64 The Tryail of from finne, as the body is by phyfick from humours ; though the phyfickwork, yet nature joynes with the phyfick, being quickned and helped by it, to caft out the humours For give a dead man phyfick, and it carryes not any humours away : ) So as thofe meanes whereby God purgeth us, are not to be imagined to doe it as meer phyficall agents, like as the pruning hook cuts offbranches from a tree, or as when a Surgeon cuts out dead flefla; but thefe meanes doe it by furring up our graces , and quickning them, and by Petting our thoughts, and ¡faith , and affeaions awork, and fo God aftìftingwith the power ofChrifts death, he doth purgeus daily, by making his word, aflli ions, and the like, to fet cur thoughts awork againft fnne, and fo to cafe it forth. It is certaine, that unleffe our thoughts workupon the meanes, as well as the meaner work upon us, and fo doe mingle themfelves with thofe meanes ; that unleffe faith and Chrias death be mingled in the heart, it purgeth not : And therefore it is faid as well that we purge our felves. So 2 Tim. 2.20. and allo ï john 3. 3. and Rom. 8. that we by the Spirit mor- tifie the deeds orthe fleJh, as it is Paid that God purgethus, (which is the thing affirmed here) becaufe God aril in going on topurge us, dog h it by ftirring up our graces, and uleth therein as ofour faith, and love, and many motives and cordfiderations to fur up our graces fo toeffedt ir. Reafns. Now 2. for the reafons that move God thus to goe on to purge co ruptions out of his children. a. Firf}, becaufe Jefus Chrift bath purchifed an eternal] divorce betweene corruption and our hearts : He hath bought off all our corruptions, and redeemed us from all iniquitie. Titus 2. 14. Hegave himfelfefor us, that he might redeeme us from all iniquitie, andpurifie unto himfelfe a peculiar people, and God will have the price of Chrifls bloud ruc. 2. Secondly, becaufe God defîres more and more to have delight in us, and to draw nigh to us, and therefore he more and more goes on to purge us ; For though he loves us at ñrfu,, when, full of corruptions , yet he cannot fo much delight in us as he Would , nor have that communion with us, no more then a Husband can with a wife, who bath an unfavoury breath, or a loathfome difeafe. They mutt therefore be purified for his bed, as Heflser
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