BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST. 269 fervent supplications for the purifying and cleansing of their souls, by the sprinkling and washing of the blood of Christ; the faith and persuasion whereof give them peace and holy boldness in the presence of God, with- out which they can have nothing but shame and confu- sion of face in a sense of their own pollutions. Sect. 7. How the bloodof Christ was the merito- rious cause of our purification, as it was offered, in that thereby he procured for us eternal redemption, with all that was conducing or needful thereunto, and how there- by he expiated our sins, belongs not unto this place to declare. Nor shall I insist upon the more mysterious way ofcommunicating cleansing virtue unto us from the blood of Christ by virtue of our own union with him. What bath been spoken may suffice to give a little insight into that influence which the blood of Christ hath into this first part ofour sanctification and holiness. And as for those who affirm, thatit noother- wise cleanseth us from our sins, but only because we believing his doctrine confirmedby his death and re- surrection, do amend our lives, turning from sin unto righteousness and holiness, they renounce the mystery of thegospel, and all the proper efficacy of the blood of Christ. Sect. 8. (idly,) Faith is the instrumental cause of our purification. Purifying their hearts by faith, Acts xv. 9. The two unfailing evidences of sincere faith are, that within it purifieth the heart, and without it work- eth by love. These are the touch-stone whereon faith may, yea, ought to be tried. We purify our soots in obeying the truth. through the Spirit, I Peter i. 20. that is, by believing, which is our original obedience unto the truth. And hereby are our souls purified. Unbe- lievers and unclean are the same, Titus i. 15. for they have nothing in them whereby they might be instru- mentally cleansed. And we are purifiedby faith: Be- cause, ,(1.) Faith itself is the principal grace whereby our nature is restored unto the imageof God, and so freed from our original defilement, Col. iii. 10. John xvii. 3. (2.) It is by faith on our part, whereby we receive the purifying virtue and influences of the blood. of Christ, whereof we have before discoursed. Faith is the grace whereby we constantly adhere and cleave unto Christ, Deut. iv. 4. Josh. xxiii. 8. Acts xi. 10. And if the woman, who touched his garment in faith, ob- tained virtue from him to heal her issue of blood, shall 3 U not those who cleave unto him continually derive virtue from him,for the healing of their spiritual defilements? (3.) It is by the working of faith principally, whereby those lusts and corruptions, which are defiling, are mor- tified, subdued, and gradually wrought out of our minds. All actual defilements spring from the remain- ders of defiling lusts, and their depraved workings in us, Heb. xii. 15. James i. lb. How faith worker] to the correcting and subduing of them, by deriving supplies of the Spirit and grace to that end from Jesus Christ, as being the means of our abiding in him whereon alone those supplies do depend, John xv. 3, 4, 5, as also by the acting of all other graces which are contrary to the polluting lusts of the flesh, and destructive of them, is already declared, and we must not too far enlarge on these things. (M.) Faith takes in all the motives which are proposed unto us, to stir us up unto Our utmost endeavours and diligence in the use of all means and ways for the preventing of the defilements of sin, and for the cleansing our minds and consciences from the relicts of dead works. And these motives, which are great and many, may be reduced unto two heads: (t.) A participation ofthe excellent promises of God at the present;. the consideration hereofbrings a singular en- forcement on the souls of believers to endeavour after universal purity and holiness, 2 Cor. vii. 1. And, (2.) The future enjoyment of God in glory, whereunto we cannot attain without being purified fi'om sin, 1 John ii. 1. Now these motives, which are the springs of our duty in this matter, are received and made efficaci- ous by faith only. Sect. 9. (4.) Purging from sin is likewise, in the scripture, ascribed unto afflictions of all sorts. Hence they are called God's furnace, and his fining-pot, Isa. xxi. 9. chap. xlviii. 10. whereby he taketh away the dross and filth of the vessels of his house. They are called fire, that trieth the ways andworks of men, con- : suming their hay and stubble, and purifying their gold and silver, 1 Cor. iii. 13. And this they do through an efficacy unto the ends communicated unto them, in the design and by the Spirit of God. For by, and in the cross of Christ, they were cut offfrom the curse of the first covenant, whereunto all evil and trouble did belong, and implanted into the covenant of grace. The tree of the cross being cast into the waters of affliction bath rendered them wholesome and medicinal. And 28
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