up. And now the day of life is far fpent, the night of death is at hand, and at such an hour as thou thinkeft not, the meffenger will be commiffioned to fetch thee away, that thou mayeft give an account of the ufe thou haft made of the time and talents allotted thee, in order to thy fanctification. And if not fanctified, a miserable account wilt thou give! How certain is thy death! How uncertain the time when! Perhaps even this night thy foul will be demanded! and doft thou trifle ftill? 9. Penetrated with a fense of these truths, let me exhort thee, Up and be doing. Convinced of its great excellency, its abfolute and immediate néceffity, let thy whole heart long for Sanctification! Let all that is within thee pant and gafp after this refreshing grace! Let thy famished and ftarving foul infatiably hunger and thirft for this righteoufness, this bread and water of life! Let thy defires after it be fervent, conftant, and increafing; and be not fatisfied till thou "awake up after his likeness. "-Remembering that this holiness is the gift of God, that he alone can work it in thee, let thy defire be to him, and thy expectation from him. "Lift up thine eyes to the hills, from whence thy help cometh; thy help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Only he can create thy foul anew; and he is both able and willing to do it. Nay he hath infallibly promised this bleffing to all who afk it. "By prayer and fupplication, therefore, make thy request known unto God." And be in earneft; do not trifle with God. If Sanctification be indeed fo valuable and neceffary, and if God, be faithful to his word, and have indeed promised it; then let thy prayers for it be fervent and perfevering; afk, feek, knock. Repeat and urge thy re P 6 queft queft again and again. Be importunate in prayer, take no denial, fay, "I will not let thee go without thy bleffing; By thy great Name, I enter my proteft, "Never to leave thee, till I fee thy word And believe thou shalt have the petitions that thou afkeft;" and be affured "thou shalt have them." 10. In the mean time, confider to whom thou art indebted for this fanctification, who it is that hath purchased it for thee. Confider him, who "gave himself for thee, that he might redeem thee from all iniquity, and purify thee from all pollution of flesh and fpirit." Remember he is "made of God unto thee Sanctification.” If the Father fanctify thee, it is for his Son's fake, and in conformity to his Son's image; yea, and it is only by faith in his Son that thou canst obtain the bleffing. Convinced of this, and of thy entire finfulness, deep guilt, and utter helpleffnefs, come to the Father for this grace, thro' the Són, confiding only in him for audience and fuccefs. Make what he hath done and fuffered thy only plea; renounce all confidence in thy own wifdom, righteousness, and ftrength; trust in him alone; and be fatisfied "he is able to fave to the uttermoft all who come unto God by him." Abfolutely rely upon his infallible word of promife: "Whatsoever ye fhall afk in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son: If ye afk any thing in my name, I will do it." Perfeveringly wait its accomplishment, and it fhall be done unto thee according to thy faith. 11. Only . 7 11. Only obferve, "If the bleffing tarry, wait for it. It will furely come, and will not tarry long. Follow the Pfalmift's example; "I waited patiently upon the Lord, " (or rather, p mp, In waiting I waited, that is, I waited carneftly and diligently,) and " he inclined unto me and heard my cry." Wait thou for the Lord. Expect the answer of thy prayers, as the watchman expecteth the morning light, and that at all times, and in all places. God has not confined himself to any time or place: expect him therefore continually: and with that earneftnefs which becometh a foul continually on the brink of death and judgment. "Watch thou, for thou neither knoweft the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh." Watch for fanctification; watch for Chrift's coming; watch againft fin. Remember where thou art, in the wilderness, not in Canaan; in an enemy's country, not in Paradife; in the field of battle, not reaping the spoils of victory. Wherefore, be fober, be vigilant. Awake," and keep a good look-out: Stand on thy guard: Put on the whole armour of God: Refift the Devil: Shun temptation, and "ftrive against fin tho' it be unto blood." Confcientiously use all the means of grace, and look thro' all to the merits of Chrift and the Spirit of God, on which alone. thy hopes must be founded. 12. Once more. Amidst all this ftrife and agony, "poffefs thy foul in patience." Endeavour after a calm, compofed, and peaceful ftate of heart. Let thy mind be " ftayed on the Lord,” and he will keep thee in perfect peace," and that peace thou wilt find wonderfully helpful in promoting thy fanctification. It was probably with a view to this compofure and ferenity of mind so friendly to divine inspiration, that the Prophets of of old fometimes made ufe of mufic, when they expected any extraordinary influences of the Holy Spirit. They feem to have intended hereby, the calming of their paffions, and the introducing into their fouls an heavenly peace and tranquillity, that the mild and gentle Spirit of the Holy One, might delight to vifit and dwell with them. And furely we are never better disposed for further vifitations, discoveries, and operations from that fame Spirit, for more intimate union with the Father and the Son thro' him, than when we are calm, Settled, and peaceful. Then our fouls wait for him as the thirfty land for the falling fhowers. Then," as the eyes of a maiden are unto the hands of her miftrefs, fo are our eyes unto the Lord, till he have mercy upon us." Then the dew of heaven diftills upon our branches, yea, he "fends a gracious rain upon his inheritance, and refreshes it when it is weary." Thus in quietness and in reft are we faved." Let it be thy care, therefore, to refift every temptation to inquietude, care, and anxiety. What profit can't thou gain "By felf confuming care? "To him commend thy caufe, his ear "Stand ftill, and fee the falvation of God," and yet," Agonize to enter in at the ftrait gate." Join the agony of defire to the peace of dependance, and the patience of hope. May God help thee to reconcile thefe, and all will be well: "The God of Peace himself will fanctify thee wholly, and the whole of thee, the fpirit, and foul, and body, 2 Kings iii. 15. will will be preferved blameless to his heavenly kingdom. Faithful is he that calleth thee, who also will do it," "I reft upon thy word, My fuccour and falvation, Lord, "Nor from my hope remove, 13. I must not conclude thefe difcourfes without addreffing a few words to those, who profess to have attained this Sanctification..-1ft, See that your profeffion be founded on truth: Take care that you do not deceive yourself. Remember, if you are indeed Janctified in the fenfe that has been explained, you think lefs of yourself than ever you did in all your life. Your understanding is fo enlightened in the knowledge of God and of your. felf; you have fuch clear views of God's incomprehenfible greatness and your own exceeding littleness, of his infinite wisdom and your extreme folly, of his almighty power and your amazing weakness, of his unfpotted purity and your great defilement, of his inflexible juftice and your notorious guilt and defert of eternal mifery ;-and above all, you have such a discovery of the boundlefs mercy and love of God to loft finners in general, and to yourself in particular, and of your utter unworthiness in all respects, and how far you come short of paying the debt of gratitude due to him for fuch goodnefs; that you are afhamed, confounded, and as it were brought to nothing before his glorious Majefty, crying out from the bottom of your heart, "Who can ftand before this |