226 THE NATURE OF SA " it is not of grace; and if it be of grace it is notof works," as our apostle argues, Rom. xi. 6. Our duty, and God's grace, are no where opposed in the matter of sanctification; yea, the one doth absolutely suppose the other. Neither can we perform our duty herein without the grace of God; nor doth God give us this grace unto any other end, but that we may rightly per- form our duty. He that shall deny, either that God commands us to be holy, in a way of duty, or promis- eth to work holiness in us, in a way of grace, may, with as much modesty, reject the whole Bible. Both these, therefore, we are to have a due regard unto, if we intend to be holy: And, (I.) Our regard unto the command consisteth in three things: I. That we get our consciences always affected with the authority of it, as it is the command of God. This must afterwards be enlarged on. Where this is not, there is no holiness. Our holiness is our obedience; and the formal nature of obedience ariseth from its respect unto the authority of the command. 2. That we see and understand the reasonableness, the equity, the advantage of the com- mand. Our service is reasonable service; the ways of God are equal; and in the keeping of his commands there is great reward: If we judge not thus, if we rest not herein, and are thence filled with indignation against every thing within us, or without us, that opposeth it, or riseth up against it, whatever we do in compliance with it, in a way of duty, we are not holy. 3. That hereon we love and delight in it, because it is holy, just and good; because the things it requires are upright, Ì equal, easy, and pleasant to the new nature, without any regard to the false ends before discovered. And, (2.) 'We have a due regard unto the promise, to the same end, when, I. We walk in a constant sense of our own inability to comply with the command, in any one instance, from any power in ourselves; for we have no sufficiency of ourselves, our sufficiency is of God. For him who is otherwise minded, his heart is lifted np. NOTIFICATION, 4-c. '2. When we adore that grace which bath provided help and relief for us. Seeing without the grace promised, we could never have attained unto the least part or de- gree of holiness, and seeingwe could never deserve the least dram of that grace, how ought we to adore, and continually praise, that infinite bounty which hath free- ly provided us of this supply? 3. When we act faith in prayer, and expectationon the promise, for supplies of grace enabling us unto holy obedience. And, 4. When we have especial regard thereunto, with respect unto especial temptations and particularduties. When on all such occasions we satisfy not ourselves with a re- spect unto the promise in general, but exercise faith in particular on it, for aid and assistance, then do we re- gard it in a due manner. Sect. 15. (7.) Tocome yet nearer unto our princi- paldesign, I say, it is the Holy Ghost who is the imme- diate peculiar sanctifier ofall believers, and the author of all holiness in them. I suppose I need not insist upon the confirmation of this assertion in general. I have proved before, that he is the immediate dispenser of all divine grace, or the immediate operator of all divine gracious effects in us, whereof this is the chief. Besides, it is such an avowed and owned principle among all that are called Christians, namely, that the Holy Ghost is the sanctifier of all God's elect; that, as it is not ques. tioned, so it need not in general be further proved; those who are less experienced in these things may consult, Psal. li. 10, 11, 12. Ezek. xi. 19. chap. xxxvi. 25, 26, 27. Rom. viii. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 1 Cor. vi. 11. 1 Peter i. 2. Isa. iv. 4. chap. xliv. 3, 4. Tints iii. 4, 5. But it is the nature and manner ofhis work herein, with the effect produced thereby, that weare to inquire into. For, as this belongs unto our general design of declaring the nature, power, and efficacy of all the gracious divine operations of the Holy Spirit, so it will give us an ac- quaintance in particular with that work, and the fruits ofit, wherein we are so highly concerned.
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