〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall subjoyn these particulars Causa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae 〈◊〉 â—â—ritorâ—a 1. That the will of God is the inward impulsive cause of our Sanctification 2. That the blood of Christ is the moral and meritorious cause of our Sanctification Causa materialis 3. That the holiness of Christ is the material cause Causa formalis 4. That the infusion of Holiness or giving of the Spirit is the formal cause Causa Efficiâ—â—s 5. That the Spirit of Christ is the efficient cause Causâ— Adminâ—â—trae 6. That the Word Ordinances and Faith are the ministring instrumental causes Polan Causae exemplares 7. That the Death and Resurrection of Christ are the exemplary causes or patterns D. Amâ—â— in 〈◊〉 Theolog. 8 y and lastly That the glory of God in the Consecration and Salvation of a sinful creature is the supreme end or final cause of our Sanctification 1 The principal moving cause 1. The Will of God is the principal internal moving cause of our Sanctification Heb. 10.9 10. Then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God He taketh away the first that he may establish the second that is he taketh away the first sort of Sacrifices and Propitiations which was the blood of Bulls and Goats c. and establish the second standing Sacrifice which is the offering up of the body of Jesus Christ once for all by the which will we are sanctified v. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. it was the good pleasure of the Fathers will to appoint and accept this precious Sacrifice for our Justification Sanctification and compleat Salvation This is the will of God even our Sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 This is the will of his Precept that Christ Jesus should be our Sanctification this is also the will of his Purpose and Eternal Counsel Why did God chuse us in Christ before the foundation of the world the Apostle tells us that we should be holy Ephes 1.4 The principal moving cause of our Regeneration is the will of God Of his own will begat he us c. 1 Jam. 18. What more clear 2 The meritorious cause Omne donum gratiae Dei in Christo est Ambr in Ephes 1. Cauâ—a efficiens interna propter quam Deus nos regeneraâ— est meritum justitia obedientia Christi Polan 2. The blood of Christ is the moral and meritorious cause of our Sanctification all blessings and graces come down from the Father of Lights through the Sun of Righteousness both grace and glory holiness and happiness flow in to us through the Channel of Christs blood The blood of Christ is both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both the Price of our Redemption and the Laver of Regeneration also as is evident by these Scriptures Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the blood of Christ who by the Eternal Spirit offer'd up himself without spot to God purge your consciences from dead works c. 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin f om the guilt and filth of sin Heb. 1.3 He by himself hath purged our sins Heb. 13.12 And that he might sanctifie the people with his own blood he suffered without the gate As a price is said to do that which a man doth by that power the price purchaseth so the blood of Christ is said to cleanse us because the Office or Power whereby he sanctified us was conferr'd upon him sub intuitu pretii under the condition of suffering for it was necessary that Remission and Purification should be both by blood Morte sua Christus est meritus resurrectionâ— efficaciter â—â—generationem nobis applicat Syntag. Polan p. 467. Heb. 9.22 23. Christ by his bloody death merited impetrated and obtained of his Father the spirit of holiness faith the word promises and all spiritual blessings in order to his peoples sanctification Ephes 1.3 4. Phil. 1.29 Had it not been for this moral and meritorious cause the blood of Christ which is the sole foundation of the Spirits efficiency of the Faiths existence and instrumentality of the Word and Promises operation and efficacy we should never have felt the efficiency of the Spirit nor the working of Faith nor the effectual operation of the Word and Promises in the Purification of our Natures or in the conversion of our souls to God This purifying vertue of the blood of Christ was typically held forth by divers kinds of offerings and washings oblations and ablutions under the Law and other ceremonial observances which the Apostle hath reference to Heb. 9.13 The blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctified to the purifying of the flesh that is it legally and carnally sanctified them and made them externally pure and holy as to the Church into which they were incorporated But that which was legally and carnally in the Type was really substantially and spiritually effected in the Antitype the sacrifice of Christs body typified by that bloody sacrifice of beasts as ver 14. following asserteth How much more saith he shall the blood of Christ c. Thus 't is clear that the blood of Christ is the moral and meritorious cause of our Sanctification yea and the procuring cause of all othâ—r blessings causes helps and means which by divine order and appointment concur to co-operate in the production and progress of our Sanctification 3. What is the material cause of our Sanctification I answer 3 The material cause As the Filiation or Sonship of Christ is the material cause of our Adoption and as the full satisfaction of Christ to the Justice of God is the material cause of our Reconciliation and as the perfect righteousness of Christ as God-man is the material cause of our justification so I humbly suppose the perfect purity of Christs Humane Nature by the Hypostatical Union united to the divine in one person and the unmeasurable fulness of the spirit in him is the material cause of our Sanctification all the holiness that is in us is but the beaming forth of his holiness a ray of his glory a measure of his spirit a sprinkling of his Unction an over-flowing of his fulness for of his fulness we receive and grace for grace Joh. 1.16 In a word 't is the communication of the Divine Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinâ— consortes naturae So Montanus 2 Pet. 1.4 The Saints are there said to be partakers of the Divine Nature But how not that we are Christed into Christ or Godded into God as some of late daies have most absurdly if not blasphemously imagined We cannot be partakers of Gods Substance or Essence for that is incommunicable to any creature but believers partake per Christ of the communicable divine qualities and perfections as wisdome knowledge righteousness holiness c. Col. 3.10 Ephes 4.24 This glorious Image of God we lost in the first and
and Happiness is the Fathers free Grant or Donative Rev. 19.18 To her it was granted to be covered with fine Linnen the Righteousness of the Saints and fear not little Flock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 't is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome Luke 12.32 or that Kingdome 'T is very observable that in all Christs expressions of love to us he still expresseth obedience to his Fathers Will there is a double ground of hope as Stella speaks See Stella at large de amore Dei cap. 18. the Son loveth us because the Father requireth it and the Father loveth us because the Son asketh it Reas 3. It is a great support and comfort to a Believer in the act of believing to consider the Love of the Father as well as the Merit of the Son Two are better than one 1 Joh. 2.23 24. 2 Ep. Joh. 9. 't is often made a great priviledge to have both the Father and the Son The Fathers love the Sons Merit severally and apart considered will not yeild that full joy and peace in believing as both conjoyned There 's no coming to God but by Christ for God out of Christ is consuming fire Again Christ separated from the Father doth not yeild so firm a ground of confidence The Fathers Act with the Sons Merit gives us full security Christ and the Father also are a Believers Guardians John 10.28 29 30. a double cord is not broken easily this two-fold custody is the best security The Father is represented as the offended Party by mans sin Conscience quakes and trembles now for a soul to know that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself and that Christ came from Heaven to do his Fathers Will and that the Father hath made him over to us in all his fulness as wisdome righteousness sanctification and redemption This settles the soul in peace Thou wilt keep him in peace peace so it is in the Hebrew whose minde is stayed on thee Isa 26.3 It pleasâ—d the Father that in him should all fulness dwell peace in perfect peace Isa 26.3 Reas 4. Because in the Fathers love there are many engaging Circumstances not to be found in the other Persons 1. In the Fathers Love and Acts of Grace there is an Original fulness Christs fulness as Mediatour is but drawn out of the Fathers plenty Col. 1.19 2. The fulness of the Son in the dispensing of it is limited by the Fathers will all that Christ dispensed was according to the charge and commandment of the Father Mat. 20.23 To sit on my right-hand left is not mine to give saith Christ save to those for whom it is prepared of my Father Christ as Mediatour was limited by the Fathers Will To what end did God give Christ power over all Flesh but to give eternal life to as many a God had given him to none other Joh. 17.2 Now it is sweet to think that the Father himself loveth us who is first in Order and whose Will is absolute and that he hath laid up an inexhaustible treasure in his Son for us 3. In the Fathers Acts you have the purest and freest apprehensions of love 'T was the Father that began and as we conceive broke the business of our Redemption and that sent his Son into the world to accomplish it The Son as Mediatour can have an higher motive than his own love viz. the Fathers Will but the Father can have no higher motive than his own Love After the Apostle had treated of Election Predestination to Adoption Remission of sins c. Eph. 1.11 12. he concludes all under the Will of God The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the good pleasure of the Fathers Will was the Well-head or Fountain Cause of all those acts of Grace that passed out unto the creature by the personal operations of the Son and Spirit The love of the Father was antecedent to the merit of Christ and to the operation of the Spirit therefore in the Fathers Acts of Grace ye have the apprehensions of the first and freest love you have great reason therefore from Spiritual Scriptural Considerations to glorifie and praise the Father as the original Authour of all your holiness and happiness Thus much for the second Use Use 3 If Jesus be given of God for our Sanctification then we may safely infer that Sanctification is neither an easie nor a common work 1. Sanctification is no easie work God takes it to be his prerogative I am the Lord that sanctifies you Levit. 21.8 Grace is his own proper immediate creature mans Will contributeth nothing to the worke but resistance and rebellion Domine errare per me potui redire non potui Aust Meditat. wherefore God makes the soul willing in the day of his power Psal 110.3 and outward means work not unless the mighty power of the Spirit works with them or else why should the same Word Preached by the same Minister mollifie some and harden others Zech. 13.1 Christ must come from Heaven and open a Fountain in his own side and heart for our purification Heb. 9.14 Nothing but the blood of Christ can purge your Consciences from dead works If any other means had been effectual Christ had never been made of God Sanctification to us 'T is observable Sanctification is not onely expressed by a Creation i. e. Luke 11.21 22. 1 Joh. 4.4 a making of things out of nothing but also by a victory or a powerful overcoming of opposition In Creation as there was nothing to help so there was nothing to resist or hinder but when God comes to sanctifie or convert a soul besides a Death in sin God finds a strength of resistance against Grace Therefore Sanctification is wrought by the power of the Almighty We deserve it not it comes from the Fathers Good-will and Christs Merit and we work it not 't is wrought in us by the power of the Holy Ghost 2. Sanctification is not a common work the making of man at first was not a Common but a special work Gen. 1.26 let us make man after our own likenesse the making of other creatures was by the word of power but the making of man was an act of counsel And sure I am the forming of Christ in the soul the new workmanship created in Christ Jesus Ephes 2.10 to good works is one of the greatest and most glorious works of God farre surpassing the Creation of Heaven and Earth Wherein God shews himself an Artist to the uttermost Sanctification is the decking of the soul with Christs Image a representation of God in his highest Excellency and this is not a common but a special Priviledge a divine Ornament which God bestows on none but upon his choice Favourites a special and peculiar people 1 Pet. 2.9 Let all such that are in some measure sanctified Use 4 or that truely desire to be sanctified wait on God till the work be
that is by his Blood and Spirit whereof the washing of water in Baptisme is a sign and seal and withall the means whereby the Spirit of Christ doth more and more strengthen this cleansing The sum whereof is this Christ by the will of God and our Father gave himself to death for his Church The Blood of Christ is the meritorious cause the Spirit of Christ is the efficient cause Instrumenta in divinis operantur acsâ—noâ— operantur the Word and Ordinances are as subservient causes they work as Instruments in the hands of Christ for the Churches sanctification all the vertue that is in them or flows out to the Saints from them they receive from the efficiency of Jesus Christ These Pipes receive the Golden Oyl from this Candlestick Lastly the end of all is this that he might present her to himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle c. Thus the Church must be prepared by the Bridegrooms grace and so fitted for the Bridegrooms glory As the Virgins in Esther were to be purified with Oyl of Myrrhe Esther 2.12 and sweet Odours before they entred into the Kings Palace or stood in the Kings presence So all the Virgins and followers of the Lamb are to be purified and refined by the Spirit and grace of the Lamb and perfectly sanctified compleatly glorified at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Rev. 19.7.9 Christians your blessed Saviour is made of God both righteousness and sanctification to ye he hath both a glorious Robe of justification to impute and a glorious Robe of sanctification to impart to all believers and this without controversie is the white Linnen of the Saints which render them truly glorious which commends them to God to good men to the holy Angels which garment of glory and beauty they shall wear for ever in their Fathers presence The believing Corinthians called to be Saints are said to be sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1 2. The Church considered in her Inherent Grace is but fair as the Moon hath many spots in her but in her Relation to Christ so she is clear as the Sun c. Wherefore though the Church in her self may be said to be poor forlorn deformed needy yet by Union with Christ being implanted into him * Ecclesia omnem suam sanctitatem venustatem pulchritudinem omnia sua bona in genere à Christo Jesu sponso suo accipâ—re habere dicitur P. Mart. she is rich with her Husbands riches holy with his holiness comely with his comeliness illustrious with his glory replenisht with his fulness He that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 When by faith unfeigned we are united ingrafted into Christ the true Vine We really partake of spiritual life and sensation from him we are sanctified in him and by him Wherefore speaks a worthy †Sanctificamur ergo dum in Christi corpus inserimur extra quod non nisi pollutio est nec aliunde etitiam nobis confertur spiritus quam à Christo per quem Deo adhaeremus in quo simus nova creaturae Calv. Author we are then sanctified when we are ingrafted into Christs body out of which instead of sanctification there is nothing else but pollution and no other way but from and by Christ is the Spirit of Holiness conferr'd upon us c. Christ in his most heavenly prayer solemnly confesseth that his Father sent him into the world for the sake of true believers Joh. 17.18 and that for their sakes he did sanctifie himself i. e. dedicate and give up himself for an holy Sacrifice that they viz. believers might be sanctified by the truth that is as most render it might receive remission of sins and sanctification of the Spirit and in fine the salvation of their souls as evidently appears from Heb. 10.10 Through the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all And v. 14. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified All which Scriptures seem to a judicious ear to joyn in Consort and speak one voice and language with the Text and point in hand That Jesus Christ is given of God the Father for our Sanctification Thus much for the first thing promised viz. the proof of the point We come to the second general 2. How or in what sense Jesus Christ may be said to be our Sanctification or made ordained constituted or given of God to be our Sanctification I conceive Christ may be said to be our Sanctification in Scripture sense these four wayes 1. By Imputation 2. By Vnion 3. By Assimilation 4. By Influence and Communication 1. By Imputation 'T is the saying of a Reverend man now with God That the perfect purity of Christs Humane Nature is reckoned unto believers by free imputation of faith M. Wilson in his Christian Dictionary Christ is made unto us Sanctification this is saith he Sanctification imputed Jesus Christ being consecrated and set apart of God to be the Messiah and Mediator for mankind and having for that purpose all the bounty and fulness of the Father poured on him being truly God and truly Man and as Man being conceived of the Holy Ghost without sin ordained to be a Sacrifice for sin and to sanctifie and make his people holy is worthily in Scripture called That Holy One Psa 16.10 Act. 3 1â— Joh. 1.2.20 Also he is termed the Holy of Holies or most Holy Dan. 9.24 And to annoint the most Holy The poor imperfect Church of Christ notwithstanding all her blots and spots Uxor illuce scit radiis mariti Qui justificantur sanctificantur hae gratiae individuo nexu cohaerent Calv. blains and blemishes contracted by original and actual sins is reputed as a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing as she shines by the rayes of the Sun of righteousness through the sanctification or perfect holiness of her Bridegroom Jesus Christ Jesus Christ is a believers righteousness for Justification and his holiness for sanctification also These two are Twins inseparable The Lamb of God without spot was slain 1 Pet. 1.18 to purge us from the guilt of sin for without shedding of blood there could be no remission Heb. 9.22 And it must be a Lamb without spot and blemish and offered up to God by the Eternal Spirit This Lamb must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God-man or else your pollutions had never been removed your Natures never sanctified your consciences never purged from dead works Heb. 9.14 But Christ by the Hypostatical union is eminently qualified to be both vertually and efficiently your sanctification As the benefits of Redemption accrue to us by the Kingly Office of Christ so the benefits of Justification and Sanctification do accrue to us by the Priestly Office of Christ as Pareus notes Such an High-Priest it became us who is holy harmless separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 And such an
to those expressions Isa 9.6 To us a Childe is born Factus est nobis non creatione sed ordinatione neque enim Christus creatus aut factus est quoad Essentiam divinam ut haeretici depravant scripturam hanc sed ordinatus donatus nobis ad haec bona conferenda ideo discitur factus nobis sicut Isaiah 9.6 puer natus est nobis Luke 2. vobis natus est servator id est nostro bono Pareus in loc to us a Son is given And Luke 2 To you is born a Saviour that is for our good He is made of God to us c. that is saith * Factus est nobis sapientia a Deo c. id est qui datus est nobis a Deo ut in ipso omnem sapientiam Consequeremur c. idem de justitiâ sanctificatione statuendum est Beza in loc Beza who is given to us of God that we might obtain all wisdome righteousness holiness c. in him and by him All these interpretations are significant and proper enough but the last I best approve of as the most genuine and consonant to the scope of the Text and to the sense of the Apostle only by the way note thus much that by righteousness here is and must be meant the righteousness of justification for the Apostle immediatly annexeth to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importing the Righteousness of Sanctification which is the very next word My observation shall be this Jesus Christ was given of God to be our Righteousness or for our justification In the prosecution of this precious and weighty Doctrine I shall endeavour 1. To prove the Point 2. To open the meaning of the word Justifie 3. To shew what the justification of a sinner before God is 4. What are the essential parts of our justification 5. The several Causes of our justification 6. The Fruits and Consequences of our justification 7. And lastly Close all with a brief Application for proof 1. Jesus Christ was decreed designed ordained and determined to be his peoples righteousness propitiation and redemption the justification and redemption of a sinner is according to Gods purpose and grace given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 which according to the immutability of his Counsel was in the fulness of time accomplisht That in Daniel is very emphatical Dan. 9 34. To bring in everlasting righteousness 't is in the original a Righteousness of Eternities So in Heb. 9.12 it it said that Christ obtained eternal Redemption for us Our Redemption Eternal a parte ante a parte post or Righteousness may be called Eternal upon a double accompt 1. Eternal in reference to the eternal Decree of God and so a Righteousness from Eternity 2. External in reference to the everlasting duration of the vertue of it the great and glorious Benefits that accrue to Believers by vertue of this Righteousness extend their vertue continue their influence throughout the endless duration of Eternity 'T is a Righteousness from all Eternity and a Righteousness unto all Eternity Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth from everlasting or fore-appointed to be a propitiation through faith in his blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 · quem proposuit Deus propitiationem Montan. to declare his righteousness c. Christ was A Lamb slain from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 viz. in the eternal purpose and Decree of God 2. Consider Christs glorious Name This is his Name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23.6 This is like his other Name Jesus the same in substance with this Matth. 1.21 by the Oracle of an Angel his Name must be called Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins i. e. from the power guilt and condemnation of sin 3. 'T is the office of Jesus Christ as our High Priest to be our Righteousness Jesus Christ was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was our Redeemer the price of our Redemption a Counter-price our Redemption and revocation from Captivity he was both the propitiatory and propitiation he was Priest he was Altar he was Sacrifice he was All in All Jam fructum ostendit quem ex Christi sacrificio consequuti sumus nimirum ut justi coram Deo essemus qui naturâ impuri peccatores sumus Marloâ—at in 2 Cor. 5.21 to make us the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5. ult that is that we who are impure sinners by nature through the sacrifice of Christ might become righteous before God He is our Advocate 1 Joh. 2.2 and propitiation Jesus Christ the Righteous yea he is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our propitiatory or placatory Rom. 3.25 alluding to the Mercy-seat 1 Cor. 5.7 He is our Passeover sacrificed for us he is the Lamb of God slain for us 1 Pet. 1.18 that the wrath of God might pass over and pass away for ever from us and not fall down upon our heads if your hearts and Consciences are sprinkled with the blood of Christ as the Door-posts of the Children of Israel were with the blood of the Paschal-lamb Exod. 12.7 the wrath of God will for ever pass by you and not pass upon you Thus Jesus Christ is a merciful and faithful High-priest Heb. 2.17 merciful to us in misery pittying us in our guilt and blood faithful to God and to us also in the faithful discharge of his Priestly Office for us in being our Price our Ransom in discharging our Bond in pacifying the Fathers wrath in satisfying divine Justice in finishing Transgression in making an end of sin in bringing in everlasting Righteousnesse and so in bringing us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 Now as he is our merciful and faithful High Priest so he is our Righteousnesse 1 our Justifyer Justitia hoc est justificator noster donaus nos vera justitiâ coram Deo per fidem Ad sacerdotale munus Christi hoc pertinet Pareus in 1 Cor. 1.30 endowing us with a perfect Righteousness before God through faith this belongs to the Priestly Office of Christ Jesus Christ is the Author or the procuring cause of our justification as he is the Author of our eternal Salvation Heb. 5 9. And this he doth two wayes 1. By making an Atonement for us on Earth 2. By making intercession for us in Heaven He hath made reconciliation for us by his blood upon the Crosse Rom. 5 1â— and he doth continue to make intercession â—or us by the prevalent and loud cryes of the same blood in Heaven Heb. 12.24 He is gone up to Heaven to appear in the presence of God for us Heb. 9.24 just as Aaron a type of Christ Exod. 28.12 29. and 30. verses was to bear the name of the children of Israel a figure of all the Elect of God engraven in precious stones upon his Shoulders and upon his Heart when he went into the holy Place for a memorial before