avenger of all such as do things" contrary to purity; the second, that by the Gospel " he hath called us not to uncleanness, but unto holiness;" the third, that for the promotion of this end, "he hath given unto us his Holy Spirit." Let us pray our heavenly Father for the sake of his well-beloved Son to bestow upon us the gracious help of his Holy Spirit, whilst we endeavour to give to these considerations that attention, which their importance deserves and demands.

I. First then, it appears that "this is the will of God, even our sanctification," because the Lord is the avenger of all such as do things" contrary to that purity, which he enjoins.

Now the scriptures, which constantly denounce the most sévere punishment upon those, who are guilty of works of uncleanness, do also concur in representing that punishment, as drawn down upon the sinner by his own impenitence and hardness of heart."Thinkest thou this, O man," thinkest thou this, O sinner, "that thou

shalt escape the judgment of God? and despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God?" Thus the scriptures in various passages, of which this is one of the most striking, represent the vengeance of God as drawn down upon the sinner by his own perverseness; whilst they concur also in representing almighty God as being willing that "6 every man should come to repentance" and be saved; as " unwilling that any should perish';" as "waiting to be gracious";" as "rising up early and sending his messengers because he has compassion" on the sinner; as "all day long stretching out his hands unto the rebellious and the gainsayers;" as causing grief" indeed, yet having compassion according to the multitude of his mercies;" as "not afflicting willingly, nor grieving the

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* Rom. ii. 3, 4, 5. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 15.

19 Pet. iii. 9. m Isaiah xxx. 18.

Rom. x. 21.

children of men P." If such be the reluctance, with which almighty God inflicts punishment upon the sinner; if his mercy and loving-kindness constantly plead for forgiveness; and it is only to satisfy his justice, that he becomes the avenger of the wicked; that must follow, which the Apostle asserts, that "this is the will of God, even our sanctification." If he " have no pleasure," as the Prophet teaches," in the death of the wicked," it follows that (as the same Prophet also teaches) he must have pleasure in seeing the wicked turn from his evil ways and live ." If, as he swears by Himself," he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth," he must then have pleasure (as Himself also most solemnly assures us) in seeing the wicked

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repent, and turn away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and do that which is lawful and right, that so he may save his soul alive." Thus from God being "the avenger" of the unclean and the sinner, unwilling, as he declares himself to be, to afflict the children of men, we may in

P Lam. iii. 32, 33. ↑ Ezek. xxxiii. 11. xviii. 32.

fer, what he expressly and repeatedly assures us, that he willeth us to repent and be saved; to be holy here, in order to our being happy hereafter.

2ndly. That "this is the will of God, even our sanctification," is to be argued from this consideration, that "God hath called us, not to uncleanness, but unto holiness:"-called us by the word of that Gospel, which his only-begotten Son came from the bosom of his Father to preach to the sinful and lost race of men. Now" for this purpose," saith St. John, "was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Do we ask, what are the works of the devil? The Apostle answers us in the same verse, "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning." Look to the melancholy narrative, which the Spirit of God by the mouth of Moses gives us of the fall of man; and you will perceive, how by the artifices of the evil spirit entered into the world, and death by sin.”

"sin

us;

These are the works of the devil, which the Son of God was manifested to destroy: sin in this world; in another world the wages of sin, death, everlasting death. And as he came to destroy these works of the devil, so he came to plant others in their stead : for death, to be the author and giver of eternal life; for sin, to be the establisher and promoter of holiness. These are the things, from which and to which he calls he calls us from hell to heaven, as the ultimate object and final consummation of his coming unto us and of our coming unto him; he calls us from uncleanness unto holiness, as the means whereby that great end and object of his coming is to be attained. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us:" but though he died for us while we were sinners, he will not suffer us eventually to enjoy the benefits of his death, if we wilfully continue in sin. "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound"?" demands the Apostle St. Paul. "God forbid. How shall