The Divine Life, Treatise 1 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII.
11. THE third Relation in which God is to be Known by us, is as he is our Sanctifier and Comforter, which is specially ascribed to the Holy Ghost. And doubtless as the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost is the Perfecting dispensation, without which Creation and Redemption would not attain their ends; and as the sin against the Holy Ghost, is the great and dangerous sin; so our Belief in the Holy Ghost, and Knowledge of God as our Sanctifier by the Spirit, is not the least or lowest act of our faith or Knowledge. And it implieth or containeth these things following.
1. We must hence take notice of the certainty of our common original sin. The necessity of sanctification proveth the corruption, as the necessity of a Redeemer proveth the guilt: It is not one but all that are Baptized, that must be Baptized into the Name of the Son and Holy Ghost, as well as of the Father▪ which is an entering into Covenant with the Son as our Redeemer, and with the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier. So that Infants themselves must be Sanctified or be none of the Church of Christ▪ which consisteth of Baptized Sanctified persons. [Except a man be born again (even of the Spirit, as well as water) he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.] For that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit, Joh. 3. 3, 5, 6. and therefore the fleshly birth producing not a Spiritual creature, will not save without the Spiritual birth: The words are most plain; not only against them that deny Original sin, but against them that misunderstanding the nature of Redemption, do think that all Infants are meerly by the price paid, put into a state of Salvation, and have the pardon of their Original sin in common, attending their natural Birth. But these men should consider, 1. That this text and constant experience tell us that the new Birth doth not thus commonly to all accompany the natural birth: and yet without the new birth none can be saved, nor without Holiness any see God. 2. That Pardon of sin is no mans upon the bare suffering of Jesus Christ; but must be theirs by some Covenant or Promise conveying to them a Right to the benefits of his suffering. And therefore no man can be said to be pardoned or saved (without great arrogancy in the affirmer) that hath not from God a promise of such mercy. But no man can shew any Promise that giveth Remission of Original sin to all Infants. Produce it, or presume not to affirm it, lest you fall under the heavy doom of those that add to his holy Word. The Promise is to the faithful and their seed. The rest are not the children of the promise, but are under the commination of the violated Law; which indeed is dispensable; and therefore we cannot say that God will pardon none of them; but withal, we cannot say that he will, unless he had told us so. All the world are in a necessity of a Sanctifier: and therefore most certainly (even since Christs death) they are naturally corrupted.
2. And as our Belief in the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier, engageth us to acknowledge our Original sin and misery, so doth it engage us to magnifie his renewing work of grace, and be convinced of the necessity of it, and to confess the insufficiency of corrupted nature to its own renovation. As no man must dishonour the work of our Creator; and therefore our faculties of Reason and natural Freewill are not to be denyed or reproached: so must we be as careful that we dishonour not the works of our Redeemer or Sanctifier: and therefore the viciousness and ill disposedness of these faculties, and the thraldom of our wills to their own misinclinations, and to concupiscence, must be confessed; and the need of Grace to work the cure. It is not ingenuous for us, when God made it so admirable a part of his work in the world, to Redeem us, and save us from our sin and misery, that we should hide or deny our diseases, and make our selves believe that we have but little need of the Physician, and so that the cure is no great matter, and consequently deserveth no great praise. I know the Church is troubled by men of dark yet self-conceited minds, that in these points are running all into extreams. One side denying the Sapiential method, and the other the Omnipotential way of God in our recovery. One plainly casting our sin and misery principally on God; and the other as plainly robbing the Redeemer and holy Spirit of the honour of our recovery. But it is the latter that my subject leadeth me now to speak to. I beseech you take heed of any conceit that would draw you to extenuate the honour of our Sanctifier. Dare you contend against the Holy Ghost for the integrity of your natures, or the honour of your cure? surely he that hath felt the power of this renewing grace, and found how little of it was from himself, nay how much he was an enemy to it, will be less inclined to extenuate the praise of grace then unexperienced men will be. Because the case is very weighty, give me leave by way of Question to propound these considerations to you.
Quest. 1. Why is it think you that all must be Baptized into the Name of the Son and Holy Ghost as well as of the Father? Doth it not imply that all have need of a Sanctifier, and must be engaged to that end in Covenant with the Sanctifier? I suppose you know that it is not to a bare Profession of our belief of the Trinity of persons that we are baptized. It is our Covenant entrance into our happy Relation to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that is then celebrated. And therefore as Infants and all must be thus engaged to the Sanctifier, so all must acknowledge their necessity of this mercy, and the excellency of it. It is essential to our Christianity, that we value it, desire it and receive it. And therefore an error inconsistent with it proveth us indeed no Christians, Mat. 28. 19.
Quest. 2. Why is it think you that the Holy Ghost and this renewing work, are so much magnified in the Scripture? Is not the glory of it answerable to those high expressions? undoubtedly it is. I have already told you elsewhere of the Elogies of this work. It is that by which Christ dwelleth in them, and they are made a habitation of God by the spirit, Eph. 3. 17. and 2. 22. They are made by it the Temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. 6. 19. It is the Divine Power (which is no other then Omnipotency) that giveth us all things pertaining unto Life and Godliness, 2 Pet. 1. 3. Think not I beseech you any lower of this work then is consistent with these expressions. It is the opening of the blind eyes of our understanding, and turning us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, and bringing us into his marvellous light, Act. 26. 18. Eph. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is an inward teaching of us by God, Joh. 6. 45. 1 Thes. 4. 9. an effectual teaching and anointing, 1 Joh. 2. 27. and a writing the Laws in our hearts and putting them in our inward parts, Heb. 8. 10, 11. I purposely forbear any exposition of these texts, lest I seem to distort them; and because I would only lay the naked Word of God before your own impartial considerations. It is Gods work by the Spirit, and not our own as ours that is here so much magnified. And can all this signifie no more but a common bare proposal of truth and good to the intellect and will; even such as ignorant and wicked men have? Doth God do as much to illuminate, teach, and sanctifie them that never are illuminated, or taught, and sanctified, as them that are? This work of the Holy Ghost is called a quickning, or making men that were dead, alive, Eph. 2. 1, 2. Rom. 6. 11, 13. It is called a new begetting or new birth, without which none can enter into heaven, Joh. 3. 3, 5, 6. A renewing us, and making us new men, and new creatures, so far as that old things are past away, and all become new, Eph. 4. 23, 24. Col. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. It is a new creating us after the Image of God. Eph. 4. 24. It maketh us Holy as God is Holy, 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16. yea it maketh us partakers of the Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. It giveth us repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, that we may recover our selves out of the snare of the Devil, who were taken captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26. It giveth us that Love by which God dwelleth in us, and we in God, 1 Joh. 4. 16. We are redeemed by Christ from all iniquity, and therefore it is that he gave himself for us, to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. It is an abundant shedding of the Holy Ghost on us for our renovation, Tit. 3. 5, 6. and by it a shedding the Love of God abroad in our hearts, Rom. 5. 5. It is this Holy Spirit given to believers by which they pray, and by which they mortifie the flesh, Jud. 20. Rom. 8. 26. 13. By this Spirit we live, and walk, and rejoyce, Rom. 8. 1. and 14. 17. Our joy, and peace, and hope is through the power of the Holy Ghost, Rom 15. 13. It giveth us a spiritual mind, and taketh away the carnal mind that is enmity against God, and neither is nor can be subject to his law, Rom. 8. 7. By this Spirit that is given to us, we must know that we are Gods children, 1 Joh. 3. 24. & 4. 13. For if any man have not the spirit of Christ, the same is none of his, Rom. 8, 9. All holy graces are the fruits of the spirit, Gal. 5. 22, 23. It would be too long to number the several excellent effects of the sanctifying work of the spirit upon the soul, and to recite the Elogies of it in the Scripture. Surely it is no low or needless thing which all these expressions do intend.
Quest. 3. If you think it a most hainous sin to vilifie the Creator and his work, and the Redeemer and his work, why should not you think so of the vilifying of the sanctifier and his work, when God hath so magnified it, and will be glorified in it? and when it is the applying perfecting work, that maketh the purchased benefits of Redemption to be ours, and formeth our Fathers Image on us.
Quest. 4. Do we not Doctrinally commit too much of that sin (if we undervalue the Spirits sanctifying work, as a common thing) which the ungodly world do manifest in practice, when they speak and live in a contempt or low esteem of grace? And which is more injurious to God? for a prophane person to jest at the Spirits work, or for a Christian or Minister deliberately to extennate it? especially when the preaching of grace is a Ministers chief work, sure we should much fear partaking in so great a sin.
Quest. 5. Why is it that the Scripture speaks so much to take men off from boasting or ascribing any thing to themselves? Rom. 3. 19. That every mouth may be stopped; and why doth not the Law of works exclude boasting but only the Law of faith? Rom. 3. 27. Surely the actions of nature (except so far as it is corrupt) are as truly of God, as the acts of grace. And yet God will not take it well to deny him the glory of Redemption, or Sanctification, and tell him that we paid it him in another kind, and ascribed all to him as the author of our free will by natural production. For as Nature shall honour the Creatour, so Grace shall also honour the Redeemer and Sanctifier. And God designeth the humbling of the sinner, and teaching him to deny himself; and to honour God in such a way as may stand with self abasement, leaving it to God to honour those by way of reward, that honour him in way of duty, and deny their own honour.
Quest. 6. Why is the Blaspheming, and sinning against the Holy Ghost made so hainous and dangerous a sin, if the works of the Holy Ghost were not most excellent, and such as God will be most honoured by?
Quest. 7. Is it not exceeding ingratitude for the soul that hath been illuminated, converted, renewed, quickened and saved by the Holy Ghost, to extenuate the mercy, and ascribe it most to his natural Will? O what a change was it that Sanctification made? what a blessed birth day was that to our souls when we entered here upon Life Eternal! Joh. 17. 3. And is this the thanks we give the Lord for so great a Mercy!
Quest. 8. What mean those texts, if they consute not this unthankful opinion? Phil. 2. 13. [It is God that worketh in you to Will and to do of his good pleasure] Eph. 2. 7, 8, 9, 10. God hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might sh…w the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus: For by Grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of your selves, it is the gift of God; Not of works lest any man should boast; For we are his workmanship Created to Good works in Christ Jesus] The like is in Tit. 3. 5, 6. 7. Joh. 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain] 1 Joh. 4. 10. Herein is Love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us—] 1 Cor. 4. 7. For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast that thou that thou didst not receive] Joh. 6. 44. No man can come unto me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him] 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can be know them, because they are spiritually discerned.] Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit] that is, plainly, the fleshly birth produceth but flesh and not spirit; if any man will have the spirit (and so be saved) it must be by a spiritual begetting and birth by the Holy Ghost, Act. 16. 14. The Lord opened Lydia's heart that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul, &c.] Was the Conversion of Paul a murdering persecuter his own work rather then the Lords, when the means and manner were such as we read of? Act. 22. 14. [The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see that just one, and hear the voice of his mouth, &c.] He was chosen to the Means and to faith, and not only in faith to salvation. When Christ called his Disciples to come and follow him, was there no prevailing inward power that made them leave all and follow him? And was it not the power of the Holy Ghost that Converted three thousand Jewes at a Sermon, of them that by wicked hands had Crucified and slain the Lord Jesus? Act. 2. 23, 41. When the Preaching and Miracles of Christ Converted so few; his Brethren, and they that saw his Miracles believed not on him, Joh. 12. 37. & 5. 38. & 6. 36. & 7. 5. but when the Holy Ghost was given after his Ascension in that plenty which answered the Gospel and promise, his words were fulfilled, Joh. 12. 32. [And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.] I pass by abundance more such evidence.
Quest. 9. Doth it not tend to bring sin into credit which holiness is contrary to, and to bring the love of God into discredit, and to hinder mens Conversion, and keep them from a holy life, when holiness is taken for so low and natural or common a thing?
Quest. 10. And consequently doth it not tend to the vilifying of the Attribute of Holiness in God, when the Image and effect of it is so extenuated?
Quest. 11. And doth it not tend to the contempt of Heaven it self, whose state of felicity consisteth much in perfect Holiness? And if Sanctification be but some common motion, which Cain and Judas had as well as Paul, sure it is less Divine and more inconsiderable then we thought.
Quest. 12. Doth it not speak very dangerous suspicion of a soul that never felt the special work of grace, that can make light of it, and ascribe it most to his own will? And would not sound Humiliation do more then Arguments to cure this great mistake? I never yet came neer a throughly-humbled soul, but I found them too low and vile in their own eyes, to have such undervaluing thoughts of grace, or to think it best for them to leave all the efficacy of grace to their own wills! A broken heart abhors such thoughts.
Quest. 13. Dare any wise and sober man desire such a thing of God, or dare you say that you will expect no other Grace, but what shall leave it to your selves to make it effectual or frustrate it? I think he is no friend to his soul that would take up with this.
Quest. 14. Do not the constant Prayers of all that have but a shew of godliness contradict the doctrine which I am contradicting? Do you not beg of God to melt and soften and bow your hearts, and to make them more holy, and fill them with light, and faith, and Love, and hold you close to God and duty! In a word, do you not daily pray for effectual grace, that shall infallibly procure your desired ends? I scarce ever heard a prayer from a sober man but was orthodox in such points, though their speeches would be heterodox.
Quest. 15. Do you not know that there is an enmity in every unrenewed heart against sanctification till God remove it? Are we not greater enemies to our selves, and greater resisters of the Holy Ghost, and of our own conversion and sanctification and salvation, then all the world besides is? woe to him that feeleth not this by himself. And is it likely that we that are enemies to holiness should do more to our own Sanctification, then the Holy Ghost? Woe to us if he conquer not our enmity.
Quest. 16. Is it probable that so great a work as the destroying of our dearest sins, the setting our hearts and all our hopes on an Invisible glory, and delighting in the Lord, and forsaking all for him, &c. should come rather from the choice of a will that loveth those sins, and hateth that holy heavenly life, then from the spirit of Christ? sure this is much above us.
Quest. 17. Whence is it that so often one man that hath been a notorious sinner is Converted by a Sermon, when a civiler man, of better nature and life, is never changed though he have that and ten times more perswasions?
Quest. 18. Doth not experience tell impartial observers, that the high esteemers of the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost, are ordinarily of more holy heavenly lives, then they that use to ascribe the differencing work to their free wills? In my observation it is so.
Quest. 19. Should not every gracious humble soul, be more enclined to magnifie God then himself? and to give him the Glory, then to give it to our selves, especially in a case where Scripture and experience telleth us that we are more unlikely then God to deserve the praise? Our destruction is of our selves, but in him is our help, Hos. 13. 9. When we see an effect and know it, and the causes that are in question, it is easie to conjecture from the quality which is the true cause. If I see a Serpent brought forth, I will sooner think that it was generated by a Serpent then a Dove. If I see sin in the world, I shall easily believe it is the spawn of this corrupted will, that is so prone to it. But if I find a divine nature in me, or see a holy heavenly life in any, I must needs think that this is liker to be the work of the blessed God, then of such a naughty heart as mans, that hath already been a self-destroyer.
Quest. 20. What motive hath any man to exalt himself, and sin again the Holy Ghost by such an extenuation of his saving grace? It is a causeless, fruitless sin. The only reason that ever I could hear for it, was, lest the doctrine of differencing grace should make God a respecter of persons, or the author of sin, of which there is no reason of a suspicion. We all agree that no man perisheth or is denyed Grace, but such as deserve it: And when all deserve it, it is no more respect of persons in God to sanctifie some only of those ill deservers, then it is that he makes not all men Kings, nor every dog or toad a man, nor every star a Sun, or every man or Angel. To clear all objections concerning this would be but to digress.
3. Lastly, Our knowledge of the Holy Ghost must raise us to an high estimation of his works, and a ready reception of his graces and cheerful obedience to his motions. He Sanctified our Head, that had no sin, by preventing sin in his conception, and he annointed him to his office, and came upon him at his Baptism: He Sanctified and anointed the Prophets and Apostles to their offices, and by them endited the holy Scripture. He illuminateth, converteth, sanctifieth and guideth all that are to be the heirs of life. This is his work. Honour that part of it that is done on Christ, on the Prophets, Apostles, and the Scriptures; and value and seek after that which belongeth to your selves. Think not to be Holy without the Sanctifier, nor to do any thing well without the spirit of Jesus Christ, who is Christs internal invisible Agent here on earth (as Tertullian in the Churches Creed speaks, misit vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat.) O that men knew how much of their well-fare dependeth on a faithful obeying of the Holy Ghost!