BI THE SANCTIFICA him. This is plainly asserted, Eph. ii. 10. So the apostle disposeth of this matter; the head of every man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God, 1 Cor. xi. 3. which is so in respect of influence, as well as of rule. As God doth not immediately govern the church, but in and by the person of Christ, whom he bath given to be head over all things thereunto; so neither doth he administer any grace or holiness unto any, but in the same order; for the head ofeveryman is Christ, and the head of Christ is God. Sect. 66.(c) God doth work real effectual, sancti- fying grace, spiritual strength and holiness in believers, yea, that grace whereby they are enabled to believe, and are made holy, and doth really sanctify them more and more, that they may be preserved blameless to the coming ofour Lord Jesus Christ. This bath been' so fully confirmed in the whole of what bath been discour- sed, both concerning regeneration and sanctification, as that it most not be here again insisted on. Wherefore, all this grace, according unto the former assertions, is communicated unto us through and by Christ, and no otherwise. Secondly, Whatever is wrought in believers by the Spirit of Christ, it is in their union to the person of Christ, and by virtue thereof. That the Holy Spirit is the immediate efficient cause of all grace and holiness, I have sufficiently proved already, unto them to whom any thing in this kind will be sufficient. Now, the end why the Holy Spirit is sent, and consequently ofall that he doth, as he is so sent, is to glorify Christ; and this he doth by receiving from Christ, and communicating thereof unto others, John xvi. 13, 14, 15. And there aretwo works of this kind which the bath to do, and cloth effect: 1. Tounite us toChrist. And, 2. To com- municate all grace unto us from Christ, by virtue of that union. (I.) By himwe are united unto Christ, that is, his person, and not a light within us, as some think, nor the doctrineof the gospel, as others with an equal folly seem to imagine. It is by the doctrine and grace of the gospel that we are united, but it is the person of Christ whereunto we are united: For he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit, 1 Cor. vi. 17. because by that one Spirit he is joined unto him: For by one Spirit ore are all baptized into one body, 1 Cor. xii. 13. im- planted into the body, and united unto the head. And TION OF BELIEVERS. 305 therefore, iftee have not the Spirit of Christ, me are none ofhis, Rom. viii. 9. We, are thereforehis, that is, u- nited unto him, by a participation of his Spirit. And hereby Christ himself is in us: for Jesus Christ is in us, except webe reprobates, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. that is, he is in us by his Spirit that dwelleth' in us, Rom. viii. 9, I i. 1 Cor. vi. 19. It may therefore be inquired, whether we receive the Spirit of the gospel from the person of Christ, or no? And this is the inquiry, whichnothing but the extreme ignorance or impudence of some could render seasonable or tolerable, seeing formerly no Chris- tian ever doubted of it, nor is he so now, who Both dis- believe it. It is true, we receive him by the preaching of the gospel, Gal. iii. 2. But it is no less true, that we receive him immediately from the person of Christ. For no other reason is he called so frequently the Spirit of Christ, that is, the Spirit which he gives, sends, be- stows, or communicates. He receives of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, and sheddeth him forth, Acts ii. 83. Sect. 67. But it may be said, that if hereby weare united unto Christ, natnely, by his Spirit, then we must be holy and obedient, before we so receive him, wherein our union doth consist: for, certainly, Christ Both not unite ungodly and impure sinners unto hitnsel which would be the greatest dishonour unto him imagi- nable. We must therefore be holy, obedient, and like unto Christ, before we can be united unto him, and so consequently before we receive his Spirit, if thereby we are united to him. Anew. 1. If this be so, then indeed are we not be- holding in the least unto the Spirit of Christ that weare holy and obedient, and like to Christ: for he that bath the Spirit of Christ is united unto him: and he_ who is united to him, bathhis Spirit, and none else. What- .. ever therefore is in any man, of holiness, righteous- ness, or obedience, antecedent unto union with Christ, is no especial effect of his Spirit. Wherefore, in this case, we must purify ourselves, without any applica- tion of the blood of Christ unto our souls, and we must sanctify ourselves, without any especial work of the Spirit of God on our nature. Let them that can, satisfy themselves with these things: for mypart, I have no esteemor valuationof that holiness as holiness, which is not the immediate effect of the Spirit of sanctification in us.
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