116 tust NATO= OF sus Christ. This therefore being the great privilege of believers, and their eternal safety absolutely depending thereon, it requires our utmost diligence to search into the nature and necessity of it; which may be done from this and the like places of scripture. Sect. 3. And in this place, I. The author of our sanctification, who only is so, is asserted to be God. He is the eternal spring and only fountain of all boll. ness: there is nothing of it in any creature but what is directly and immediately from him. There was not in our first creation. He made us in his own image. And to suppose that we can now sanctify or make our- selves holy, is proudly to renounce and cast off our principal dependance upon him. We may as wisely and rationally contend, that we have not our being and our lives from God, as that we have not our holiness from him, when we have any. Hereunto are the proud opinions of educing an holiness out of the principles of nature to be reduced. I know all men will pretend that holiness is from God; it was never denied by Pelagius himself. But many with him would have it to be from God in a way of nature, and not in a way of especial grace. It is this latter way which we plead for, and what is from ourselves, or educed by any means out of our natural abilities, is not of God in that way. For God, as the author of grace, and the best of corrupted nature are opposed, as we shall see further afterwards. And therefore, 2. Is he, that is the author ofour sanc- tification, so emphatically here expressed, aoe,r 8, i 9,,,, even God himself; if he doth it not, none other can do it; it is no otherwise to be wrought nor effected: there is no other way whereby it may be brought about, nor doth it fall under the power or efficacy of any means absolutely whatever, but it most be wrought by God himself. Hedoth it of himself, from his own grace; by himself or his own power; for himself, or his own, glory, And that, S. Under this especial consideration, as he is the God ofpeace. Sect. 4. This title is ascribed unto Godonly by our apostle, and by him frequently, Rom. xv.. 88. chap. xvi. 20. 2 Cor. xiii. H. Phil. iv. S. Heb. xiii. 20. Were it untoour present purpose to discourse concerning the general nature of peace, I might shew how it is compre- hensiveof all order, rest, and blessedness, and all that is in them. On this account the enclosure of it in this title unto God, as its only possessor and author, be- SANCTrrrCetTrON longs to the glory of his sovereign diadem. Every thing that is contrary unto it is evil, and of theevil one; yea, all that is evil, is so, because of its contrariety to peace: Well therefore may God be styled the God of peace. But these things I may not here stay to explain; al- though the words are so comprehensive and expressive of the whole work of sanctification, and that holiness which is'the effect thereof as that I shall choose to found my whole discourse concerning this subject upon them. That which offers itself unto.our present design from thisexpression, is the peculiar respect unto the work of our sanctification, which lies in this especial property of God. Wherefore he. is said to sanctify asas the God of peace: (I.) Because it is a fruit and effect of that peace with himself, which he hath made and prepared for us by Jesus Christ. For he was in Christ reconcil- ing the world unto himsef destroying the enmity which entered by sin, and laying the foundation of eternal peace. From hence it is, that he will sanctify us, or make us holy, without a respect whereunto he will no more do so, than he will sanctify again the angels that have sinned;_for whom there is no peace made; nor atonement, (2.) God, by the sanctification of our na- tures and persons, preserves that peace with himself in its exercise, which he made and procured by the media- tion of Christ; without which it could not be kept, nor continued. For, in the duties and fruits thereof, con- sist all those actings towards God which a state of re- conciliation, peace, and friendship do require. It is holiness that keeps up a sense of peacewith God, and prevents those spiritual breaches which the remainders of our enmity would occasion. Hence God, as the au- thor of our peace, is the author of our holiness. God, even Godhimself, the God of peace, doth sanctify us. How this is done immediately by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of love and peace, andwherein the nature of this work Both consist, are the things which must afterwards be more fully declared. And he inhere said to sanctify us iO..rsas ç, that is, universally and completely; carry- ing on the work until it comes to perfection. For two things are intended in that expression: 1. That our whole nature is the subject of this work, andnot any one faculty or part of it. 2. That as the work itself is sincere and universal, communicating all parts of real holiness unto our whole natures, so it is carried on to completeness and perfection. Both these, in the ensa-
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