that he which hath them not, his foul is barren and his faith, which is dead, can profit him noà thing. Well therefore may Saint James call that perfon a vain man which boasts of his faith; when it is without works, for by thefe a man is justi fisch or shewn to be a true, Christian in the fight of men, and not by his profeffed faith only t Therefore, when Abraham offered Ifaac his son upon the altar, the Scripture was fulfilled, which Kaith, Abraham believed God, and be counted it to him for righteousness. His works of obedience to GOD's commandments were indifputable proofs of his faith in GOD; and therefore he is faid to be juftified by works after that he was juftified by faith before God, as the Scripture witneffeth. And these works are briefly fummed up in love to GoD and man: Pharifaifm therefore, is not doing good works, but trufting in them.

on of about thirty years

2. I infer; That this love to the brethren may be made manifest, (which is the diftinguishing characteristic of the difciples of CHRIST) it behoves them to bear one with another wherein fo ever they differ, provided they are found in that faith which worketh by love. - The difference of judgment and opinion in the way of adminif tring Gofpel ordinances, and of Church difcipline, muft not be fo infifted on as to divide the Church

of Chrift; but be covered by mutual love and forbearance one towards another, that the end of these appointments in the Church of Chrift which is the edification of itself in love, may not be fruftrated, The unity of the Church doth not confift in any outward order, oeconomy, or government; but in the oneness of faith and love which is in Christ Jefus: For the Kingdom of GoD is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Hoby Ghoft; and he that in these things ferveth Chrift is acceptable to God, and approved of ment.

Wherefore, my brethren, be ye kind one towards another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD, for Chrift's fake, hath forgiven you.-Now, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our fins in bis own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever. Amen.

+ Rom. xiv. 17, 18.

SERMON

SERMON XIV.

HEBREWS X. 10.

By the which will we are fanctified, thro' the offering of the Body of JESUS CHRIST once for

all.

MON

BY

Y the words immediately preceeding our Text

we learn, that CHRIST came into the world to do the will of GOD, even the Father: And here he tells us what the will of GOD was, even our fantification; and alfo how it was accomplished, viz. thro' the death of CHRIST, and his oblation of himself unto God for us.

A

As the words for all, in the clofe of our Text, may by fome perfons be understood univerfally of all men, whereby they may wonder, as well they might, that all men are not fanctified and faved; feeing CHRIST hath died, and the will of GoD muft needs be performed thro' the blood of JESUS: Let it be obferved that the words for all are not in the original, and therefore they are printed in Italics; neither is there any neceffity for them to com. plete the fenfe, for the words might more literally be rendered thus: By the which will we are fanctified thro' the once offering of the body of JESUS CHRIST. The word here rendered once, denotes the fulness and perfection of CHRIST's one oblation; and therefore it needed not to be repeated a fecond time, because all at once he purged and removed our tranfgreffions from us; without leaving one fin unexpiated which he came into this world to fuffer and atone for. It is as if the Apostle had faid, Chrift's one oblation of himself unto God was inestimable, of infinite value; by which he paid all the debts of his people, not by little, and little, at feveral payments; that is, by offering himself often; but he paid the whole fum even to the uttermost farthing all at once, for the riches of Chrift are unfearchable: He that fuffered for us in the flesh

εφάπαξ.

flesh as man, is over all Gop, bleffed for ever: And therefore Chrift, by one offering of himself to GOD, without fpot; was able to procure, and bath verily obtained eternal redemption for us.

⚫ Having thus expounded and fhewn the scope and meaning of the Text, I intend, by the help of GOD, to explain the nature of Gospel Sanctification: And,

First, I fhall endeavour to fhew what the word Sanctification imports and fignifies :

Secondly; Wherein a Chriftian's Sanctification doth properly confift: And then,

Thirdly; In what way, and by what power this grace is bestowed on us, and received by us.

Laftly; Conclude with suitable inferences.

FIRST then, I propose to explain the word:

Sanctification truly and properly denotes the setting apart of any perfon or thing unto God, and his fervice; or it is their being separated from an ordinary and common, to a peculiar and more noble ufe or employment: and fuch a feparation or fetting apart, whether of perfons or things, (for the Scripture

Kk 3