A Guide to Go to God, Petition 6 · Section 189
§. 189. Of Sanctification accompanying Iuſtification.
Q. VVHat may be obſerued from the connexion of this Petition with the former?
A. Sanctification accompanieth Iuſtification. For as the ſumme of the former is Iuſtification, ſo the ſumme of this latter is Sanctification, and in our prayer we are taught to ioyne them together,foreign. as this particle AND doth import. Reade for proofe of the indiſſoluble connextion of theſe two, Rom. 6. 1, 2, &c. 1. Cor. 6. 11. Eph. 5. 25.
The grounds hereof are,
1. The manifeſtation of merciemercy and puritie in God.
2. The cleanſing vertue which accompanieth the merit of Chriſts ſacrifice.
3. The operation of the Spirit immediatly iſſuing from our incorporation into Chriſt.
4. The efficacie of the Goſpell.
5. The vertue of faith.
All theſe are euidently ſet out by the coniunction of Sanctification with Iuſtification.
1. Iuſtification commendeth the rich merciemercy of God in acquitting ſinners freely and fully of all that debt wherein they ſtand obliged to his reuenging iuſtice.Gods merciemercy & puritie manifeſted by mans Iuſtification and Sanctification. And Sanctification ſetteth out his puritie: ſhewing thataExod. 34. 6, 7. that God which pittieth ſinners, will not boulſter vp ſinners in their ſinnes. His pittie moueth him to iuſtifie them, and his puritie moueth him to ſanctifie them.
2.A merit and a vertue in Chriſts bloud. That bloud of Chriſt which isbMat. 26. 28. Shed for the remiſſion of ſinnes, cHeb 9. 14.doth purge our conſcience from dead workes to ſerue the liuing God. This double vſe of Chriſts ſacrifice was manifeſted by thatdIoh. 19. 34. bloud and water which iſſued out of Chriſts ſide while he was on the croſſe. They therefore who are iuſtified, are alſo ſanctified.That ſpirit which vniteth to Chriſt ſanctifieth.
3. By the Spirit of ſanctification we are vnited vntounto Chriſt: and this ſpirit by vertue of that vnion is conueyed into eueryevery of the members of Chriſts myſticall body.Rom. 8. 9. Now if any man hauehave not the Spirit of Chriſt, he is none of his. But if his Spirit be in any, it ſanctifieth them.
4. The grace of God which bringeth ſaluation (that is,The Goſpell a word of righteouſneſſe. the Goſpell) teacheth vsus that denying vngodlineſſe and worldly luſts, we ſhould liue ſoberly, Tit. 2. 11, 12.righteouſly, and godly. That word therefore whereby we are iuſtified giueth no libertie to any licentiouſneſſe, but doth both direct vsus in the way of righteouſneſſe, and alſo giueth vsus abilitie to walke in that way. Hereby it appeareth that the Goſpell is as pure and incorrupt as the Law.Difference betwixt Law and Goſpell. Indeed the Law is ſo perfect a rule of righteouſneſſe as it curſeth eueryevery one that in the leaſt degree ſwarueth from it:Deut. 27. 26. which the Goſpell doth not, but offereth pardon to the tranſgreſſor. Yet doth it no more tolerate, or countenance the leaſt ſinne, then the Law doth: nay rather it bringeth the ſinner that hath gone aſtray, into the way of righteouſneſſe againe, and enableth him to walke in that way, which the Law cannot do. So as herein the Goſpell hath an excellencie ouer the Law. But if the Goſpell in ſhewing merciemercy, ſhould boulſter vp a ſinner in any one ſinne, the Law would triumph ouer the Goſpell, yea and condemne it. It is therefore neceſſarie for iuſtification of the Goſpell that ſanctification continually follow iuſtification, as an hand-maid her miſtreſſe; or rather that, as two ſworne friends and fellowes, they alwaies keepe company together.
5. Faith purifieth the heart. Faith purgeth.For that man which in truth beleeueth his ſinnes to be pardoned,Acts 15. 9. will not like a ſwine wallow in the mire. A true apprehenſion of Gods Fatherly louelove worketh a filiall louelove in mans heart: which louelove maketh him as truly to deſire and endeauour after Sanctification as Iuſtification.
They therefore who boaſt of their iuſtification and are not truely ſanctified,Reproofe of carnall Goſpellers. ſeuer Gods purity from his mercy, and the vertue of Chriſts ſacrifice from the merit thereof, yea the operation of his Spirit from the vnion of his members vntounto him: they turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, and proclaime their faith to be a fruitleſſe and a liueleſſe faith, and in fine giuegive too iuſt cauſe to ſuſpect that their pretence of iuſtification is a meere pretence.Euidence of iuſtification.
Learne we then both to gaine ſound aſſurance to our owne ſoules,Iam. 2. 18. and alſo to giuegive good euidence to others of our iuſtification by ſanctification.Luke 7. 47.