sanctification to his people, as he is their great head of influence; who imparts to every member of his mystical body, by virtue of his kingly office, his Holy Spirit, to sanctify and make them holy in their own proper persons.

Answ. Jesus Christ is made sanctification to his people in his priestly office. He assumed our nature; he bore our names; and by his offering, made an atonement for us as a priest. He bore our sins, he removed our sins, he blotted out our sins, he purged our sins, and that in his priestly office, to which the making atonement belonged. Christ is made sanctification to us by executing his Father's will in the offering up of himself as a sacrifice. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." "Wherefore Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." If all this be true, then Christ is, in his priestly office, by virtue of his one offering, the sanctification of his people, and that by the will of God: and if he hath by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified, it must follow that, in his priestly office, he is the perfect sanctification of his people, and they were made nigh by the blood of Christ before they were brought nigh by effectual calling. This work was finished upon the cross; and the believer is complete in him that finished it, and without fault before the throne: on which ac

count he is said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. i. 2.

Hence it appears that, if not by imputation made sanctification, he is by the will and purpose of God, who, in the bond of an everlasting covenant united us together and made us one, as surety and debtor are one. Christ was made a

curse, but we were blessed in him; he was held by the hand of Justice, but we were let go free; the chastisement fell on him, and peace fell to us; he was striped, and we were healed; our old man was crucified with him, and we were viewed new creatures in him; he died, but we lived; he was the sacrifice, and the atonement was ours. Thus, by the will and purpose of God, he was made sanctification; and by his one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. But, as to internal sanctification, it is the work of the third person in the trinity: as it is written, "That the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost."

Quot. By his justifying righteousness he saves them from the guilt and condemnation of sin, which are the two first propositions I laid down; and this relates to his priestly office, and is that which gives them a title to heaven.

Answ. Why is the justifying robe of righteousness, which the Saviour wrought out, confined to his priestly office? A priest under the law was not bound by his office to clothe the tribes of Israel, nor to pay their debts: it was wrought out

by Christ, in his office as surety, who undertook to pay the debt of perfect obedience to the law; and the imputation of it to the debtor is the sovereign work of the great creditor, who took the surety from prison and from judgment, when the total sum to precept and penalty was paid. And to us it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, Rom. iv. 24. By which sovereign act of divine clemency, displayed by imputation, the debtor is not only discharged; but, by virtue of this righteousness on him, and the spirit of promise given to him, the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in him, while he walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Quot. She shall not only be clear as the sun in her justification, but she shall also be fair as the moon in her sanctification.

Answ. The church has been brought from under the moon-light dispensation ever since the Sun of Righteousness rose from the dead, and began to shine out of Zion, the perfection of beauty. The gospel church is represented as having the moon under her feet, which is a very improper place for her sanctification; for surely her inward glory is not to be trampled upon.

Quot. This faith unites the soul to the Lord Jesus Chrst; and, the moment the believer is made partaker of it, he becomes one spirit with the Lord.

Answ. In a former quotation faith was said

to work a vital union; but in this place is said to be the uniting bond, and a very weak one at best, and will last no longer than death. The saints die in faith; but we hear nothing of this work of union, nor of this uniting bond, nor of any ties or feats of faith beyond the grave.

Quot. This faith makes Christ precious; it purifies his heart, and constrains him to hate sin, because of its deformity; because it is Christ's enemy, and crucified him; and because Christ abhors it, and a triune God abhors it. It constrains him to love holiness for its own beauty and excellence.

Answ. For my part, I believe that, and that only, which constrains a man to hate sin, is the love of the Almighty to him; which, and only which, can produce a godly sorrow for sin, and a hatred to it. When I was on the brink of black despair under the law, I had a clear view and a strong faith in the holiness, justice, and beauty, of God. The excellence of these, however, did not attract my love, but drove me to desperation and madness. I pitied myself, loved sin in my heart, and wished that there were no God at all. But, when pardoning love operated upon my grief and sorrow, and produced repentance never to be repented of, then I loved the Lord with all my heart and soul; not because he was holy and beautiful, but because of his goodness, lovingkindness, tender mercy, pity, and compassion, to such a cursed wretch as I was. The apostles loved God because

he first loved them; Mary loved much because she had much forgiven; and the psalmist loved the Lord because he had heard the voice of his weeping, and had forgiven the iniquity of his sin. If persons were to publish a thousand volumes of such head notions as these, heart religion would ever contradict them all. It is not enough for authors to know the scriptures, they must know the power of God also.

Quot, Faith gives the soul victory over sin, Satan, and the world.

Answ. If faith can do this, I should have no objection to fall down and worship it. But I believe that Christ overcame the world, and bids me be of good cheer on that account; and the same conqueror must give me power to tread on serpents, scorpions, and all the power of the enemy, or else they would soon be too much for me. If ever I am made more than a conqueror, it must be through him that hath loved me. My faith is so far from giving me this victory, that I am obliged to employ faith in every time of trouble; to go with messages, with petition after petition, till the Lord's strength, in answer to faith's prayer, be made perfect in my weakness. Instead of faith's giving this victory, the believer is obliged to lay hold of Christ's strength, in order to keep his faith from sinking. I know the apostle says, that this is the victory that overcometh the worid, even our faith; and that faith is a prevailing grace. But the object of faith, and the system