1 Thess. v. 23, 24*. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, tvho also tvill do it.
PARENTS naturally desire the prosperity of their children ; but they can by no means secure it : even though their children should be disposed to concur with them in every prudent plan, yet cannot their combined efforts insure success ; since, in numberless instances, " the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong." The spiritual parent, who by the ministration of the Gospel hath begotten sons and daughters to the Lord, is more favourably circum- stanced : he is sure that no untoward circumstances shall disappoint his hopes, provided only his children exert themselves as becomes them, in the appointed way. True indeed it is, that success in spiritual things is infinitely more difficult to be obtained, on account of the obstacles which are to be surmounted, and the enemies which are to be subdued. But Omnipotence is engaged in behalf of all who sincerely labour for themselves : nor is there any attainment, to which they who go forward in the strength of God may not confidently aspire. The object which St. Paul desired in behalf of his Thessalonian con- verts was doubtless exceeding great : it was, that they might be " sanctified throughout, and be pre- served blameless unto the day of Christ :" but " his hope concerning them was steadfast," being founded, not on their weak powers, but on the power and fidelity of God, who had undertaken to " perfect that which concerned them"." In illustrating the words before us, we shall notice,
I. The blessing desired —
a Ps. cxxxviii. 8.
*o
2209.1 COMPLETE SANCTIFICATION TO BE SOUGHT. 3o.)
This was the greatest that mortal man can enjoy- on earth : it was,
1. The sanctification of their whole man — [Man is usually spoken of as consisting of two parts, a body and a soul : but he may, perhaps with more propriety, be considered as having three parts; — a corporeal substance; an animal soul, like that which exists in the lower orders of creation ; and a rational immortal spirit, which connects him with the world above. This distinction between the soul and spirit is to be found also in the Epistle to the Hebrews ; where it is said, that " the word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder the soul and spirit b." In all of these parts, man is corrupt: "his body, in all its members, is only, and invariably, an instrument of unright- eousness unto sinc:" his animal soul, with all its affections and lusts, leads him to those gratifications only, of which the brutes partake in common with himd: and his immortal soul is rilled with all those evil dispositions which characterize the fallen angels, such as, pride, envy, malice, discontent, and rebellion against God. These different kinds of wickedness are frequently distinguished by the Apostle, according to the sources from whence they spring : he speaks of the unconverted man as "fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde;" and tells us, that we must " cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, if we would perfect holiness in the fear of Godf." Agreeably to these distinctions, the character of fallen man is, that he is "earthly, sensual, and devilish8." In all of these parts, then, we need to be renewed and sanctified : we need to have our bodies made instruments of " righteous- ness unto holiness11;" our souls, with "their affections and lusts, crucified1;" and our spirits "renewed after the Divine image, in righteousness and true holiness k." Hence St. Paul prays for the Thessalonian converts, that they may be sancti- fied "wholly," that is, throughout their whole man, even " in their whole spirit, and soul, and body." This, and this only, will constitute us " new creatures :" " the old things" pertain- ing to every part of us must " have passed away, and all things must have become new1:" then alone can we be said to be " partakers of the divine nature111;" and then alone have we any satisfactory evidence that we are Christians indeed n.