The Pattern of Wholesome Words, Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Of Sanctification.
1. Thes. 4.4.
For this is the will of God, euen your sanctification.
HItherto of Iustification; Sanctification followes. Concerning Sanctification there are these principles:
1. That whom God iustifieth, he sanctifieth, Rom. 8.30. Moreouer whom he predestinate, them also hee called, and whom hee called, them also he iustified, and whom he iustified, them he also glorified.
Ezech. 36.26.27. &c. A new heart also will I giuegive you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your body, and I will giuegive you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walke in my statutes, and ye shall keepe my iudgements and doe them, &c.
2. That to be truly sanctified, is to die to sinne, and to rise againe to newnesse of life, Rom. 6.1.2.3.4. What shall we say then? shall we continue in sinne, that grace may abound? God forbid: how shall we that are dead to sinne, liue yet therein?
Know ye not, that all wee which hauehave bin baptized into Iesus Christ, hauehave been baptized into his death?
We are buried then with him by baptisme into his death, that like as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glory of the Father; so we also should walke in newnesse of life, &c. Or it is to repent & beleeue the Gospell, Mark. 1.15. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdome of God is at hand: repent, and beleeue the Gospell.
3. That except wee be borne againe, we cannot enter into the kingdome of God, Ioh. 3.5. Iesus answered, verily, verily I say vntounto thee, except that a man bee borne of water and of the spirit, hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God.
Heb. 12.14. Follow peace with all men, and holinesse, without the which no man shall see the Lord.
1. Ioh. 1.7. But if we walke in the light, as he is in the light, wee hauehave fellowship one with another, and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne clenseth vsus from all sinne.
2. Cor. 5.17. Therefore if any man be in Christ, let him bee a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new.
Fourthly, that sanctification is Gods gift, and worke in Iesus Christ; we can no more conuert our selues, then wee can beget our selues at first: wee can no more create our selues new men, then wee can create our selues men, Act. 5.31. Him hath God lifted vp with his right hand to bee a Prince, and a Sauiour, to giuegive repentance to Israel, & forgiuenes of sins.
Act. 11.18. When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God saying: then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance vntounto life.
2. Tim. 2.25. Instructing them with meeknes, that are cōtrary minded; prouing if God at any time will giuegive them repentance, that they may know the truth.
1. Cor. 1.30. But ye are of him in Christ Iesus, who of God is made vntounto vsus wisdome, and righteousnes, and sanctification and redemption.
Ezech. 37.28. Thus the heathen shall know, that I the Lord doe sanctifie Israel, when my sanctuary shall be amongst them for euermore.
Tit. 3.5. Not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee had done, but according to his mercy he saued vsus by the washing of the new birth, and the renuing of the holy Ghost.
Fifthly, that our sanctification is vnperfect, while wee liue in this world, 1. Ioh. 1.8. If wee say that wee hauehave no sinne, wee deceiue our selues, and the truth is not in vsus.
Prou. 24.16. For a iust man falleth seuen times and riseth againe: but the wicked fall into mischiefe.
Esa. 64.6. But we hauehave all been as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnes is as filthy clouts; and we do all fade like a leafe, and our iniquities like the wind hauehave taken vsus away.
The vses may be for
Information:
Instruction:
Humiliation: and
Consolation.
For the first: wee may heere take notice of the wisedome of God in curing the posterity of Adam. Wee receiued a double disease from Adam: the one was guilt of eternal death: the other was corruption of nature. By Iustification the first was abolished, and by Sanctification the other is healed by degrees.
For the second, we may here learne many things:
The first is carefully to studie our owne sanctification, & compell vponupon our selues a more constant endeauour of sound reformation. To this end I propound two things:
1. Certaine motiues which we should hauehave continually in our minds, to stirre vsus vp to the care of holines, and to get true grace.
2. Certaine rules, which may exceedingly further vsus about our Sanctification.
The motiues are these, amongst many:
1. The commandement of God, 1. Thes. 4.3. This is the will of God, euen your sanctification.
Ephes. 2.10. For wee are his workmanship, created in Christ Iesus vntounto good workes, which God hath ordained that we should walke in them.
2. The conscience of our debt, which we owe heerein, Rom. 8.12. Therefore brethren we are debters, not to the flesh to liue after the flesh: being redeemed by Christ.
Tit. 2.14. Who gaue himselfe for vsus, that he might redeeme vsus from all iniquity, and purge vsus to be a peculiar people to him selfe, zealous of good workes.
3 The consideration of our owne dignity: wee are the children of God, the temples of the holy Ghost, Kings and Priests vntounto God; Gods owne peculiar people and inheritance.
4. The rich promises that belong to godlinesse, 1. Tim. 4.8. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godlinesse is profitable vntounto all things, which hath the promise of the life present, and of that that is to come.
5. The assuring hereby of our calling, and Election, 2. Pet. 1.10. Wherefore brethren, giuegive rather diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall neuer fall.
6. The excellency of good workes: they are sacrifices seasoned with the salt of faith, kindled with the fier of the holy Ghost, offered by the merit of Christ, and accepted of God, 1. Pet. 2.5. And yee be made a holy Priesthood, to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.
7. The silencing of the ignorant from speaking euill, 1. Pet. 2.15. For so is the will of God, that by well doing yee may put to silence the ignorance of the foolish.
8. Because else,
1. The name of God will bee blasphemed, Rom. 2.24. For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles, through you.
2. Sam. 12.14. Howbeit because by this deed thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is borne vntounto thee shall surely die, &c.
2. The spirit of God will be grieued, and the workes of the spirit deaded, Ephes. 4.30. And grieue not the holy spirit of God, by whom ye are sealed vntounto the day of redemption.
3. The iudgement of God will be prouoked, Psalm. 89.31.32.
The rules we had need to bee put in minde of, that concerne Sanctification, either shew vsus what to take heed of, or what to doe.
That wee be not deceiued in this great worke of true grace, we must take heed,
First, of wretchlesnesse and security, whereby a man liues so, as he is insensible and carelesse of reformation altogether. Awake thou that sleepest, Ephes. 5.14.
Secondly, of the daily baits, and methods of sinne: be not insnared with the pleasures of sinne, which are but for a season; but circumcise betimes the soreskins of your hearts, Ier. 4.4.
Thirdly, of procrastination, and delaying of time in the businesse of reformation. For thy life is vncertaine, Matth. 25.13. and eueryevery day addes to the heap of sinne, and of wrath, Rom. 2.5. Sinne not against thy purposes of amendment, lest thou grow more hardened.
Fourthly, of hypocrisie, and fained holinesse, Esa. 58.2. Iam. 4.8.
Fifthly, of the perswasion of the merit of your owne works, Rom. 10.3. For they being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God, and going about to stablish their owne righteousnesse, hauehave not submitted themselues to the righteousnesse of God &c.
Sixthly, of temporary righteousnes, Hosh. 6.4. Ephraim, what shall I doe vntounto thee? O Iuda, how shall I intreat thee? for your goodnes is as a morning cloud, and as a morning dew it goeth away. Or being weary of well doing, Gal. 6.9. Let vsus not therefore be weary of well doing: for in due season we shall reape, if we faint not, &c.
Seuenthly, of the precepts of men, Mat. 15.9. In vaine they worship me, teaching for doctrine mens precepts.
Ezech. 20.18. But I said vntounto their children in the wildernes, walk ye not in the ordinances of your fathers, neither obserue their manners, nor defile your selues with their idols.
Eighthly, of looking after the example, and fashion of the world, Rom. 12.2. Frame not your selues like vntounto this world.
Ninthly, neglect of prayer for the particular furtherance of reformation and grace, Lam. 5.21. shall he not giuegive vsus his holy Spirit, if we aske him, as our Sauiour sheweth in the parable?
Tenthly, let the best of vsus take heed of a strange deceit, and that is to rest in faire words, and attentiue hearing. How is it, that men, that heare many precious counsels, comforts, & reproofes, goe away without any reformation, and thinke they doe well, if they commend the Sermon? &c. Oh, how common is this disease to be awake to heare of the disease, or medicine, and fall a sleepe before it be applied? like those hearers in the Gospell, of whom it is said, They heard, they maruelled, and they went their waies.
Thus much of what we should auoide, that the worke of sanctification be not hindred.
On the other side there be diuers things to be obserued by vsus, as
First, wee must looke to the matter to bee done, which hath two considerations in it:
1. That in generall whatsoeuer things are true, honest, iust, pure, louely, and of good report, that hauehave vertue and praise in them, that we should thinke on those things, and study how to glorifie God, and enrich our selues by well doing them, Phil. 4.8. Eph. 58. &c.
2. That we striue to keep our selues free from, or speedily mortifie such euils as vsually staine the profession of religion after calling. Besides the mortification of grosse euils, which the first repentance puts away; wee must watch carefully against other sinnes, such as are lying, rotten communication, deceit, anger, wrath, and all bitternesse, and cursed speaking, Col. 3.8. Ephesians 4.25.
Secondly, wee must looke to the end of all our actions, the end I say both of intention, and continuance: For
1. Wee must propound the glory of God, as the maine ende of all our actions, 1. Cor. 10.31. Whether therefore ye eate or drinke, or whatsoeuer yee doe, doe all to the glory of God. Philip. 1.11.
2. Wee must so begin reformation and good workes, as we be sure also to endeuour with all constancy to hold out to the end, Luke 1.75. All the daies of our life in holinesse and righteousnes before him.
Psalm. 106.3. Blessed are they that keepe iudgement, and do righteousnesse at all times.
Thirdly, we must looke to the manner of our reformation, that it be done with all sinceritie, and so we doe,
1. If wee turne from all sorts of our transgressions, Ezech. 18. 30.31. Therefore I will iudge you, O House of Israel, eueryevery one according to his waies; returne therefore, and cause other to turne away from all your transgressions, so iniquitie shall not be your destruction.
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye hauehave transgressed, and make you a new heart, and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O House of Israel?
2. If wee labour for a sanctification that is throughout in all parts, in soule, in body, and in spirit, that is, in our outward man, and in our affections, and in our iudgements, and thoughts.
Fourthly, we must bee exceeding mindfull of the meanes of sanctification, and so we must especially thinke of
1. The Word, to subiect our selues to the power of it: for if we heare our soules shall liue, we are sanctified by the truth, and God wil hauehave his Law magnified, and the Word is able to build vsus vp still further, till we come to heauen, Isai. 55.4. Iohn 17.19. Isaiah 42.21. Acts 20.32.
2. The Sabbath: for that is the signe of our sanctification. It is a signe to assure, that God will not faile vsus in his blessings; and it is a signe that we are indeed a holy people, if we be carefull to keepe the Sabbath. It is the market day for our soules, and by the right keeping of the Sabbath, we shall be the better able to serue God all the weeke after, Exod. 31.13. 14. Keepe ye my Sabbaths: for it is a signe betweene me and you in your generation, that ye may know, that I the Lord doe sanctifie you.
Ye shall therefore keepe the Sabbath, for it is holy vntounto you; he that defileth it shall die the death: therefore whosoeuer worketh therein, the same person shall be euen cut off from among his people.
Isaiah 56.2. Blessed is the man that doth this, and the sonne of man which laieth hold on it: he that keepeth the Sabbath, and polluteth it not, and keepeth his hand from doing any euill, &c.
Thus of the vses for instruction.
Thirdly, these principles may terrifie all men that are vnsanctified, that hauehave not true grace, that liue in their sinnes: Woe vntounto worlds of men because of sinne! for thereby they may gather, that there is no cure done to their natures, that they are not at all iustified before God, that they hauehave no part with Christ, and that all they doe is still impure, Mat. 7.18. Tit. 1.15. Yea, and that the wages of their sinnes will be death, and that in the state they are in, they cannot bee saued, Rom. 6.23. Iohn 3.5. and in the meane time, what know they how soone the whirle-wind of the Lord may fall vponupon the wicked? Ier. 23.19. Behold, the tempest of the Lord goeth forth in his wrath and a violent whirle-wind shall fall downe vponupon the head of the wicked.
And for all the things they hauehave done in the flesh, they must come to iudgement; and the rather because they hauehave not taken warning, Acts 17.31. Because hee hath appointed a day▪ in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man, whom he hath appointed, &c.
Obiect. But some one may say, what tell ye vsus of these terrible things? we hauehave no reason to thinke of our selues, that we are vnsanctified, how can we, or you tell, who are not sanctified?
Sol. It is easie to tell in the negatiue, who are not sanctified, you may know it of wicked men:
1. Because they are a sleepe, and dead in sinne, and hauehave not not any true feeling of the hatefulnesse of their many sinnes, Ephes. 2.1. And you hath he quickned, that were dead in trespasses and sinnes.
2. Because sinne raignes in them, it hath an vnlimited power in them, Rom. 6.12. Let not sinne reigne therefore in your mortall body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
3. Because they sinne by couenant, they hire themselues; their purpose is with their whole harts to commit and continue in sin, they obey as seruants, Rom. 6.16. Know ye not, that to whomsoeuer yee giuegive your selues, as seruants to obey, his seruants ye are to whom ye obey, whether it be of sinne vntounto death, or of obedience vntounto righteousnesse.
4. Because they are silent from prayer, and confession of sinne, Psalm. 32.23.5.
5. Because they hauehave no sauor of the things of the spirit, but altogether sauour fleshly things, Rom. 8.5. For they that are after the flesh, sauour the things of the flesh: but they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit.
6. Because they neuer had any marriage affections to Iesus Christ, Rom. 7.5.
7. Lastly, a wicked man finds in himselfe not onelyonly an impotency, but an impossibilitie to be subiect to the Law of God. Hee resolues, that he cannot possibly yeeld to the directions of the word, nor will not: whereas a godly mind loues the Law, desires to obey, endeuours it, subiects himselfe to it, though hee faile many waies.
Fourthly and lastly, the godly may bee comforted in the obseruation of this worke of the spirit of grace, that is in Iesus Christ, which killes sinne in them, and hath made them aliue from the dead.
Obiect. But some weake Christian might say, There is much comfort in this doctrine of the healing of their natures, saue that the imperfection of their sanctification is a continuall discomfort.
Solut. Christians may and ought to comfort themselues against the imperfection of their sanctification many waies, and so if they looke
1. VponUpon the Spirit of God in their hearts, and so two things may relieue them; first the assistance of the Spirit, which will helpe their infirmities, Rom. 8. 26. And then if they consider the very fountaine of all good actions, and eueryevery good gift to be the same spirit of God, they must needes conclude, it is some diuine thing which is wrought in them, in as much as it flowes from the holy Ghost; howsoeuer it be imperfect through the corruption of their hearts.
2. VponUpon Iesus Christ; and so if they behold,
1. His intercession, and that likewise hath a double comfort in it: for first Christ made intercession for vsus, when hee praied for our sanctification, it should much comfort vsus to remember, that our sanctification was one of the things Christ praied for, Iohn, 17.19. Secondly, Christ in his intercession in heauen, couers all the imperfections of the godly, and is their aduocate before the Father, 1. Iohn, 2.2. Rom. 8.34.
2. His death and resurrection, from whence flowes a vertue continually, which is of singular power, to make our sinnes still die in vsus, and quicken vsus to newnes of life. Rom. 6.4. For this cause did Christ sanctifie himselfe, that hee might sanctifie his members by the influence come from him, as from their head, Iohn, 17.17.
3. VponUpon the hope of perfect holinesse: for the time will come, when they shall be without spot, or wrincle, Ephes. 5.27. The merit of their perfect holinesse is found in the price paied by Iesus Christ, Heb. 10.14. It should much solace them, that one day there shall be a perpetuall end of all sinne and infirmities.
4. If in the meane time they looke vponupon the good nature of God, assuring them by his promises,
1. That they are vnderunder Grace, and not vnderunder the Law, Rom. 6.14.
2. That hee will not deale with vsus after our sins, Psalm. 103.
3. That he will spare vsus, as a man spareth his sonne that serueth him, Mal. 3.17.
4. That hee will accept of the wil and desire for the deed, 2. Cor. 8.12.
5. That he is slow to anger, and ready to forgiue, Psalm. 103.8. And merciemercy pleaseth him, Micha. 7.18.
6. That hee will passe by our infirmities, & meere frailties, and not take notice of them, Micha. 7.18.