DISCOVTtSE I3. 375 seas to describe ; therefore I apply myself immediately to the words of my text, and confine myselfto them only. Andhere I ahallconsider these fourthings : L Who are particularly designed by the spirits of thejust ; and here I shall make it evident the apostle intends not merely the spirits of good men, but such good spirits as are dismissed from their mortal bodies. II. We shall enquire, wherein consists the perfection to which they have arrived, and what are the ex-' cellencies in which they are madeperfect.=-III. What sort ofper- féction it is they enjoy, andwhat are the peculiar characters of it. -IV. How they arrive at this perfect state; and what influence the dismission from their bodies has towards their attainment of it. And then concludewitha few remarks for our instruction and practice suitable to the present providence. Sect. L Of the spirits ofthejust. Our first enquiry is; whom are we to ùnderstand by the spirits of the just here spoken of ? The name of just or righteous men, taken in a large and general sense, as it is often used in scripture, signifies all those who fear and love God, and are accepted of him. In the New Testament they are.frequently called saints, believers, or children of God : butin both partsof the bible they are often described by the name of just or righteous, and they are properly called so upon these three accounts : I. Their persons are made righteous in the sight of God, having their sins forgiven, and their souls justified through the death and righteousnessof Jesus Christ. So the word is used Rom. v. 19. By the obedience ofone shall many be made righ- teous. Theyhave seen themselves all guilty and exposed to the wrath of God, theyhávefled to layhold on the hope set before them, they have mourned before God, andbeen weary of sin, they havé received thegreat atonement, they have .committed their case by a living faith to Jesus the righteous, the surety and the Saviour of perishingsinners ; and that God bath received them into his favour; and has imputed righteousness to them, even that God who isjust, and thejustifier of them that believe in Jesus. Now this sense cannot reasonably be excluded from the character of a saint, though the word righteous is more frequently taken in the following senses. II. Their natures are made righteous, and sanctified by the Spirit of grace. They have a principle of grace and holiness, wrought in them ; so the word signifies ; Eph. iv. 24. The new man, which. is created after the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness. They were once sinners, disobedient and unholy. asthey were born into this world ; but they are born again, and made newcreatures by the grace ofthe Holy Spirit. Their under- standings are enlightened to see the dreadful evil of sin, and adi. vine beauty of holiness. Their wills are turned from folly and va-
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