must I do to be saved?
But you will say, it was not the lightning's flash
and the thunder's roar that sanctified the soul of
Luther, nor was it the miles of blazing lines, nor
the long reverberations of the cannon's dread utterances, that could convert the thousands who
have ascended from the battle-fields, or returned,
maimed in body, but healed in spirit, to the homes
of the sorrowful yet rejoicing.
No; but we are speaking of instrumental, not of
efficient agencies; and beyond doubt, God has made
the wrath of man, in these most fearful developments of it, to praise him, it is devoutly hoped, and
he will yet more illustriously display his gracious
power amid these awful scenes, and bring the nation down in the dust of humility before the majesty
of his own throne.
35 
36  A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
4. To the ministry of the word we have just alluded, and now allude to the visible ordinances,
including the very organization of the church
itself, as means both of grace and of growthin grace.
On these, however, we may not delay. Let us
pay a more marked attention to the truth of the
word, the great doctrinal substance, as an instrument. Our Lord, in his prayer, properly called
his, says, " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy
word is truth."-And "for their sakes, I sanctify
myself, that they also might be sanctified through
the truth." (John xvii. 17, 19.) So he had before
expressed the same(xv. 3.)  "Now  ye are clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you."
And Paul says (Eph. v. 26.) "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by
the word." James also teaches the instrumentality
of the truth, (i. 18): "Of his own will begat he us
with the word of truth."
5. The relations of the truth to this great work
of sanctification are not so generally agreed upon,
among even evangelical men, as could be desired.
Has the word of truth an instrumental agency only?
or has it an efficient force-a generating power?
To the former we return an affirmative and to the
latter, a negative response. We believe the Scriptures and the truths they contain, ascribe all effi cient agency in the premises to the Holy Spirit:
and that the word of truth becomes an efficient in strumentality only when the Spirit employs it. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
just so is it with the living ministry: we are
mighty to pull down the strongholds of sin and
Satan;  but it is only "through  God."   "Our
sufficiency is of God." We are commanded to
take " the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God"-(Eph. vi. 17.) Now a sword has in it no
power-no efficiency for good or evil. It is perfectly harmless in itself, and will destroy no life
and maim no limb. But the sinewy arm that wields
it may produce fearful havoc. The analogy is
striking. The word of truth-the doctrines of
Scripture have no life in themselves, and cannot
communicate what they have not. They have an
adaptation for use, by a living agent, and whenever the Holy Spirit takes up his sword, it becomes
a sharp two-edged instrument, driven home by his
almighty hand. All the above and many other
scriptures teach the simple instrumentality of the
word directly and indirectly: the former on their
face and the latter indirectly by imputing the entire life-giving efficacy to the Spirit. Others we
may add-" That which is born of the' flesh is
flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
And (John vi. 63,) " It is the Spirit that quickeneth"
-i. e. that giveth life-and 1 Pet. iii. 18 —"Put
to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit."
Then we may go back to the beginning, and there
we find it was the'Spirit that generated life from
the chaotic mass and that breathed into Adam's
nostrils the breath of life-of lives, viz: of the
4
37 
38      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
body and the soul. Accordingly, when spiritual
life was lost in the transgression, it became, under
the new covenant in the economy of redemption,
the work of the same Spirit to reproduce this life
in the soul; and this is the beginning of sanctification. And 1 Cor. vi. 11, declares, " But ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord, and by the Spirit of our God."
But we may not press this farther at present.
If the Holy Ghost is the producer and cherisher of
life in the soul, as we must see more fully at
another time, then it follows, that there is no lifegiving power in the truth itself; the letter killeth,
it is the Spirit that giveth life; and this presents
another part of the process, which is merely preparatory.
6. The relative position of conviction; its nature and agency, and its end.
1. Its nature and agency. It is an operation of
the understanding-a result of the judging power.
When ajury brings in a verdict of guilty, the man
is said to be convicted; and the method, by which
they reach this result, is the same as any other
judgment of the mind. They compare the conduct
of the man, as exhibited in the evidence, with the
rule as laid down in the law: if the conduct agrees
with the law, they so declare, and the man is acquitted. But if they perceive his conduct to coincide with the definition of murder, as contained in
the law, they declare the fact so to be; and the
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A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
man is convicted. Now, so it is at the bar of conscience. The truths of the moral law are laid
along-side of a man's own conduct, as revealed in
his consciousness and memory; he compares them
together; he perceives their inconsistency, and his
conscience pronounces the verdict.  So the accusers
of the dissolute woman "being convicted by their
own conscience, went out."
Such is the province of natural conscience"Their conscience also bearing witness, and their
thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing
one another." (Rom. ii. 15.) In the original state
of man, this power of conscience was full and
adequate. But sin blinded the mind, and conscience
is no longer adequate. Its knowledge of the law
is too imperfect. The whole mind is so debased
and enfeebled, that it is unable to comprehend
spiritual things.  "But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them(he is not able, o'u 8uvavat) because they are spiritually discerned: but he that is spiritual judgeth
all things"-(1 Cor. ii. 14.) Hence the inability
of conscience to produce thorough conviction of sin:
and here it is that the Holy Spirit interposes. He
takes up his sword-the doctrines of truth contained in the law, and cuts to the heart-enlightens
the mind; quickens the conscience, and leads on to
the condition which cries out, "Men and brethren,
what must we do?"  "0 Ephraim, what shall I do
39 
40      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
unto thee?  O Judah, what shall I do unto thee?
for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as
the early dew it goeth away. Therefore have I
hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by
the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as
the light that goeth forth." (Hos. vi. 4, 5.) Conviction of sin results from the illumination of the
mind in the knowledge of the law, and its results
are painful, but in various degrees. If depravity
has been excessive, and habits of sinning long indulged in, and so deeply rooted; and if the illumination is full and large, the soul must be thrown
into great depths of distress-" Out of the depths
have I cried unto thee, O Lord."
3. Its end; if this is not followed up by a corresponding enlightenment in the truths of the
gospel, the painful emotions must be great, and will
continue and  increase without  end.   For this
anguish there can be found only one remedy-the
light beaming from the Sun of righteousness.
Hence we remark again,
Conviction of sin, per se, is not a blessing. To
show me how vile I am, is no favour; unless you
show me also how I can escape from my sins and
their just consequences. But if the wound in the
spirit is speedily followed by the healing balm,
then may I desire the stroke of the Divine hand for
the sake of what is to follow. I can afford to take
the nauseous medicine for its remote sequence:
remove this sequence, and I reject the potion.
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
What is hell but the land of everlasting regrets.
"Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is
prepared; he hath made it deep and large; the pile
thereof is fire and much wood; and the breath of
the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle
it." (Isa. xxx. 33.)
"The breath of God, his angry breath,
Supplies and fans the fire;
Then sinners taste the second death,
And would, but can't expire."
But I said the degrees of this conviction, and
its painful accompaniments, are vastly various:
they indeed range from the dreadful extreme, presented here by the poet, to the slightest painful
apprehension, vanishing away into incipient comfort and consolation.  For, in the essential nature
of conviction, it lies within the region of the intellect, and is clearly distinguishable from the
emotional states of the mind-the feelings that accompany it. These views force upon us the inferences.
1. That conviction is not conversion. Many
experience clear convictions of sin-they see
plainly that they have violated the law and are
justly exposed to its penal sanction, who yet
go no farther; and stopping short, like the seed by
the way-side or on the stony ground, never attain
to true conversion. And not a few are thus ruined
by falling into the error pointed out in our next
inference; viz
4*
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42      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
2. That the sorrows which often accompany or
follow even defective conviction are mistaken for
repentance. Whereas the emotions which accompany the turning of the soul from sin to God,
are clearly distinguishable from the turning itself,
which is the true idea of repentance, as we shall'
see anon.
3. A third inference, is the important practical
rule-never pray for severe law work upon the
conscience. It is not a necessary accompaniment
of true conversion. We are not informed that
any of the apostles experienced it, except Saul,
who was born out of due time. And, though they
were pricked in the heart at the pentecostal revival,
yet it would seem that their painful emotions were
of short duration, and speedily followed by spiritual
comfort and good hope through grace. No, the
Spirit of all grace can produce the necessary degree
of conviction, preparatory to the beginning of actual sanctification, without filling the soul with
dreadful terrors and driving it upon the confines
of the burning lake. In the regular and orderly
state of the church; where the youthful mind is
early and earnestly imbued with the precious truths
of the word-both of law and gospel-we shall
hardly find out the day of our children's conversion,
and we and they must learn it by the fruits.
To all these, let us add the power of persuasionwarnings, threatenings, promises, entreaties-all
arguments addressed to fear or to hope. "Almost,
I
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
thou persuadest me to be a Christian."  "Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men."
Undoubtedly the church, and especially through
her ministry, has done much in this line toward the
sanctification of lost and polluted man. She is
ever ransacking the highways and the hedges and
exerting herself to the utmost, compelling them to
come in and fill the Lord's house and feast off its
fat things. All that is powerful in reasoning; all
that is alarming in the terrors of eternal wrath;
all that is enticing and attractive in the glories of
heavenly felicity; the people of God-the ministryof the word have pressed and do still press upon
the consideration of sinners; and this to the utter
exhaustion of moral suasion. But all these fall
short of that efficiency which brings men into a
state of holiness before God. They do not convert
the soul. They are only instrumental and preparatory: another power is needed: a real efficient
agent having in himself life and holiness, and therefore a capability to generate them in the souls of
lost men.
4 *
43 
44      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER VII.
THE HOLY SPIRIT THE SANCTIFIER.
THAT holiness proceeds from the Spirit may well
be inferred from the name so frequently given to
*him in Scripture. David, deploring his own sin and
pollution, entreats, " Cast me not away from thy
presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me."
(Ps. li. 11.) In the history of the miraculous con ception, he is constantly called the Holy Ghost.
Eighty-six times is this appellation given to him
in the New Testament, besides four times it is trans lated Holy Spirit; making ninety times. And all
gracious works are ascribed to him. Under the
baptism by the Holy Ghost all graces are comprehended. We are baptized in his name equally
with that of the Father and of the Son. Because
of his work in the miraculous conception, Christ is
called the Son of God.  "The Holy Ghost shall
come upon thee, and the power of the Highest
shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called
the Son of God." (Luke i. 35.) Thus, the human ity of the God-man was consecrated, set apart,
i.
zII
A 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
sanctified by the Spirit; much more, we infer,
does the humanity of his redeemed require this
sanctification. So the Spirit came upon him
at his baptism; at once a significant sign and
type of our baptismal consecration to holy service, and of our purification and preparation
for it.
But not only by his name and offices just mentioned is his dignity and sanctifying power intimated. The unpardonable nature of the sin against
the Holy Ghost establishes the same.   "Wherefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven
unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against
the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall
not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither
in the world to come." (Matt. xii. 31, 32.) This
fearful sin consists in a persevering, wilful, intelligent rejection of salvation, as it has been brought
nigh to the soul, by the Spirit enlightening the
mind, pricking the heart, alarming the conscience.
When a man has thus been impelled to acknowledge the truth and to make a deliberate profession
of it, and afterwards turns back, crucifying the
Son of God afresh and putting him to an open
shame; doing despite to tlhe Spirit of all grace, he
turns back unto perdition: he rejects the only possible way of salvation; he tramples under foot the
45 
46      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
only blood that can take away sin; and he seals
his damnation. See Heb. vi. 1-6, and x. 26-29:
1 John v. 16.  Stephen  charges the mob, "Ye
stiff-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and earsi. e. rejecters and haters of the truth-ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." (Acts vii. 51.) The
doleful consequences of this sin evince the transcendant dignity of the person and the indispensable necessity of his work. Could it have been
said of these persons, "but ye are washed, but ye
are justified, but ye are sanctified in the name of
the Lord and by the Spirit of our God," this fearful sin could not have been sealed upon their souls.
But having persevered in resisting light and knowledge, the plainest proofs of the Messiahship of
Christ and the convictions of their own consciences, as
stirred up and moved by the Holy Ghost, nothing
remained to them, but a certain fearful lookingfor of judgment and fiery indignation, which must
devour them in Tophet, as adversaries of the Holy
Spirit.
Having used this as argument, it may be proper,
before leaving it, to throw out a caveat against an
unjust and injurious use of this unpardonable sin.
People have often taken up the idea that they
themselves have committed it, and so write bitter
things and make themselves miserable on that supposition.  Nothing is more unreasonable and unscriptural. For the sin consists essentially in a
hardening process-a callous, dead insensibility
II 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION
and disregard of spiritual things.   "Now  the
Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking
lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared
with a hot iron." (1 Tim. iv. 1, 2.)  If, therefore,
a person is perplexed and in distress on account
of this fear, he gives, in the very fact, evidence
that he has not sinned this sin which hath never
forgiveness.   For  he shows tenderness of conscience and anxiety about his soul's salvation: he
displays reverential regard toward the Spirit and
his work.
The interview between Christ and Nicodemus,
John iii., sets beyond all doubt the question of efflicient agency, in reference to the first part of sanctification. The new birth, there ascribed to the
Spirit, is in chap. i. 13 ascribed to God. "Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God."   "The love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost, which is given unto us." (Rom. v. 5.)"That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."
(Rom. xv. 16.) But now the shedding of love
abroad in the heart, as we shall see, is of the very
essence of sanctification, and we are made acceptable unto God by the Spirit's influence and power:
"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,
saith the Lord." In 2 Cor. iii. 18, we read, "But
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48      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord." Here is progressive sanctification.
Farther evidence of the Spirit's work must come
up in the next chapter.
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER VIII.
ON REGENERATION-SANCTIFICATION BEGUN.
"THERE being in man's spirit by nature no holy
thing, it is necessary that the very germ of spiritual life be implanted: the dead soul must be made
alive. This is a change from death unto life: not
indeed in a natural sense; not in reference to the
body;  but to the spirit.'That which is born
of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit.'  This doctrine, new and strange
to the carnally-minded, was taught from the beginning; and is found in the Old Testament.' I
will take away the hard and stony heart out of your
flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh. A new
heart will I give unto you, and a right spirit will I
put within you.' And many of the typical washings symbolized the same thing." Junkin on Justification, p. 334.
"This holy change is wrought by divine power.
Our Saviour tells Nicodemus,'Except a man be
born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into
the kingdom of God.' The analogy of a new birth
signifies, that it is entirely the work of the sancti
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50     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
fying Spirit, that conveys a principle of life in order to the functions of life. It is the living impression of God, the sole efficient and exemplar of
it, the fruit and image of the divine virtues. It is
expressed by the new creature. The production
of it is attributed to God's power, displaying itself
in a peculiar, excellent way, even in that precise
manner, as in making the world. For, as in the
first creation, all things were originally of nothing;
so in the second, the habit of grace is infused into
the soul that was utterly void of it, and in which
there was as little preparation for true holiness,
as of nothing to produce this great and regular
world. And although there is not only an absolute privation of grace, but a fierce resistance
against it, yet creating, invincible power does as
infallibly produce its effect in forming the new
creature, as ill making the world. Hence it appears, that renewing grace is entirely the work of
God, as his forming the human body from the dust
of earth at first; but with this difference, the first
creation was without any sense in the subject, of
the efficiency of the Divine power in producing it;
but in the new creation, man feels the vital influence of the Spirit, applying itself to all his faculties, reforming and enabling them to act according
to the quality of their nature." (Bates's Works, iii.
417.) Such is the language of the Westminster
age, showing that there is no new theory in the
theology of our day among evangelical divines.
i 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
The nature of this change may be learned from
the phraseology by which it is expressed in Scripture.
(a) It is called a new creation. (2 Cor. v. 17.)
Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature."  (Gal. vi. 15.) "For in Christ Jesus
neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." In producing this
change, the Holy Ghost puts forth an energy of
creating power; just as he did when he breathed
into man's nostrils at first the breath of lives.
Consequently
(b) It is a passing from death unto life. (1 John
iii. 14.)  "We  know that we have passed from
death unto life, because we love the brethren.
He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
Observe, abideth in death; implying the moral
death of the soul; and that in this state it would
remain, but for the creating energy of the Spirit.
So Col. iii. 3: "For ye are dead, and your life is
hid with Christ in God." And Eph. ii. 5: " Even
when we were dead in sins, hath he quickened(made alive) us together with Christ."
(c) Born again-born from above-(John  iii.
1-12.) I need not write off this passage. All Bible
readers are familiar with it, and i. 13 has been
quoted above. (1 John iii. 9:)" Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin"-and before, (ii. 29.)
"Every one that doeth righteousness is born of him."
And iv. 7-" Every one that loveth is born of God."
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-And v. 1, iv. 18. So 1 Pet. i. 23: "Being
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth for ever."   This oft repeated term is
surely intended to describe a very great change in
our spiritual man.
(d) It is a passing from darkness to light. Col.
i. 13: "Who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom
of his dear  Son."  1 Thes. v. 4, 5:  "But ye,
brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should
overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children
of light, and the children of the day: we are not
of the night, nor of darkness." 1 Pet. ii. 9:
" That ye should show forth the praises of him who
hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light." Paul (Acts xxvi. 18) describes his mission
as appointed "to open their eyes, and to turn
them from darkness to light:" and 1 John ii. 9,
teaches that " he who hateth his brother is in darkness-and walketh in darkness"-he is in an unregenerate state, and his conduct accords thereto.
Paul (Eph. v. 8, 9) thus describes the change:  "For
ye were sometime darkness, but now are ye light
in the Lord. For the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, and righteousness, and truth." And all
these and other similar passages are given, because
"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."
(e) Removing the heart of stone and substituting a heart of flesh. Ezek. xi.'19, and xxxvi. 25,
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26, 27: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon
you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness,
and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A
new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit
will I put within you: and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you
an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within
you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye
shall keep my judgments, and do them." Here we
have first, the promise of the Holy Spirit, under the
sign of sprinkling clean water upon you: parallel
with Isa. xliv. 3, "For I will pour water upon him
that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I
will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessings
upon thine offspring." Thus the baptism of the
Holy Ghost is pointed out, and the manner of it
-by sprinkling or pouring upon the subject. Then,
in v. 27, this sprinkling is expounded of the Spirit.
Then 3dly, we notice the effects of this Spirit
poured, a new heart of flesh bestowed and the heart
of stone  removed-regeneration.    Then  4thly,
practical holiness-walking in my statutes. The
same nearly in Ps. li. 10: "Create in me a clean
heart, 0 God; and renew a right spirit within
me."
(f) A change from enmity to love. Compare
Rom. viii. 7 —" The carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither
indeed can be," with v. 5,-" Because the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost,
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which is given unto us." Nor is there any power
but he, that can destroy the carnal enmity and fill
the soul with love to God and to his children:
wherever, therefore, this change is effected, there we
have a work of the Holy Spirit.
(g) Perhaps there is a little inaccuracy in so
doing, yet will we place the change of the will in
this class. Opposition of will in man toward God
is obviously characteristic of his natural state. Ye
will not come to me that ye might have life. Turn
ye, turn ye, why will ye die? God reveals his
will as the rule of man's action, and man wilfully
moves in the opposite direction. Now the Scriptures speak of a people being subdued. Addressing the Messiah, the Psalmist (cx. 2) says, "The
Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion;
rule thou in the midst of thine enemies." The
governing authority of Messiah shall be exercised
even among his enemies; and the consequence is
described in the next verse-" Thy people shall be
willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of
holiness from the womb of the morning; thou hast
the dew of thy youth." The people voluntarily
offer themselves as free-will offerings unto Zion's
Priest-king. More distinctly is the idea expressed
in Phil. ii. 13:  "For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
A divine energy is put forth for the renewing of
our wills. And Heb. xiii. 21 contains the same:
"Now the God of peace make you perfect in every
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good work, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ." The
disposition-the inclination of will, is the result
of his working in you. Let these suffice to give
us an idea of the general nature of regeneration
from the phraseology of Scripture.
2. The nature of this change may be further ascertained from its sequences. Effects indicate the
nature of their producing cause; and we may reason both ways, either from causes forward to their
effects, or from effects backward to their causes.
But as we will have occasion for this, when we
come to inquire for the evidences of regeneration,
it will be profitable to postpone this evidence of
change until that subject comes up in course.
3. Regeneration is an instantaneous change.
It is not like Sanctification, (of which it is a part,)
complex, and successive; but the immediate effect
of a single act.  One moment the soul is dead;
and the next it is alive: " It is entirely," says Dr.
Bates, "the work of the sanctifying Spirit, that
conveys a principle of life in order to the functions
of it." Where there is no natural life, there is no
natural action; so, where there is no spiritual life,
there is no spiritual action.  Give the principle,
and you shall have the practice: supply the faculty,
and you shall have the function. When the command issued, "Lazarus, come forth," the creating
energy of the Spirit re-produced the life; the vital
functions were instantly exerted. This brings us
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into close proximity with another position, whose
discussion can scarcely be held separate from this,
and we will save time and not create confusion, by
starting another point, viz.
4. That the soul is passive in regeneration. Our
spirit is the subject of the change; and not, in any
correct sense, the agent in its production.   By this
we do not mean, that man's spirit is like a marble
block under the hand and chisel of the sculptor,
which has no motion whatever, or capacity to move
and act. On the contrary, we know the soul to
be active in many respects. The intellect, the understanding, the reason, the emotions and passions,
are all in operation before and up to the moment
when the new life is generated, and they continue
so afterwards. But then, it is not any of these
activities; nor all of them combined, that generate
this new life-this new creation. The power that
causes it, is not in them, but in God the Holy
Ghost. All that goes to prove the Spirit's exclusive activity, also demonstrates the soul's passivity
-to use a term invented by the opposers of our
doctrine.  The apostle, Eph. ii. 1, says, "You were
dead in trespasses and sins." But proceeds instantly to speak of their activity in that dead condition. " Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the
prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the children of disobedience: among
whom also we all had our conversation in times past
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in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind: and were by nature the
children of wrath, even as others." Notwithstanding this strenuous and energetic activity in the
service of Satan, "we were dead in sins," and so
the proper subjects of regenerating power, v. 5.
"Even when we were dead in sins, God hath
quickened us together with Christ,"-brought us to
life. Now this quickening by the Spirit-this making the soul alive, is inconceivable, is impossible,
if the death in sin did not before exist.  The instantaneousness of the change may easily be conceived and believed, from its nature, and also from
the apostle's assertion, as to the resurrection of the
body, and the change of those who shall be found
on the earth-" In a moment, in the twinkling of
an eye, at the last trump." (1 Cor. xv. 52.) If
the dead matter in the graves, and the living men
above ground can be so suddenly changed, how
much more the dead souls.
Moreover, let the objector make the effort, to conceive the spiritual life of the soul to be gradually
produced; and that partly by its own activity; and
let him raise the question,-but what if the process were suspended exactly in the middle? Can
he conceive of a soul half-regenerated? A spirit
half-born! A man possessed of half a spiritual
life!! The absurdity of these half-born, half-life
twin conceptions, may convince him, that in reality
he denies regeneration altogether, and occupies the
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ground of Dr. Paley, who says-" There may be
Christians, who are, and have been, in such a religious state, that no such thorough and radical
change, as is usually meant by conversion, is or
was necessary for them; and that they need not
be made miserable by the want of consciousness of
such a change." (Paley's Works, iv. 167.)  This
is daubing with untempered mortar. See Ezek.
xiii. 10 and xxii. 28.
It is therefore untrue, as some affirm, that a man
has as much ability to change his own heart as to
split a log of wood, is as active in the one case as
in the other: or that sanctification is a series of
holy acts, and regeneration is the first act of the
series. These are soul-destroying errors; and
amount to a rejection of the entire scheme of salvation by free grace.
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CHAPTER IX.
THE NECESSITY OF REGENERATION.
A THING may be absolutely or conditionally necessary. An absolute necessity is, when it could not
and cannot-be otherwise. Under no possible or
supposable state of things could it be different from
what it is. Perhaps in this high and bold sense,
God's being and incommunicable attributes  may
be said to be the only absolute necessities. No
human mind can conceive the non-existence of
God; or of any of his essential attributes. The
fool indeed hath said, there is no God; but he said
it "in his heart;" it was his corrupt lusts that dictated the expression. His intellect never conceived
its truth; his understanding never believed it.
A conditional necessity is, when a thing must
be in order to the existence of something else.
We express it commonly by the word must. On
the condition or hypothesis that I am to live in the
enjoyment of health and comfort, I must-i. e. it
is necessary for me to eat wholesome food. We
express the condition very commonly by the word
if. If the ship's passengers are to be saved, these
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sailors must-it is necessary for them to abide in
the ship. If thou wilt have life, keep the commandments. Life is the reward of obedience, this,
therefore, is the condition of life. This is what
Edwards calls a necessity of consequence.  The relation between the two things is such, that the one
must and will follow the other. There is between
them  an  unknown  and  mysterious  connection,
which we designate by the words cause and effector causality. But we are totally ignorant what it
is. The most we can make of it, is the mere verbal expression or definition-cause is uniform and
necessary antecedent; effect is uniform and necessary consequent. But let the simple-hearted reader
know, that this definition is a mere subterfuge,
under which the metaphysician conceals his ignorance.  We do not understand what this principle
of causality is. Facing the question of conditional
necessity, with this bit of metaphysics in his hand,
he will soon find that to be necessary, which sustains the relation of antecedent or cause, to some
certain other thing.
Now the Saviour assures Nicodemus, that to be
born again, is a necessary condition to entering
into the kingdom of God.   The new birth is not
an absolute necessity: for the sinner may go down
to hell. But on the hypothesis that he is to enter
the gates of glory, his regeneration is indispensable-" Ye must be born again;" this is the indispensable antecedent.  Such is the relation or con
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nection between these two things, as established of
God, that if a person is born again, he will certainly enter the kingdom of heaven. Let the antecedent be and the consequent must be.
Now although we know so little about the principles of causality, as to be obliged to resolve it ultimately into the will of God; yet can we go a step
behind this, in the present case, and show, in the
deep depravity and consequent incompetency of
man to enjoy spiritual things, why this conditional
necessity exists.  In reference to the Holy One of
Israel, we can perceive why, both as to his holiness
and his justice, this change must be. On the score
of holiness, obviously it would be inconsistent to
receive a polluted creature into the society of the
holy.   On that of justice, for God to treat the sinful rebel, with all his rebellious spirit still in him,
as though he were an obedient child, would be to
abandon righteousness and relinquish the moral
government of the universe.  "Shall not the Judge
of all the earth do right?"  To abhor sin and its
pollution is a necessity absolute, existing in the
nature of God: and this constitutes the basis of
the conditioned necessity expressed by the term
"must be born again." To enter the kingdom with
this guilt and pollution upon him, is an absolute
impossibility. The nature of the holy God and
the nature of the unholy man are contradictory,
and can never agree.  "What concord hath Christ
with Belial?"  One or the other must be changed,
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and, God being immutable, the change must be made
in man.
Moreover, as it regards man himself; supposing
all objections waived on the part of God; and the
door of heaven thrown open to sinners, with all
their corruptions still on them, welcome to enter;
still the change must take place. For manifestly,
in the society of the pure and the holy and just;
the impure and the unholy and unjust could not
dwell. Even here, where sanctification, in the best
estate, is very imperfect, unregenerate men do not
find themselves happy in the society of godly persons. The elements of their life do not, and cannot flow in symphony and tune with the sons and
the songs of Zion. How very difficult it is, to
bring them into the very imperfectly purified atmosphere of the church militant, our half-filled though
beautiful houses of worship, our prayer-meetings
and religious conferences, abundantly testify; and
how then could they breathe the pure air of heaven,
where holiness dwells; and the spirits of the just
made perfect tune their harps to praise redeeming
love? Thus we and they are thrown back upon
the awful, yet blessed truth,
"The sinner must be born again,
Or drink the wrath of God."
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CHAPTER X.
REGENERATION MYSTERIOUS-OBJECTIONS.
IF this change is a creation, it must be mysterious. A creature cannot comprehend the exercise
of creating power. The production of something
out of nothing is perhaps understood by the producer himself alone. Hence the adage, Ex nihilo,
nihilfit-out of nothing, nothing is made.  And to
the ancients, ignorant of the true God, it is not at
all strange that this should appear a proverbial
truth. Accustomed to reason from effects back to
their causes; and familiarized with the process of
inferring the nature of antecedents in the physical
or material world, from their consequents, they
could not avoid establishing the rule of proportion,
and maintaining that like causes produce like effects;
or reversely, like effects proceed from like causes.
This was obvious enough, and very beneficial within
the sphere of mere material phenomena. But when
they were forced to rove beyond the world of matter; when its very existence became an inquiry;
ignorant of any adequate cause of its production
many assumed its eternity, and from the maxim,
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Ex nihilo, nihil fit, some denied that it had any
cause: others, unwilling to acknowledge the inadequacy of their philosophy, ran into wild speculations about the origin of the world; which are of
some use to us, inasmuch as they show the earnest
yearnings of the soul after a knowledge too mysterious for its unaided comprehension. Now, this
plodding and floundering of the human intellect, in
vain search of an adequate first cause; or, in other
words, of a creating power, proves the operations
of such power to be among the deep things of God.
If he did nothing, but what man's feeble intellect
could perfectly comprehend and fully explain, he
could not command the respect and adoration of
his creatures. But he is wonderful in counsel and
mighty in working.   "I will praise thee; for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy
works; and that my soul knoweth right well." (Ps.
cxxxix. 14.) " He holdeth back the face of his
throne, and spreadeth his cloud upon it. He hath
compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and
night come to an end.  The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at his reproof. He divideth
the sea with his power, and by his understanding
he smiteth through the proud. By his Spirit he
hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed
the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of his
ways; but how little a portion is heard of him? but
the thunder of his power who can understand?"
(Job xxvi. 9-14.) "As thou knowest not what is
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the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow
in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou
knowest not the works of God who maketh all
things." (Eccl. xi. 5.) Incomprehensibility as to
the mode, is an obvious characteristic of creating
power. And therefore our ignorance of the mode,
is no better argument against the fact of regeneration, than it is against the fact of generation.
And yet this is the first and most obvious objection. "  ow can a man be born when he is old?"
Even so earnest and sincere a seeker as Nicodemus
felt the difficulty.  " How can these things be?"
Manifestly the mode in which the change is effected
is the very point of his difficulty. And it is equally
manifest that the "Teacher come from God" does
not meet this precise point.  He does not attempt
to explain the method and manner of the Spirit's
operation.  All he insists on is thefact-ye must
be born again; and then exposes the unphilosophicalness of the objection.
Did our Saviour blench before an objector and
evade a direct answer to the precise point of the
difficulty? Did he shrink from an objection by an
anxious inquirer, and refuse to give the information
best calculated to relieve him? Nay: but he held
him up to the exact relief needed. A new life in
his soul was the pressing, felt necessity, of this
master ofIsrael, and he is instantly and perseveringly
referred to the only source whence it could be obtained. The how-the quomodo is not attempted,
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for the simple reason, that even the cultivated
mind of this educated man, could not be made
to understand the mode of a Divine creative influence: and farther, because the knowledge, if
possible, would be unavailing. A new heart was
the crying necessity, and not any abstruse theory
of life-generation.
The unreasonableness of objecting on the ground
of ignorance as to the mode of the Spirit's influence, he then exposes. " The wind bloweth where
it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it
goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit."
Here is a natural phenomenon, perfectly familiar,
and yet the mode of this familiar fact lies hidden
from you. The winds and the sea are all regulated
and controlled by Divine power, but do you know
how?  If then, the fact of the wind's motions, as
it is exhibited in providence, is obvious, and yet
you know not the modes of its movements, why
should it not be so also with the fact of the Spirit's
power in new-creating the soul? You avail yourself of the wind-you breathe it and receive its
beneficial effects in purifying the element in which
you live, but understand not whence it cometh and
whither it goeth, why should it be otherwise with
the Spirit, when he breathes into the soul the breath
of a new life?  "So is every one that is born of
the Spirit."
The modes of Divine influence and power are
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equally inscrutable, all over the material world,
the spiritual world, and the commixture of the two
in man's nature. In the conflicts between the infidel geologists and other votaries of natural science and Christianity, the latter has yielded too
much to the assumption, that the modes of influence in physical laws are understood.   This is not
true. The natural philosopher is as entirely ignorant'of the mode of antecedence and consequence,
called the law of gravitation, as is the Christian
philosopher in regard to the mode of the Divine influence in regeneration. And thus is it with all
that are called laws of nature. The forms of their
expression merely intimate an order of actual sequence; they make no pretension, unless in the
hands of mere sciolists, to explain what causality
is, or how cause and effect are linked together.
When, therefore, the apostle (1 Cor. xv. 51) says,
"Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all
sleep, but we shall all be changed," he announces nothing peculiar to spiritual science. Similar mysteries abound in the physical world; and in the metaphysical. Who professes to tell us how the soul
and body of man influence one another? how the
image of the object presented to the eye reaches
the mind? What engineer has undertaken to
build a bridge across the chasm between ontology
and pneumatology-the world of matter and the
world of mind? Let naturalists then acknowledge
that their field of philosophizing is full of unex
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plained mysteries; and let all men cease their objection to the doctrine of regeneration, because its
mode is a mystery.
What does the Spirit do in this change?-we
are sometimes asked, what addition does he make
to the soul; what faculty has the regenerated which
does not exist in the unregenerate? Is there any'
new faculty added?
The answer to this objection will depend very
much on the meaning attached to the word faculty.
If it mean an organic power, such as the faculty
of sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling; then
we deny that such organic power or faculty is given
in regeneration. Even a blind man is not restored
to sight, when he is born again. The deaf ears
are not physically unstopped. But if by faculty
be meant an ability, capacity, or power to do acts
for which there was no power before; then we affirm such faculty is given in the new creation.
Old things are passed away, all things are become
new. There is superadded in the regenerate, a
faculty of spiritual discernment. 1 Cor. ii. 14:
"But  the  natural  man-the  unregenerate-receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for
they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned. But
he that is spiritual judgeth all things." Here is a
new power added, a faculty given which he had
not before. The change in the man born blind and
restored to sight by our Lord is not set forth in
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more decided and distinct terms. Beyond doubt,
the case of the blind man is intended to illustrate
the subject of regeneration; and it forms a beautiful illustration of our answer to the objection
against mystery in the mode. The Pharisees harassed, and tried to distract the poor man, by raising this difficulty. What did he do unto thee? How
did he open thine eyes? The simple response constantly was, " He put clay upon mine eyes and I
washed, and do see." Their pertinacious pressing
upon him of the question of mode, shows how they
were galled by the simplicity of the truth. And
the indifference of the happy man as to the mode,
while he held on to the fact, is instructive.
"Whether he be a sinner I know not; but one
thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see."
Little care I as to the manner of my power of
vision; I see, that satisfies me.
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CHAPTER XI.
EVIDENCES OF REGENERATION.
THAT a change so great should take place, in a
mind conscious to itself of living powers, and yet
make no revelation of itself in the consciousness of
that mind, it were difficult to believe. Especially,
when the change is the creation of a new life-principle of incessant activity, it is hardly conceivable
that it should lie hidden and unknown in the
bosom. On the contrary, it is most reasonable to
expect this new and active principle and power, to
work itself into notice; and, by the display of its
activities to evince the reality of its being. What
then are the evidences of regeneration? Without
professing to furnish a full and perfect response,
let us note the following.
1. A general modification of views in the mindold things pass away and all things become new.
And here we must have some minor detail.
(a) The intellectual perceptions of the law of
God and of the gospel of his grace are remodelled.
The law formerly appeared a severe rule indeed,
but addressed to external things and requiring
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outward compliance; and so not extremely difficult
of fulfilment. "All these have I kept from my
youth up." "I was alive without the law once"alive,-confident and bold in the belief that I had
lived up to its requirements. Now, "I have seen
an end of all perfection, but thy commandment is
exceeding broad"- when it came in its breadth and
spirituality, "sin revived and I died." I saw it
legislated to the heart and required the subjection
of all the inner man. The gospel too appears a
different thing. Formerly it was a mere temporary
aid to my supposed and almost complete good
works; a new rule, slightly modified, in kind condescension to my slight imperfection-a new law of
grace, requiring sincere, although not absolutely
perfect obedience: now, it is no relaxation of law,
but comes with a full and perfect satisfaction to all
its claims, and points out clearly how this fulness
becomes available.  Not one jot or tittle does it
abate, of the most complete fulfilment of law. But
all this not by my doings, but the Saviour's works.
(b) The world's pleasures-the earth's wealth
and grandeur have undergone a great change. I
see through a new medium that alters the aspect
of the whole.  Its distinctions, its honours, its
gilded glories, its civic ambitions, its military glare'
and blood-stained triumphs-all these how changed!
My understanding weighs their worth in the
balances of the sanctuary, and the judgments of the
mind make them but very little things.  "What is
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a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and
yet lose his own soul?"
(c) Views of the Redeemer are different. Before
he was as a root out of a dry ground, having no
form, nor comeliness; and when I beheld him, there
was no beauty in him, that I should desire him.
After this change, he rises before my eyes all glorious, having no spot or wrinkle-the rose of Sharon,
the lily of the valley-yea, he is altogether lovely.
(d) The material world all around appears different. Formerly indeed, the beauties of nature were
a source of enjoyment.   I could feast my eyes for
long hours, strolling over the flower garden, the
green meadow, the bending harvest field, the distant woods, the towering mountains-the grand and
glorious starry firmament. But alas! how little
did I see of God in the flower, the field, the woodlands, the towering mountains, or even the starry
expanse! How little did I see of him in the clouds
or hear in the wind! How little headway did I
make, in reasoning up through nature unto nature's
God! But now, lo, how changed!  All nature is
full of God-the God of justice and the God of
grace. I see him in the snow white lily; in the
crimson streaks of the tulip, painted by his own
hand; in the modest rose, that blushes to behold
its Maker: I see him opening his bountiful hand
in the golden waves of the wheat lands; in the rich
rustling green of the corn fields; in the exuberance
of the garden; in the bloom and the pendent
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burdens of the orchard; his voice I hear in the
moaning waves of the majestic forest; in the cloud
and thunder of the distant mountain; I see him in
the mystic dance of the planetary world and the music
of the spheres; I trace his footsteps above the stars
of God, and behold him as the Sun of righteousness
upon the throne of his glory. Oh, yes: now, that
his own bright light shines upon my soul, I can
reason up through nature unto nature's God.
2. The emotional states are different from their
former selves-the feelings are changed. Emotions
are dependent upon the intellectual states, and,
consequently, when these change so must those.
That the heart be changed, and yet its feelings remain the same, is an impossibility, very nearly related to an absurdity. If the enmity is slain-the
carnal mind crucified, the general current of feeling
must change. There may remain some evil affections; but there must be those that are good.  If
the tree is made good, the fruit will be so too. If
the fountain is purified, pure waters will flow from
it. Two classes of feelings cover the whole ground
-those of attachment and love; and those of aversion and hate. The renewed mind turns away
from the very objects of its former regard; and
turns toward those it formerly despised. And here
we must arrest this discussion, for it runs us into
the general subject of repentance, which merits a
chapter for itself.
3. Habitual inclination of thoughts and feelings
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in the right direction proves the mind and heart
to have been renewed. Where our heart is, it is
exceedingly probable our "treasure will be also."
"For   our conversation-our habitual course of
action-is in heaven; whence also we look for the
Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:" Phil. iii. 20. "If
ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God:" Col. iii. 1. If our thoughts carry
us, as it were by stealth, away after heavenly
things, it is certainly a favourable sign.  "Or ever
I was aware, my soul made me as the chariots of
Amminadib:" Can. vi. 12. To the renewed
mind heavenly things are the main objects of
desire-the treasure; they are the point of attraction, and whenever released from earthly influences, which draw it aside from heavenly contemplation, the mind returns to this point
-"In every clime, the magnet of his soul,
Touched by remembrance, trembles to that pole."
This too occurs in our slumbering moments.
When half awake and half asleep-which is the region of dream-land-we find thoughts of God and
heaven intruding themselves into the chambers of
the half-open consciousness, it indicates the habitual bent of the soul. "For a dream cometh
through the multitude of business," and this class
of dreams so coming, are influenced by the trains
of waking thoughts, and manifest their direction.
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" They that are after the flesh do mind the things
of the flesh, and they that are after the Spirit the
things of the Spirit."
4. Nearly allied to the foregoing, is the saying
of John, before quoted:   "We know that we have
passed from death unto life, because we love the
brethren:" 1 John iii: 14. This is exceedingly
simple, and of easy application. Am I a child of
God? If so, his other children must be objects of
my affectionate regard. Whenever and wherever
I see the lineaments of the family countenance, I
must find an object for filial affection. He that
loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him. If we wish to see the reason of this
evidence, we have only to inquire, what is the state
of feeling, in the unrenewed mind, toward the holy
ones of God.   "If the world hate you, ye know
that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were
of the world, the world would love his own; but
because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen
you out of the world, therefore the world hateth
you:" John xv. 18, 19. But we all were of the
world once; and were by nature the children of
wrath even as others.   "For we ourselves were
sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving
diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and
envy, hateful and hating one another:" Tit. iii. 3.
Consequently, if now we love the brethren, a change
must have been wrought in us; and we know that
the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the
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Holy Ghost, which is given to us. Thus the evidence is conclusive.
But some may inquire, how can I know that I
love the brethren? How do you know that you love
your husband, your wife, the child of your bosom,
your father, your mother, your sister, your brother?
How? Why, by the inner conscious activities of
your heart, striving ever to do good to the object
of your love: and by this outward embodiment of
it in deeds of kindness.   All, therefore, dear
reader, that is wanting to the fulness of this proof,
is to look within and discover there true love to
the children of God. You will, of course, surely
not mistake sectarian zeal for Christian charity.
You will not substitute hatred for other sects, in
place of love for Christians. You will not inquire,
does he belong to us?  Is he a Presbyterian? a
Methodist? a Baptist, an Episcopalian? But simply is he a Christian? Is he a child of God, a
brother  of Jesus?   Then,  with an  affirmative
answer, you throw the arms of your love around
him, and feel that you yourself too are a child of
God and an heir of glory: that as you love him
that is begotten of him, you are of the same blessed
household of faith and love.
5. Love to God dwells in the hearts of all that
are begotten of him. Regeneration is described
in Col. iii. 9, 10, as a putting off of the old man,
with his deeds, and a putting on of the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
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him that created him." Now God is love, and he
that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in
him: nor is there a more prominent characteristic of
the Divine image than this, "for love is of God; and
every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth
God." The same course of remark, as under the
last evidence, is applicable here, and we need not
repeat it. Only one turn to the thought may be
added: viz. that on the secondary question, Do I
love the Lord? we have this simple test; Do I keep
his commandments? "If ye love me, keep my
commandments." The existence of love to God,
where formerly there was only the enmity and hate
of the carnal mind, is proof indubitable of a total
change: and the Spirit of obedience, leading to
constant efforts to fulfil the law, proves the existence and genuineness of this love. But, as this last
point will come before us in another relation, we
waive it for the present.
6. The witness of the Holy Spirit establishes the
fact of regeneration.  "For ye have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry
Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit, that we are the children of God."
Rom. viii. 15, 16. It is by his witness-bearing,
that he becomes the Spirit of adoption, in which he
gives in the soul practical and satisfactory evidence
of our change of heart. In reference to this conjunct testimony of the Spirit of God and of our own
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souls, there is room for some variety of opinion,
but chiefly there are two explanations. One is,
that the Holy Ghost operates directly and immediately with and upon our souls, not using any
instrumentalities in this work, other than those
preparatory to the regenerating act. Thus, our
spirit has an immediate knowledge-a knowledge
of its change, not through any medium whatever.
This, if I understand the idea, is not distinguishable from regeneration itself: but is involved in it:
the evidence and the thing of which it is the evidence
seem to run together and become identical. The
witness-bearing is as mysterious and as inexplicable
as the life-giving act itself. The safety of this
view I doubt.  It is in great danger of running
into wild superstition-hallucination, ecstasies and
raptures. Very probably it lies at the foundation
of an error in regard to the time of regeneration.
If the change-and his knowledge of it, are cotemporaneous, as seems to be the conception, then,
it must follow, that every person could tell the very
day and hour of his new birth: a superstition that
has often disturbed the church and distracted and
distressed many minds. As well might you deny
a man's natural birth, unless he could remember
the hour of its occurrence.
The other view makes the conjunct witnessing,
subsequent to and distinct in time and manner,
from the change itself. It presupposes the permanent inhabitation of the Spirit in the believer. It
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assumes, as the text teaches, two distinct witnesses
conjointly testifying to the truth of the same fact.
To this the phraseology leads us. It must mean
our Spirit as renewed; and its witness must be after
regeneration and not cotemporaneous with it. This
view avoids the danger above alluded to. It makes
this conjoint witnessing a work, and not simply an
act. It therefore requires time and the inhabitation of the Spirit, and so belongs not to regeneration properly, but, being subsequent to it, must be
referred to its proper place, in the progressive
work of sanctification.
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CHAPTER XII.
THE INHABITATION OF THE SPIRIT.
THE Holy Ghost, as God, is omnipresent. There
is no point in space from which he is absent.
"Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither
shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up
into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in
hell, (the grave or the invisible world,) behold, thou
art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there
shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall
hold me:" Psalm cxxxix. 7-17. But this omnipresence of the Spirit is not what the Scriptures
mean by the indwelling or inhabitation. True it
is, he is thus present in our inmost being, and
therefore he is privy to our most secret thoughts.
But thus he is present to all beings, good and bad.
The inhabitation, however, of which we speak, is a
different matter in some respects: it indeed includes
this omnipresence; but it goes much farther. He
is, in a very peculiar manner, the inhabitant of the
body and the spirit ofthe regenerated. "What! know
ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
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Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and
ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a
price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God's:" 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.
The allusion seems to be to an item of common
traffic. A man purchases a house, moves his family and goods into it, and there takes up his permanent abode. The dwelling and all its appurtenances are his own, and he has the right of undisturbed occupancy and use. This is a very different
matter from a man's sojourning in the house of
another; or of "the way-faring man, who turneth
in to tarry for the night," and is gone by the
morning light. Thus also the Saviour discourses
in his long address at the first sacramental supper,
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the
world cannot receive, because it seeth him not;
neither knoweth him; but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you:" John xiv.
16, 17.  So in 1 John ii. 27:  "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you,
and ye need not that any man teach you; but as
the same anointing teacheth you of all things,"&c.
So in Rom. viii. 9-11: "But ye are not in the
flesh, (in a state of unregeneracy,) but in the
Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body
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is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him
that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also
quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." This personal in-being is begun,
when the Spirit, being sent from the Father, at
the supplication of the Son, commences a work of
conviction to terminate in conversion and sanctification: and must be distinguished from occasional
influences exerted by him in the conscience, whereby the soul is partially aroused and alarmed; but
which prove evanescent and temporary. Such are
deplored by the prophet. "Oh, the Hope of Israel,
the Saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a
way-faring man that turneth aside to tarry for a
night?" Jer. xiv. 8.
These occasional visits, it is greatly feared, are
often mistaken for gracious operations; and are
thereby improved, by the grand adversary, as a
means of lulling the soul to the entertainment of
false hopes and fatal security. Not so, when a
work of grace is to be begun and carried on: then
this indwelling-this personal, operating presence,
of the Holy Ghost, is fixed and unchangeable: the
person of the subject becomes a temple of the Lord,
and in it he abideth for ever. " I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee:" Heb. xiii. 5:  "Know ye
not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
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Spirit of God, dwelleth in you. If any man defile
the temple of God, him shall God destroy: for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are:" 1
Cor. iii. 16, 17. Now, that he has taken up his
permanent abode in this temple, and begun the
work of its purification in creating it anew, the
Holy Ghost proceeds toward its perfection.
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CHIAPTER XIII.
ON SAVING FAITH.
TiIS caption suggests at sight the idea, that
there is a faith which does not save the soul. And
this, alas! is true to an alarming extent. James
speaks of a dead faith, that is common to deceived
and deceitful men, and to fallen angels.  "Even
so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest
well: the devils also believe, and tremble:" Jas.
ii. 17-19.
For the right understanding of this whole matter,
let us advert to the general principle. Faith is reliance on testimony. It is a natural principle of
the mind, an element innate, or con-created with
us; an essential attribute of our being, without
which we would not be men and could not be rational and accountable agents. There is no part
of our being more extensively useful and more indispensable to be used than the law of belief-the
disposition to receive and rest upon the testimony
of other intelligent and rational beings. It is not
the result of experience, as Hume assumes, but an
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original law, anterior to all experience. Every
human being, we might amplify and say every rational being, is predisposed to receive as true whatever is testified unto by another.  And so far from
faith or belief being an acquired habit-the result
of experience derived from observing that one and another and another has told us the truth; unbelief, distrust, refusal to receive as true, whatever others have
testified, is the acquisition of experience. All men
naturally believe what is told them, until they
learn, by sad experience, that some men will lie:
and generally it requires us to be often deceived
by falsehoods, before we can school ourselves into
a due and necessary degree of caution. Childhood
is tho period of the simplest belief, and this simplicity of confidence is the leading and prominent
characteristic of children. They believe all that is
told to them, until, discovering falsehood, they
learn to doubt. Now, it is to this characteristic the
Saviour refers, when he says, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not
enter into the kingdom of heaven:" Matthew
xviii. 3.
This natural law of belief has for its direct object, veracity in the testifier; it accredits him as
a man of truth that will not lie; and refusal to do
this is an accusation and charge of falsehood, and
exceedingly offensive. Hence the reason of the
fact, that few things so fire up a man's indignation
as the questioning of his veracity. It is a virtual
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declaration of his unfitness for human society; for,
obviously, without faith in testimony, society could
not exist.  Such insult was offered, at a very early
period in our history, to the Author of our existence, by the creature of his hand. God had testified, "In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt
surely die." Satan testified, " Ye shall not surely
die."  Here are two testifiers and two testimonies
in direct contradiction to each other; both cannot
be true; which will Adam believe?-to which will
he append his seal, recognizing his veracity?-and
to which will he affix the stigma of falsehood?
Manifestly, then, unbelief goes into the very essence of Adam's first sin. He believed that old
serpent the devil; he disbelieved the God of truth
and righteousness.
Yet this fearful iniquity did not annihilate the
natural law of belief; but it brought spiritual death
instantly upon the soul of man; blinded his understanding; corrupted his heart; and so disabled
him utterly from discerning spiritual things; and
thus rendered faith in God, as a spiritual exercise,
impossible. Now regeneration restores this faith.
It is "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth," that the grace of faith is reproduced in the soul of man. This reproduction is
purely gratuitous and gracious. Never had man
returned to confidence in God, but for the creation
anew in Christ Jesus. The law of belief is reinstated in his soul, as at the beginning; but with
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this important appendix, that its continued existence and operation are guarantied by the infallible
suretiship of the second Adam.   "By grace are
ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."
In the matter of salvation from death as a punishment for sin; and of justification which secures
life eternal by constituting us righteous in Christ,
this faith is prominent. In exercising it, the soul
sets to its seal that God is true, in his proffer of
forgiveness through the efficacy of the atonement
or satisfaction made to Divine justice by the sufferings of Christ; and in the proffer of eternal life
as the reward of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us; and it is in this peculiar relation it is
called saving faith. But we are not to suppose,
therefore, that faith concerns only our legal relations; in which matter we have no direct concern
with it in this treatise.   On the contrary, it is in
perpetual requisition and constant activity during
the whole process of sanctification. Thus Peter,
in his address in the synod of Jerusalem, advocates the admission of the Gentiles into the church,
on the ground that the Holy Ghost "put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts
by faith:" Acts xv. 9. And Paul speaks of faith,
"which worketh by love."  And  James insists,
chap. ii. on faith working, showing that faith is
saving, within the sphere of sanctification, as really
as in the matter of justification.   In truth, faith is
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indispensable to every Christian duty. He that
cometh unto God must believe that he is; and that
he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him;
and without faith it is impossible to please God.
Even the doctrines of salvation are unprofitable,
until they are mixed with faith in them that hear
them. And the biography of faith, recorded in
the eleventh of Hebrews, is a splendid testimony
of its mighty power in all ages of the old dispensation; and it ought to be distinctly noticed, that
little attention is given to the first exercises, which
secure justification; but the cases relate chiefly to
the progress of sanctification.
Again, we remark, the exercise of faith in God
is a duty of the law of nature. We cannot even
conceive of a moral creature being released from
his obligations of trust and confidence in his
Maker. No inability, we have seen, cancels moral
bonds. Sin is never its own excuse; a man cannot take advantage of and profit by his own wrongdoing. Rebellion against a righteous government
can never be right; and it never can cease to be
the duty of such a rebel to return to his allegiance.
No statute of limitation has ever been passed by
the supreme Legislator, fixing a period in duration
at and after which the revolted subjects of his empire shall be released from all obligations to return
and submit themselves to his righteous government.
And so we find the duty of believing pressed upon
all men; and the form of the gospel call involves
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this idea; it is mandatory.  Believe in God-believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved. The command to believe is based in the
indestructible obligations of law; and is equally
binding upon all moral creatures; the promise appended is peculiarly gospel, and emanates from the
boundless loving-kindness of the Lord.   In the
order of nature, it is dependent on the previous
command. When the command is obeyed by the
individual, which never can be, unless grace in regeneration changes the heart; then the pledged
word of the promiser guarantees to the believer
the thing promised, and it will be given.
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CHAPTER XIV.
ON REPENTANCE UNTO LIFE.
THIE soul, which is passive in regeneration, is
ever active afterwards. This life principle, like
every other, shows itself by its activity. In the
fiducial trust in God it is active, and this continues
through life. In turning from sin to holinessfrom the service of Satan to that of the living God,
it is active. Nor can any intelligent creature,
that has turned away in rebellion against its Creator, ever annul the obligation to return. Lost
men, and fallen angels, are equally under the authority of the God who made them; and are equally
bound to return to allegiance. As we stated
above-the idea, that their indisposition and
inability makes them independent of the Divine
government, is not to be tolerated; for it subverts
everything like morality, and makes sin its own
justification. If, therefore, repentance is a turning from sin to holiness-from rebellion to submission, it is a duty of the moral law, and can never
be abrogated. Accordingly we find the Scriptures
everywhere enforcing it as a command. Turn you
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-let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the
Lord-Repent, and believe the gospel-" Repent,
and turn yourselves from all your transgressions."
It is mandatory.
But, as we have seen, this duty has become,
through our  own  wickedness,  impossible:  and
therefore, if we ever perform it, grace must be
given.  Thus, "Repentance unto life is a saving
grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the
Spirit and word of God." For this end Peter tells
us, "I Iim hath God exalted with his right hand,
to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins:" Acts v. 31.
And xi. 18: "Then hath God also to the Gentiles
granted repentance unto life." The duty of repentance becomes practicable, when the grace is
bestowed; that is, when the man is born again.
This grace, however, has its counterfeit, as the
expression, "repentance unto life" seems to intimate: there is a repentance not unto life. If a
man, under the operation of terror of conscience,
break off his sins, and reform his merely outward
conduct, and manifest sorrow, and express regret;
this is spurious. It is a mere ebullition of selfishness-and a legal repentance: wherein the man
does not in reality turn from sin, with loathing,
abhorrence, and hatred of it, unto God, with love
and delight in holiness. Thus, the criminal at the
gallows repents; he laments the sad consequences
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of his crime; yet could he escape the punishment,
he would continue his sinful course.
This suggests an important distinction, as necessary in explanation of these kinds of repentance;
viz.-the turning from sin to God is one thing;
and the emotions which accompany it, are another.
The former has its starting point in the convictions
of the intelligence, of which we have spoken as
resulting from the enlightening influences of the
Holy Spirit. Not only the effects of sin as bringing condemnation upon the soul; but also its moral
aspects, as hateful in the sight of God and polluting to the mind and heart, press as a heavy burden
upon the conscience. A result of this pressure is
a painful apprehension of Divine wrath, commingling with sorrowful feelings, with loathing and revulsion of soul. Now all these feelings, but in
infinitely diverse degrees, are dependent on the
mental movements. They are not themselves repentance, or the turning of the mind; but accompaniments, less or more intimately associated
with the grand movement whereby the soul turns
to God.
"Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but
that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made
sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive
damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh
repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but
th e           sorr ow of  th e  world worketh death:" 2 Cor.
vii. 9, 10. Here we have a good illustration of
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the prophet's remark-" They shall look upon me,
whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for
him:" Zech. xii. 10. It is when the soul contemplates
the sufferings of Christ, as the consequent of its own
sins, that strong feelings overpower it, and sadness
and sorrow overwhelm it. The sorrows of saving
repentance spring from faith's view of the bleeding cross. And this shows the relation which faith
and repentance sustain to each other: the former
is the necessary antecedent; for he looks upon him,
that is, believes his sufferings were brought about
by our sins. " HIe that cometh to God"- that is,
that turneth from sin to God, " must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder  of them  that
diligently seek him:" Heb. xi. 6. So, repentance
unto life is the necessary consequent of saving
faith; in the very act of turning, faith is in exercise.
And farther, this is the first exercise of the grace
of faith. As soon as it is implanted in the soul by
the regenerating power of the Spirit, and the eye
of faith perceives and appropriates the promises of
the gospel, the whole soul turns to God.
It is moreover observable here, that the apostle
seems to make the godly sorrow-sorrow toward
God, antecedent to and productive of repentance.
This emotional state of mind is not only distinguishable from the mental, as a consequent, but as
an antecedent and cause-it worketh repentance.
On the other hand, the sorrow of the world-sor row that arises from selfish and worldly apprehen
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sions of danger and loss, has an efficiency, at
least an instrumentality, for ruin-it worketh death.
Again, repentance is original and initial, or recurrent and oft repeated. By the former is meant
the first movement after the soul is born of God
and the principle of faith implanted therein. It is
over this mainly that there is joy in heaven; and
this it is that is usually understood and referred
to in common parlance. But now it is obvious,
that the latter is the thing that most abounds; is
of daily recurrence; and constitutes a large proportion of the practical duties of the Christian life.
As long as Christian men fall into sin-and this
will be as long as they are in this world-they will
be called upon, yea, and forced, sooner or later, to
repent. The case of the Corinthians above cited
illustrates this: after their initial repentance,
many of them grievously offended, and being reproved severely, were brought up in the face of
this duty. So we all fail and come short every
day; and every day are called upon to return; and
in obeying these calls we find the comfort of our
souls.
For, again, repentance is a condition of pardon.
By this, however, we do not mean a meritorious
basis or foundation to be laid by the sinner, upon
which he may claim, as a matter of right, the forgiveness of his sin. The basis of all pardon is
laid in the atonement, or satisfaction rendered to
Divine justice, by our Redeemer's sufferings any
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death; on the ground of which, he has a right to
claim his people's exemption from the punishment
of their sins. To them, therefore, such exemption
is pardon and a gratuity; whilst to him, as their
surety, it is pure justice. This is the basis and
the legal ground of his intercession, for which,
"him the Father heareth always." By condition,
therefore, is meant simply a required antecedent
-that state of mind and feeling must exist, before
the pardon comes and the evidence of it can be
given to the soul. But, as we have shown, this itself is a gracious state, brought about by the word
and Spirit of God; and, of course, to the utter excelusion of human merit. In this restricted sense,
regeneration itself, and faith, and initial repentance, as well as repentance recurrent, are conditions of pardon; and indeed, of the entire salvation of the gospel. The conditional graces are bestowed gratuitously, in order that the unconditional
glory may be consistent with the justice and holiness of God the giver.
This state of penitential feeling, moreover, is a
necessary condition on our part. Without passing
into it, pardon would be an unintelligible affair, and
unproductive of conscious felicity. But when we
look upon Him, whom by our sins we have wounded
afresh in the house of his friends, we mourn for
him and drop those tears of affection which he will
transmute into jewels for the crown of our glory.
We see applied anew to our souls, the blood of
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sprinkling; and feel that our sins are all blotted
out, and the light of our Father's countenance
shines with renewed radiance upon our souls, then
all is reconciliation, peace, and joy. But such
felicity is utterly impossible to a soul hardened in
impenitence and that refuses to confess its sins before God. On the contrary, "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness:" 1 John
i. 9. Such also was the experience of the Psalmist,
"When I kept silence my bones waxed old through
my roaring all the day long.   *           * *   I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity
have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. * * * Thou shalt compass
me about with songs of deliverance:" Ps. xxxii.
Thus penitential sorrow is a duty, a means of restoring happiness, and an important branch of
sanctification.
Genuine repentance, as it is a necessary consequence and therefore an evidence of regeneration,
has, as its necessary sequence, holy living, which
also is an evidence of a change of heart. This,
however, requires time. The tree must grow before it can bear fruit.  It is not like the first trees
in creation, when "the Lord God made the earth
and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field
before it grew." This tree of righteousness springs
t
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A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
from the seed of God, develops itself by its own
internal activity, then produces its proper fruits,
to the praise and glory of the great Husbandman.
This fruit-bearing characteristic is all-important as
an evidence of regeneration-deferred from chap.
xi.  By their fruits ye shall know them.  When
time and opportunity have been  adequately afforded, and no fruit follows-or if the vine bears
only the grapes of Sodom and the clusters of Gomorrah, it is impossible to believe the tree or the
vine to be wholly a right seed-a tree of the
Lord's own planting. In the face of this negation,
all other evidences shrink away, and are utterly
contemned. If the stream is wholly corrupt, no
intelligent mind can believe the fountain to be
pure. The world, the demon spirits, the man himself, can't believe that he is a renewed man-regenerated-born of God; whilst he continues, as
heretofore, to lead an unholy life-" foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." Be ye holy, for I am holy.
9
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98      A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XV.
SANCTIFICATION COMPARED WITH JUSTIFICATION.
ALTHOUGH we have not yet before us all the
parts of that process, by which man is restored to
holiness and happiness, the discussion of this comparison may be as profitably introduced here, as at
a later period.  These two are quite distinct, but
intimately related: and it is not practicable, as the
reader may have already observed, to keep them
altogether from commixture. Let us as a means
of this, however, briefly contrast the leading points
of difference.
1. Sanctification is a process-a work consisting
of an indefinite number of operations, instruments
and agencies-yet has it but one efficient Agent.
Justification is an act, done at once and incapable of successive steps. No person can be half
justified. The act is either performed, or not performed. Various duties may devolve upon a judge,
as he labours through law and evidence towards a
decision; just as various instrumentalities prepare
for the act of regeneration, whilst itself is one
and indivisible; but the decision in favour is one
act.
II 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.'
2. The terms, though of exactly similar construction, are yet different in their technical meaning. Sanctification and justification are both Latin
words; the former generally means making holy,
the latter making just.  But technically, the latter
means, declaring just, whilst the former is used in
its generic sense. Consequently,
3. Sanctification regards moral character and
spiritual qualities; justification refers to legal relations. How does a man stand when viewed by
the eye of the pure moralist, the holy angels, or
the holy God; is the question there. How does he
stand in the eye of rigid law-is he guilty, that is,
liable to punishment; or is he innocent, and as the
law requires? is the question here.  Sanctification
alters a man's personal qualities. He does not remain the same after that he was before. The very
essence of the matter is a radical change for the
better, in every moral element. Justification produces no change. When he is pronounced just,
he is the same as before sentence passed in his
favour; or, on the contrary, (as the terms help to
illustrate each other) condemnation, which is the
opposite, does not infuse moral turpitude into a
man.   He is no more corrupt, after the sentence
passed against him, than before; it merely declares
a change of legal relations; morally, the person is
unchanged.
4. The two differ as to their evidences. Sanctification, as already shown, admits different degrees
ee * e...e..
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100     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
in its process, and also in the evidences; which are
also in kind different from the other.  They spring
from experience and observation, and are therefore
reached by an inductive process. But the evidences of justification are, like the thing itself, received by   fai        th.  This grace appropriates Christ's
atonement and his righteousness to the person in
whom it dwells, and he is thereby made just in the
eye of the law; but the evidence of the fact depends upon the grace of faith, which grace falls
within the sphere of sanctification by the Spirit;
and thus the evidence of the one is largely dependent upon the operations of the other. That a
man is justified, he can scarcely, perhaps not at
all, know, but through his partial sanctification.
By their fruits ye shall know them.
5. More particularly should we notice, that justification is, through the righteousness of Christ,
imputed; but sanctification is by righteousness or
rectitude inwrought. The confounding of this distinction gives us the opus operaturn of the Romanists; one of the radical errors, by which they corrupt the fundamental doctrine of the Bible and
substitute self-righteousness in the room of salvation by free grace.
6. In regard to legal merit, if I may so call it,
justification has the superiority and the priority
over sanctification. The basis or ground-work of
justification; viz., the obedience and death of
Christ, is the meritorious and procuring cause of
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A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
the mission of the Holy Spirit; and, by consequence of the whole work of sanctification; even
of that operation of the Spirit, by which the faith
that justifies is inwrought in the soul.  "It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but
if I depart, I will send him unto you.  And when
he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and
of righteousness, and of judgment," &c. John xvi.
7, 8. This same truth is beautifully set forth in
the tabernacle service established at Sinai. The
sacrifice for the congregation, on the great day of
atonement, was slain without, and a portion of the
blood was carried into the most holy place, and
sprinkled upon the ark of the testimony, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people. This,
Paul assures us, represented Christ himself entering, "not into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true, but into heaven
itself, now to appear in the presence of God for
us:" Heb. ix. 24. On the perfection of his sacrifice the efficacy of his advocacy depends: and
thus the atonement secures the mission of the
Spirit and the sanctification of the whole redeemed
church. No wonder the holy apostle made so much
of it, as to constitute or affirm its position as the
central truth of the system-" For I determined
not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ
and him crucified:" 1 Cor. ii. 2.
9*
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102    A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XVI.
II
CHRONOLOGY is not absolutely excluded from
this chapter; yet must it have no controlling influence. Mental states are often so nearly co-existent, as to baffle all attempts at discrimination and
collocation in order of time. We must, therefore,
rather look to the order of suggestion in our
thoughts-the modes or train in which they most
naturally occur to us. If a writer closely and
successfully note this in his own mind and succeed
in passing it over to his paper, he will very probably present them in the way best adapted to enable
his readers to conceive and retain them; and this,
because the laws of succession in thoughts are few
and simple, and common to men.
The reader will remember, that we have excluded
conviction of sin from the category of the graces;
and that, simply because conviction per se is not a
grace or a blessing. We think, moreover, that to
speak of it so as to produce, or leave in the mind,
the vague notion of its being a blessing, exposes
to the danger of mistaking conviction for conver
THE ORDER OF THIE GRACES. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
sion; false confidence for true faith; and, thereby
landing the soul in the snares and toils of a dangerous carnal security.
1. The first of the graces is regeneration.
When the soul is born of God, it is a new creature.
The principle of a holy life is now present. Sanctification is begun. No holy principle or holy action prior to this belongs to it. This is the seed
of God, which being within a man, "he cannot sin,
(as a habit, that is,) for his seed remaineth in him;
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."
1 John iii. 9. There is, indeed, a slight impropriety, as before intimated, in calling this a grace,
for it is not improvable, as contradistinguished
from other branches of sanctification. It does not
grow, or advance from one degree to another, but
is perfected at once. But, as the production of
this change from death unto life is a gratuitous
and gracious exercise of the Divine energy, it will
be productive of no evil, that I can think of, to
place regeneration at the head of the graces.
2. Next, not in time, and scarcely in the order
of our conceptions; but, as it were, coexistent with
the first, is faith-the restored principle of holy
confidence in God; which, whenever the Divine
testimony is presented, sets to its seal that God is
true. This grace, implanted in the soul, comes
into exercise, the first after it is made alive spiritually. Perhaps I have not, with sufficient explicitness, distinguished between the fixed princi
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104     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
pie or abiding law of belief, and the acts of believing. The former is what I mean by the grace of
faith and is the fruit of the renewing Spirit; the
latter are acts of the mind itself and the works of
the new man. This distinction is important, in
order to avoid foisting in the act of believing into
the position, in justification, of Christ's righteousness. Those who do this take faith subjectively,
which is a mistake; whereas, when faith is counted
for righteousness, it is correctly taken objectively.
Not the act of believing, but the object on which that
act terminates, is accounted for righteousness. The
former makes salvation depend upon the sinner's act;
the latter builds it upon the Saviour's merits. The
one is by works; the other by grace.
3. Saving repentance admits a chronological
order. It is a sequence of faith both in time and
in the order of our conceptions. The turning of
the mind involves an activity of faith; and the
measure of strength in the feelings is graduated
by the depth of the soul's former iniquities, collated
with the height of present spiritual illumination.
4. Love is the crowning grace.  "Beloved, let
us love one another: for love is of God; and every
one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is
love."  "Love  worketh no ill to his neighbour,
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."-" All
the law is fulfilled in one word, Thou shalt love thy
neighbour as thyself." Sometimes love to God is
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
referred to as evidence and reason for love to the
brethren: sometimes love to the brethren, as proof
of love to God, and, of course, of a change of heart.
The reason is obvious, the thing-the principle of
communicative goodness, is the same, whether the
object upon which it operates be God himself or
the children of his love: and in both cases its
essential activity goes forth alone with the commencement of its being, in the soul's regeneration.
We cannot mark time here: we cannot say the
soul after it has believed, and again, after it has
repented, comes under the law of love. We cannot conceive a man to be regenerate, a true believer, a sincere penitent, and yet, for a time, devoid of love. This heaven-born principle belongs
essentially to the new man; and, without it, no one
can have evidence of his renovated state. Could
it lie dormant in the soul, perfectly inactive, it
seems impossible the man should know of its existence. But as it is vitally active, not in word only
nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth, it cannot
lie hid, but must reveal itself.
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106     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XVII.
?
WHEREVER there is life, there is action. And
wherever there is a life-principle, connected with a
material organism, there must be motion. What
life is, in either of these spheres, philosophy has
struggled hitherto in vain to determine. From its
activities we learn the existence of life: and from
the peculiar form of its activities, we come to a
knowledge of the particular kind of life; whether
vegetable, or animal, connected with material substance: or, within the sphere of immaterial substances, whether intellectual or rational; moral or
spiritual. Now there seems to be one characteristic
common to all life; viz. that its legitimate activities
secure and result in its increase and enlargement.
Self-aggrandizement is its universal law. Right
action-action suitable-accordant with the nature
of the life itself, results in its increase.  Vital
powers are not decreased, but increased by their
own proper activities. This law seems to be without any limit, except within the region of material
organism. The nature of matter is such, that re
PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF SANCTIFICATION. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
pulsion and dissolution of its organic forms, seems
to be essentially a part of it. Whether the spiritual or psychical body of which Paul speaks, is
merely the deliverance of the organic matter of
the body, from this repellent and destructive power,
does not appear. But it is obvious, that vegetables
and animals have a limit set to advancement by
their own activities. Otherwise, the onward movement of life seems to be its universal law.
We have here the starting point of the law of progress, which runs through the works of God. Let
us briefly look into its operation within the departments of life respectively; beginning with the lowest
class.
1. The vegetable kingdom is a vast universe. Its
denizens are to us innumerable: even their classification has been but partially accomplished;
although the work has occupied mighty intellects
from Solomon's to our day. And all these classes,
from the microscopic plant, to the cedar of California; and all the individuals of all the classes,
have completed their organization under the action
of their life; advancing progressively, for so many
minutes, or for so many thousand years. Each one
has acted out the life which God gave it; performed
its functions; reached its limit; given up its life,
and returned its material substance to the dust
whence it sprang. Now each of these myriads of
millions illustrates the principle before us.  So the
product of the farm.  "For the earth bringeth forth
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fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after
that the full corn in the ear."  The parable of the
mustard seed illustrates the growing nature of the
kingdom of God, by that development and enlargement which results from the activity of the inherent life. Stop this inner activity, and the plant
or the cedar dies. Drive its energies to action beyond their natural movement, and you force its
premature destruction.
2. Equally simple, yet equally incomprehensible,
as to the mode of their action, and equally obvious
are the facts within the sphere of animal life.
Feeble are its pulsations in the insect that flutters
in the sunbeam; powerful are the throes of even its
earliest movements in the monsters of the deep,
the forest, or the eagle's airy home. But still they
are onward and upward: and each reaches, in due
time, if unmolested, that measure of perfection
assigned to it by its Maker. The unfledged nestling,
with naked body and closed eyes, receives its
meat from God, through the instinctive laws of its
own nature; exerts the feeble powers it has, which
every day increase.  His bones knit, his muscle and
sinew harden and toughen; his feathers spread over
him, his wings bear him a little beyond his eyrie;
anon, he becomes "a great eagle, with great wings,
he comes to Lebanon and takes the highest branch
of the cedar "-he descends with fiery eye and with
terrible swoop from the summit of Chimborazo, and
bears his prey aloft.
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
3. Passing the bounds of the material world and
entering that of immaterial substances, we find the
same rule of advancing life. The region of spirits
and their attributes are not so easily cognizable.
Still we can know something of the laws of mental
movement;  and we may view them  under four aspects-or points of observation; viz., The intelligence, the reason, the moral faculty, and the spiritual.
(1.) The intellectual powers-the mind or soul,
viewed as the recipient of knowledge, begins low
and ascends to higher regions. How feeble the infantile mind!  Has the babe intelligence?  Or is
it a mere animal, or a mere vegetable, capable of
physical action and growth thereby, like a cabbage
plant?
Oh with what intense interest such questions come
home to the mother's bosom, as she dandles the
feeble mortal on the parent knee!  And, oh with
what feelings her heart swells and her bosom
heaves, as she discovers that it sees-oh, yes, it is
not born blind-this inlet of knowledge has been
bestowed by the all-seeing One. Anon, it startles
at the sudden jar of the shutting door. Then it
hears, too! thanks to the Hearer of prayer, my
babe has another most important inlet of knowledge. A little while, and a little farther expansion
and development reveals another power till recently dormant. Yes! oh, yes, in that beautiful
eye kindles up the indubitable mark of intelli
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110     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
gence; it perceives-it recognizes, it knows me.
Thanks to the All-wise, my babe is not an idiot.
And thus, as the physical development fits the body
for use, as the machinery with which the mind
works, the capacity for acquiring knowledge enlarges.   Every  onward movement  becomes  the
basis of still another and greater advance.
(2.) But let us connect with this the reason.
As the mind acquires knowledge, the material for
the reasoning faculties increases as the necessity
for its use. How the logical faculty expands fromthe faintest exercises of the comparing power, to
the sublimest demonstrations of the astronomer,
let the educator testify.  He has marked a thousand times, the early essays of the untrained logician; how obscure; how defective and unsatisfactory! But every little gain in knowledge, by inferring truths unknown from those before in possession, becomes a new basis of advance; until at
last the infant becomes a giant and grapples with
the sublimest demonstrations.   Now it is important
to remark, that no known limit has been reached,
to this intellectual development.  It is to us practically interminable. True, our bodily organism,
like every other material thing, becomes exhausted
and worn out; but this by no means proves a
limit to knowledge or the progress of the powers
that extend it. The breaking of a bolt or of an
axletree does not at all prove that the expansive
power of steam has reached its utmost limit. The
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failing of the mental powers in old men, no more
than insanity or idiocy proves a limit to the mind's
capacity for enlargement. All these phenomena
are resolvable into physical infirmity.  Some disorganization of the bodily frame has occurred, so
that the mind is clogged and prevented from farther
progress.
But now, seeing it is the actual law of the intellect and the reason, to move onward and increase
in power, as long as we are acquainted with them
here, the question forces itself upon us, Does this
law continue beyond the grave?   When  these
trammels of clay, that clog our mental movements,
drop off, will our minds cease from their legitimate
activity and their growth thereby? Or will they
spring forward, with a renewed, a strong, immortal
vigour, hitherto unknown? Can it be, that this
house of clay is the most suitable abode for the immortal mind, and the best adapted to secure its
everlasting expansion?
(3.) Ascending into the higher region of morals,
we find ourselves still within the range of progressive advancement. The moral sense itself is under
this law. The intellectual part, so to speak, of
conscience; that is, its discerning power, is obviously susceptible of great improvement. If a man
exercise himself upon questions of moral rectitude
-narrowly inspecting his own and other men's
conduct, by the light of moral law, he cannot fail
of whetting up his faculties to a clearer discrimi
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nation between right and wrong; and thereby fitting himself for an-easier solution of such questions for the future.  On the contrary, a non-user
-a total neglect to exercise conscience in this
manner, leaves it in all its native feebleness; so
that he remains incapable of forming opinions of
moral acts, and sinks himself toward the rank and
condition of a mere animal.
Necessarily such cultivation or neglect must affect the judging power of conscience. Because,
judging is the comparing of ideas, and marking
their agreement or difference; and its accuracy
will depend upon the correctness of the mind's
perceptions of those ideas.  The things compared
in our processes of moral judgment are the moral
law on the one hand, and the conduct of moral
agents on the other. The apostle, in 1 John iii. 20,
tells us  "if our heart "-that is, conscience"condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and
knoweth all things." Our conscience, with the
imperfect knowledge we now have, condemns us;
much more will God's perfect knowledge insure a
more severe condemnation.
The impulsive power of conscience is increased
by our careful acquiescence in its decisions, and
injured by disregard of its admonitions. Whenever
the discriminating and judging activities of the
moral sense are passed, its impulsive power is put
forth: it commands us to do the right and to avoid
the wrong. If we are careful in this matter, our
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constant and prompt compliance with the dictates
and advice of this kind friend will secure his continued and increasing friendship: but woe to him
who contemns his voice and rejects his counsel.
We are familiar with the hardening process described by Paul, as a searing with a hot iron. 1 Tim.
iv. 2: "Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their
conscience seared with a hot iron." How forcibly
this expresses the reverse of our doctrine! When
reverse operations require, the impulsive power
is almost abrogated: whereas, falling in with its
decisions and exercising our minds in following up
its counsels, there is a constant increase of its
power secured and a higher moral stand sustained.
The same remarks are true with regard to the
rewarding and punishing power of the moral sense.
How rich the consolations of the former; and how
terrible the consequences of neglecting the latter!
Yet, if we neglect either or both, we lose much on
the one hand, and on the other treasure up wrath
against the day of wrath, when the never dying
worm begins his everlasting torments.
As it is with the moral sense itself, so with the
moral virtues which call it forth and coalesce with
its activities; they increase under legitimate use.
To illustrate in a single case: The love of truth,
the requirement of the ninth precept, is undiscovered in early years.  It requires time and great
attention to generate in the youthful mind the idea
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114     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
of truth and the conception of falsehood: but still
more, to waken the moral sense to the perception
of its importance and the wrong of its violation.
Young children lie or tell falsehoods, without showing any compunction of conscience. But careful
management, in a few years, forms their minds to
the right conception, and soon secures the active
force of the moral sense in its favour. Feeble,
indeed, and faint in its movements at first, is the
love of truth: but steadfast adherence to it by all
around him; the manifestation of strong disapprobation of lying, by those to whom he looks for protection, favour, and kindness, soon strengthen the
feeling, and it rises to a law of veracity, and operates as a controlling influence-over the whole man.
"Surely they are my people, children that will
not lie." And the command is clear, Lie not one
to another-All liars shall have their part in the
burning lake.  And in Ps. xv., "he that speaketh
the truth," is laid down as a preparation for ascending into the hill of God. And this habit becomes
so established by practice, that it is, as it were, impossible for such men to lie. Yet an opposite
course, even after considerable progress has been
made, may reverse the whole. Through the power
of temptation men are led to falsify, and, succeeding repeatedly in worldly gains by such means,
the habit presently swallows up and obliterates all
conscientiousness as to truth-telling, and the man
is hardened in his iniquity. And thus it is with 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
all the moral habits required by the decalogue.
Just as it is with our mere physical powers; they
are advanced on their way to perfection by their
legitimate exercise.
4. Thus we advance one more step in our ascending series, and find ourselves in the region of spiritual life.
In the close of his second.epistle, Peter prescribes
obedience to this law: " But grow in grace, and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ."  Here is a beautiful allusion to our first
illustration-the vegetable kingdom.   Trees  do
grow: graces do grow. Knowledge too, as already
seen, has its upward movement. That inimitable allegory in the fifth chapter of Isaiah is based on
this law: " My well beloved hath a vineyard in a
very fruitful hill: and he fenced it, and gathered
out the stones thereof, and planted it with the
choicest vines," &c. "'For the vineyard of the
Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men
of Judah his pleasant plant." The vine grows
from a small cutting, and advances continually toward perfection.   The parable of the mustard
seed, and that of the leaven, exemplify the same
principle.  So the Christian life is a race and a
warfare. Ye did run well. Run with patience
the race that is set before you.   Then  shall ye
know, if ye follow on to know the Lqrd. So we
hear of babes in Christ, of young men and of old
men. Paul, in Hleb. v., reproves them for their slow
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advance. Yet "they go on from strength to strength;
every one of them in Zion appeareth before God."
"We are changed from glory to glory."  So the
church is a spiritual house, and of course, has its
foundation, its walls and entire superstructure; not
created at once, but by successive steps.  "And
are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed
together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord:
in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit:" Eph. ii. 20-22.
Let these suffice to show, that the law of progress
prevails in the domain of the Spirit's work of sanctification. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHIAPTER XVIII.
INSTRUMENTALITIES BY WHICH THE SPIRIT WORKS
IN THE PROGRESS OF SANCTIFICATION.
AVE have already proposed a distinction, in regard to holiness, by the epithets negative and positive: meaning by negative holiness, the absence of
Pollution-of  corruption-of  moral   turpitude,
without the presence of positive moral purity: and
by positive holiness, that presence-purity of
actual character-the inbeing of right feelings and
habits of upright action.   According to this distinction there will be two aspects of the work of
making men holy: two processes, easily distinguished from each other: the one is the removal
of corrupt lusts-sinful affections out of the soul:
the other, the introduction of pure desires, holy
affections, actual and positive good spiritual quali ties. It is not insisted that these movements are
separable, either in time or nature. We need not
attempt even to conceive of a soul being freed
from all sinful affections, and not yet the abode of
pure and holy emotions-a mere hull of a house,
empty, swept and garnished-furnished, though not
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inhabited. But we think, that both the instrumentalities and the efficiency are different; though
intimately related; and, in a degree, commingled.
This we shall understand better as we proceed to
name some of the leading instruments and occasions of sanctification, as viewed from the negative
or from the positive side.
As to the first introduction of holiness into the
soul, in the matter of regeneration, we have seen,
in Chapter XI. that the moral law is mainly used,
but only as an instrument for conviction, expelling
the strong man, and emptying the house. For the
production of the new life, the Spirit's own direct
power is alone efficient.
But now that the seed of God, the life-germ is
implanted, it only requires the removal of obstructing hindrances, and the presence of water and
warmth, to ensue its expansion and growth. Because this fire and water, this thing symbolized;
the Spirit, keeps up the motion and activity of the
life, and by this, it grows, like the mustardseed.
1. The truth is a leading instrument. "Sanctify
them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Let
us exemplify by reference to the second commandment. Idolatry is a crying sin, and pollutes the
whole soul, and disqualifies it for holy duties. This
is checked by the truth in the second precept: the
habit is condemned; the ruinous consequences of
the sin fill the mind with apprehension: conscience 
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rallies, and this lust of the carnal mind is nailed to
the cross. Negatively the soul is advanced in purity.  But the effect does not stop in a mere negation-the arrest of a corrupt habit-a positive onward movement also results. The Spirit prompts
to the duty of holy reverence for God, and the feelings of the soul, which before went forth after the
idol, are now transferred to the proper object of
religious awe and reverence. God is erected in
place of the idol, and Ephraim cries out, "What
have I to do any more with idols?"
Take also an example from the second table.
Carnal affections, in violation of the seventh precept, have carried away the heart; and sexual impurity breaks up the peace of families and communities, as almost everywhere in the pagan world.
The commandment is sent in power by the Spirit.
"Mortify therefore your members which are upon
the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection," &c.  "For  if ye live after the flesh, ye
shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify
the deeds of the body, ye shall live." The soul is
made to know that the most secret movement of
illicit desire is sinful and perilous: then comes the
negation: the flesh is crucified. But again the
positive side of sanctification gains.   Chastity is
cherished, and a life of purity is advanced.
The reader will notice in this twofold operation,
the distinctive instrumentalities of the truth respectively, of the law, and of the gospel. - To this
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there is direct reference by the apostle: 2 Cor. iii.
6, where  he says,  "The  letter killeth, but the
Spirit giveth life." And again, v. 9, he calls it
"The ministration of condemnation."   The effect
directly of this condemnation of sin in the believer,
is to remove obstructions to the practice of holiness
-to break up habits of sinning: and so to open
the way for positive holiness, in its onward progress by the Holy Spirit's work through gospel
truth; encouraging, persuading, and enabling the
soul to practise holiness in the fear of God.
2. Another instrumentality is brought to view
in the above citation, viz, the living ministry of
the word.   "Ye are our epistle, written in your
hearts.   *  *  *  written, not with ink, but with
the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone,
but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust
have we through Christ to God-ward. Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as
of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God: who
also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament."-Here again we see that the ministry,
(important as are the living teachers of the word
and exemplifiers of progressive sanctification in
their own persons) are nevertheless, only instruments: the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier. Moreover, as above, the removal of corrupt affections is
one thing; and the implantation of positive holiness is another.
Similar are the two forms presented in I Peter
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ii. 11, 12:   "Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as
strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul; having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that whereas they
speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your
good works, which they shall behold, glorify God
in the day of visitation."  Negation-refusal to
gratify, tends to root out positive corruption: and
the holy conduct of the saints operates, through
the Spirit, positive influence in drawing sinners into the way of holiness.
3. Sufferings, under the chastising hand of a Father, tend in the same direction. The fruit of affliction is to take away sin.  "But who may abide
the day of his coming? and who shall stand when
he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and
like fuller's soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of
Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they
may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness:" Mal. iii. 2, 3. " I have chosen thee in the
furnace of affliction."
This method of purifying the church is prominent throughout her history.  "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy
word:" Psalm cxix. 67.  Ephraim bemoaned him self thus; "Thou hast chastised me, and I was
chastised.     *  *  *  Surely after that I was
turned, I repented:" Jer. xxxi. 18: but our Fa ther chastiseth "for our profit, that we might be
11
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partakers of his holiness.   Now  no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;
nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby:" HIeb. xii. 10, 11. Plainly, there
is nothing in mere suffering calculated to generate
kindly feeling toward the person who inflicts it;
but the reverse. The executioner is an odious
character. The natural and immediate effect of
suffering, is grievous, and renders the rod an
object of dread. But the association of the pain
with the offence that brings on the stroke, calls into action the law of self-love, and thus restrains
from its repetition: but it does not generate holy
affection: it only operates negatively. It requires
another agency and influence to begin or to increase
holy action in the soul. The peaceable fruit of
righteousness is the effect of another cause: not
of the pain; but of the exercise of a spiritual influence, shedding forth love in the heart.   So it is
even with an earthly parent's chastisement: unless
the child is enabled to see love wielding the rod,
no beneficial consequence will follow; but hardness,
obstinacy, and hate rather.
Under this general head of afflictions, as a
means of sanctification in both kinds, are a multitude of things, which it were impossible to detail.
The whole book of Job is an exemplification. Destruction of property; death of friends; unreasonableness of counsellors and advisers; alienation of 
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affection in those we love; personal torment under
disease and infirmity, &c.; all social evils, such as
epidemic, pestilence, war, and famine; and revolutions affecting the whole community and so involving the church; but, above all, persecution.
This last is proverbially referred to as a purifier.
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church;
and, indeed, her entire history consists largely of
details of sorrows and calamities brought upon her
professedly for this end, that she may be prostrated
before the Lord, and constrained in dust and ashes
to confess and forsake her sins.
How these things operate, it is not difficult to
perceive.  In the case of riches, for example: if
the Christian is in danger of trusting in them, to
the neglect of God and his own soul; the Lord, in
mercy, gives them wings and they fly away as an
eagle towards heaven; and draw his thoughts in
that direction. In the case of dear friends coming
in between the soul and God. Hle in mercy takes
away the wife, the husband, the son, the daughter,
that the idol being removed, God himself may be
the only object of supreme regard. Thus, the
flesh is crucified, with its lusts and corruptions;
hinderances to the onward movement in holiness are
removed; and the gracious power of the Spirit
carries forward the work from glory to glory.
4. The sacraments, as well as the word, are instruments of growth. Baptism, wherein water is
poured as the symbol of the Spirit, sets forth his
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purifying influence. Only, however, by reflective
activities of the mind, is it to himself and in his
own case, an instrument of his own purification.
The very thing set forth by it, is "the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost:"
Tit. iii. 5.  So that it is not to the subject a means,
but as he reflects upon it and keeps up the idea of
washing-of spiritual purification; and thus the
exhibition of it becomes a standing visible admonition of the necessity of holiness and of the only
agency of its production. Every time the eye beholds the water applied in baptism, the beholder is
warned of his need of a gracious power to change
his heart. Every time he calls up and meditates
on its spiritual meaning, he is invited to come and
be cleansed; and that whether it be the first act
in the new creation of the soul; or subsequent
movements of the same power in the progress of
holiness.
Moreover, in the case of the baptized, as a seal
of the covenant, it is a standing memorial of their
obligations to lead a holy life, to the glory of God
and their own everlasting welfare; and of the
sealed promise on the part of God, to minister the
spiritual graces necessary to meet these covenant
obligations.
But it is the sacred supper, that chiefly symbolizes the means of growth in holiness. Herein the
exhibition of bread and wine separately, holds up
the cross before our eyes. The only sacrifice, 
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that can take away sin, as to its guilt, and secure
the ultimate removal also of its pollution, is kept
before us, and our faith is constrained to dwell upon
it, and appropriate it to ourselves; before whose
eyes Jesus Christ is evidently set forth crucified.
As we appropriate the bread and the wine, the
symbols of his body and blood, we say, each for
himself, "He loved me and gave himself for me."
When we do this in remembrance of him, we bring
him up vividly before our own minds. We hear
his agonizing prayer-the only prayer of his, to
which, in appearance, the Father turned a deaf ear
-" Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from
me,"-his dying shriek pierces our hearts, and as
we look upon him, we mourn for him and weep
over those sins that pierced the Lord of glory.
We feel that he is present according to his promise. His matchless-wondrous love swells in our
bosom, and we know it is his Spirit that kindles up
afresh this flame that can never die. At the banquet of wine, we open our hearts and make large
requests for renewing grace; seal anew the covenant of life, and pledge our souls and all that is
within us, that, in all coming time, and by his
grace, in all eternity, we will be his. Thus we are
carried back to the very foundation of our hope;
for here is the work which secures the mission of
the Spirit, and he by this strengthens our faith and
refreshes our souls, and invigorates every power
for renewed activity and energy.
11 *
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CHAPTER XIX.
TEMPTATION AND PRAYER-MEANS OF GROWTH.
THESE cannot well be classed with the mere instruments used by the Spirit; and yet they are important means which he does use or overrule for
the purification of his church. I put temptation
before, for the reason, that prayer is a means of
deliverance.  "Watch and pray that ye enter not
into temptation."  "Count it all joy when ye fall
into divers temptations." Hence it is evident,
that the word is used in an evil sense; and also in
a good sense. Temptation is an evil to be guarded
against; it is a good to be rejoiced over. We infer that, by itself, temptation is indifferent-neither
good nor bad necessarily; but depending for its
character upon the circumstances of each case; and
especially on the tendency and design of the tempter. The general meaning is trial-putting a person to some test, which will reveal his temper, disposition, inclination.   It implies  uncertaintydoubt as to whether the person is as he professes
or appears to be. The instances, however, of its
application in a good sense are few; Scripture 
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usage is chiefly in an ill sense. Of the former we
have, Gen. xxii. 1, "God did tempt Abraham;"
and Jas. i. 2, cited above; and there is not a third;
so that it may be assumed, that temptation in
Scripture means an effort to draw aside from the
path of duty by placing motives to evil before the
mind. Thus the Israelites tempted God; Satan
tempted our Saviour in the wilderness, by endeavouring to induce him to use unlawful means for
personal aggrandizement.  "Let no man say when
he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any
man." He tempted Abraham, it is true, but not
for the purpose and design of inducing him to act
sinfully. It was in order to draw forth and manifest his faithfulness and integrity. And the other
case calls for all joy, not because of the "divers
temptations" in themselves, but rather for the results when believers have resisted them. In this
light it is, that temptation is used by the Spirit as
a means and occasion for advancing the soul in
holiness. "For there hath no temptation taken you
-(says Paul to the Corinthians, i. 10, 13-) but
such as is common to man; but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that
ye are able; but will with the temptation also
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear
it." Hence the direction in prayer-" Lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil;" perhaps
better "from the evil one."  As Christ was de
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livered from the tempter, so will he ensure deliverance to all his people; and as with himself and
his friend Abraham, so shall it be with all the
faithful. Not only shall their adversaries be foiled;
but their graces shall shine forth with increased
brilliancy and glory. Through the furnace of affliction shall they walk unharmed and shall come
forth without the smell of fire upon their garments.  Bound they may be, when they are thrown
in, but their bonds shall be consumed and they
shall walk loose, because beside them "the form
of the fourth is like the Son of God." The lions'
mouths are shut, because the Angel Redeemer has
unfolded the glory of his own Divine presence in
their den, and they can go no farther than he permits. The Holy Ghost inhabits his temple, therefore the spirits of pollution cannot there dwell.
"Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there."
The storms that rock the sapling, and bow its
head almost to the earth, send its roots the deeper
into the soil; and prepare the mighty oak or the
majestic cedar to brave the tempests of a thousand
years. Great temptations triumphed over make
great Christians. It may be well for a moment to
ask how temptations may be resisted and good be
deduced from the evil: and no better lesson can be
found, than the Master's example and his command 
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by his servant, James iv. 7, " Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he
will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded." The Holy Spirit within resists the unholy spirit, and keeps him out; and the consequence
is, the hands are cleansed and the heart is purified.
But there is an instrumentality to be used. "Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able
to stand against the wiles of the devil.  *   *   *
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about withtruth; and having on the breastplate of righteousness: and your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace: above all taking the shield
of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all
the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet
of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is
the word of God: praying always with all prayer,
and supplication in the Spirit:"-Eph. vi. 14, &c.
Most of these implements have been already considered. The sword in the Saviour's hands was
very effective in repelling the arch-fiend: and we
have therein a strong argument in favour of a
similar application.   By these weapons, wisely
used, we must gain the victory.
Prayer, as a religious exercise, " is the offering
up of our desires to God."-" Deliver us from the
evil one."   Prayer is not a duty peculiar  to
Christians. It is a duty under the law of nature
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-it is a necessary attribute of dependent rational
existence.   All intelligent beings do  pray-do
send forth their desires-express their wants: some,
to the true God through Jesus, the Mediator, and
by the aids of the Holy Spirit: some, as the
heathen, to false gods-Jupiter, Bacchus, Ashtaroth or Venus; or, as the Romans now, to the
Virgin Mary, the saints, Peter, Paul, &c. Some
pray to Fortune, an old Roman goddess, yet ardently
worshipped.
Prayer is a means, pointed out by the law of
nature, as well as by the Scriptures, for obtaining
a supply of our wants. It is placed here at the
close of the heavenly panoply, doubtless for the
reason, that it calls forth those influences which
give energy and efficiency to all the rest. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit"-' by the Spirit, I prefer.   "Likewise the
Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit
itself maketh intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered."   Rom. viii. 26, &c.
Some people seem to think themselves capable of
going beyond the Spirit, by showing that their
groanings can be uttered. But it appears plain,
that the inhabiting Spirit goes beyond our very
thoughts, and procures for us blessings above our
knowledge: working in us both to will and to do of
his good pleasure. Pray without ceasing-men
ought always to pray and not to faint. An habitual 
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feeling of want tends to keep down the pride of
the heart, and so to mortify the flesh with its lusts
and corruptions. The new man can no more live
without praying, than the old carnal man can live
without breathing. Beautifully has it been said,
prayer is the breath of the new man. As breathing
keeps up the life of the body, and is indispensable,
not only to its growth, but to the continuity of its
being; so prayer is indispensable to the being and
advancement of our spiritual life. Nor need the
modus operandi give us any trouble. Whereii lies
the efficacy of prayer? How doth it expand the
powers of the renewed heart? I answer, wherein
lies the efficacy of natural breath? How doth the
heaving of the bosom continue and increase my
physical energies, and extend my life? Should
all men refuse to breathe until they can understand all these modes of influence, the race
would soon die out, and the earth be left a desolation.   Oh  no:  man is not omniscient:  let
him not attempt to limit God. If I could know
nothing at all, of the mode in which prayer is efficacious, this I do know; that God commands all
men everywhere to pray without ceasing.
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CHAPTER XX.
THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT.
IF we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the
Spirit. This is a result of his inhabitation. He
dwelleth in us in order that we abound in good
works. Some of these, connected with external
instrumentalities, have passed under review: others,
not a few, are not so connected: but are produced
by his independent action. These we may now
consider under the classification furnished in Gal.
v. 22, 23: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance." Two of these have already
been before us, yet we shall, bearing very lightly
upon those two, make a few remarks upon this
catalogue of nine topics.
1. Love is the principle of communicative goodness. It is essentially active, always aiming to do
good to the person who is the object of it.  It is
the universal principle of moral excellence; has its
origin in God; was lost in the first sin, and is restored only when the soul is renewed after the
image of him that created it. 
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2. Joy is an elevation or lifting up of the soul;
an emotional state of mind, of a very pleasing
character; resulting from an apprehension of some
great good, either in possession or prospect. A
few instances will illustrate.   Matt.  xxv.  21:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant-enter
thou into the joy of thy lord."  Luke  vi.: "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy." Strong
feeling is here displayed, because of great benefits
in view, productive of great happiness. The state
of feeling in heaven, upon the reception of the news
of sinners repenting on earth, is expressed by this
word, Luke xv. 7, 10. When the news were received that the Gentiles had embraced the gospel,
"the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy
Ghost." Acts xiii. 52. And thus everywhere: joy is
a strong and glad emotion resulting from the obtaining of some great benefit.  This benefit is the glorious hope of the soul, that it hath found the Messias;
and it is called a fruit of the Spirit, because he
produces the change from death unto life; and also
the evidence of the change.
3. Peace is the third fruit. Being justified by
faith, we have peace with God. By nature we are
enemies; the carnal mind is enmity against God.
Now to be at enmity and war with a power vastly
beyond our own, is a painful and distressing condition: and to stand in that relation with the Almighty, is fearful indeed. But God is angry with
the wicked every day, and his anger burns with in     12
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tense fierceness, and must in the end devour his
adversaries.  Oh how desirable then to be restored
to peace! But this peace is purchased by the
death of our Blessed Lord. Hle is our Peace. How
then is it a fruit of the Spirit? Because, though
the price has been paid, yet actual peace on our
part does not exist, until the heart is changed, the
enmity slain, and reconciliation in fact restored.
This is the work of the Spirit, and hence it is classed
as here.
We ought however to remark, that it is not only
peace with God, but also with all holy beings: just
as the first fruit extends its blessed influence, as
well to the children of God, as to their Father in
heaven. This peace pervades the entire family of
holy intelligences-a peace, therefore, that passeth
understanding.
4. Long-suffering is a modification of love and
peace. It is spoken of God, Rom. ii. 4, and ix. 22:
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness, and
forbearance, and long-suffering."-" God endured
with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted
to destruction." In Eph. iv. 2, it is applied to
men-" With long-suffering, forbearing one another
in love."  Patient endurance-bearing long-and
not soon angry at sinners, out of a feeling of friendship and love, seems to be the general idea. And
that such should be the consequence of the love of
God and the peace which passeth all understanding
shed abroad in the heart, by the Spirit, is most 
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reasonable to expect. Hence this is accounted in
the number of these gracious fruits.
5. Gentleness, suavity, amiability, freedom from
stiff and surly temper. It is very difficult to mark
the boundaries between this and the 8th fruit, meekness-unassuming mildness, softness of temperament. They combine and in fact commingle; but
express qualities greatly productive of Christian
harmony and promotive of happy intercourse in
society.
6. The sixth fruit, in order, we must treat in the
same way. We have so few words in our language
expressive of the various shades of moral emotions,
that we can find no one to mark the precise phase
of the emotional states.   Goodness is perhaps the
most suitable, though evidently very general. This
presents a feeling very nearly allied to the first;
it leads toward such actions as conduce to the happiness of all around.
7. The seventh in order is faith, used here in the
sense of confidence: freedom from a spirit of distrust
and jealousy: a moral virtue, rather than the great
leading grace, of which we have already spoken.
9. Temperance, continence, self-control.   This
may have reference to what is now technically
called "temperance." Rather, however, it refers
to control over the sexual feeling.  At least it is
much broader than  recent custom  has  allowed.
Peter places it in his catalogue of virtues thus,
2 Pet. i. 5, 6:  "And besides this, giving all dili
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gence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue,
knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and
to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness." Paul (Titus i. 8, 22,) enjoins on bishops
and aged men to be temperate: and, 1 Cor. ix. 25,
tells us, that "every man  that striveth for the
mastery-(such  as the athlete in the Grecian
games)-is temperate in all things."
Such are among the beneficial consequences of
this work of the Spirit. In perfecting the moral
virtues and the Christian graces, he leads the minds
and hearts of the saints onward by successful steps,
perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.   "The
path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth
more and more unto the perfect day:" Proverbs
iv. 18. 
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CHAPTER XXI.
SANCTIFICATION IMPERFECT-OBJECTION.
WIIATEVER may be properly called a process or
progressive work, must, by the very necessities of
its own nature, be imperfect, at some point; or, indeed, at an indefinite number of points in the line
of its progress. The point at which the movement
stops; and when there is no more corrupt affection
to be removed; or at which the soul is never, henceforth, to acquire any increment of holy feeling, of
heavenly love, its sanctification may be accounted
perfect; although it is plain, that the word perfect is
used there in an imperfect sense. It is altogether
undeniable, that the great body of Christians have
felt and do feel upon themselves a burden of sinful
desires. And this is especially so with such as are
most eminent for good works. "Brethren, I count
not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing
I do, forgetting those things that are behind, and
reaching forth to those things which are before, I
press toward the mark, for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus;" Phil. iii. 12, &c.
For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwell     12 *
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eth no good thing: for to will is present with me;
but how to perform that which is good, I find not.
* * * But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members:" Rom. vii. 18, 23.  "For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the
flesh; and these are contrary, the one to the other;
so that ye cannot do the things that ye would:"
Gal. v. 17. Hundreds of texts might be adduced
containing this humble and self-abasing confession.
The apostle John indeed asserts, "He that committeth sin is of the devil"-belongs to the family of
Satan. But then, the drift of the context shows,
that he speaks of the habitual course of action:
the man whose business is to commit sin-who is
constantly seeking the gratification of fleshly lusts,
is not born of God. On the contrary, a little before, i. 8: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us.   *  *  *
If we say, that we have not sinned, we make him
[God] a liar, and his word is not in us."   "For
there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good
and sinneth not:" Eccl. vii. 20. To me, the idea
is a paradox inconceivable, of a human being-for
we cannot say, a sinner-on his knees in the closet,
duly exercising faith in Jesus Christ, and yet not
confessing his personal sins and short-comings, and
beseeching his Father, who seeth in secret, to forgive him, for his dear Son's sake. Such a closet 
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occupied by such a Christian, such a Father's omniscient eye hath surely never beheld. Oh no;
when Christians fall down in secret or even in social prayer, their speculations about sinless perfection are all and instantly a nullity, and they seek
forgiveness; and moreover, they cry for more
grace, that they may become more holy and active
in fruit-bearing to the glory of God. These two
constitute the sum of Christian religious experience, viz., the conflict-the war against "sin that
dwelleth in us;" and the pressing on in the ways
of holy obedience, "My soul followeth hard after
thee."
Now, from this conscious imperfection of the
Divine life within him, the true Christian often
meets with a practical difficulty, so great at times
as to raise doubts, painful and distressing, as to
the fact of his own conversion. As in the conflict
between Saul and David-which is a real, historical
allegory, illustrative of this very point-he is so
sorely pressed, that he says "in his heart, I shall
now perish one day by the hand of Saul:" 1 Sam.
xxvii. 1. But these seasons of doubt pass away;
"And there was long war between the house of
Saul and the house of David; but David waxed
stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul
waxed weaker and weaker:" 2 Sam. iii. 1. So
shall it be in the long war against sin that dwelleth
in us; the victory is sure in the end, and this is
the victory that overcometh the world, even our
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140     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
faith. It may be well for us, however, to inquire
how it comes, that to the Christian himself he
often appears to be retrograding, or at least to be
gaining almost nothing in the life of holiness;
whilst to other Christians, and even to the world,
he seems to become every day more like his divine
Master. The solution is this. The longer and the
more steadfastly he gazes upon the cross and the
face of'his divine Lord, the holier he appears, and
thus the Christian's standard rises faster than he
himself rises; he, like Moses, having no glass in
which to behold himself, remains unconscious of
the change upon  himself.   Others can see the
shining of his face, even to the dazzling of their
eyes; whilst the brightness of the Saviour's glory
absorbs his vision, and he conceives himself to be
relatively, as it were, falling back. The stars disappear when the sun rises. When the day-star of
Jacob arises, the soul is able to survey it distinctly
and to admire its twinkling beauties; but when the
Sun of righteousness approximates the zenith and
bursts in upon it with all his effulgence, all mere
reflections of its light are lost in the overwhelming
blaze of his glory. 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XXII.
SANCTIFICATION COMPLETED, NEGATIVELY-RE            MARKS ON IDENTITY.
THE  question closes in upon us: must this imperfection continue evermore? Is this warfare to
last for ever? In this race, is the goal never to be
reached?  Oh! when, if "by one offering he hath
perfected for ever them that are sanctified:" HIeb.
x. 14,-oh when shall it be? We answer, as to
the.negative side of sanctification, at death; as to
the positive, in eternity; that is, never.
Sanctification, negatively considered, is perfected
at death.  "The souls of believers are, at their
death, made perfect in holiness, and do immediately
pass into glory." This is a necessary consequence
of the doctrine, that without holiness no man shall
see the Lord. Heaven is everywhere in Scripture
accounted a holy place and state: "No unclean
person hath any inheritance in the kingdom of
Christ and of God:" Eph. v. 5. And Gal. v. 19
-21: "Now  the works of the flesh are manifest,
which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
&c.; of which I tell you before, as I have also
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142     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
told you in time past, that they which do such
things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
"Depart from me, ye cursed, I never knew you."
"God is angry with the wicked every days"  And
all the proofs for the necessity of regeneration,
are also proofs that this purifying process must be
perfected before the soul can dwell with God in
heaven.
Take along with this the fact, that whenever the
soul is released from the  body it is present with
the Lord. Reject the pagan notion of purgatory;
and the Priestleyan dream of an entirely unconscious sleep from death to the resurrection; and
you force us upon the conclusion, that the war
against fleshly lusts ceases, the goal of negative
holiness is reached; all actual pollution is entirely
done away, at death. The last of the Canaanites
is driven out of the land. The old man, who was
nailed on the cross, in the day when thorough
conviction entered the soul, and who has been
dying gradually, but surely, now heaves his last
sigh and expires.
Positive sanctification is an endless process.
WTe have already seen-Chap. XVII., that the law
of progress characterizes the whole department of
life-the vegetable and the animal kingdoms; the
intellectual and rational; the moral and spiritual.
Life connected with material organism has its
limits under this law; because of the repulsive and
destructive nature of material substance. But life 
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in the intelligence and the reason is an ever onward movement; knowledge is always increasing,
and the reasoning powers expand by their own activity, throughout the whole range of our acquaintance with them, over the whole field of our observation.  The moral sense improves continually
by its legitimate action; and the moral virtues increase their power in the same way.
So also, within the region of spiritual life, growth
in grace is the law, retardation or retrogression,
real or apparent, is the exception. External violence or an unfavourable season, excessive drought
or blight, may cause a temporary pause; but the
current of life is not broken up: still its movement is onward-the tree grows.
Here, then, we meet the most interesting question. Does the soul in any or all of these four
aspects-intellectual, rational, moral, or spiritual,
cease its growth at death?  Or does the law of progress pass with it beyond the grave? Our response is, that, All the analogies of God's living
creations return a negaive to the former; and an
affirmative answer to the latter.  They all go to
shut us up to the belief of a progression without
end in all these four respects. Bishop Butler, in
his "immortal Analogy," has settled this question;
and we suppose it is one of the rare cases that
will stay settled.  He has demonstrated, by their
own most clear and energetic force, that there is
no reason whatever to believe that any of our
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144     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
living powers are extinguished and lost for ever.
To the high argument in his first chapter we refer
the reader. Our brief pages will not admit of its
transfer, and its solidity renders it incompressible.
To attempt an epitome were presumption. Yet,
whilst the reader is studying it, we must be in dulged in a few remarks, adapted to open up the
way; and to enable us to present the argument
for an endless progression in the future world.
1. Identity, or sameness of being, is assumed in
the preceding  discussion on progress.   Without
this, the very idea of onward movement in life is
not conceivable. Continuity of existence is the in dispensable basis of progress.   What  then  is
identity?
(1) This question is inapplicable to mere dead
matter, until you descend to the first element-the
atom-the indivisible particle. For, obviously, all
combinations of material particles are fortuitous
and for ever undergoing changes.  Therefore,
(2) When we speak of sameness in reference to
masses of matter, we always have reference to some
kind of agglomeration, arrangement, or organiza tion; as a carriage, a ship, a tree, an animal, a
man. And in all these, absolute sameness of
material particles is never meant to be affirmed.
On the contrary, there is a constant changing of
atoms.  The  carriage loses at every turn of its
wheels.  The ship loses a sail, a rope, a spar, a
mast, a plank, a rib, from day to day; and these 
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are replaced as need requires, until nearly every
several part of the vessel is new; and yet it is the
same identical vessel still. So, the tree-this towering cedar, is the same that fifteen centuries ago
had well nigh perished under the hoof of the passing buffalo; although, meanwhile, it has lost in
leaves and branches ten thousand times its original bulk. So, of the buffalo himself; this huge
beast is the same animal which a few years since
a man might take up and carry under his arm. So
of the man himself; he is the same animal that
nursing mother dandled on her knee. Therefore,
(3) Within the sphere of dead matter, identity
consists not in absolute sameness of particles; but
in sameness of form, structure and name, which
gives unity of idea. In the lower forms of living
things, identity consists in unity and sameness of
the life-principle: the life of the seedling is absolutely the same as that of the towering cedar. So
the animal-brute and human-as to its material
part is similar, in its perpetual changes, to the tree
or the ship: but its life is the same identical princil)le that actuated its infantile movements.
2. Whilst our animal part is subject to the laws
common to all of that class, our soul is altogether
different. The human animal, whilst it is united
with an intelligent, rational spirit, constitutes really
no essential part of the human personality. The
material substance, with which our spirit is here
connected, is no part of ourselves. If I shave or
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146    A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
cut off my hair; if blood is drawn from my veins or
my limbs are amputated, my identity is no more
affected than is that of a tree when autumn strips
off its leaves. I nmyself-this intelligent, conscious,
reasoning, feeling, conscientious, active being, am
the same identical person that I was before this
bodily organization was reduced by hunger, amputation, disease, to the twentieth part of its former
bulk. My hearing fails, my eyes go out, and I am
left in darkness; my sense of taste and of smell
are nearly extinct, and feeling is paralyzed; still
I am the same man. It is not the eye that sees,
any more than the optic glass: this glass stands in
the same precise relation to the operation of vision,
as does the eye-ball. Equally and alike, the living
organ and the dead, are merely instruments with
which the mind or soul sees. And so it is with all
the other senses. By a mysterious and hitherto
inscrutable connection, the thinking being, myself,
uses certain parts of this nervous structure as instruments of perception; but the mode of that connection and use is utterly unknown to us. The
senses are indeed inlets of knowledge to the soul
within; but when knowledge is let in, even in small
quantity, the mind acts independently on the body.
This is evident from two facts: first, where the
senses fail, or are originally deficient, as in the
case of Julia Brace, the mind does not lose its
power of action. And secondly, It is known to
every one who thinks at all, that his processes of 
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reasoning are carried on best when the bodily
organs of sensation are most thoroughly shut up.
On the contrary, noise, odours, taste, smell, touch
-any excitation of the nervous system by them
arrests the operations of thinking and creates confusion in the mind.
3. Identity consists of continued existence
through successive portions of time; and it is dependent on the Divine Power. Our knowledge of
it is obtained from present consciousness of our
present activity, combined with the remembrance
of past consciousness. If the power of memory
had no existence, we could have no knowledge of
our personal identity. I could not know that I am
the same person, who wrote Chapter XX. yesterday for I could have no knowledge of past time
and its contents. Now, memory is not a bodily
organ, but a mental power. Lord Nelson was still
the glory of England's navy, after half his body
was cut away. His personal identity was not affected, nor did he lose half his memory.   General
Howard is more of a man to-day and has more
power of memory, than most men who have two
arms and two legs. Let us now return to the
question of eternal progression in holiness.
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148     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE LAW OF PROGRESS PASSES BEYOND THE GRAVE
-SANCTIFICATION POSITIVE-AN ETERNAL ON  WARD MOVEMENT.
THERE being no reason whatever to believe, that
we lose, at the death of the body, any one of our
living powers; and the fact being indubitable, that
they are all governed by the law of progress, so far
as we have knowledge of them, and so far as they
are not checked and restrained by their present
connection with these clogs of clay; and it being a
law of logic which is eternal, and also accordant
with the common sense of all mankind, that the
uniform course of events heretofore will continue
to be the course of events hereafter; we are shut
up to the conviction, that these living powers will
continue to exist, after they drop the last fragmentary clog of clay: and will continue to act under
the same law of onward and upward for ever. If
any man question this doctrine, let him adduce his
proof. Possession is nine points of the law. If
you dispute my title, bring your ejectment and try
its strength: the burden of proof lies upon you. 
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There is, as Butler has shown, no other reason,
apart from revelation, for belief in any future
course of events, but our knowledge of the past
course-that is, the established laws of nature, or
order of things which God has ordained, will and
must continue, until he sees proper to alter them.
The existence of such laws-that is, of uniform antecedence and consequence, is the sole foundation
of all inductive reasoning and the sciences which it
generates. Root up this foundation, and the entire
glorious structures of the modern experimental
philosophy tumble into ruins and become a vast
chaotic mass.
Here then we take our stand. On the continluance of this law of progress in the human spirit, as
on Pisgah's top, we place our feet, and look over the
Jordan into the promised land. If this doctrine
be not true, then it would follow, that,
1. Reasoning from what has been the order of
nature, to what will be, is fallacious. The uniform
course of the soul of man-the intelligence, the
reason, the moral man and the spiritual-hitherto
has been onward and upward, but now, that it is
freed from clogs of clay, it stops and advances toward perfection no more.
2. The entire analogies of God's living creations
-yea, of his works universal, are broken up. From
the first movement upon the chaotic mass, toward
consummating the work of creation, arrangement,
order, advancement, onward and upward, are the
13 *
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150    A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
law. But now, at the very point where reason expects not only the continuance, but a greatly
accelerated velocity in the heaven-ward movement,
this philosophy commands a halt. Who believes it?
3. If sanctification-growth in all the holy affections-does not continue after death, then was Paul
in great error, when he said, "I have a desire to
depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;"
Phil. i. 23; for he knew and gloried in the fact
that he was advancing in holiness, by fighting the
good fight and pressing on toward the goal of victory. This is the law of his being here, but on the
hypothesis we combat, this progress ceases at death.
Obviously then, he had better remain in this condition of perpetual advancement, than to pass into a
state where there is no farther growth toward the
perfection of God.
4. This doctrine nullifies the universal law of
morality, that holy action must be rewarded. For
if there is to be no increase in holiness after death
-if the soul is to remain stationary, then, either
there are no holy activities, or they go unrewarded.
But if the doctrine of our second and third chapters
is true, and increase in happiness is a moral consequence of holy action unavoidable in the Divine
government, then are we thrown back upon the
glorious and soul-stirring-conclusion, that everlasting progress in holiness, and consequently in happiness, is the law of God's redeemed.
5. Nor let it be supposed on the other extreme, 
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that this law is inoperative in the previous stages
of the divine life in the soul. On the contrary,
we hold that, from the new birth onward, all the
activities of the new creature are rewarded in the
strictest sense.  The parable of the talents illustrates this: and also, the promise of grace to the
humble: the cup of cold water is rewarded: out
"of his fulness have all we received, and grace for
grace "-one measure of grace faithfully improved
ensures another-and James iv. 6, says, "But he
giveth more grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." In short, the Bible overflows with this idea,
of God's giving grace and then rewarding the activities of it by more enlarged communications of
the same.  These  promises are, however, to the
faithful, the believing, the regenerate, the holy.
Not to those who have no grace at all is the command to grow in grace given, and the promise of
more. And here is a lamentable mistake into
which unregenerate men often fall.  They transmute the promises addressed to believers into a law
of works, and make their own doings, their "dead
works," lieb. ix. 14, a condition of salvation.
How unphilosophical! how absurd, to suppose that
the tree can grow when it has no life!  "First
make the tree good and his fruit good." "Do men
gather grapes off thorns or figs off thistles?"
With this, (which is in fact the foundation principle of inductive science) we have a cause, and
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may look for its effect. This seed of God remaining in him-this "anointing which ye have received of him abiding in you, you need not that any
man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth
you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and
even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him:"
1 John iii. 27, and iv. 9.  "He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life." —How is it everlasting, if it may and shall cease to-morrow?" He that hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil. i. 6.
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall
never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of
my  hand:" John  x. 28, 29.   The  Scriptures
abundantly teach the perseverance of the saints in
grace and holiness. Not, you will observe, the
perseverance in grace of the ungodly, the unregenerate, the unholy; but of the saints, the believing,
the regenerate.  Nor is their perseverance the effect of their merely human resolve and firm determination, but of the Divine Spirit's inhabitation
and "working in them to will and to do of his good
pleasure." This one doctrine of endless progression in holiness, beginning with regeneration and
advancing under the culture of the Spirit that
dwelleth in us, involves the perseverance of the
saints; and at the same time gives us a beautiful
philosophical explanation of the whole matter.
Seizing the prime element of moral government
viz., that upright, holy action must be rewarded; 
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and providing the germ of holy life in the new
birth; and the growth of it by the dews of heavenly grace, it forces us along the glorious ascent.
The first pulsations of spiritual life flow forth toward God in acts of faith, and repentance, and
love, and new obedience; and these holy acts require and receive their reward, in additional
strength and grace, and love shed abroad in the
heart by the indwelling Spirit. Then the soul,
with this increment of the new life-power, braces
itself up for increased activity in all the duties of
holy living; and pours forth its gratitude and embodies its more ardent love in doing good to man
and giving glory to God. Again, these increased
activities call forth increased rewards; and thus
the Christian's life is a fire that feeds itself: by the
necessities of the new nature which God has given
and by the laws of the glorious Giver, it must be
onward and upward.
And for proof of this, we appeal to the experience of regenerate sinners, the world over. Such
is their testimony in all ages and to the end of this
pilgrim life. For,
"This life's a dream, an empty show;
But the bright world to which I go,
Hath joys substantial and sincere;
When shall I wake and find me there?
0 glorious hour! 0 blest abode!
I shall be near and like my God,
And flesh and sin no more control
The sacred pleasures of the soul."
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154     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
That the onward movement should here receive
no new impulse, is not conceivable. The controlling influence of flesh and sin being abolished at
death, the freed spirit bounds forward and upward
with an alacrity and an energy utterly inconceivable by us in this present state. "Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man, the things which God hath prepared
for them that love him:" 1 Cor. ii. 9.  "Beloved,
now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be; but we know that, when
he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall
see him as he is:" 1 John iii. 2. With more than
angelic wing the soul takes its upward flight.
Higher and yet higher it soars aloft. Passing unredeemed angels in its glorious ascent, it takes its
position in the grand choir-that immense multitude which no man can number.   These all "arrayed in that fine linen which is the righteousness
of the saints:" Rev. xix. 8, and holding in their
hands their golden harps, they strike notes of
praise to redeeming love, in strains so lofty and
grand that angels might long to equal. Then, according to the law of their being and of their God,
they receive an addition to their holiness, and
grace, and power to strike a still higher strain;
and thus, it is a fire that feeds itself; onward and
upward; ONWARD AND UPWARD for ever toward
the perfection of God. And this, dear reader, is
what I meant, by asserting, that your sanctifica 
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tion, if indeed it be begun, will never, on the positive side, be finished-but will run away into eternity. Oh! how important then for you and for
me, to look well to the matter, and see that there
be no "if indeed it be begun" in our case-that
all doubt be removed from the question of our being born again!
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156    A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
CHAPTER XXIV.
THE JUDGMENT-A CONFIRMATION  IN HOLINESS
AND BLISS; NOT AN END OF MORAL GOVERN  MENT.
THE resurrection of our bodies in incorruptionspiritual bodies; their re-union withi our souls and
reconstruction of our human personality; their
passing under the judgment of our glorified Redeemer and thereby receiving confirmation in
eternal felicity-" Come, ye blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world:" Matt. xxv. 34. All
these seem properly to belong to the work of sanctification; except judgment, which, however, necessarily intervenes.  In some respects it had been
as well to have treated them sooner; but in others,
perhaps it is better to close with them.
"Why should it be thought a thing incredible
with you, that God should raise the dead?" Acts
xxvi. 8.   Thus  Paul insinuates, that even  the
heathen ought, by the light of reason and the dim
traditions of the ancient revelations, to have arrived at belief in a resurrection. Reason and tra 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
dition lead to the belief that justice in some degree is a Divine attribute. But that full and perfect justice is administered here, in this world, is
manifestly not true. Wicked men prosper, live
happy, as they count happiness, oppress the poor
and the upright; and die without due punishment.
David, in Psalm lxxiii., discusses this subject.
"For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the
prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands
in their death, but their strength is firm. They
are not troubled as other men; neither are they
plagued like other men.    *   *   *  When  I
thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I
understood their end." He was almost ready to
conclude, there is no just God presiding over the
world. But when he went into the sanctuarywhen he consulted the Divine teaching, and considered the end or final state of the ungodly, his
doubts vanished, his faith triumphed over his cogitations-"Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel,
and afterward receive me to glory."  "The wicked
shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that
forget God:" Ps. ix.  "Then shall the righteous
shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father:" Matt. xiii. 43.  Thus, the idea that a just
God governs the universe, involves the necessity
of a future judgment; and a future judgment of
man involves the necessity of a resurrection, in
order that the human persons-not the souls-not
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157 
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the bodies, but the entire persons, soul and body
united, may pass before the Judge and receive a
just sentence.  HIence "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust:"
Acts xxiv. 15.  Objections to this doctrine, based
on the difficulties about identity, the reader of
Chapter XXII. will, we hope, find no difficulty in re futing; and especially if he turn to 1 Cor. xv. and
read Paul's refutation, deduced from the analogies
of nature.
In this work, the Spirit of God, who is the great
power of Christ, breathes into the body spiritual
that mysterious life which is proper to its nature:
and as to the redeemed, of whose resurrection only
the apostle treats, it is a movement in sanctification.
Then follows the judgment.  "Because he hath
appointed a day, in which he will judge the world
in righteousness, by that man whom he hath or dained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."
Acts xvii. 31. This judgment, like all other just
judgments, is simply declaratory. It does not
mnake the wicked, wicked; or the righteous, right eous.  It simply declares the pre-existent facts of
the actual moral character and legal relations of
the parties judged; the evidence thereof in the
previously developed holy or unholy lives of the
parties; and the inevitable legal consequences: "Some to everlasting life; and some to shame and
everlasting contempt:"  Dan. xii. 2.  "And these
*- -....
158 
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shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal:"  Matt. xxv. 46.  The
same word, in the original, is used to define the
duration of the punishment and of the life: and
this dread sentence is a confirmation, equally and
alike, of the two classes respectively; the one in a
state of misery inconceivable; the other in a state
of  happiness  incomprehensible.   No  change of
character and condition can ever take place.
Change, indeed, in degree of happiness or misery,
there may be-there must be: but change in condition, never.
For we must farther remark, that confirmation,
whilst it is an end of probation, is not an end of
moral government. As before stated, we cannot
even conceive of an intelligent moral agent existing outside of moral government-not accountable
for his actions to the God of the universe.   "Why
dost thou strive against him? for he giveth no account  of his matters:"  Job  xxxiii. 13.   The
Creator is the only irresponsible intelligence in the
universe which he made. All are accountable, and
for ever must and will be, to the universal Governor.
Consequently, neither of these classes that pass
away from the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ,
pass away from under the Divine government.
Both, on the contrary, continue subjects of his
almighty  administration.   Therefore  he  says,
" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you," &c. They continue in his
."   e:':-' iV!
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160     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
kingdom, and subject to his government for ever.
The righteous are now officially recognized as
citizens of the everlasting kingdom. They can go
no more out, for they are " pillars in the temple of
my God." The Divine power and faithfulness are
for ever pledged to keep them in the love of God
and the love of God in them. Indeed, the idea,
that Jesus is a confirming head of moral influences
to the angelic hosts, that have ever shown such
alacrity in his service; and also to the entire universe of virtuous intelligences, is so grand, and
glorious, and magnificent, that my heart bounds
with joy at its conception, whilst my understand ing adoringly refuses to raise a doubt by way of
objection. But to illustrate and defend a thought
which throws such a halo of glory around the
manger, Gethsemane, and the cross, in the closing
chapter of a work so small as this, is utterly im practicable, and must, at least for the present, be
waived; that we may attend for a moment to some
consequences of the saints' confirmation in the
everlasting kingdom.
1. Peccability-liability to fall into sin is no part
of virtue. The opposite has been affirmed. Dr.
Priestley and others who deny the divinity of Christ,
and affirm him to be, or to have been, a mere man,
have also added, fallible: Christ was a fallible man.
And these fallible men argue, that, whilst he never
did fall into sin; yet he must have been liable
thereto, or he could not be virtuous: thus making
.  e...
~....... 
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sin, not only incidental to any moral system, as
does the New Haven divinity; but liability to sin
-peccability, an essential requisite in the character
of Him who saves his people from their sins.
2. The saints in glory, after the judgment, being still members of the kingdom of God and, by
reason of their confirmation in bliss, incapable of
any but holy actions, must move onward toward
perfection, in a vastly increased ratio. All that
has just been said of the souls after death in this
regard, is equally, yea, more abundantly, true of
the entire sanctified humanity: and thus again, we
see how and why the life beyond the judgment
must be an everlasting progress in holiness. The
holiness and the happiness are eternal parallels.
Let it not be objected, that the saints will become as holy and as happy as God himself. We
will admit the inference as legitimate, if only you
will prove that God is finite in holiness and in happiness. But as he is infinite, no number of finite
steps toward him can constitute an approximation,
much less an arrival.
Nor yet, let the suggestion be entertained that
the saints in glory are never perfectly happy: for
the semblance of difficulty here depends simply
upon the vagueness of the term perfect. Here are
two vessels, one a pint measure, the other a gallon.
Now pour water into both until it overflows. Are
they not both perfectly full? And yet how different the bulk and amount? So the saints in glory
14 *
161 
1(62    A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
differ in advancement and capacity; but the capacity of each and every one is full to overflowing.
They are all perfectly blessed.
One more aspect of the law of progress, it may
be profitable to notice: although it is not strictly
within our grand topic of sanctification. It is the
fearful question, does the law of progress rule in
the world of woe?  Do those who "go away into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels"- into "the lake that burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death:" Rev. xxi.
8-do they grow in wickedness and power to resist
God? Is the pit of destruction properly called,
the abyss, "the bottomless pit?" Rev. xx. 2, 3.
"Tophet is ordained of old, yea for the king it is
prepared; he hath it deep and large: the pile
thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the
Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it:"
Isa. xxx. 33. Is there anything in the analogies
of the two cases, that shuts us up to the terrible
conviction, that hell is without a bottom as well as
without an end? With trembling heart let us utter
a few remarks.
1. The torments of the wicked-the finally impenitent and unbelieving, who despise the overtures of
God's mercy and grace, who "trample under foot
the Son of God and put him to an open shame, and
do despite unto the Spirit of grace"-the torments
of the wicked are without end. The self-same word
used by the Judge upon his great white throne, 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
to describe the duration of heaven, is also used to
describe the duration of the fire that is never
quenched. Other terms equally explicit might be
adduced, but we forbear.
2. The wicked, as we have seen, are still subjects
of the Divine government, and must for ever remain so. Unless we are prepared for the blasphemous doctrine, that they have sinned themselves
out from and beyond God's power, we must believe
them accountable for all their actions. But now
all their acts are sinful, and therefore must be punished.
3. There is nothing in punishment to generate
love toward the law and the governor that executes
punishment: but directly the reverse. Hatred of
God, therefore, and of his law necessarily result
from the endurance of penal evil. Therefore,
4. Purgatory-a place of punishment, where, by
painful endurance, the wretched sinner is cleansed
like a fcetid clay pipe, from his pollution, and his
heart prepared for the exercise of love and holiness, is about the most unphilosophical conceit the
devil ever invented to delude lost men. The blood
of Calvary is unavailing; the strivings of the Holy
Ghost are resisted successfully; the cries and tears,
and entreaties of his friends, and the whole churchall fall upon the heart of stone without melting it into
contrition, penitence, and love. Now send him to
purgatory.   Let the devil try him-he'll soon
change him. Soon the wicked wretch will be con
109 
164     A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
verted, his heart melted into love, and he become
fit for an habitation in glory. The blasphemy is
as horrible as the philosophy is absurd. Oh sinner, trust not to purgatory, but to the blood of
Christ.
5. The just punishment (as in remark 2) occasions (not causes) an increase in wicked actions;
this increased activity in sin calls for additional
punishment; and thus onward without end. It is
a fearful fire that feeds itself: and thus is ensured
an eternity of torment, because here is an eternity
of sinning. The wretched inhabitant of the burning lake buffets its billows with sinewy arms, and
blasphemes the God of justice. Then comes a thunderbolt of Divine wrath, justly due for his recent
sin, and sinks him deeper into the fiery flood.
Again, rising in increased fury, he belches out the
fiery liquid, mixed with still more horrid curses
and blasphemy against God, whose justice and
holiness again thunder him down to a more profound depth: and thus the worm never dies-the
fire is never quenched.
"Sad world indeed; ah! who can bear
For ever there to dwell?
For ever sinking in despair,
In all the pains of hell?"
And now, dear readers, we must part. At the
intersection of two planes we stand. Along one or
the other we must move; there is not a third. One
ascends beyond the moon, and sun, and planets,
I 
A TREATISE ON SANCTIFICATION.
and milky way, and all the stars of God; and loses
itself in the cloudless effulgence of the Sun of
righteousness-that Sun which set in blood on
Calvary, but burst the darkness and bondage of the
grave and arose to the zenith of his glory and
power; and now illumines and controls the destinies of the universe. The other plane descends,
cutting the regions of darkness and old night,
where no ray from the glorious Sun ever enters;
no harp to praise redeeming love ever quivers in
the exulting soul-hope dies, and long despair
reigns in eternal silence there.
On which of these do you stand? Along which
are you moving? I say moving, for stationary
you cannot be. Ah! do you hesitate? Are you
in doubt? Oh! why delay an hour? no time should
be lost. "Behold I stand at the door and knock;
if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will
come in to him and will sup with him, and he with
me:" Rev. iii. 20. And for your farther encouragement, there stands, Luke xi. 13, the heartcheering promise, and the resistless argument,
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children: how much more shall
your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him?"
165
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0
0 
INDEX.
PAGE
Faith, A Duty and a Grace........ 84 89
Distinguished from Believing.... 103
A.              PAGE
Ability, Three Kinds.................. 28
Afflictions, Means  of Sanctifica    tion.................................... 121
B.
Baptism, A Means of Sanctifica          c
tion.................................... 123
Bates,-Quotation from............... 50
Beatific Vision........................... 23
Believing,  Distinguished  from
Faith fo........................1d              t      d.. 103
Blessed, Two Words so Translated
-Explained......................... 22
Butler, Bp., Quotation from......... 144
H.
Happiness................................. 14
Right Action Necessary to...... 15 21
Perfection of........................... 161
Indefinitely Increases.............. 162
Holiness................................... 10
Twofold, Negative, andPositive.. 11
Holy Life, Proof of Regeneration. 97
Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier.......... 44 77
C.
Confirmation, not an End of Moral
Agency............................... 159
Conscience, Terrors of, not Desir    able.................................... 42
Improvable............................ 111
Contents.................................... 4
Conviction of Sin......................... 38
Not of itself a Blessing............ 40
Not Conversion, Danger of mis
take.................................... 41
I.
Inability, Moral, a Sin................. 29
No Excuse for Sin................... 30
Indwelling of the Holy Ghost...... 80
Intellect improvable................... 110
J.
Judgment-A   confirmation  in
Bliss and in Misery............... 156
Justification  and  Sanctification
compared............................. 98
D.
Death, Negative Sanctification
completed at........................ 141
Doubting on account of Indwell    ing Sin................................ 140
Dreams about Spiritual Things....  74
K.
Knowledge, its Increase strength    ens Conscience..................... 112
E.
Emotions  or  Feelings  distin    guish ed from Conviction          of
Sin................................... 74 76
Evidences of Regeneration.......... 70
Life.......................... 106 107
Of Spirit............... 109 115
Love of Life Universal and Ne    cessary to Moral Accounta    bility.................................. 18
To God, Evidence of Regenera    tion.................................   76 104
167
F.
Faculty, New, Restored in Regen    eration................................ 68
G.
Graces,Order of........................ 102
L. 
INDEX.
PAGE
Regeneration, its Nature, Instanta    neousness.....................  55
Soul Passive in.................... 56 103
Resurrection.............................. 156
M.              PAGE
Memory necessary to Identity...... 147
Mysteriousness of Regeneration...  67
N.
Necessity, Absolute or Conditional  59
P.
Perfection in Sanctification, Nega    tive at death; Positive in
Eternity.............................. 139
Perseverance in Grace a Necessity 154
In Sin ensures Torments to be
Eternal............................... 156
Prayer....................................... 129
Preface...................................... 8
Progress of Sanctification, Indefi     nite.................................... 106
Providences, Means of Sanctifica    tion, War, Sickness, &c......... 34
S.
Sanctification, term defined......... 10
A Work-Instrumentalities...... 32
Self-love................................... 19
Spirit, Holy, alone gives Life...... 37 59
Ministry of............................. 26
T.
Temptation, Prayer..................... 126
The Truth Progressive..... 106 115 118
R.                                    W.
Regeneration, Holiness begun... 47 49  Words not Vehicles of Thought...   9
168
U.
Unpaxdonable Sin.................. 45 126