Ver.tt. the 17thChápterbf St. J0HÑ. 14k the Blood of Chrifl. In a Child of God there are many Failings, but God in Chríft giveth him an Acquittance. But this is not all, there muff be an habitual Difpofition of Purity, and a Man mutt enter into a true courfe of San&ification, if he wottildbe accepted in God's Eyes; I Cor. 6. I. Such were Tome of you, but ye are walked, but Jr are juflified, but ye are fanfíified in the Name of ¡he Lord jefus, and by the Spirit of our God The Work of the Spirit, and the Merit of Chrift are infeparable. There is a relative, and a real Change, not only a judicial Abolition of Sin, but a real. If you would come to God as your holy One, you mull be his holy Ones ; as David was called God's holy One Pfal. 16. to. Somewhat anfwerable there mull be to God's Nature, before he can take pleafure in you. You will find it, I. By an hatred of Sift. Where God doth change a Soul, he breedeth a Difpofr- tion in it, in fome fort like himfelf. Thofe Sympathies and Antipathies that God hath, the Soul hath. Now God is an Holy God, he cannot endure Sin; fo it is with an holy Heart. What have I to do with Sinners ? faith God ; and what have I tó do with Sin ? faith the Soul : the difplacency is keen and thong, they have a Nature put into them like God's, and therefore hate what he hateth. It is Paid, Pfal.97.to. Te that lave the Lord, hate Evil: In what meafure we love God,we hate what is contrary to God. In Grace there is a Love to the chiefeh Good, and an Hatred of the chiefefk Evil; the one, as well as the other, is natural to the Saints. Let us never talk of Love to God; except there be a Zeal to reform what he hateth. It is true, we have a mixed Nature, there is the Divine Nature, and the Carnal Nature ; a Believer is partaker of both, Flab and Spirit : there will be Slips and Failings ; but the prevailing part of the Soul abhorreth Sin. It is the Evil which we hate, and tho a Child of God falleth into Sin, yet he cannot reft in it. A Fountain may be troubled,but it wilt work it felfclean again. The Needle in the Compafs may be joggled, but it refts not till it turns to the Pole. A neat Man may be dirtied, but he cannot endure any Filthinefs fhould lie on his Cloaths; impure Men are in their own Element; if they abftain frotn Sin, their un- holy Nature likes it, they forbear it, but do not abhor it; as Phaltiel forfook Michal, only for fear of David's Difpleafure. Sinful Affeerions continue in their full Force and Strength, when the Aft is fufpended. 2. By an Mt of Duty and Conformity to God's Will and Nature; Ephef.4.24. Thatye put on the Nem Man, which is after God created in Righteonfnefs and true Holi- nefs, imárr,n .a ciXieelog : There is a counterfeit Holinefi, and true Holinefs ; the true Holinefs is fuch a Holinefs as God's is, anfwerable in Quality, tho not in Equality. Now what is God's Holinefs ? fuch an Attribute, by which he loveth himfelf above all things, and all other things, as they do more or lefs partake of his Nature : So when we are holy in Truth, we love God out of a Principle of the new Nature. God is lovely, not only . for his Benefits, but for his Effence, as he is delegibilis natura : it is eminently in him, what is in us in a weaker degree. So there will be a Delight in' the Saintr, becaufe of the Refemblançe they bear to God ; Pfal. 16. 3. To the Saints that are in the Earth, and to tie Excellent, in wham is all my Delight. Certainly they have caufe to queltion their Holinefs, to whom good Company is a Prifon and a Burden, they have not fuch Difpofitions as God hath : So they delight in Duties, as they exhibit much of God. And they delight in the Praótice and growth of Holinefs, as it maketh them more like God. .Thus (Chriftians) thould you ftrive to come up to the Divine Patern more and more: You will think a Child uncapable of Learning, when the longer he hath been at the Writing - School, themore he fwerveth from the Copy : and certainly that Holinefs that doth not grow up into a greater Likenefs and Refem= blance of God, is to be fufpe&ed. Thus mutt you look to come in an holy State. 2. With holy and prepared AffeEtions. You fhould remember you have to do with the holy God; Jofh, 24.19. Te cannot fern the Lord, for he it an holy God : Do you knowwhat it is to worfhip him? Rath entring upon the Worfhip of God is not with- out Sin; and to come reaking from your Sins into God's Prefence, it is but as Cainrt approach from Blood to Sacrifice. Before Worfhip there mull be a fpecial purging When yofeph came before Pharaoh, be changed his Garments, and (hared bin-if-elf: When the Children of /Pad came to hear-the Law, they were fanClified, and mewl their Cloaths, Exod. 19. 14. Under the Law, thete was a Laver flood near the Altar, and they were to walla before Sacrifice: therefore David faith, Pfal. 26.6. I will wafli my Hands in Innocency, and fa will I compafi thiye Altar, 0 Lord. So James 4.8. Dram nigh to God, and he willdraw nigh to yola; cleanfe your Hands ye Sinners, and purify your Hedrtd ye double minded. Thefe wafhings were frequent among the Heatheäs,hefore they went std
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