literally express, that he cannot sin at all; that is, in as far as he comes under the influence of the principles of the new life, to which he is begotten by the incorruptible seed of God's word. No sin whatever can be the product of these principles. From the seed of God's own word, nothing can spring but what is holy. Sin pertains not to the new man, The corrupt nature remains; and

but to the old.

from its remaining "root of bitterness" proceeds whatever is evil. In proportion as the indwelling word of the living God operates, sin is eradicated, and the heart cleared of all its weeds and poisons. And wherein will the holiness of heaven consist, but in the entire removal of all the principles of the old nature, and in the perfected and uncounteracted influence of the principles of the new? The divine life in the soul, then, produced by the regenerating word of God, is, in its nature, a sinless life. The child of God, as such, "cannot sin." As a child of God, he is a "partaker of the divine nature,”—the nature of “ Him who is light, and in whom there is no darkness at all." The principles of this new spiritual and heavenly life, having the decided ascendency, and habitual predominance, in the government of his conduct, come to form the character by which he is distinguished and identified. So that, in the

same way as when a person, who is known to be a man of high honour and sterling integrity, is led, by any temptation, to do a mean thing, we say, with incredulous surprise, "that was not like himself;" or even more strongly," he was not himself when he did that:" so may we say, with regard to the "spiritual man," the child of God, the subject of

the Spirit's renewing and indwelling power, when he commits sin, he does not then act like himself. The act is not in harmony with the great ruling principles of his character, with the ordinary bent or inclination of his mind, and the consequent regular tenor of his behaviour. And such appears to be the import of Paul's remarkable expression, "It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me."

The same end, which is thus answered by the word of God,—namely, the production and promotion of holiness, it is hardly necessary to say, is the design of all the outward ordinances of his worship. What good end have prayer and praise answered, if the heart has not been elevated by them to their great and gracious Object, and its affections more hallowed, and refined, and fixed above? And as to institutions of a symbolical nature, their influence resolves itself into the influence of the word. For what are they but remembrancers of truth,-embodied exhibitions of it to the mind, and means of deepening its impression, and quickening its energy! They produce their appropriate effect, just in proportion as they thus bring divine discoveries vividly before the understanding, refresh the memory, and impart a new animation to the principles of holy sensibility and holy living. They are simply the truths of God represented in significant emblems. And when God sanctifies his people by means of them, he in reality "sanctifies them by the truth." All their purifying virtue necessarily springs from this. Apart from the Gospel facts which they commemorate, and the Gospel doctrines which they

exhibit and impress, they might be classed with "carnal ordinances" and "beggarly elements."

And HOLINESS is the end, too, of all divine discipline. Our heavenly Father leaves his children. at no loss to discover for what purpose he corrects them. His statements are explicit; his assurances precious, and full of comfort. By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit," (and what more, or what better, could Jacob desire?) "to take away his sin." "We

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have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he'for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them who are exercised thereby." The chastisements of God are thus only another means for the same end;not so pleasant a means, certainly, as the former two; but a means which his wisdom sees necessary, which his love never employs willingly, but which his faithfulness binds him to use when the purposes of his love require it. The value of the end should reconcile his children to the means:and when they are detained from the "Courts of God's House," in the chamber of sickness, and on the bed of languishing, the recollection should sooth their troubled souls, that no higher end could be effected by their attendance there, than that which their wise. and merciful Father is working out in them by the dis

cipline of his paternal rod.

Can all his ordinances, can his word itself, do more for them, than to make them "partakers of his holiness?"

In this way, the blessed God appears ordering every thing for one end; and that end is HOLINESS: the bringing back of his apostate creatures to conformity with his own character,-making them "holy as he is holy." It is to this he chooses his people from eternity:-" According as he hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love." This is what the covenant, ratified by the Redeemer's blood, specially promises to accomplish:-" 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 a heart of flesh; and I will put my Spirit within you, and ye shall walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them." This is what all the operations of the promised Spirit are accordingly employed to effect:-"God, who knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by

his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Regeneration is incipient holiness. It is the germ, in the soul, of the tree of life. Those principles are then implanted, which are afterwards to be nourished, and developed, and brought out in practical exemplification. The new life then commences, which consists in the inward operation of spiritual principles, and exercise of holy affections. This new life, it is the grand purpose of God, by means of the Gospel, to impart. And he has appointed means for its subsequent establishment and growth, which it is equally the duty and the interest of his people diligently and perseveringly to use. It is of salvation as already, in the principles of it, possessed, and as consisting in progressive holiness, that the Apostle speaks when he exhorts believers-" Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure." The renovation of our nature is not perfected below; not till we quit the world, and exchange earth for heaven. The close of life is to every man the time of final and irreversible decision. Death stamps the seal of immutable permanence upon the character with which each individual dies. There are no changes of heart effected, any more than acts of pardon passed, beyond the grave. "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still." To every renewed sinner,-to every child of God, the moment of departure from the world is the moment of entrance on the perfection