Christ Jesus before the world began? It is in the same verse asserted that he hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling. Are we described partakers of the heavenly calling? immediately before is our corresponding title, "holy brethren." Are there given unto us exceeding great and precious promises? for what purpose? that by them we may be made partakers of a divine nature, and escape the pollutions that are in the world. These passages illustrate that part of the text for which they were adduced: because they prove that there is an inseparable connexion in God's purpose of bestowing holiness and salvation. It must not, however, be imagined that holiness is a condition to be performed on our parts, for this were to make the Gospel a covenant of works, and God's election unto life altogether nugatory. Holiness is the gift of God to us, not for a price paid by us to God; and it holds such a distinguished rank among the other benefits conferred on us, as members of Christ, that it is taken for the sum of evangelical blessings: as in that part of St. Peter's sermon, God hav ing raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

The immediate agent employed in this blessed work is the Holy Ghost. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience.* Yet are his influences derived from such sources,

Pet. i, 2.

and

regulated by such a standard, that we must still be said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus: for as the Holy Spirit is given to us primarily only for the worthiness of Christ, so on his account the sacred gift is continued to us: for while we do so much to grieve the Holy Spirit of God why does the divine influence still descend to us in a never-ceasing stream, but because the intercession of Christ is the source that supplies it? The manner also of the agency of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification is to lead us continually to Christ-to bring his words to our remembrance-to exhibit the pattern of his life-to teach us to renounce all confidence in our own wisdom, and depend altogether on his grace-to recal to our minds our obligations to live unto him who died for us-our baptismal engagements to die with him, and to rise with him to newness of life: to have the world crucified to us, and us to the world, by virtue of his cross; and in fine, as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so to walk in him.

This completes the Apostle's description of the Christian character; and what need be added to shew its excellency and dignity? His name engraved in the book of life from eternity; his interests united inseparably with those of the Son of God; and his bosom the abode of that august inhabitant the Holy Ghost, the man of God stands at an immeasurable distance from whatever is admirable on earth. If an individual possess such excellency, how admirable the society composed of such mem

bers! God rejoices over them with joy, and joys over them with singing. Well, therefore, may even an inspired Apostle delight to address his salutation to them, Paul, called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the church which is at Corinth, grace unto you, and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. This salutation we were in the second place to consider.

II. The forms of salutation current among men have little meaning, either with those that give or those that receive them, yet is the neglect of them by no means unimportant: for in a world so generally defective in principle they are necessary to the maintenance of mutual civility, and in many cases, an acknowledg ment due to superiority of rank; and are con sequently by no means to be discountenanced by Christians as bordering upon insincerity. In the mouth of Christians they neither are, nor need be insincere; for religion ennobles and sanctifies the common occurrences of life; infuses a new spirit into lifeless forms, and makes the daily routine of things an exercise of exalted virtue.

Salutations are expressive of a wish; and the wish expressed in the customary forms of them, is for the health or prosperity of those to whom they are given. As the usual form among the Greeks was that word which is translated grace, and that among the Jews was peace, both these are adopted by St. Paul, who elevates their signification to spiritual things,

and expresses by them his desire for the promotion of the best interests of Christian people: Grace be unto you and peace. He wished not for the increase of their wealth: for that is often a snare to the possessor, and increases the difficulty of entering the kingdom of heaven. He wished them not honor: which has a tendency to promote that self-complacency which we ought to detest, and opposes that self-degradation which the Christian loves. Not even for their health and long life does he express a wish: because his mind was engaged with desires for their spiritual prosperity, and immortal happiness. In short, he seems to have overlooked most of those things which appear desirable to the worldly, because in general they are not suitable to those who are called saints. On the contrary, with peculiar propriety, after his description of their character, he desires for them what was appropriate to that character; he wishes them whatever as saints they need—whatever as saints they desire.

Grace is that which they need. Though their name be saints, that is, holy; though they be a holy people, in comparison of the world around them, and of their former selves, yet is their holiness incomplete. The divine change wrought in them extends over all the faculties, but is perfect in none of them. This is St. Paul's testimony of himself in Rom. chap. vii, which contains a map of his own heart. Sanetification is therefore, a progressive work; and such is the difficulty attending the prosecution

of it, that the natural powers of man are utterly insufficient to accomplish it. Without me, says our Lord, ye can do nothing. We need, therefore, grace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ; and that only is it which, secretly and invisibly infused into the heart, feeds the flame of piety, and enables us to maintain a walk in any degree consistent with our profession and principles. Our need of grace can, however, be known only by experience. Who, for instance, but those who are assured of it from their own feelings, would believe that after we are sanctified, and set apart from the world by God, and made to differ from it in temper and pursuits, the mere reflection on the shortness of its duration, the intrinsic meanness of its pleasures, our speedy departure from it, and past experience of its insignificancy, are not sufficient to overcome every temptation to love it? It appears however, by fact, that the will is too stubborn to be bent by such considerations; and therefore the Scripture, though it does not overlook such natural reflections, leads us ultimately to grace as that which gives to other motives their persuasive power. It asks this question, Who is he that overcometh the world? the philosopher who can analyse its nature? no; he can despise it, and yet remain a slave to it; the moralist who can descant on its vanity? the poor man who is debarred from enjoying it? no; this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith: but faith is a heaven-descended princi