AND GOSPEL-HHOLINESS EXPLAINED. And, in . order to this his great and supreme end, lie hath designed the gospel, and designs by the gospel, which gives the gospel its design: (d.): To reveal that love and grace of his unto lost sinners, with the way of I its communication through the mediation of his Son in- carnate, as the only means whereby he will be glorified, and whereby they may be saved, Acts xxvi. 18. (2.) To prevail with men, in and by the dispensation of its truth, and encouragement ofits promises, to renounce their sins, and all other expectations of relief or satis- faction, and to betake themselves by faith unto that way of life and salvation which is therein declared unto them, 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 20, 21. Col. i. 25, 26, 27, 28. (3.) To be the means and instrument of conveying over unto them, and giving them a title unto, and a right in that grace and mercy, that life and righteousness which is revealed and tendered unto them thereby, Mark xvi. 16. (4.) To be the way and means of communi- ! eating the'Spirit of Christ with grace andstrength unto the elect, enablingof them to believe and receive the a- tonement, Gal iii. 2. (5.) Hereby to give them union with Christ, as their spiritual and mystical head, as also to fix their hearts and souls in their choicest actiags in their faith, trust, confidence, and love, immediately on. the Son of God, as incarnate, and their Mediator, John xiv. 1. Wherefore the first and principal end of the gospel towards us, is to invite and encourage lost sinners unto the faith and approbation of the way of grace, life, and salvation by Jesus Christ, without a corn- pliance wherewith, in thefirst place, the gospel hash no more to do with sinners, but leaves them to justice, the law, and themselves. But now, upon a supposition of these things, and of our giving glory to God by faith in them, the whole that God requireth of us in.the gospel, in a way of duty, is, that we should be holy, and abide in the use of those means whereby holiness may be at- tained and improved in us. For ifhe requires any o- ther thing of us, it must be on one of these four ac.. counts.: 1. To make atonement for oursins. Or, 2. To be our righteousness before him. Or, 3. To merit life and salvation by. Or, 4. To supererogate in the behalf of others. Noother endcan be thought of besides what are the true ends of holiness whereon God should re- quire any thing of us. And all the false religion that is in the world leans on a supposition, that God Both require somewhat of us with respect unto these ends. 'comeliness ofthe righteousness of Christ put upon us by the free grace of God, is our only beauty in his sight, so it is such as hath a real spiritual glory in it. It is the first-fruits of heaven; and, as the apostle argueth concerning the Jews, that if the first-fruits were holy, then is the whole lump holy; so may we, on the other side, if the whole weight, as he calls it, and fulness of our future enjoyments be glory, then are the first- fruits, in their measure, so also. There is in this holiness, as we shall see further afterwards, a ray of eternal light, a principle of eternal life, and the entire nature of that love whereby we shall eternally adhereunto God. The divine nature, the new immortal creature, the life of God, the lifeof Christ, are all comprised in it. It re- presents unto God the gloryof his own image renewed in us, and unto the Lord Christ the fruits of his Spirit, and effect of his mediation, wherein he sees of the tra- vail of his soul, and is satisfied. There is therefore nothing more to be abhorred, than those carnal, low, and unworthy thoughts which some men vent of this glorious work of the Holy Spirit, who would have it wholly to consist in a legal righteousness or moral virtue. Sect. 13. (6.) This is that which God indispensibly requireth ofus The full prosecution of this considera- tion we most put off unto our arguments for the neces sity of it, which will ensue in their proper place. At present, I shall-shew, that God not only requireth ho- liness indispensibly in all believers, but also that this is all which he requireth of them, or expecteth from them, for it compriseth the whole duty of man. And this sorely rendereth it needful For us both to knowwhat it is, and diligently to apply ourselves unto the obtaining an assured participation of it. For what servant, who bath any sense of his relation and duty, if he be satis- fied that his master requireth but one thing of him, will not endeavour an acquaintance with it, and the performanceof it. Some indeed say, that their holiness, such as it is, is the chief or only design of the gospel. If they intend that it is the first principal design of God in and by the gospel, and that not only as to the precep- tive part of it, but also as unto its doctrinal and pro- missory parts, whence it is principallyand emphatically denominated, it is a -fond imagination. God's great and first design in and by the gospel, is eternally to glorify himself, his wisdom, goodness, love, grace, right- eousness, and holiness, by Jesus Christ, Eph. i. 5, 6.
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