those to mean, who make the atonement general. The death of Christ rendered it possible for God to save, without dishonouring his law, or weakening his government, as many as it should please him to sanctify.

And what is the force of the preposition, for us? Can it mean less or more, than that the death of Christ was a substitute for our condemnation? this idea is certainly consonant with the whole drift of revelation. "He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; he was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed :-the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all:- for the transgressions of my people was he stricken." Thus the griefs, and the sorrows, and the wounds, and the bruises, the chastisements, and the stripes, all fell on him by substitution, and were borne instead of the everlasting miseries of hell, which we must have borne, had he not offered himself as our ransom.

The apostle proceeds to make known to us the design with which the Saviour gave himself for us, "That he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify us.” There are here included pardon, and sanctification.

First, pardon. The sinner can neither be considered as redeemed from iniquity, or purified, while his conscience is polluted with unpardoned sin. He is still under the curse of the law, has the brand of infamy upon him, and the badges of death around him. Hence, when he believes, and pardon can be administered, without injury to the divine government, his cleansing from the defilement of sin is begun. There is a text in one of the minor prophets, which though spoken with reference to the church, is beautifully expressive of this first act of God's mercy to sinners. "Who is a God like

unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighted in mercy. He will turn again; he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" And in another text it reads, "Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." And we have the delightful idea of forgiveness in this text, "That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God." The very first act of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, secures this blessing, and we stand, though not on the same footing as if we had never sinned, yet the same as relates to our exposedness to the penalties of the law. The transgressions of the law, that had been minuted against us in the record of the divine mind, are blotted out. God even speaks as if he would forget them, and never suffer them to come into his mind again.

But pardon, as rich a blessing as it is, to a sinner made sensible of his gross and dreadful departure from God, holds a place second in importance to that of sanctification. Hence to purify us, was an important part of the work which the Lord Jesus Christ came to do for us; by which I understand, delivering us from the power of sinful affections. This is done through the immediate agency of the Holy Spirit, and is ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ, inasmuch as the Spirit acts a part in the economy of redemption, subordinate to that of the Mediator, and is spoken of as sent by him. He takes away the heart of stone and gives a heart of flesh, and creates us anew in Christ Jesus unto good works,

Christ is formed in his people the hope of glory; his image is impressed on the heart; and the lineaments of that image are drawn out to view in deeds of loyalty and duty.

Thus the Lord Jesus Christ brings his people to feel like him, to love his character, his law, his government, and kingdom, and all the duties of piety, and benevolence. And his purpose and promise is, that where he has begun a good work he will carry it on, till all moral pollution is eradicated. Thus the character of man, under the transforming influence spoken of in the text, is changed, till, in a moral point of view, he is no longer the same man. From being a child of wrath fitting for destruction, he becomes an heir of God, and a candidate for glory, honour, immortality and eternal life. The desire to be holy, and so like his Master, becomes his ruling passion. In his estimation conformity to God, in the whole temper of his mind, is the greatest good; and no hope gives him such a joy, as when he can say with confidence, "Then shall I be satisfied when I wake with thy likeness."

While the followers of the Lord Jesus are thus under a process of sanctification, they become, as a matter of course in a world like this, a peculiar people. They have desires, and hopes, and enjoyments, and fears, and aversions, such as are found in no other people. They have another employment, and form other habits, and sustain new relationships, and enter new society, and in their speech and demeanour, embracing a thousand nameless things, become a peculiar people. Whatever pains they may take to conceal their peculiarities, they become and continue like no other people on the face of the whole earth. And the more they act in character; the nearer they live to their Master, the more sure are

they to widen the contrast between themselves, and the world of the ungodly. Hence the world will soon know them, and break from their fellowship, and cast out their names as evil; and Christ will receive them, and be a God unto them, and they shall be his people. They are zealous of good works. Here perhaps more than at any other point is seen their peculiarity. The promptness, the pains, and the sacrifices manifested in doing good, render them the perfect contrast of any thing seen in the habits of unsanctified men, Hence the fact is not to be disputed, that the personal efforts, and charities that have been expended upon human misery, degradation, and contempt have been the efforts and the charities of this peculiar people. On the list of this world's benefactors their names are arranged alone, and the catalogue will tell to their advantage in that day when the Saviour shall be heard to say, "I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."

The ungodly may have fits of charitable feeling, when provision is to be made exclusively for the life that now is; but their charities do not usually extend in their effects beyond the grave. When urged to enlighten those that know not God, or snatch from death those that have not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; they lack the faith that can give importance, to these religious and spiritual realities. And yet here, where the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, is the very spot where the godly display their warmest zeal, and make their best, their mightiest efforts. The zeal of God's people is uniform and extensive, and does not, like "crackling thorns

and burning coals, make a great blaze and die." It grows out of the combined influence of the Christian affections, or rather is the Christian affections concentrated, and pouring out their energies upon the object of their commisseration or praise.

Christian zeal aims to render this world what God would have it; to draw it back, from alienation and misery, to subjection and enjoyment. It would cure every species of plague and suffering, and render holy, respected, and happy every child of the fall. And when men need not its aid, would compassionate the animal creation, till not a worm should suffer. Thus will operate the zeal that piety begets, and thus the redeemed of Jesus Christ, will be rendered, in a world cold and friendless like this, a peculiar people.

There is still another thought in this text, which though last is not least. These redeemed, and peculiar, and zealous beings, Jesus Christ is said to purify unto himself. I see a very precious thought here; they belong finally to him. They were given him in the covenant of redemption. Hence we hear him say, in that remarkable prayer just before he suffered, "I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world." And lest any should draw a wrong inference, from the fact that as Mediator he was a recipient, he addresses the Father again, and says, "All mine arethine, and thine are mine." His people are to be his associates forever; his family; his friends; his admirers, and his worshippers. "I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory."

There is something in this thought which to me bespeaks the Saviour divine. Were he a mere servant, were he less than the very builder and proprietor of this