IV. Balaam has beautifully prophefied of them, Num. xxiii. 9. "Lo! the people fhall dwell alone, and fhall not be reckoned among the nations." Ifrael is called the people: 1st, On account of their prodigious numbers, ver. 10. "Who can count the duft of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel;" 2. On account of thofe facred ties, by which this vast congregation was united together. They were not a promiscuous affembly but a multitude, under a proper polity, or form of government, united together by covenant, governed by falutary laws, with rights and an inheritance, and having God himself for their head. Thus the apoftle, 1 Pet. ii. 10. & xóre & Amos, vũy dì daòs Os, which in time paft were not a people, but are now the people of God. This is the meaning of y. o, the people, when ufed in its emphatical fenfe, and diftinguifhed from Gentiles. And, not a people, Deut. xxxii. 21. is a multitude that has no fuch privileges. Balaam testifies of the former that they dwell alone, or are feparate, not reckoned among the nations they are fevered and diftinguished from the rest of the world, by peculiar laws, customs, and institutions. Tacitus in his history, book 5. fays, "Mofes, the better to attach the people afterwards to himself, appointed them new rites, contrary to thofe of the reft of the world. There all things are accounted profane, which we look upon as facred; and those things are allowed by them which we hold to be incestuous."

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V. This feparation of the Jewish people, in as far as it was the effect of ceremonial inftitutions, conftituted a ceremonial holinefs; but if we confider it as the effect of the excellency of those laws, which prescribed moral duties, in that respect, they much furpaffed other nations, yet that constituted a holinefs common to the godly in all ages. Hence the church of the New Teftament is called, "the flock of thine heritage, which dwell folitarily." Micah vii. 14. And Christ fays of his people; they are in the world, but not of the world; for he has chofen them out of the world," John xv. 19. "Delivering them from this prefent evil world, according to the will of God, and our Father," Gal. i. 4. To this purpose is the admonition of Paul, Rom. xii. 2. Μη συσχηματίζεσθε του ανών. Tl, "Be not conformed to this world."

VI. And this is that fingularity of piety fo recommended by fome, which does not confift in external niceties of an over-ftrained will-worfhip, and an aufterity of difcipline, as was generally the practice of the Pharifees among the Jews, and of the Afcetics formerly among the ancient Christians; concerning whom Cafaubon may be feen in his Efere, ad Baron. Exerc. 1. No. 9. A manner of life fignificantly called by Ephiphanius,

Epiphanius, sexgolnra dixaioruvns, the utmost pitcb of felf-righteousnefs: but in fhunning the vices of the age, pride, drunkennefs, luft, and vanities of every kind. I Pet. iv. 3. "For the time paft of our life may fuffice us, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lafcivioufnefs, lufts, excefs of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries." Eph. v. 7, "Be not ye therefore partakers with them:” and v. II." and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." Tertullian, in his Apologetica, advifes us, that in what we fay, fee and hear, we correfpond in nothing with the madnefs of the circus, the lewdness of the theatre, the fhocking cruelty of the amphitheatre, and the vanity of the Xyftus; we are not to attend on fuch fhows and reprefentations as thefe. 2. That in opinions and sentiments we keep at a diftance from those of the vulgar: that is what Paul hints in what follows: " but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the will of God." By the vulgar I mean, not only the lowest class of people, of whom Tacitus fays, they have nei ther judgment nor truth; but even fuch as feem to themselves and others extremely wife in this world; from whom God generally conceals thofe mysteries of his, which he reveals to babes, Mat. xi. 25. 3. In will and affections, 1 Pet. i. 14. "Not fashioning yourselves according to the former lufts in your ignorance." 4. In the exercife of fuch a generous and noble virtue, or holiness, as is infinitely beyond the reach of other people, Phil. ii. 15. "That ye may be blameless and harmlefs, the fons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye fhine as lights in the world."

VII. Secondly, the word holy, denotes whatever is dedicated to, or fet apart for God and his fervice. Thus the altar, and what belonged to it, are called most holy, Exod. xxx. 29: alfo, Aaron with his fons, 1 Chron. xxiii. 13. So in like manner the truly godly are "a peculiar treasure to God above all people," Exod. xix. 5. In the Hebrew it runs : mbɔo ↳ Bawai. To Segullah the laft of thefe, the Latin word figillum has an affinity: fo that no SEGULLAH denotes a thing, which a perfon declares to be his own property, by impreffing it with his feal; nay indeed, it denotes fuch a thing, on account of which, perfons and kings themfelves are accounted rich, and by which they difplay their grandeur, Ecclef. ii. 8. "I gathered me alfo filver and gold ban nhai, and the SEGULLAH peculiar trea fure of Kings." Thus God hath chofen Ifrael b for his Segullah, or peculiar treasure," Pl. cxxxv. 4. Con, cerning

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cerning this word, fee Waferus de nummis, lib. 1. c. I. Septuagint exprefs it by gasv iwurw, Deut. vii. 6. mbao □y, "a fpecial people;" which Paul, in imitation of the LXX. calls Acosgrios," a peculiar people;" Tit. ii. 14. And Jerome affirms, he could not learn the meaning of that Greek word from any one, that was converfant in profane literature; but gathered it from the above place in Deuteronomy, and the like. Yet I think Grotius has not improperly obferved, that gos is derived from *g, which fignifies, to excel; and hence Tigos denotes the fame as siglos, excellent : and #igiósia superabundance in which fenfe Clemens Alexandrius ufes it in Adımon. ad Gentes p. 5. μιςτον ἡμῖν της μαθήσεως, εκπεριέσιας, βασιλέαν έραιων inayyidaela: promises to us, fuperabundantly, or over and above, the kingdom of heaven, as the reward of our doctrine. And again, P. 69. Φέρε ὑμῖν, εκ περιουσίας, την περί τας λογος παραθήσομαι πείθω; Ι fball abundatly bring a convincing proof concerning the word. In the fame manner, as Demofthenes fays, Tas, Ex zegıxoias, pe xalnog, he fuperabundantly accuses me: Polybius, book 4. c. 38, oppofes περίσσια to the άι αναγκαίαι τε βιο χρεναι, the neceflaries of life. The godly therefore are God's excellent poffeflion, which he claims and preferves, and in which he boafts, as his crown of glory and royal diadem, Ifa. lxii. 3. Which he efteems as his riches, and fuffers not to become the property of another: and in this sense also may holiness be afcribed to them: 10vos ἅγιον, λαος εις περιποίησιν, a holy nation, a peculiar people, are joined together, 1 Pet. ii. 9.

VIII. God alfo truly feals his fervants, as his property, which he would keep from being loft, and in this fenfe, he likewife accounts fuch facred or inviolable. Rev. vii. 2, 3. John faw an angel afcending from the east, diftinct from the four miniftring angels, and giving orders unto them: now Christ himself is avalonies, the day spring from on high, Luke i. 78. and the Gospel was publifhed chiefly from Jerufalem to the weft, namely to the ifles of the fea, or to Europe. This angel had the feal of the living God, viz. the Spirit of God, who is also the fpirit of the Son, Gal. iv. 6. and by whom the elect are fealed, Eph. i. 13. because he imprints upon them the character of holinefs declared in the Gofpel, whereby they are known to be the property of God. This angel gave his orders to the others not to hurt any one, till, fays he, we have fealed the fervants of our God in their foreheads; from which words we are not to imagine, that God has any fellow labourers in this fealingwork, but Chrift fays this concerning himself and his Spirit; who may well call God the Father, their God, as both are fent from him, Ifa. xlviii. 16. The Lord God hath fent me and his fpirit;

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as thus the Hebrew may very properly be rendered.. Moreover, this feal was in the foreheads of God's fervants; because, as the forehead is the moft confpicuous part of man, fo the truth of the Gospel and the efficacy of true piety, which is impreffed upon their hearts by the Holy Spirit, difcover themselves in the public profeffion, and open practice of holiness, which ftrike the eyes and ears of all. Nor is it improbable, there is here an allufion to a received custom in the Eaft, by which the names of masters were stamped on the foreheads of their fervants, as Grotius has obferved from Hefychius and Ariftophanes. The godly then are God's peculiar property; for they bear his name on their foreheads, Rev. xiv. 1. They also profefs themfelves to be fet apart for his service.

IX. And as God fets his feal upon them, fo in like manner they fubfcribe with their hand to be only the Lords, Ifa. xliv. 5. The Roman foldiers of old according to Vegetius de re Milit. Lib. 2. c. 5. being marked with indelible characters in the skin, were wont to be fworn when they were enlifted: and hence in the law of Mauritius, Signati in manu, they who are marked in the hand is a circumlocution for foldiers: for, syμalá 151 twv sealsvo pervan in Tais xsgoor, the marks of foldiers are in their hands, fays Elian. This is what Chryfoftom on Rom. iv. 11. calls opgayıda rõ spaliwls, the feal of the foldier: fee Grotius on Revelations xiii. 16. In much the fame manner, believers being fealed by God with the efficacy of the flaming spirit, and a truly indelible and never fading character, do, at the fame time, bind themselves by an oath, to be faithful to God, as foldiers to their general. For, while they profefs themselves to be God's, they also give themfelves up to his fervice alone, Acts xxvii. 23. Whofe I am, and whom I ferve. In a word, the chofen and called are all faints, because separated from the rest of the world, they are declared to be God's on several accounts. But we have not yet mentioned the principal thing.

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X. Thirdly, Holiness denotes that purity of a man, in his nature, inclinations and actions, which confifts in an imitation and expreflion of the divine purity or holinefs. God is the great pattern of his rational creatures. His will is expreffed in the law, which was the pattern fhewn to Mofes in the mount, according to which the fanctuary of our foul ought to be framed. But his divine virtues or perfections are a pattern, which we

are.

I fuppofe the author here alludes, by this defignation, to the descent of the Holy Ghoft on the Apofiles, when there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and fat upon each of them, Acts ii. 3. and he is called the fpirit of burning, Ifa. iv. 4. and John the Baptift declared, that Chrift f.ould baptife with the Holy Choft and with fire. Mat. iij. 11.

are to contemplate with fo much diligence, attention and devotion, as to be ourselves transformed according to that, 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. "But as he which hath called you is holy, fo be ye holy in all manner of conversation: because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." Virtue or holiness may be confidered in different refpects. As it agrees with the prefcription of the law, it is called righteousness; but as it is a conformity to God, and an expreffion of his purity, it is termed holiness. And it is chiefly in this fenfe, that we fhall now fpeak concerning holinefs.

XI. Having thus previously explained these things, it will not be hard to infer, what we mean by SANCTIFICATION; namely that real work of God, by which they, who are chofen, regenerated and juftified, are continually more and more transformed from the turpitude of fin, to the purity of the divine image.

XII. We diftinguith this work of God from the first regeneration, and first effe&ual calling to Chrift. For, the immediate term, or effect of regeneration, is a principle of spiritual life, which, in a moment, is put into the foul, by the im mediate energy of the Holy Spirit. The term, or effect of effectual calling is the mystical union, and communion with Chrift. But the term or effect of SANCTIFICATION are the habits of spiritual virtues or graces, and their lively exercife: and thus fanctification follows upon regeneration and effectual calling, at least in the order of nature, and fuppofes thofe actions of God as going before it.

XIII. There is ftill a further difference between fanctification and juftification; for justification is a judicial act, terminating in a relative change of ftate; namely, a freedom from punishment and a right to life: fanctification a real work, which is performed by a fupernatural influence, and which terminates in a change of ftate as to the quality both of habits and actions.

XIV. Yet we are to take notice, that the term fanctification is not always taken by divines in this strict sense; fometimes they comprehend under it regeneration and the first infufion of a new life, and take fanctification, renovation of the fpirit, regeneration, the new creature, the firft refurrection, for fynonymous terms; as the Leyden profeffors, Synops. Difput. 33. §. 2. Sometimes alfo they include juftification under the fame term. "It is well known," fays the abridger of Chamierus, p. 860, "that the terms juftification and fanctifica tion are put one for the other." Gomarus in like manner, on 1 Pet. I. 2. "Sanctification, taken in a general fenfe, comprifes regeneration and juftification." Nay fometimes the word fanctification is taken fo largely, as to include the

whole