.149. NECESSITY OF HO tend that holiness hereby, which is required of us in the scripture, and that particularlyon the account of the ho- linessof that God whom we serve, they fall into a high contempt of the wisdom of God, in despising of those notices and expresions of it, which being used by the Holy Ghost, are suited unto the spiritual light acid un- derstanding of believers, substituting their own arbitra- ry, doubtful, uncertain sentiments and words, in their room and place. But ifit be something else which they intend, as indeed (evidently it is, nor doth any man un- derstand more in the design, than sobriety and usefulness in the world,things singularly good in theirproper place) then it no otherwiseto be looked on, but as a designof Satan to undermine the true holiness of the gospel, and to substitute a deceitful and deceiving cloud or shadow in the room of it. Sect. 16. And, moreover, what we have already discoursed, doth abundantly evince the folly and false- hood of those clamorous accusations, wherein the most important truths of the gospel are charged as inconlis- tent with, and as repugnant unto holiness. The doc- trine, say the Socinians, of the satisfaction of Christ, ruins all care and endeavours after an holy life: for, when men dobelieve that Christ bath satisfied thejustice of God for their sins, they will be inclined to becareless about them, yea, to live in them. But, as this suppo- sition doth transform believers into monsters of ingrati- tude and folly, so it is built on no other foundationthan this, that, if Christ take away the guilt of sin, there is no reason, in the nature of these things, nor mention- ed in the scripture, why we should need to be holy, and keep ourselves from the power, filth, and dominion of sin, or any way glorify God in this world; which is an in- ference, weak, false, and ridiculous. The Papists, and others with them, lay the same charge on the doctrine of justification through the imputation of the righteous- ness of Christ unto us. And it is wonderful to consi- der with what virulent railing this charge is managed by the Papists, so with what scorn and scoffing, with what stories and tales, some among ourselves endeavour to expose this sacred truth tocontempt, as though all those by whom it is believed, must consequently be negligent of holiness and good works. Now, although 1 deny not, but that such men may find a great strength of connexion between these things in their own minds, seeing there is a principle in the corrupt heart of man LINESS FROM THE to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, yet (as shall in due time be proved) this sacred truth is both doctrinally and practically the great constraining prin- ciple unto holiness and fruitfulness in obedience. For the present, I shall return no other answer unto those objections, but that the objectors are wholly mistaken in dur thoughts and apprehensions concerningthat God whom we serve. God in Christ, whom we worship, bath so revealed his own holiness unto us, and what is necessary for us on the account thereof, as that we know it to be a foolish, wicked, and blasphemous thing, for any one to think to please him, tobe accepted with him, to come to the enjoyment of him, without that holiness which he requireth, and from his own nature cannot but require. That the grace, or mercy, or love ofthis God, who is our God, should encourage those who indeed know him, unto sin, or countenance them in a neglect of holy obedience to him, is a monstrous imagination. There are, as I shall shew afterwards, other invincible reasons for it, and motives unto it. But the owning of this one consideration alone, by them who believe, the grace of the gospel, is sufficient to secure them from the reproach of this objection. Sect. 17.Moreover, from what bath been discours.. ed, we may all charge ourselves with blame, for our sloth and negligence in this matter. It is to be feared, that we have none ofus endeavoured, as we ought, to grow up into this image and likeness of God. And al- though, for the main of our duty herein, our hearts may not condemn us, yet there are, no doubt, sundry things that belong unto it, wherein we have all failed. Our likeness unto God, that wherein we bear his image, is our holiness, as hath been declared. Wherever there is the holiness of truth before described, in the essence of it, there isa radical conformityand likeness unto God. In the first communication of it unto us, through the promises of the gospel, we are made partakers Tas bans a-nss, of the divine nature, 1 Peter i. 4. Such a new spiritual nature as represents that of God himself: being begotten by him, we are made partakers of his nature. But though all children do partakeof the natureof their parents, yet they may be, and some of them are, very deformed, and bear very little of their likeness: so is it in this matter; we may have the image of God in our hearts, and yet come short of that likeness unto himin its degrees and improvement whichwe ought to aim at.
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