SANCTIPICATTON A increased. And this is done by theHoly Spirit several ways: First, By exciting them unto frequent actings. Fre- quency of acts doth naturally increase and strengthen the habits whence they proceed; and in these spiritual habits of faith and love, it is no moreover by God's ap- pointment. They grow and thrive in and by their ex- ercise, Hos. vi. 3. The want thereof is the principal means of their decay. And there are two ways where- by the Holy Spirit excites the graces of faith and love unto frequent acts: (1.) He doch it morally, by proposing their objects suitably and seasonably unto them. This he doth by his ordinances of worship, especially the preaching of the word. God in Christ, the promises of the cove- nant, and other proper objects of our faith and love, being proposed unto us, these graces are drawn out un- to their exercise. And this is one principal advantage which we have by attendance on the dispensation of the word in a due manner; namely, that by presenting those spiritual truths which are the objects of our faith unto our minds, and those spiritual good things which are the objects of our love unto our affections, both these graces are drawn forth into frequent actual exer- cise. And we are greatly mistaken, if we suppose we have no benefit by the word beyond what we retain in our memories, though we should labour for that also. Our chief advantage lies in the excitation which is thereby given unto our faith and love to their proper exercise. And hereby are these graces kept alive, which, without this, would decay and wither. Herein doth the Holy Spirit trace the things of Christ, and ede, them unto us, John xvi. 14, 15. He represents them unto us in the preaching of the word, as the proper ob- jects of our faith and love; and so brings to remem- brance the things spoken by Christ, chap. xiv. 26. that is, in the dispensation of the word, he minds us of the gracious words and truths of Christ, proposing them to our faith and love. And herein lies thesecret profiting and thriving of believers under the preaching of the gospel, which it may be they are not sensible of them- selves. By this means are many thousands of acts of faith and love drawn forth, whereby those graces are exercised and strengthened, and consequently holiness is increased. And the word by the actings of faith be- ing mixed with it, as Heb. iv. 2. increaseth it by its incorporation. PROGRESSIVE WORK. (2.) The Spirit doth it really and internally. He dwelleth in believers, preserving in them the root and principle of all their grace by his own immediate power. Hence all graces in their exercise are called thefruits of the Spirit, Gal. v. 22, 23. He brings them forth from the stock that he hath planted in the heart. And we cannot act any one grace without his effectual operation therein. Godworketh inus both to willand to do ofhis good pleasure, Phil. i. 13. that is, there is nopart of our wills singly and separately from hipt in obedience, but it is the operation of the Spirit of God in us so far as it is spiritual and holy: He is the immediate author of every good or gracious acting in us. For in us, that is, in our flesh (and ofourselves we are but flesh) there dwelleth no good. Wherefore the Spirit of God, dwel- ling in believers, doth effectuallyexcite and stir up their graces unto frequent exercise and actings, whereby they are increased and strengthened. And there is nothing in the whole"course of our walkingbefore God, that we ought to be more careful about, than that we grieve not, that we provoke not this good and Holy Spirit, whereon he should withhold his gracious aids and assis- tances from us. This, therefore, is the first way whereby the work of sanctification is gradually carried on, by the Holy Ghost exciting our graces unto frequent actings, whereby they are increased and strengthened. Secondly, He doth it by supplying believers with experiencesof the truth, and reality, and excellency of the things that are believed. Experience is the food of all grace, which it grows and thrives upon. Every taste that faith obtains of divine love and grace, or how gra- cious the Lord is, adds to its measure and stature. Two things therefore must briefly be declared: (1.) That the experience of the reality, excellency, power, and efficacy of the things that are believed, is an effec- tual means of increasing faith and love. (2.) That it is the Holy Ghost which gives us this experience. For the first, God himself expostulates with the church, how its faith came to be so weak when it had so great experience of him, or of his power and faithfulness, Isa. xl. 27, 28. " Hast thou not heard, hast thou not " known? How then sayest thou that God hath forsak- " en thee?" And our apostle affirms, that the consola- tions whichhi had experimentally received from God, enabled him onto the discharge of his duty towards others in troub' ^, 2 Cor. vii. 4. For herein we prove, 229
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