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the Lord the Spirit, renew you by his grace, and if renewed, make you "a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work."

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CHAPTER V.

THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT.

THE NECESSITY AND THE NATURE OF TRUE HOLINESS.

"Through sanctification of the Spirit." 2 Thess. ii. 13.

We have already intimated that, one most important feature in the work of the indwelling Spirit was, the sanctification of the believer. In enlarging upon the doctrine of the preceding chapter, we necessarily, though briefly, touched upon this great point. What was then merely glanced at, will now, by the assistance of that same Teacher who has promised to guide into all spiritual truth, be more fully unfolded. While yet upon the threshold of our subject, let it be premised that, there is an order, as well as a harmony, in the operations of the Spirit, which, in examining his work, it is highly important should be observed. An ignorance or an oversight of this, has led to great and fatal perversions of the Gospel, especially that part which relates to the doctrine now under

discussion. All the self-righteousness of the Pharisee, and all the self-devotion of the deluded disciple of the papal superstition, has its origin here. Now, the order of the Spirit is this;-Regeneration of the heart first, then, its sanctification. Reverse this, and we derange every part of his work, and, as far as our individual benefit extends, render it entirely useless. Sanctification is not the first and immediate duty of an unrenewed person. Indeed, it were utterly impossible that it should be so. Sanctification has its commencement and its daily growth in a principle of life implanted in the soul by the Eternal Spirit; and, to look for holiness in an individual still dead in sins, is to look for fruit where no seed was sown -for the actings of life where no vital principle exists, it is to expect, in the language of our Lord, to "gather grapes from thorns, and figs from thistles." The first and imperious duty of an unrenewed man is, to prostrate himself in deep abasement and true repentance before God,-the lofty look must be brought low, and the rebellious will must be humbled, and in the posture of one overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, he is to look by faith to a crucified Saviour, and draw from thence, life, pardon, and acceptance. True, most solemnly true, it is that, without holiness no man shall see the Lord," yet, all attempts towards

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the attainment of holiness, before repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, will but disappoint the soul that looks for it.

This work of renewal done, sanctification is comparatively an easy and a delightful employ. Motives and exhortations to a life of holiness, now find a ready response in the heart, already the temple of the Holy Spirit. The "incorruptible seed" there sown, germinates into the plant, and blossoms and ripens into the fruits of holiness,— and the "living water" there welled, springs up, and pours forth its stream of life and purity, adorning and fertilizing the garden of the Lord. Let us, then, be careful how we disturb the arrangement, and reverse the order of the blessed Spirit in his work. Great errors have in consequence, arisen, and souls have gone into eternity, fearfully and fatally deceived. Especially cautious should they be in this matter, who are appointed to the office of spiritual instruction,-to whose care immortal souls are entrusted,-lest, in a matter involving interests so precious and so lasting, any should pass from beneath their teaching into eternity, ignorant of the one and true method of salvation.

Let the reader prayerfully follow us, while, in the present chapter, we endeavour to unfold the necessity of sanctification in the believer, -its

gospel nature, and the means employed by the Spirit in its production.

There exits an absolute and solemn necessity for sanctification in a child of God. To remind the reader of this, may, at first sight, appear a needless work, so self-evident, and so immediate an effect of the regeneration of the Spirit does it seem. And yet, the advanced believer, much more the sincere enquirer after a more perfect knowledge of the will of God, needs to be perpetually reminded of the solemn necessity, in order to his own happiness and his Father's glory, of a daily growth in all holiness. And, as the believer is, after regeneration, an active agent in the furtherance of this great work, and, as there is a perpetual proneness, through the many infirmities of the flesh, to settle down in a state of ease and sloth in it, the importance of being reminded of this necessity will immediately appear.

The first ground on which this necessity rests is, the holiness of God-the nature of that God, whose temple he is, pleads for the sanctification of the believer. We have to do with a holy God, who, from the very necessity and purity of his being, can have no fellowship with sin. He must hate, he must abhor it. A stronger plea for the sanctification of the child of God can nowhere be found. Let us for a moment trace this argument

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