eilch P t>ì s ö lv 327 Chrift removes this defilement of our nature, 1 Cor. vi. ce. Such .were fome of you, but ye, are wafhed, ye are fanElified. So alfo, .Tit.. iii. 3. 4, 5. He bath Paved us by the wafhing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghofì. How far this original, habitual pollution is removed, need not be difputed. It is certain the foul is made fair and beautiful in the fight of God. Though the fin that doth defile remains ; yet its habitual defilement is taken away. But the handling of this lies not in my aim. [2.] Taking away the pollutions of all our aftual tranfgreílìons, there is adefilement attending every aftual fin. Our own cloaths make us to he abhorred, Yob ix. 31. A fpot, a [fain, ruft, wrinkle, filth, blood attends every fin. Now, The bloodof7efus Chr# cleanfeth us from all fin, r Joh. i. 7. betides the defilementof our natures which he purgeth, Tit. i. 15. he takes away the defilement of our perfons by aftual follies ; By one offering he perfelled for ever them that are fanaified ; By himfelfhe purged ourfins, before he fat down at the right-handof the snajefy on high, Heb. i. 3. [3.] In our heft duties we have defilement, Ifa. lxiv. 6. Self, unbelief, form, drop themfelves into all that we do: We may be aft-tamed of our choiceft performances, God bath promifed that the faints good works [hall follow them ; truly were they to be meafured by the rule as they come from us, and weighed in the balance of the fanduary it might be well for us that they might be buried for ever, but the Lord Chrift, firft as our high prieft bears the iniquity, the guilt and provocation which in fevere juftice Both attend them, Exod. xxviii. 37, 38. and not only fo, but he waffles away all their filth and defilements. He is as a Refiner's fire, to purge both the fons of Levi and their offerings, adding moreover fweet in- cenfe to them that they may be accepted. Whatever is of the Spirit, of himfelf, of grace, that remains ; whatever is of felf, flefh, unbelief, that is hay and ftubble, that he confumes, walks, takes away. -So that the faints good works [hall meet them one day, witha changed countenance, that they [hall fcarceknow them ; that which feemed to them to be black, deformed, defiled, (hall appear beautiful and glorious, they [hall not be afraidof them, but rejoice to fee them follow them. And this cleanfingof our natures, perfons, and duties, hath its whole foundation in the death of Chrift. Hence our wafhing andpurifying, our cleanfing and purging is afcribed to his blood and the fprinkling thereof. Meritoriouflythis work is done by the fhedding of the blood of Chrift ; efficiently by its fprinkling. The fprinkling of the blood of Chrift pwT,ceedeth from the communication of the Holy Ghoft ; which he promifltit to us, as purchafed by him for us. He is the pure water, wherewith we are fprinkled from all our fins. That fpirit of judgment and burning that takes away the filth and bloodof the daughters of Sion. And this is the firft thing in the grace of fandifica- tion. Of whichmore afterwards. (a.) By bellowing cleannefs, as to aftual grace. The blood of Chrift in this purchafed grace doth not only take away defilement, but alfo it gives purity, and that alto in a threefold gradation. [r.] It gives the fpirit of holinefs to dwell in us ; He is made unto us fanflification, a Cor. i. 31. by procuring for us the fpirit of fandification, our renewing is of the Holy Ghoft, who is flied on us through Chrift alone, Tit. iii. 6. this the Apoftle mainly infifts on, Rom. viii. to wit, that the prime and principal gift offandifipation that we receive fromChrift, is the indwellingof the Spirit, and out following after the guidance thereof. But what concerns the Spirit in any kind, mull: be referredto that which I have to offer concerning our communion with him. [2.3 He
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