~~2 Sanflijication. State Ill. by vit tue of thdr 'union with hin}, receive faoClifying in-flu– ences. The othe.r is the_mere produtl: of the man's own fpirit, which, whatever it has, or feems to -have of the matter of true holinefs, yet does not arife from the fuperna· tural principles, nor to ,the high aims and ends thereof: for, as is comes from feif, fo it runs out into the dead fea of felf again; and lies as wide of true holinefs, as nature doth of grace. They who have this baf~ard holinefs, are like com– mon boat-men, ·who -.ferve themfelves with their own oars. wherea$, ~be ~ip bound for Immanuel's land, fails by the blowings of the divine Spirit. How is it pcffible there ·fhould be true fan&ification wit};)out Chrill:? Can there be ' true fantl:ification, withoUJ part~king of the Spirit of holi· · nefs ? Can we partake_ of that Spirit, but by Jefus Chrifi, t~e way, the tru~h~ a!Jd .the life P The falling dew lhall as foon make its \Vay. thr~ugh the flinty _rock, as influences of t;race lhall come from God to finners, any other way, bu~ .through him whom the Father hath confiituted the ~ead of influences; C!:/ i.19. forjthath_p!~afod th~ Father, that bt him jhould .all j ulnefi ..dwe/1: and, chap . ii. ' 19. And not l:olding the /;~ad, from which all the body by joint; ,and bands having nouri!hmept mirdjlred, {lnd knit together, in– creafeth 'with the increa_fe of God. , Hence fee , h~w it comes topafs, that manyfall away from their feemingfanCl:ification, and never recover ·: it is becaufe they are not .br:anches truly knit to the true v,ine. Mean while, others recover from their decays; becaufe oftheir union with .the life giving fiock, by the quickning ~pirit, l John ii. 19. Tl:e)' went out .fro?fl uJ, but thej w~renot of us: .for if t_hey had been of ttJ, they <TJJould no dot(bt h~v,_e . c_ont_inu_cd with JJJ. • A fifth benefit is growth in grace. Hflt-'ing .murijhme7JI ntinijlred, they increafe 'U)ith-the:jncreg.fe olGod, CoL ii. 1 y. The righteotu jhal/ ~urifh lik& the pahn -lree, lefoal/ g1·ow Ji/te a c~ dar in Le~pn,o.n; Pfal • .~cii. 12. Grace is of a growing nature: in the way to Zion they go fi'Om ftrength to Hrength Thou_gh the holy man be at firfi a little child in grace , yet at length he becomes ayott,ng mall, a father, 1 John ii. 13. Th<-:ugh he doe's but creep io the way .to hea.ven fornetimes, yet ,afterwards he wa_f.h, he ru1u, he ?fW'i!J up rv.:itb rv.·ing,J a.i (flgle~, Ifa . ~1. 31· lfa branch grafted ..
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