pardoning mercy till after he fell. Adam's knowledge of God was a knowledge of his wisdom and power, which appeared in the creation; and a knowledge of God's goodness, which appeared in the happiness, and in the delightful situation in which God had placed him, and in the dominion God had given him over the rest of the creation. But, above all, Adam's knowledge of God was a knowledge of love and delight; and this made him the object of the devil's envy; and therefore he sought his ruin, and by his wiles obtained it. But this last branch of knowledge is likewise restored to us at our regeneration; for, "He that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."

3. At our regeneration righteousness comes to us also. Not a natural one, like Adam's, nor a creative one; but the obedience of the surety is placed to our account, as our disobedience was placed to the account of our surety: "He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." This is presented to our view by the Holy Spirit; faith apprehends it, and claims it; and the soul feels all its nakedness and shame, guilt and filth, entirely hid. When Adam lost his native righteousness, the entrance of guilt opened his eyes, and he saw that he was naked, for the Holy Spirit with all his adornings left him; and then he took counsel, not of God, but of Eve, and clothed himself with a covering, but not of God's Spirit, for he was gone; and this was adding sin to sin, Isa. xxx. 1. But our robe is a better righteousness than Adam's was,

for his was not lasting; but ours was wrought out by Immanuel, who is God with us, and who thought it no robbery to be equal with God when he made himself of no reputation, but took on him the form of a servant, and became obedient; and it is by the obedience of that one that many are made righteous. And this righteousness, put on by faith, and attended with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and with the love of God in the heart, enables us to look up to God, and to stand justified even before the law itself; for, "The righte ousness of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;" for it is God that justifieth, and none can condemn; for, "There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." The grace of God in the heart, and this best robe on the soul, makes the poor sinner shine: "Put ye on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," Eph. iv. 24.

4. I come now to treat of holiness, which is a most brilliant feature in the image of Christ, to which image we are predestinated to be conformed; and the apostle calls it true holiness, in opposition to all ceremonial, spurious, negative, or counterfeit holiness; and in doing this I will offer my thoughts of the matter under three heads.

1. Consider holiness as ours by virtue of our union with Christ, as the root; for, "If the root be holy, so are the branches," Rom, xi. 16.

2. I shall treat of holiness by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in us; "For the temple of God is

holy, which temple ye are:" "What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Cor. vi. 19.

3. I shall consider the new man that is formed in the believer, and treat of the holiness of him.

ease.

1. I begin with the first. The law of God which we have all broken, not only calls upon men for righteousness or obedience unto it, which Christ has obeyed; and which obedience God imputes to us, and in which we stand justified before him, Christ being made righteousness to us; but the law requires an holy nature, for the commandment is holy, as well as just and good. And we know that the payment of the surety must reach as far as the score of the debtor; the remedy that effects a perfect cure must go as deep as the disAnd as we are told that the law is just and holy, so is Christ made unto us righteousness and sanctification. I know the scripture says that we are sanctified by his blood; for it is said of Christ "That he might sanctify the people with his own blood, he suffered without the gate;" and again," He hath by his one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Thus John tells us that, "The blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin." But making us clean or setting us apart from all pollution, is not making us holy. The gates of heaven are barred against the unholy, as well as against the unclean; into it, saith the Spirit, shall nothing enter that defileth; this is truth, Rev. xxi. 27. ad, "Without holiness no man shall

see the Lord;" this is truth also. If we are pardoned and cleansed from our sins, this comes to us on the footing of redemption, and redemption is by sacrifice; "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," 1 Pet. i. 18. The redemption price is the blood of Christ; faith applies this and purifies the heart with it; this is redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, Eph. i. 7. The apostle often puts redemption and cleansing together; "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Now Christ is not only made redemption to us, but righteousness and sanctification also. "He is made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." Wisdom makes us wise, righteousness makes us just, sanctification makes us holy, and redemption makes us clean. Thus, by the blood of the covenant, we come forth out of the pit in which is no water. The Saviour took part of the children's flesh and blood; and the Holy Spirit, in the formation of his human nature, preserved it from all defilement. Hence he is styled a Holy Thing: "That holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God:" from which it appears that the Saviour's manhood was not only pure from all human defilement, but holy: the Holy Spirit made

it holy, as the law of Adam required a holy nature, for in true holiness was Adam made; and Christ, as man, was so too. And I think this is one thing meant in our Lord's speech to the Jews: "Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God?" Whatever that sanctification was, true holiness was a part of it. Without spotless purity and true holiness the humanity of Christ could not be a fit temple for all the fulness of the godhead to dwell bodily in. And it is well known that he is often called the Holy One, and the Holy One of Israel also; for all God's Israel have all their real holiness in him and from him: "For, if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches," Rom. xi. 16. No other can be meant by the firstfruit but Christ, because it is not called fruits, but fruit, in the singular number. And we know that he is the root of David, and of all the saints. Into this good olive tree were the Jews grafted, and the wild olive Gentiles were grafted in among them, and both partake of the root and fatness of the olive-tree, Rom. xi. 17. Christ is called the firstfruit, the church is called the lump; Christ is called the root, the church the branches; then, says Paul, "If the firstfruit be holy, the lump is holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches." But then the branches must be grafted into the tree before they can partake of the root and fatness thereof. There is a double union between Christ and his saints; we are fiesh