The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 3 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of the parts of Sanctification.
§. Sect. 1 THe parts of ſanctification are two,That ſanctification containeth two parts, mortification, and viuification. mortification, and viuification, the which alſo are ſaid to be the parts of true repentance, but in a diuerſe ſenſe: for they are attributed vntounto ſanctification, as they are the worke and action of God, who by his holy ſpirit doth mortifie and quicken vsus, and is the ſole author and cauſe of our ſanctification; and vntounto repentance as they hauehave reference vntounto vsus, who being regenerate and indued with Gods ſpirit, doe labour in the mortification of our corruptions, and indeauour to ſerue the Lord in newneſſe of life; for, Spiritu ſancto acti agimus, we being firſt moued and ſet a worke by Gods ſpirit, doe worke together with him. This diuiſion hath it ground and warrant in many places of holy Scriptures, in which it is expreſſed in diuers phraſes and formes of ſpeech.Pſal. 34 14. and 37.27. Eſa. 1.16.17. Rom. 5.11.18 Eph. 4.22.23. Pſal. 34.14, Eſcew euill and doe good. Eſa. 1.16.17, Ceaſe to doe euill, learne to doe well. Rom. 6.11, likewiſe, thinke ye alſo that ye are dead to ſinne, but are aliue to God in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. And v. 18. Being free from ſin ye are made the ſeruants of righteouſneſſe. Epheſ. 4.22, That ye caſt of concerning the conuerſation in time paſt the old man which is corrupt through the deceiuable luſts. 23. And be renewed in the ſpirit of your minde. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteouſneſſe and true holineſſe. So Rom. 7.4.8.13. 1. Cor. 5.7. Col. 2.12.3.9. Gal. 5.16. 1. Pet. 2.24.3.11. By al which places and many others it is cleere and manifeſt, that our ſanctification conſiſteth of theſe two parts, the mortifying of the fleſh, and the quickning of the ſpirit.
§. Sect. 2 Mortification is the firſt part of ſanctification, Of Mortification what it is and how it is wrought.wherein the ſpirit of God applying vntounto vsus the vertue and power of Chriſts death and buriall, doth by little and little weaken, ſubdue, and kill in vsus our naturall corruption, the fleſh and the luſts thereof, ſo that they are not ſo powrfull as in times paſt to ſtirre vp in our mindes euill motions which are contrarie to the will and word of God.
In this deſcription is ſet downe firſt the cauſe of our mortification, which is the vertue and efficacie of Chriſts death and buriall,Rom. 6.4.5. communicated and applied vntounto vsus by the ſpirit of God, whereby wee are ingrafted into the body of Chriſt, and ſo made partakers of the power and vertue of Chriſts death, which being deriued vntounto vsus, doth not onelyonly take away the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne, but alſo doth mortifie and kill our naturall corruptions, which heretofore wholy ruled and ouerſwaied vsus. Secondly, the forme manner and progreſſe of this worke is here expreſſed, namely, the weakning, ſubduing, and killing of our corruption by little and little; ſo that this worke is not perfected at once, and in an inſtant, but by degrees: firſt it is weakned and the power thereof ſomewhat abated, ſo as though it beare ſway in vsus, yet it doth not wholy ouerrule vsus without reſiſtance, as it was vſed to doe in the time of our ignorance: then being further enabled by vertue of Gods ſpirit, working in vsus, we preuaile againſt it, ſo that though it often rebell, yet doe we ſubdue it and obtaine victorie. Laſtly obtaining a greater meaſure of the ſpirit, we mortifie and kill it; that is, though we doe not vtterly depriue it of life and motion, yet we giuegive it ſuch a deadly wound that it neuer recouereth his former ſtrength, but ſtill pineth and languiſheth, till with the death of the bodie it alſo dieth and is wholy aboliſhed. Now whileſt it is in this conſumption and neere vntounto death, hauing a long time before been weake, oftentimes it ſeemeth to recouer ſtrength, and to offer ſome violence vntounto the regenerat part: but this muſt not diſcourage vsus, as though now it were on the mending hand, and like to be reſtored to it former health and ſtrength: for as it fareth with thoſe that lie vponupon their deathbead; ſo it is with our ſicke fleſh, and the corruptions thereof, after that nature ſeemeth ſpent, and the power thereof wholy decayed, oftentimes falling into ſome grieuous fit, wherein there is a fight betweene life and death, their ſtrength ſeemeth redoubled and farre greater than euer it was: but bee of good comfort, it is no ſigne of health, but a pange of death which neare approacheth.
And thus you ſee the death of ſinne and our naturall corruption. Now as in the death of the body there is a certaine progreſſe therein, namely, when the dead carcaſe is alſo buried; ſo alſo there is not only a death of ſinne,Rom. 6.4. Col. 2.12. and 3.3.5. but alſo a buriall, the which is wrought by the vertue of Chriſts buriall applied vntounto vsus by Gods ſpirit, whereby it commeth to paſſe that ſinne which is already ſlaine and dead, doth ſo remaine and continue; ſo that this buriall of ſinne is nothing elſe but the further progreſſe and continuance of our mortification. Of this the Apoſtle ſpeaketh,Rom. 6.4. Rom. 6.4. We are buried then with him by baptiſme into his death, &c. So Col. 2.12.
§. Sect. 3 And thus hauehave I ſhewed what our mortification is,That the worke of mortification is hard and neceſſarie. which as it is a worke moſt hard, ſo alſo moſt neceſſary: the difficulty appeareth by the name which is borrowed from the practiſe of Chirurgeons, who before they cut off any member, doe firſt mortifie it, that after they may take it away with leſſe ſenſe of paine. And this is implyed by our Sauiour Chriſt, whereas hee inioyneth vsus, if our right hand or eye offend vsus, to cut it off and plucke it out: and plainely expreſſed by the Apoſtle Paul Col. 3.5. Mortifie therefore your members which are in the earth, fornication, vncleaneneſſe, Col. 3.5.the inordinate affection, euill concupiſcence and couetouſneſſe, &c. where calling theſe ſinnes by the name of members, he intimateth thus much, that they are as deare vntounto vsus as the members of our body, and alſo that it is as vnpleaſant and painefull vntounto vsus to forſake our naturall corruptions, as to be depriued of the hand, eye, or foote. But though this worke be moſt hard, yet it is moſt neceſſary; for the beſt things that are in the fleſh and vnregenerate part, euen the wiſedome thereof is death and enmitie against God, Rom. 8.6, 7, 8.becauſe it is not ſubiect to the lawe of God, neither in deede can be, Rom. 8.6, 7. neither can we doe any thing pleaſing vntounto God ſo long as we are in the fleſh, as it is verſe 8. Laſtly, if we liue after the fleſh, we ſhall dye, euen the euerlaſting death of body and ſoule; but if wee mortifie the deeds of the body by the ſpirit wee ſhall liue, euen the life of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe vponupon earth, and the life of glory and eternall happineſſe in Gods kingdome. And therefore if it be neceſſary to be in amitie with God, whoſe louing kindneſſe is better than life; Pſalm. 63.4.or to performe obedience vntounto the lawe of God, or to doe any thing pleaſing in his ſight, or to eſcape death and damnation, or to inioy life and eternall ſaluation, then is it alſo neceſſarie to mortifie the fleſh and the luſts thereof, how hard and vnpleaſant ſoeuer this worke ſeemeth vntounto vsus. So that the difficulty muſt not diſcourage vsus, but rather double our diligence; and becauſe it is a paine intollerable to part with our ſinnes, ſo long as they remaine like liuely members of the body of our fleſh, therefore as Chirurgians (to make the paine tollerable to the patient) doe firſt vſe meanes to mortifie themember which they purpoſe to cut off; ſo let vsus vſe all good meanes to weaken the ſtrength of ſinne, and to mortifie our carnall affections, and then we ſhall ſuffer them to be quite cut off and taken from vsus without any extraordinarie paſſion or ſenſe of paine.
§. Sect. 4 And ſo much concerning our mortification,Of Viuification, what it is, and the cauſes thereof. wherein the ſpirit of God communicating and applying vntounto vsus the vertue and efficacie of Chriſts reſurrection, doth raiſe vsus vp from the death of ſinne to holineſſe and newneſſe of life.
The cauſe of our viuification is the vertue and efficacie of Chriſts reſurrection applied vntounto vsus by Gods ſpirit; the which vertue flowing from his deitie, was firſt powerfull in his owne fleſh, raiſing it out of graue, and giuing it victorie ouer ſinne and death, and being deriued from our head, and communicated vntounto vsus who are members of his body, it doth alſo reuiue vsus who were dead in our ſinnes, and inableth vsus to leade a new life in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, according to the rule of Gods word. This appeareth, Rom. 6.4. where he ſaith that we are buried 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.Phili 3.10.11. So Philip. 3.10, 11. where Paul deſireth not onelyonly to bee clothed with the righteouſneſſe of Chriſt applied by faith for his iuſtification, but alſo to know and feele the vertue of Christs reſurrection, that by this meanes he might attaine vntounto the reſurrection of the dead. And as Paul earneſtly deſired this, ſo alſo he attained vntounto it, as himſelfe profeſſeth. Galath. 2.20. Thus (ſaith hee) I liue, Gal. 2.20.yet not I now but Christ liueth in me, and in that I now liue in the fleſh, I liue by faith in the ſonne of God, who hath loued me and giuen himſelfe for me. Now this efficacie and vertue of Chriſts reſurrection is applied vntounto vsus by Gods ſpirit, which vniteth vsus vntounto Chriſt our head, and therefore vſually in the Scriptures this worke is aſcribed vntounto him.Rom. 8.11. So Rom. 8.11. But if the ſpirit of him that raiſed vp Ieſus from the dead dwell in you, he that raiſed vp Christ from the dead ſhall alſo quicken your mortall bodies, becauſe his ſpirit dwelleth in you.
§. Sect. 5 And thus hauehave I ſhewed the author of our viuification:Of the manner how our viuification is wrought. the manner how it is wrought followeth to bee ſpoken of. Firſt, the ſpirit of God diſpelleth the cloudes of ignorance, and illuminateth the eyes of our vnderſtanding with the beames of true ſauing knowledge, wherewith being inlightened, we rightly iudge that folly and madneſſe, in which we thought formerly our chiefe wiſdome conſiſted, and approue that as onelyonly wiſe, which before wee condemned as extreame fooliſhneſſe. Of this the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Epheſ. 1.17. where he prayeth that God would beſtow vponupon them the ſpirit of wiſdome and reuelation through the knowledge of him, Epheſ. 1.17.that the eyes of their vnderstanding might bee inlightened, &c. After the vnderſtanding is thus inlightened, then alſo the will is changed; and whereas before regeneration it was corrupt, peruerſe, and rebellious, now being ſanctified, it beginneth to hate and auoide that euill which in former times it loued and imbraced, and to like and delight in that good which formerly it loathed and abhorred: ſo that the regenerate man ſaith with the Apoſtle, that to will is preſent with him, though hee finde no meanes to performe that which is good;Rom. 7.18.22. and that he is delighted in the lawe of God concerning the inner man, though the law of his members rebelling against the law of his mind, leade him captiue to the law of ſinne. Finally, the vnderſtanding being inlightened, and the will reformed, there followeth the renewing of all the affections, the thoughts, imaginations, powers and faculties of the ſoule: and laſtly, the internal parts being quickened, there inſueth the renuing of the body, the outward actions, life and conuerſation.
§. Sect. 6 And thus hauehave I ſet downe the manner and forme of our ſpirituall renewing: now as the worke of mortification,That the worke of ſanctification is not finiſhed in an inſtant. ſo this of viuification, is not perfected and finiſhed in an inſtant, but in continuance of time and by degrees; neither doe we ſo long as we continue in this life, receiue any great meaſure thereof, but onelyonly the first fruites, which is but as it were a little handfull in reſpect of that large harueſt of godlineſſe which we ſhall attaine vntounto in Gods kingdome, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh,Rom. 8.23. Rom. 8.23. Whereas therefore the Church is ſaide to bee perfectly purged from all ſpottes of ſinne,Ephe. 5.26, 27▪ Epheſ. 5.26, 27. it is to be vnderſtood of our iuſtification, whereby the faithfull are deliuered from the guilt and puniſhment of ſinne, and adorned with Chriſts perfect righteouſneſſe; and not of our ſanctification, which is onelyonly begun in this life, but not perfected till the life to come, as it is notably ſet downe 2. Cor. 5.1, 2, 3, 4.2. Cor. 5.1, 2. &c.