298 THE POSITIVE WORK OF THE SPIRIT makes it, as was said, of another kind than any effect -- of common grace whatever. That is holiness, which God works in men by his Spirit, because he bath cho- sen them, and nothing else is so: for be chooseth us un- to salvation through the sattelfcalion of the Spirit, 2 These. ii. 13. Salvation is the end that God aimeth at in his choosing of us, in subordination unto his own glory, which is and must be the ultimate end of all his purposes and decrees, or of all the free acts of his wis- dom and love. The means which he bath ordained, wherebywe shall be brought unto this salvation, so de- signed in his eternal purpose, is thesanctification of the Spirit. Gospel- holiness, therefore, is the effect of that sanctification of the Spirit, which God bath designed as the especial way and means, on their part, of bring- ing the elect unto salvation. And his choosing of them is the cause and reason why he doth so sanctify them by his Spirit. And, where our sanctification is com- prised under our vocation, because therein, and there- by, we are sanctified by the sanctifying principle of ho- liness communicated unto us, it is not only reckoned as an effdt and consequent of our predestination, but is so conjoined thereunto, as to declare, that none others are partakers of it, but those that are predestinate, Rom. vüf. 30. And this consideration is of itselfsufficient to evince, that this holiness, whereof we treat, differs essentially from all other habits of the mind, and actions proceed- ing from them, as having an especial nature of its own. Whatever there may be in any men, of.virtue and piety, or whatevertheir endeavours may be, in ways of hones- ty and duty towards God and men, if the power and principle of it in them be not a fruit of electing love, of the Spirit of sanctification, given of God for this cer- tain end, that we may attain the salvation whereunto fessors, under a decay of grace, is a soul-ruining seat- we are chosen, it belongeth not unto this holiness. rity, and hathnothing in it ofspiritual peace. Wherefore, the apostle Peter givingus in charge, to use Sect. 47. -(2.) , We may discern it, when we are all diligence whereby we may make our callingand elec- tion sure, that is, unto our soule, and in our own minds, prescribes, as the means of it, the exerciseand increase of those graces which are its proper effects, 2 Peter i. 5, 6, 7, 10: And the reason why we see so many glo- rious professions of faith, and obedience utterly to fail, as we do, is, because the faith so professed was not the faith of the elect of God, Titus i. 1. and the obedience of it was not the fruit of that Spirit of sanctification which God gives to man, to make his purpose of elec. tion infallibly effectual; that so the purpose of God, which is according to election, night stand, Rom. ix. and the election, or those elected, might obtain the grace and glory designed for them, Rom. xi. 5, 7. And it is an evidence of much spiritual sloth in us, or, that which is worse, namely, that our graces and obe. dience are not genuine, and of the true heavenly race, if we endeavour not to satisfy ourselves, that they are real effects of electing love. Sect. 46. If any one shalt inquire, how we may know whether the graces of holiness, which we hope are in us, and the duties that proceed from them, are fruits and effects of election, seeing such only are genuine and durable? I answer, it may be done three ways: (1.) By their growth and increase. This, in ordi- nary cases, setting aside the seasons of prevalent tempta- tions and desertions, is the best evidence hereof. Wa- ters thatproceed from a living fountain, increase in their progress, becauseof the continual supplies which they have from their spring; when those which have only occasional beginnings, from showers of rain, or thelike, do continually decay until they are dried up. The graces that come from this eternal spring, have contin- ual supplies from it, so that if they meet with no violent obstructions, (as they may do sometimesfor a season) they do constantly increase and thrive. And therefore no man can secure his spiritual comforts one moment under a sensible decay of grace; for such a decay is a very sufficient reasonwhy he should call the truth of all his grace into question. Where the Spirit of Sanc- tification is, as given in pursuit of the purpose of elec- tion, it is a well ofwater springing up into everlasting life, John iv. 14. Thequietness and satisfaction of pro- much stirred up unto diligent actings and exercise of grace, out of a sense of that electing love from whence all grace doth proceed. It is the nature of grace that is the fruit of election, greatly to affect the heart and mind with a sense of the love that is therein: so the a- postle says expressly, that one grace exciteth and stir- reth up another, from a senseof the love of God, which sets them all on work, Rom. v. 2, 3, Si, 5. So God is said to drawus with loving- kindness; because /to latis lop-
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