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for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness." Perfect likeness to God is the perfect happiness of the soul. Towards this, the christian is aiming and advancing; though his progress be unequal at some times rapid, and at others feeble and slow, and almost motionless; yet, he never contents himself with any present attainments. He is commanded to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of his Lord and Saviour. And Paul saith, "Not that I have attained, or am already perfect, but this one thing, I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

Lastly. What completes the present comfort of the saints and gives assurance of future glory, is this, that they shall persevere, and never fall from grace that they shall hold on their way thro' faith unto salvation. This depends wholly upon the eternal purpose, and free promise of God, and could never be certainly known to us in the present state, had not God been pleased to reveal it to us in the declarations, and promises of his word; for there is nothing in the nature of grace, that prevents it being lost. It is nothing but God's power which keeps it alive, and nothing but God's promise which secures it in future. Otherwise, the person who is conscious that he now has grace-and that he now walks in the light of God's countenance, and that he has already made advances in the divine life and grown in grace, could VOL. V. No. 2.

have no assurance or certainty, that he shall continue thus to do hereafter-he might lose it all tomorrow and forever after walk in total darkness, and never behold the face of God in righteousness. But here comes in an absolute, unlimited promise and binds the blessing with all the sincerity of infinite truth.→→ "They shall walk, Oh Lord, in the light of thy countenance.” This gives the finishing stroke to the present joy and comfort of the Christian. This is the life and strength of all his hopes. This affords that strong consola❤ tion of hope, which as an anchor to the soul, both sure and steadfast entereth into that within the vail.

calmness

Thus have we considered in a variety of particulars, what things are implied in walking in the light of God's countenance. And now to bring them all to a point, these are the essential properties of the character.They embrace the gospel plan of salvation, and build their hopes upon the righteousness of Christ alone. As a natural fruit of this temper of mind, and a precious benefit of a justified state, they enjoy sweet peace, and serenity of mind. They are weaned from the world and all the enjoyments of time, and place their supreme happiness and delight in the enjoyment of God. They enjoy an holy nearness to him, a sense of his gracious presence, and have sweet access to the divine mercy seat. They are faithful and conscientious in all the outward duties of Christianity. They are absolutely dependent upon the constant and special influences of God's spirit, for the preservation of their spiritual life and the holy G

cises of grace. They grow in | rant of true beauty while blind

grace-make advances in the divine life and progress in sanctification; and, to crown all, they have assurance of persevering in grace unto glory.

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to the glory of the divine character. What advantage do you expect to reap from the institutions of the gospel, while you continue to reject Christ-to despise all the offers of his grace, and in the clearest light that ever shone, are blind to the truth. Know assuredly, that your spiritual blindness is your most aggravated guilt--your spiritual death is your condemnation, and that, which, if persisted in, will finally sink you to the lowest hell. "This is the condemnation that light hath come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil."Oh repent of your sins-believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and walk in the light of God's countenance. " Then shall you know, if you follow on to know the Lord, that his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he shall come to you as the rain, as the latter and the former rain unto the earth."

These compose the character and blessedness of those who know the joyful sound, and walk in the light of God's countenance. And is not this a very excellent character? Is it not a most happy state? Every thing excellent and desirable is contained in it. All we can rationally wish for, and more than our most raised imaginations can conceive, or our most unbounded desires can grasp.And now let me ask the reader, in a serious review of the subject, to apply each particular which has been suggested, to his own heart, with this question, Eave I ever found the knowledge of this truth, and of this enjoyment by my own experience ? Here are various traits of the Christian character, and if you cannot find yourself described in any of them, you have reason to draw the conclusion that you never possessed it; that you know what it is to walk in the light of God's countenance, but are ignorant of the joyful sound of mercy-at heart an enemy to God; walking in darkness without light, without hope and without God in the world. Remember the words of Christ, "If thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be dark-such love as constituted Roman ness, how great is that dark- virtue, but universal benevoness?" Can this be to you a lence. Such as influences us to state of rest and quietude? You regard every intelligent being have no true peace. You really according to his moral character enjoy nothing, while you enjoy and worth. To love God sunot God. And you are igno- premely. And to respect every

ASAPH.

The nature of holiness illustrated from reason and scripture.

HE light of nature, or rea

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son, unassisted by revelation, is totally insufficient to teach mankind the nature of holiness: or to show in what true

virtue consists. The gospel sums it up in love. "Love is the fulfilling of the law." Not

intelligent creature according to | tion is most ardent and sincere ; the rank which he holds, and sin may be enthroned in the the character which he sustains, | heart, and selfishness flow in evwhen compared with universal, ery channel of the life. A lovbeing. When the mind is prop-ing parent may, through a selferly illuminated with scripture truths, the bible will be found to contain no doctrine repugnant to reason.. None to which a virtuous mind will not cordially as

sent.

But to prevent the possibility of misconception, all that is meant by reason, as here used, is, that the nature of holiness, after once suggested by scripture, is agreeable to reason. It is rational. Therefore, in this sense of the word reason; a view of the nature of holiness will be taken to show, in the first place, by rational arguments, in what its nature consists; and to what it tends. Then secondly this view will be compared with the declarations of holy writ.

I. A view of the nature of holiness according to reason.

All love may be divided into two kinds. That love which is sinful; and that love which is holy. The former may be sumed up in selfishness.

ish spirit, so far misjudge, as, by threats, to compel a darling child to sin. And a world of sinners from a similar selfish love, can, bid defiance to their lawful sovereign.

Holiness, or that love which constitutes moral virtue, may be comprised under the following heads; subdividing it into the love of benevolence; the love of complacence; the love of gratitude; and the love of esteem.

1. The love of benevolence has for its object universal being; or it is a wishing well to all intelligent beings susceptible of happiness. Every being, so far as he exercises this love, is so far holy.

2. The love of complacence has for its object all being possessed of a degree of positive holiness; or it is that affection which is exercised towards all beings, who exercise the love of benevolence. And this love of complacence flows forth from a holy being, on account of the pleasure experienced in beholding another possessed of the same benevolent spirit.

3. The love of gratitude has for its object, a benefactor; or it is that affection, which is exercised towards a being on account of some favor received.

And the better to understand the nature of the latter, or of that which constitutes holiness; propriety may suffer a remark on that which centres in self and constitutes sin, or is not in itself of a holy nature. The affection which exists between particular friends, husband and wife, parent and child; which unites societies and empires; and which encircles other worlds; so far as it proceeds from no higher principle than natural affec-ery intelligent being is a proper tion, animal passion, or selfish-object of the love of benevolence; ness, has nothing of a holy na- and every being, who has any ture. Even in the dearest rela- degree of positive holiness, is tion in life, and where the affec- deserving of the love of compla

4. The love of esteem implies some greater worthiness, or excellence, in the being who is the subject of esteem. Though ev

cence; and every benefactor, of the love of gratitude; yet the love of esteem, is founded on the comparative worth, or excellence, which exists, between two or more beings, both, or all of whom, may be supposed fit ob- | jects of the love of complacence. Though the love of complacence; the love of gratitude; and the love of esteem; have each of them some characteristic, which distinguishes the one, from the other; and also all of them, from the love of benevolence; yet benevolence, as a general term, includes all the rest. Or, all the rest, presuppose it as their foundation. For it is the nature of benevolence, or holiness to flow forth in love, proportioned in its degree to the worthiness of the being, towards whom it is exercised; when this particular being, is compared with universal being. Suppose then a particular person to be deserving of the love of esteem. On the principles of benevolence, such a person, because more worthy, is not only to be loved with a peculiar affection; but to be loved more, than though he was regarded simply as an intelligent being; more, than tho' he were worthy of complacence to a certain degree, but not to that degree sufficient to entitle him to the love of esteem.

Benevolence is, in its nature, opposed to selfishness. And to distinguish it from selfishness, it is termed disinterested benevolence, or disinterested affection. The affection is disinterested, but not uninterested. Uninterested, supposes no interest at all. Disinterested, supposes no private interest. The former, in every particular, is opposed to self.

consistent with universal good. It is not required, that a being should have no regard to his own happiness, in order to render him benevolent. Every intelligent being is supposed to regard himself, according to his worth, in the scale of universal being; and to act a rational part, in seeking his own happiness, in a way consistent with the whole. A familiar comparison for illucidation.

A judge in his decisions, may be free from every shadow of a selfish bias. Yet as the judge himself, forms one of the community, and is one of universal being; he is not wholly uninterested in the decision which he makes. As an individual, his own happiness is equally affected, with that of every other individual; though all thoughts about his own person, may, at the time, be banished from his mind. It is utterly impossible, for him to act, in any sense, without being himself, some way or other, either directly or indirectly, affected in a greater or less degree. No action, and not one thought, of any intelligent being, can, with strict propriety, be termed uninterested. But though the judge cannot be supposed to act wholly uninterestedly; or, considering the relation in which he stands to community, and to universal being; as it is impossible, that his own happiness, should, in no point of view, be any ways affected; yet he may be supposed to act entirely disinterestedly; that is, in such a manner, as not to advance private interest, by sacrificing, public happiness.

Suppose further

Say the judge, when comparThe latter, so far, as self is ined with the community, has

three degrees of existence; and the community seven. Suppose every degree of existence in the judge, from his excellence of character, and dignity of person, is real worth. Measuring the community by the same scale ; that is, judging of them, from their excellence of character, and dignity of person, and find ing one degree in seven, of a description directly the reverse, of the other six, which six exactly correspond with the three found in the judge; the judge, by an impartial administration of justice, in lawfully punishing one seventh of the community, which possessing a character and disposition, opposed to the other six, and to his own, have, unreasonably, violated salutary laws, enacted for the public good; advances the happiness of the community six degrees, consistently with advancing his own three. Suppose the being, excellence, and dignity of the judge are increased; and the being, excellence, and dignity of the community are diminished, until the former bears the relation to the latter, of nine to three. The judge by an equitable, and impartial administration of justice, and from principles stricly disinterested, lawfully promotes his own happiness, in a manner perfectly consistent with the happiness of the community, in the proportion of nine to three.

Extend this principle, until all creature happiness appears like a drop to the ocean; or, like a taper under the splendors of the meridian sun.

A scene is now opened, which faintly exhibits the nature of holiness as it exists in the mind of that infinite Being, "who work

eth all things after the counsel of his own will;" and who hath created all things for his own pleasure. The nature of disinterested benevolence, inclines all intelligent beings, who possess any share of it, to regard each, according to his respective worth, when viewed, in his connection, with universal being. And as that first intelligent cause of all things, who is necessarily self-existent, and eternal, is possessed of a being, which is infinite; the nature of holiness would incline him to love himself supremely. Further, if the Deity is now a holy Being, he must have been equally so, anterior to any of his works of creation, or independently on his works. That is, he was infinitely holy, when he actually exercised love towards no being, who then really existed but himself. Or, to make use of a different phrase, when he sought his own glory.. Anterior to creation, and independently on it, from the nature of holiness, the Deity exercised a disinterested benevolence, in loving himself supremely. Otherwise the Deity will be made dependent on the creature for his infinite holiness. Which assertion, would be impious, and absurd. If the Deity was not a perfectly holy being, before he actually exercised love towards any creature, he is, by being made dependent on his works for the attribute of holiness, divested of the natural and essential attribute of independence. For antecedently to the work of creation, if loving himself supremely; and in the work of creation, if having an ultimate regard to his own glory, did not constitute the holiness of God, the attribute of holiness,

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