Sanctification infancy and strong age the one is in the estate of grace the other in the estate of felicitie and glory 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 3. In Sanctification there are two parts considerable 1. Mortification 2. Vivification 4. Mortification is the first part of Sanctification through which sinne is mortified and the force thereof weakned and abated Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we might not serve sinne 5. Vivification is the second part of Sanctification through which the Image of God is restored and renewed 1 Cor. 15.49 And as we have borne the Image of the earthly we shall also beare the Image of the heavenly 6. The efficient and absolute cause is the Father of eternall grace and mercies 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit and soule and body be preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The meritorious or formall cause the precious deare bloud of the Lord Christ that bought us Heb. 10.10 By the which will wee are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all Heb. 10.29 Oh how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be thought worthy who hath troden under-foote the Sonne of God and hath counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace 8. The instrumentall cause of our Sanctification is the precious and sanctifying Word of the Lord Jesus Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth 9. The spirit of life and glory is the cause principally working and perfecting of our Sanctification Hence the Spirit of Christ is tearmed the Spirit of Sanctification Rom. 1.4 10. There is an inseparable lincke and conjunction betwixt the act of Justification by or through the righteousnesse of the Lord our righteousnesse and the act of Sanctification through the Spirit of life and Adoption The ground is this Sith the end of Justification through the love of God and righteousnesse of Christ is the holinesse of our lives and conversations 11. Whilest the inabilitie of man is insufficient to mortifie sinne transgression and iniquitie the Spirit of life and consolation worketh faith in the hearts of the faithfull which layeth hold on the deare bloud and precious death of the Lord Christ which draweth strength from thence to the utter subduing and mortifying of corruption Heb. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Rom. 6.8 9 10. Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion over him For in that he dyed he dyed unto sinne once but in that he liveth he liveth unto God 12. Whilest man is insufficient to restore againe the Image of God which he lost in Paradise to him is given the Spirit of life through which he is freed from the Law of sinne and death and raised againe to live by the life and resurrection of Christ Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sinne and death Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you 13. The New Creature reconciled through bloud justified through righteousnesse and sanctified by the Spirit is really absolutely freed from blame reproofe and sinne in the sight of God the Father 2 Cor. 5.17 Coll. 1.22 Vide. 14. As God hath glory by faith in his promise love to his Name and hope in his salvation so he hath glory by holinesse and sanctitie in our lives and conversations Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeliefe But was strong in faith giving glory to God Joh. 17 10. And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I am glorified in them Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 15. Though the Father of glory and God of all consolation give us life eternall without the desert of holinesse and sanctification yet he doth not give the joy of the Spirit supply of grace without the meanes of sanctimony or sanctification Act. 10.43 44. Vide. 16. Answerable to the sence of Gods divine favour the apprehension of the divine love of Christ and the over-fillings and over-flowings of the joy of the Spirit so is the faithfulls progresse to the high calling of God in Christ Phil. 3.14 I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus 17. So farre as our sanctification or holinesse is an assurance of our glory and blessednesse hereafter that it shall receive the crowne of hope and approbation in the day of Judgement and that through it we glorifie our heavenly Father before the sonnes of men we may rejoyce before God with an assured confidence Act. 24.14 15 16. But this I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers beleeving all things which are written in the Law and the Prephets And have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwayes a conscience voyde of offence towards God and men 18. Not the terrors of the Law the feare of hell the dread of Justice nor the affrightment through condemnation ought to move the Saints to the obedience of the Gospel of life and salvation sith they are bound to the obedience thereof by the love of God a reconciled Father and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent Joh. 15.12 This is my Commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you Joh. 14.15 If yee love me keepe my Commandements 19. Though the Saints for their sanctitie and holinesse are not assured of life and immortalitie yet without sanctitie and holinesse they are not assured of beatitude and glory Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. 20. When the faithfull doe not consider their justified estate and condition and their glorious presentation through the act of reconciliation but opposeth and compareth their works with the Commands and Precepts of the Morall Law It doth possesse them with dreadfull griefe and woefull sorrow Heb. 12.18 19 20
divine and spotlesse righteousnesse that in his Fathers sight and presence we might find acceptation Ephes 1.6 vide 9. This is the streame of sweetest consolation that the Lord Christ was accounted unjust that we might be counted just and that he stood in the place of the unrighteous that we might stand in the place of righteous 1. Pet. 3.18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but quickned by the Spirit 10. Christ the Sonne and Lord of righteousnesse who is our life and everlasting righteousnesse overcoming death shineth by the Gospel maketh us now to sit with himself in the heavenly places that there might be nothing wanting to our felicitie and to the praise and riches of his grace and bountie Ephes 2.6 7. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus 11. Now the Sonne and Lord of righteousnesse doth shine and we have the perfect beautie of his divine and pure righteousnesse revealed in the Gospel of life and reconciliation such as is the clearnesse of noonday although in former ages it hath been hidden and obscured Ephes 3 8 9. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ 12. Adam whilest he stood in his integritie innocency and puritie was not so pure in the sight of God as the Saints who are presented spotlesse in the flesh of Christ and imputed righteous through the righteousnes of Christ the Lord and Prince of righteousnesse The ground is this sith the righteousnesse which is given to the Saints through union with Christ surmounteth that which was given to Adam when he was created 13. The righteousnesse of God is not sufficiently manifested and declared unlesse by that the Saints and redeemed may be accounted sufficiently just in his sight and that God should communicate righteousnesse to the undeserving 14. This is our trust and glory that Christ the Sonne of God the onely author of our salvation is become our righteousnesse and that we in him are the sons and heirs of the celestiall kingdome made partakers of the divine nature and called to the hope and expectation of everlasting beatitude 1. Pet. 1.3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead Rom. 8.17 And if children then heires heires with God and joynt heires with Christ If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together 2. Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust 15. The sinner is received into communion with Christ whilest by the grace of God he is reconciled and by the blood of Christ he is purged from transgression and not otherwise doth he stand before the tribunal seat of God save by the righteousnesse of God his Saviour and of Jesus Christ his blessed and sweet Redeemer The ground is this sith no righteousnesse can answer the righteousnesse of God but the pure and infinite righteousnesse of Christ 16. There is an inseparable conjunction between the pardon and remission of sins and the imputation of divine and absolute righteousnesse which is conveyed to the Saints through communion with the Lord Jesus so that their imperfections are covered the spots and filthinesse thereof are deleted lest they may come into question by eternall and absolute judgement 17. If we seek by what meanes the heart is fixed and the conscience satisfied by no other way or meanes shall we find it save by the power of the crosse of Christ interest in his death the efficacie of his resurrection and the imputation in pure and everlasting righteousnesse 18. Whosoever doth desire to be just before God he must seeke to be freed from sinne by the precious and incomparable blood of Christ and from the riged force of the Morall Law by his active and passive obedience Rom. 10.4 For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth 19. By his puritie all our spots are covered and the uncleannesse of our imperfections to us is not imputed and our transgressions in Christs grave buried that they might never plead against us before the barre of Justice 20. When we are inserted and ingrafted into Christ then doth he dignifie us making us one in himselfe that we may glory that we are admitted into fellowship and communion with the Father with himself and with his people who are sanctified by the Spirit and accounted a glorious people through his glorious and perfect righteousnesse 1. Joh. 1.3 vide 21. Although justification is for and in Christ the beloved Mediatour notwithstanding the Saints are not justified in the sight of God untill faith is given to the Saints by which the Lord Christ is apprehended Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ 22. Christ is the adaequate object of faith so farre forth as faith doth justifie Galat. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ even we have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified 23. Faith upon no other consideration is said to justifie save because it apprehendeth the superabundant grace of God in reconciliation applieth Christs death blood and resurrection to the Saints and resteth upon the promises of God which are yea and Amen to the glory of the Father 2. Cor. 1.20 vide 24. This is the life of saith through which a sinner doth come to the possession of his own salvation whilest by the doctrine of the Gospel he doth acknowledge himself reconciled to God redeemed and ransomed by the inenarrable blood of Christ sealed by the Spirit of life and obsignation and filled with joyes unspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet beleeving ye reioyce with ioy unspeakable and glorious 25. We are justified before men by holinesse and uprightnesse of conversation but before God by the imputation of righteousnesse in justification Jam. 2.18 Yea a man may say thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and
21. 21. The workes of Sanctification makes us not the more beloved of God the Father or purer in his sight or presence The ground is this Sith the absolute free and eternall love of God the Father and the righteousnesse of Christ praeceeds the worke of Sanctification 22. The imperfection of sanctification is not imputed to the Saints and Redeemed sith they are absolutely done away in the bloud of the Lord Jesus The ground is this sith the end of the effusion of the bloud of Jesus is the pardon or remission of iniquitie and impietie 23. Whilest the faithfull present themselves in the sight and presence of God the Father they must not looke to their owne weaknesses infirmities and imperfections but to Gods sweet and loving acceptation in Christ in whom God alone is well pleased Ephes 1.6 The ground is this Sith the end of Gods acceptation is that through which the Saints may have or enjoy the remission or condonation of iniquitie weaknesse and infirmitie Contemplation THe Lord Christ the Author and finisher of our saith the fountaine and well spring of our refreshment the ground of all our hope and dependance is the cause and finisher of our sanctification The lower Spheares are moved by the first Motion our affections are moved by the power and might of the Lord Jesus Doth the mightie waters move without the motiō of the Moone or the body move without the Intellectualls or the soule move to Christ without the exceeding and operative power of Christ O my soule thou hast to deale with that roaring Lyon the Devill the bonds and cords of iniquity the strong gates and barres of death and all evills and with the flesh which is an enemy against the Spirit of life and glory But thy knees are feeble thy hands are weake and thy spirit failes thee in the day of battaile Therefore thou canst not ride the wilde Asses colt or tame the wilde Hindes of the Wildernesse or bring the untamed Unicorne to thy becke and command The day is Christs not thine Thou art a triumpher but by his power thou art a victorer but by his might thou art an overcomer but by his strength Thy righteousnesse thy life thy peace thy joy thy love thy hope and communion is from Christ all Thy mortification thy vivification thy sanctification is from Christ all in all Is his bloud the cause of remission his righteousnesse the cause of Justification his Spirit the cause of thy Adoption and not his life and death the cause of thy sanctification To thee is given the life of faith the life of love and obedience to live unto God blessed for ever To thee is given power from the death of Christ who could not be retained by the bonds of death blessed for evermore Where then are the fiery darts of Satan the presumption of the flesh the high lookes of Principalities and Powers Sith thou art made a Victorer through the Lord of Victory and hast obtained a Triumph through our Lord Triumpher As the weake falls before the mighty and valiant and light gives way to darknesse so doth hell the flesh the Devill and evills give way to the Spirit of glory and sanctification In the day of the Crosse that roaring Lyon the Devill could not stand before the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah In the day of the Resurrection the blacke King of darknesse and terrours could not stand before the Lord of life light and salvation In the day of thy fight or combats the powers of hell or the barres of death cannot stand through thy Lord that loves thee O my soule Where now is thy thought lower then the throne of grace No. Where is thy contemplation lower then the Mercy-Seate No. Where is thy affection below the heavenly places no. Thy Lord hath drawne thee and thou art drawne thy Lord hath allured thee and thou art allured In the time of his love he brought thee from earth to heavenly places from hell and death to possesse a Being of heaven and life Where thy Lord is there wilt thou be if he was upon the Crosse there wouldst thou behold him if he were in the grave there thou wouldst lodge with him if he be at the right hand of his Father there wilt thou dwell with him All thy Songs are Praise and Glory all thy phrase power and wisdome all thy meditations wisdome and strength be ascribed to thy Lord of life and light So that thou sayest with the Angells Amen Benediction and Glory and Wisdome and Thankesgiving and Honour and Power and Strength to our God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 7.12 CHAP. XII Concerning Glorification Definition 1. GLorification is a reall transmutation from the misery punishment guilt and impuritie of sin into eternall felicitie and everlasting beatitude and glory Apoc. 21.4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Psal 16. last Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore 2. Respectu termini à quo It is called a freedome from sinne and a conservation from anger death and the kingdome of darknesse 1. Thes 1.10 And to wait for his Sonne from heaven whom he raised from the dead even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come Matth 4.16 The people which sate in darknesse saw great light And to them which sate in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up 3. Respectu termini ad quem It is called beatification benediction life eternall glory the kingdome of our God and of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. Joh 5.11 And this is the record that God hath given to us eternall life and this life is in his Sonne Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ Apoc. 12.10 And I heard a loud voice saying In heaven now is come salvation and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night 4. Such shall be the glory of the faithfull in the kingdome of their God and Father that no eare hath heard no mind conceived nor any tongue can speak of that glory so inenarrable and incomparable 1. Cor. 2.9 But as it is written eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them which love him 2. Cor. 4.17 18. vide 5. Though the glory of the Saints hath been intended before the world was neverthelesse it hath been in time by the Lord Christ procured and purchased and after time of the glorious Saints shall be possessed and enjoyed Ephes 1.14 Which is the earnest of our