IN THE SANCTIFICATION OF BELIEVERS. S09, the church of old, not only as false, but as blasphe- mous. Whatever therefore is not thus derived, thus conveyed unto us, belongs not unto our sanctification or holiness, nor is of the same nature or kind with it. Whatever ability of mind or will may be supposed in us, what application soever of means may be made for the exciting and exercise of that ability, whatever effects in virtues, duties, all offices of humanity and honesty, or religious observances, may be produced thereby from them, and wrought by us, ifit be not all derived from Christ, as the head and principle of spiritual life unto us, it is a thing of another nature than evangelical ho- liness. Sect. 74.Thirdly, The immediate efficient cause of all gospel- holiness is the Spirit of God. This we have sufficiently proved already. And, although manycavils have been raised against the manner of his operations herein, yet none have been yet so hardy, as openly to deny that this is indeed his work: for so to do, is, upon the matter, expresslyto renounce the gospel. Wherefore, we have in our foregoing discourses, at large, vindicat- e, ed the manner of his operations herein, and proved, that he doth not educe grace by moral applications unto the natural faculties of our minds, but that he creates grace in us by an immediate efficiency of almighty power. And what is so wrought and produced, diflir- eth essentially from any natural or moral habits of our minds, however acquired or improved. Sect. 75,Fourthly, This evangelical holiness is a fruit and effect of the covenant of grace. The promises of the covenant unto this purpose, we have before, on other occasions, insisted on. In them dpth God de- clare, that he will cleanse and purify our natures, that . he will write his law in our hearts, put his fear in our inward parts, and cause us to walk in his statutes, in which things our holiness sloth consist. Whoever therefore kath any thing of ft, he doth receive it in the accomplishment of these promises of the covenant: for there are not two ways whereby men may become holy, one by the sanctification of the Spirit, according to the promise of the covenant, and the other by their own en- deavours without it; though. indeed Cassianus, with some of the Semi- Pelagians, dreamed somewhat to that purpose. Wherefore, that which is thus a fruit and effect ofthe promise of the covenant, bath an especial nature of its own, distinct from whatever bath not that relation unto the same covenant. No mancan ever be madepartaker of any the least degree of that grace or holiness which is promised in the covenant, sinless it be by virtue and as a fruit of that covenant; for, if they .might'do so, thenwere the covenant of God of none effect; for what it seems to promise in a peculiar man- ner, may, on this supposition, be attained without it, which renders it an empty name. Sect. 76.Fifthly, Herein consists the image of God whereunto we are to be renewed. This I have proved, before, and shall afterward have occasion to insist upon. Nothing less than the entire renovation of the imageof God in our souls will constitute us evangelically holy. No series of obediential actings, no observance of reli- gious duties, no attendance unto actions amongst men, as morally virtuous and useful, how exact soever they . may be, or how constant soever we may be unto them, will ever render us lovely or holy in the sight of God, unless they all proceed from the renovation of the image of God in us, or that habitual principle of spiri- tual life and power, which renders us conformable unto, him. Sect. 77.From what bath been thus briefly dis- coursed, we may take a prospect of that horrible mix- ture of ignorance and impudence wherewith some con- tend, that the practice of moral virtue is all the holiness which is 'required of us in the gospel; neither understand- ing what they say, nor whereof they do affirm. But yet this they do, with so great a confidence, as to de- spise and scoff at any thing else which is pleaded to be- long thereunto. But this pretence notwithstanding all the swelling words of vanity wherewith it is set off and vended, will easily be discovered to be weak and frivo- lous: For,. Sect. 78. (I.) The name or expression itself is fo, reign to the scripture, not once used by the Holy Ghost, to denote that obedience which God requireth of us in and according to the covenant of graces nor is there any sense of it agreed upon by themwho somagisterial.. ly impose it on others. Yea, there are many express contests about thesignificationof thesewords, and what it is that is intendedby them;. which those who contend about them are not ignorant of, andyet have they not endeavoured to reduce the sense they intend unto any expression used concerning the same matter in the gos- pel, but all men must needs submit unto it, that at.
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