IN THE SANCT1FIC whatever, without which, what we do is not so, nor doth any way belong thereunto. And this part of his work we shall reduce unto two heads, which we shall first propose, and afterwards clear and vindicate. And our first assertion is, a. That in the sanctifies- " tion of believers, the Holy Ghost doth work in them, :a in their whole souls, their minds, wills, and affec- " tions, a gracious supernatural habit, principle, and disposition of living unto God, wherein the substance " or essence, the life and being of holiness doth con- " sist." This is that spirit which is born of the Spirit, that new creature, that new and divine nature which is wrought in them, and whereof they are made partakers. Herein consists that image of God whereunto our na- tures are repaired by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby weare made conformable unto God; firmly and steadfastly adhering unto him through faith and love. That there is such a divine principle, such a gracious supernatural habit, wrought in all them that are born again, bath been fully proved in our assertion and description of the workof regeneration. It is there- fore acknowledged, that the first supernatural infusion or communication of this principle of spiritoal light and life, preparing, fitting, and enabling all the faculties of our souls unto the duties of holiness, according to the mind of God, dath belong unto the work of our first conversion. But the preservation, cherishing, and in- crease of it belongs unto our sanctification, both its in- fusion and preservation being necessarily required unto holiness. Hereby is the tree made good, that the fruit of it may be good, and without which it will not so be. This is our new nature, which ariseth not from prece- dent actions of holiness, but is the root of them all. Habits acquired by a multitude of acts, whether in things moral or artificial, are not a new nature, nor can be so called, but a readiness for acting from use and custom.. But this nature is from God its parent; it is that in us which is born of God; and it is common unto, or the same in all believers, as to its kind and being, though not as to degrees and exercise. It is that we cannot learn, which cannot be taught us but by God only, as he teaches other creatures in whom he planteth a natural instinct, The beauty and glory hereof, as it is absolutely inexpressible, so have we spo- ken.somewhat to it before. Conformity to God, like- ness to Christ, compliance with the Holy Spirit, inte- ATION OF BELIEVERS. 277 rest in the family of God, fellowship with angels, sepa- ration from darkness and the world, do all consist herein. Sect. 3. -2dly, The matter of our holiness consists, in our actual obedience unto God, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace. For God pramiseth to write his law in our hearts, that we may fear him, and walk in his statutes. And concerning this, in general, we may observe two brings: 1. That there is a certain fired rule and measure of thisobedience, in a conformity and answerableness where- unto it doth consist.. This is the revealed will of God in the scripture, Micah vi. 8. God's will, I say, as revealed unto us in the word, is the rule of our obedi- ence. A rule it must have, which nothing else can pre- tend to be. The secret will or hidden purposesof God are not the rule of our obedience, Dent. xxix. 29. much, less are our own imaginations, inclinations, or reasons so; neither doth any thing, though never no specious, whichwe do in compliance with them, or by their di- rection, belong thereunto, Col. ii. 19, 20, 21, 22. But the word of God is the adequate rule of all holy obedi- ence: (1.) It is so materially. All that is commanded in that word belongs unto our obedience, and nothing else doth so. Hence are we so strictly required neither to add unto it, nor to diminish or take any thing from it, Deut. iv. 2. chap. xii. 32. Josh. i. 7. Prov. xxx. 6.. Rev. xxii. 18. (9.) It is so formally, that is, we arenot only to do what is commanded, all that is commanded, and nothingelse; but, whatever wedo we are todo, it, be- cause it iscommanded, else it is nopart ofour obedience . or holiness, Dent. vi. 25. chap. xxix. 19. Psal. cxix. -9. I know there is an inbred light of nature as yet remaining in us, which gives great direction as to moral good and evil, commanding the one, and forbid- ding the other, Rom. ii. 14, 15. But this light, how- ever it may be made subservient and subordinate there- unto, is not the rule of gospel- holiness as such, nor any part of it.. The law which God, by his grace, writes in our hearts, answers unto the law that is written in the word that is given unto us; and. as the first is the only principle, so the latter is the onlyrule ofour evan- gelicalobedience. or this end bath God promised, that his word and his Spirit shall always accompany one another, the one to quicken our souls, and the other to guide our lives, Isa. lix. 20. And the word of
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