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النشر الإلكتروني

SERMON

XIII.

Preached at the End of the Year.

-The Certainty of Death, and-the different Ends of good and bad Men.

HEBREWS ix. 27. It is appointed ... unto Men once to die. p. 229.

SERMO N. XIV.

Preached at the Beginning of the Year.

The Certainty and Confequences of a future Judgment. HEBREWS ix. 27. It is appointed Sunto Men once to die, but after this the Judgment.

P. 247.

Errata in the fecond Volume.

PAGE 20. 18, 19. for Exfience read Existence. P. 42. 1. 2. for difcourfe read difcourfe. P. 1. 1. 3. for Iniftution read Inftitution. P. go. I. 17. for fortified read fortified. P. 94-1.9. for Acts (ii. 36.) read (Acts ii. 36.) P. 94. 1. 22. for Gound read Ground P. 102. 15. for Temptatation read Temptation. P. 254-1. 10. for fee read find. P. 260. last 1. for tv. read ty.

SERMON 1.0
I.

1. THESS. V. 23.

The very God of Peace fanctify you wholly : I

And I pray

God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

Anctification, or a State of Holiness, fig

nifies in general a Pursuit of virtuous Principles, the renouncing and denying the corrupt Appetites of human Nature, and a Compliance with the Demands of Religion and Confcience. But the Prayer of the Apostle, in the Words which I have read to you, feems more particular in it's Wifhes, and to defign not only a State of Grace, but Growth and Improvement in it; imploring God's heavenly Influence upon the Minds of the Theffalonians, that as they knew how they ought to walk and to please God, fo they

VOL. II.

B

might

might advance from Strength to Strength, and abound more and more in all Virtue and Godlinefs.

St. Paul requires,

1. That our Spirit Soul and Body be fanctified, and mentions

2. The Duration and Continuance of this Purification of our Nature, that we be preferved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift.

The Apostle expreffes himself, perhaps, after the Philofophy of thofe Times, which taught that Man confifted of three Parts, a pure Spirit, an ethereal Matter, which an illustrious Ancient called the fubtile Vehicle of the Soul, and a mortal or grofs Body. Whether by the Spirit was meant that fpiritual Principle of Intelligence that thinks within us, and diftinguishes us from the Brute Creation; and by the Soul, that vital Part which we enjoy in common with

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the Beasts that perish, the Source of Senfation and Self-motion; without however dwelling upon thefe Niceties of Diftinction it is fufficient to obferve, that the Apostle by thefe different Expreffions intended to denote the whole Syftem of human Nature with all it's Faculties, Powers, and Operations. Ac. cordingly the Spirit is fanctified, when the Understanding is difengaged from Error and Prejudice, and knows how to distinguish between Truth and Falfhood, between Good and Evil, The Soul alfo is in the fame defirable State, when the Will rejects what is hurtful, and cleaves to what is ferviceable to our true Interests; when our Inclinations are duly governed, when our Paffions are obedient to Reafon and Faith, when we are habitually practifed, to reprefs and retrain them within the Bounds of Duty.. The Body likewife is in the fame holy Difpofition, when there is Nothing in our Actions, in our Converfation, or in our Conduct, but what is anfwerable to the Will of God, and to the Rules of Purity and TemReli

perance.

B

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