574 Chap. r4. An Expofition upon the Book of Joo . Verf. 4.° foie caufe, is not finful : But good works are not wrought folely by theSpirit ofGod, the Spirit and mind of man are fubfervi- ent and inftrumental in that work : Now an effe&which pro- ceeds from divers fubordinate caufes, takes it qualification from the loweft as well as from the higheft. Though a Writer have exalt skill , yet ifhis Pen be naught, the Writingcannot be ex.- aftly. Laftly, ( fay fore) good works are pleafing to God , but thatwhich is finful doth not pleafeGod. To which I Anfwer. That our goodworksdo not pleafe God as done by us, but asdone in Chrift : He is the Altar which fan&ifies all our gifts, he is our High Prieft who takes away the iniquity of our holy things , that we may be accepted in all our offerings. 'Tis through a Mediatour that God is pleafed with what we do, and pardons our defects. Thirdly, Thewords may import a change of the fame perfon, Who can bring a clean thing out ofan unclean ? Hence Obferve, Mancannot convert or makehimfelfclean, nor can any man make mars clean. Man can no more fan&ifiehimfelf or another, then he can re- deem himfelfor another. But you will fay : man is often ex- horted to cleanfehimfelf(Ifa. i . i 5. x 8.)TPafhyou, make youclears, (2Cor.7. r.) Having thefe promifes, let us cleanfeout felves from allllthinefs of flefb and Spirit. I Anfwer. Firfi, Ifthefe Texts be underftood of perlons Regenerate, as that of the Apoftle clearly is, then it is true, theywho are already cleanfed may further cleanfe themfelves, for though we do not co-operate in the firfl converfion( there we are meerly pafhve ) yet wedo in the fecond : We cannot begin holinefs , but we may and ought to perfeEt holinefs in thefear ofthe Lord. We can- not work our ownSalvation but we may workout our own fai- vation. They who have received the Spirit, are fitted to carry on Spiritual work. And though the Text in Ifaiah fpeak ofperfons unregenerate, yet it is not in vain to fay even to fuch, krajhyou, make you clean. An unclean perfon may apply himfelfto the means of cleanfing They who have no grace, yet have reafon, and God deals with uS
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