IN THE SANCTIFIC ed us with an everlasting lour, Jet. xxxi. 3. that is, he gives us such a sense of his everlasting love, as thereby to draw us after him in faith and obedience. Those principles ofduties in us which are excited only by fear, awe, hope, and the jealous observances of an awakened conscience, will scarce, at any time, evince this hea- venly extract unto a spiritudl understanding. That grace which proceeds from especial love, will carry a- long an holy quickening sense of it, and thereby be ex- cited unto its due exercise. And we do what we can to famish and starve our graces, when we do not en- deavour their supplies by faith on that spring of divine love from whence they proceed. Sect. 48. (3.) Seeing weare chosen in Christ, and predestinated to be like untóhim, those graces of holi- ness have themost evident and legible characters of elec- ting love upon them, which are most effectual in work- ing us unto a conformity to him. That grace is cer- tainly from an eternal spring, which makes us like unto Jesus Christ. Of this sort are meekness, humility, pa- tience, selfdenial, contempt of the world, readiness to pass by wrongs, to forgive enemies, to love and do good unto all, which, indeed, are despisedby the,most, and duly regarded but by few. But I return, Sect. 49.Secondly, The especial procuring cause of this holiness is the mediation of Christ. We are not in this matter concerned in any thing, let men call it what they please, virtue, or godliness, or holiness, that bath not an especial relation unto the Lord Christ, and his mediation. Evangelical holiness is purchased for us by him, according to the tenor of the everlasting cove- nant, is promised unto us on his account, actually impe- trated for us by his intercession, andcommunicated un- to us by his Spirit. And hereby we do not only cast off all the moral virtues of the Heathens from having the least concernment herein, but all the principles and du- ties of persons professingChristianity, whoare not really and actually implanted into Christ: for he it is who of God is made unto us sanctii easion, 1 Cor. i. 30. And this he is on several accounts, the heads whereofmay be called over. Sect. 50. (1.) He is made unto as of God sanctifi- cation, with respect unto his sacerdotal office, because we are purified, purged, washed, and cleansed from our sins by his blood, in the oblation of it, and the applica- tion of it, unto car souls, as bath been at large declared, ATION OF BELIEVERS, 299 Eph. v. 2G, 27. Titusif. 14. 1 John i. 7. Heb. ix. 14. All that we have taught before concerning the purification of our minds and consciences by the blood of Christ, is peculiar unto gospel-holiness, and distinguishetlt it es sentially from all common grace, or moral virtues. And they do but deceive themselves, who rest in a mul- titude ofduties, it may beanimated with much zeal, and set off with a profession of the most rigid mortification, whose hearts and consciences are not thus purged by the blood of Christ. Sect. 5t.-(2.) Because he prevails for the actual sanctificationof our natures, in the communication of hilliness unto us by his intercession. His prayer, John viii. 17. is the blessed spring of our holiness. Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. There is not any thing of this grace wrought in us, bestowed on us, communicated unto us, preserved in us, but what is so in answer unto, and compliance with the intercession of Christ. From his prayer for us, is holiness begun in us; Sanctify them, saith he, by thy troth. Thence is it kept alive and preserved in us: .1 have, saith he to Peter, prayed for thee, that thy faith should not fail; and through his intercession are we saved to the utter- most. Nothing belongs to this holiness, but what, in the actual communication of it, is a peculiar fruit of Christ's intercession: what is not so, what men may be made partakers of upon any more general account, be- longs not thereunto. And if we really design holiness, or intend to be holy, it is our duty constantly to im- prove the intercession of Christ for the increase of it. And this we may do by especial applications to him for that purpose. So the apostles prayed him, to increase theirfaith, Luke xvii. 3. Anti we may do so, for the increase of our holiness. But the nature of this appli- cation unto Christ, for the increase of holiness, by vir- tue of his intercession, is duly to be considered. We are not to pray unto him, that he would intercede for tes, that we may be sanctified; for, as he needs not our minding for the discharge of his office, so he intercedes not orally in heaven at all, and always doth so virtually by his appearance in the presence of God with the vir- tueof his oblation or sacrifice. But, whereas the Lord Christ gives out no supplies of grace unto us, but what he receireth from the Father for that end, by virtue of his intercession, we apply ourselves unto him under that consideration, namely, as be who, upon his intercession 30
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