submissive at the feet of Jesus, casting all our cares upon him, who, if we have the blessedness of constituting members of his family, indeed careth for us, is the prayer of yours to serve in the Lord's cause,

Manchester, Sept. 21, 1835.

THOMAS.

ON SANCTIFICATION.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE GOSPEL STANDARD.

Dear Sirs, Feeling, as I trust I do, a growing concern for the glory of God and the spread of the gospel, and believing that your work will, in the hands of the Lord, be a means of the furtherance of the glorious gospel of God our Saviour, I feel it my duty and privilege to encourage it in every way I can; and I therefore forward you the following remarks on the great and glorious doctrine of sanctification, which I submit for your approval or rejection.

The doctrine of sanctification is clearly revealed in the word of God; and when the mind of the saint is led into it by the blessed Spirit, the doctrine of a Triune Jehovah shines forth; for we are sanctified by the Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; as will evidently appear if we take into consideration the different acceptations the term bears in the word of God.

I By the term sanctification, or sanctify, we are sometimes to understand the setting apart of a thing or person to a certain use or office. As for instance: God sanctified, or set apart, the seventh day as a Sabbath of rest. Before the Lord formed Jeremiah in the womb of his mother, he sanctified, or ordained, him, a prophet unto the nations. (Jer. i. 5.) In this sense, Christ, the Father's first elect, was sanctified, or set apart (John x. 36), as the Mediator of the better covenant, before all worlds. In like manner, the election of grace were sanctified, or seu apart, by God the Father, as his chosen people, in Christ, from everlasting. Hence Jude, the servant of Christ, dedicates his epistle to them that are "sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Christ Jesus, called by God's grace." And Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, uses a similar mode of expression: "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints;" and in his solemn address to the elders of the church at Ephesus, we have the same principle maintained: "And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the

word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." Also in the 10th chapter of his Epistle to the Hebrews, where he says, that Christ "hath, by one offering, for ever perfected them that are sanctified."

From the above passages, how evident it is that God's predestinated people were eternally sanctified by God the Father, in Christ Jesus, and that election and sanctification are of the same eternal date; and, as it is said in the articles of the church of England! "The Godly consideration of it is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to Godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members, and training up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God."

If the

II. By sanctification, we are sometimes to understand a cleansing from that which in itself is unclean or impure, as we all are, both by nature and practice. This sanctification, or cleansing, is by the precious blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin. Of this, Paul speaks: "Wherefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate" (Heb. xiii. 13); "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.' Again, in Heb. ix. 13, 14, Paul, contrasting the blood of the Levitical priesthood with the blood of Christ, says, blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifyeth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God," and, in 1 Cor. vi. 11, having reckoned up the black catalogue of crimes to which the unrighteous are given up, adds: "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, by Christ, who of God is made unto us sanctification, and redemption; for he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one.” This sanctification we greatly need, for we were born in sin, and conceived in iniquity: we are men of unclean lips, and dwell amongst a people of unclean lips; and if we know the plague of our own hearts, we

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feel, at times such swarms of vain and sinful thoughts working within, even when on our knees in our closets, that we have to cry out from our very soul, "O Lord, I am vile!" "Unclean, unclean!' Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death!" And were it not for the fountain of Jesus's sanctifying blood, which is open for sin and uncleanness, such black, polluted, guilty sinners as we are must sink in despair. But we rejoice to hear our gracious

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Lord say unto us, Come now, and let us reason together: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Such is the power and efficacy of the blood of atonement, that when it is applied to the conscience by the power of the Spirit, it removes the burden of guilt, softens the hard heart, and brings that joy, peace, and rest that the world can neither give nor take away, for it speaks better things than the blood of Abel. Abel's blood called for vengeance to burst on Cain's guilty head; but the blood of Christ is crying for peace and pardon to rest on all the ransomed of the Lord. The church triumphant in glory, having proved the power and efficacy of the sanctifying, cleansing, purifying blood of the Lamb, make it the glory of their song: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

"Happy songsters,

When shall I your chorus join?"

HI. The work of sanctification is also ascribed to the Holy Ghost: "But we are bound to give thanks always to God, for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. ii. 13); “Elect, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."

In treating upon the sanctification of the Spirit, as it is laid down in the word of God, it must be observed,

1. As God the Father hath eternally sanctified his people in Christ, so for them Christ hath obtained eternal redemption; yet who these people are is only made known by the sanctification of the Spirit; for before the Holy Ghost takes possession of their hearts in regeneration, they are dead in trespasses and sins, and enemies to God by wicked works, both body and soul being given up to work wickedness with greediness. But when He takes them in hand, he sanctifies them,

or sets them apart for the service of God; according to that exhortation, "As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." (Rom. vi. 19.) They are a people the Lord hath formed for himself, and, under the sanctifying influence of his Spirit, they shall show forth his praise, making it manifest that they are a peculiar people, zealous of good works, which God hath before ordained that they shall walk in them. Lighted up by the Holy Ghost, they are as a candle put in a proper place, to give light to all round; or as a city set upon a hill, which cannot be hid. By their fruits, they are known to be the Lord's sanctified ones: "For this is the will of God, even our sanctification, that we should abstain from fornication, that every one of us should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles, which know not God: for God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.". (1 Thess. iv. 3, 4.) "If a man (by the Spirit's influence, purge himself fron these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Tim. ii. 21.) This can only be the case with us as the Lord works in us to will and do of his own good pleasure; for from him is our fruit found. In 1 Thess. v. 23, Paul says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God, your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." Thus the Lord makes it manifest that his people are not of the world, but that he hath chosen them out of the world, as a seed to serve him, and a generation to call him blessed.

2. In considering the sanctification of the Spirit, as an internal work of grace in the heart of a believer, we shall find that it is a growing work; but this must be made the subject of another paper.

(To be continued.)

A TRIED SINNER.

TO THE EDitors of THE GOSPEL STANDARD. Dear Sirs,-Having noticed on your wrapper for this month a request for some remarks from some of your correspondents on the above person's letter, and as there wants not a long train of useless words, I beg.to offer a few remarks upon his

case; and, in the first place, to observe, that there appears no doubt but he is a brother born from above, but wants to be cut, suppled, washed, and bound up by the good Spirit.

This friend says that he is vile indeed, and when he would do good evil is present with him. This is a blessed thing to know, and, as proof that he is alive, he evidently feels it, and is not dead in trespasses and sins, Christ being precious to his soul. In the Lord's good time, no doubt he will grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. As to his continual feelings of his sinfulness, this will drive him to Christ, the throne of grace, to live more out of himself and upon Christ, which is the only way of relief for the guilt and misery he feels. (See Matt. xi. 28.) Then will he run and not be weary, and walk and not faint; and be found sensibly in him, not having his own righteousness on, but that righteousness which is of God by faith in Christ Jesus, in which the righteous will sit in judgment, and not stand criminal-like at the bar of God.

Then as to prayer. At times this friend says he cannot pray, by reason of the sin he feels at all events, he acknowledges that he groans and desires, although he is beset with the besetting sin of unbelief in the prison-house, which seems to hinder his prayers to God; but he does pray, it appears. This is good again. As the Lord wants nothing from him, at present, but a broken heart, and a groaning heart, these precede a rejoicing heart; therefore I would say to him, Cheer up, my brother; although thy road appears dark, narrow, rugged, and crooked, there is no doubt but thou wilt come out at the right end; and although thou dost not like the way, yet it is the way the Lord is pleased to exercise thee, to let thee know what is in thy heart, how great a sinner thou art, and thy own helplessness, and to make thee wholly sick of thyself, that Christ may sensibly be found the great Physician, to cure all thy diseases, that thou mayest come with confidence to the throne of grace, and obtain necessary mercy and grace to help in time of need, where thy prayers will be turned into praises; but remember this, that in, by, and through thyself thou canst do nothing as thou oughtest, nor anything without Christ, whose precious blood cleanseth from all sin. This speaks aloud to every necessitous soul, even to brother John.

John saith, that he is afraid that he has committed the unpardonable sin, the sin against the Holy Spirit of God. He need not be afraid that he has done so, or of knowing particularly in what that sin consists, as the very fear of having done so, notwithstanding the temptation to believe he may in