A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 15
CHAP. XV. The Holineſs of Believers.
HOlineſs is moſt properly to be urged upon Believers more then upon natural men; the great thing and the firſt thing that they are to do, is to believe in Chriſt, and after they are in Chrſt, then they are to be urged to walk holily in him. Believers are to be holy both in ſoul and body, not only in the thoughts of their hearts, but in all the actions of the outward man: The Apoſtle Paul urgeth the holineſs of the outward man, of the body as well as the heart, by ſix arguments, all laid down in the ſixth chapter of the firſt epile to the Corinthians. His firſt Argument is, v. 13. How the body is not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, that is, the Lord he is for the body of believers as well as the ſoul: he hath a care of their bodies, of their outward man, and beſtowes many mercies upon the outward man, and therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, there is all the reaſon in the world that the body, the outward man ſhould be for the Lord. His ſecond Argument is in the 14. verſe; he ſaith, that God will raiſe up our bodies at the laſt; there is much in that; if God will at laſt raiſe up the bodies of Believers, and glorifie them, and make them like to Chriſts glorious body: O, how ſhould they glorifie God with their bodies now in the mean while! His third Argument is, That our bodies are the members of Chriſt, v. 15. His fourth Argument is, That our bodies are the temples of the holy Ghoſt, v. 19. His fift Argumentis, That we are not our own. neither bodies nor ſouls, v. 19. His laſt argument is, that we are bought with a price, v. 20. All theſe Arguments are very ſtrong for a Believers glorifying of God with his body as well as with his ſoul, both which are the Lords.
Several Arguments may be brought for the Saints holineſs in general, as (1) the Grace of God in Chriſt ſhould be ſuch a prevailing Argument to holineſs, that where there is any Goſpel-ingenuity, we ſhould reaſon as the Apoſtle doth, We were dead, and we judge that Chriſt having died for us to ſave us, that its but reaſon we ſhould live to him, ſaith he in that place, 2 Cor. 5.14,15. the love of Chriſt conſtrains us, foreign, the word ſignifies it keeps in, it ſtops, reſtrains, bridles: we have corrupt and wicked hearts by nature; but when a man comes to be in Chriſt the love of Chriſt doth bridle corruption, it puts a mighty ſtop to it. (2) Sin is contrary to the work of God upon the heart of a poor creature when he converts him to Jeſus Chriſt. (3. All ſin is a tranſgreſſion of Gods holy Law, 1 Joh. 3.4. and that is a great matter. (4) Sin is contrary to one great end of Chriſts coming, which was to deſtroy the Works of the devil, 1 John 3.5. Eph. 5 25.26. Titus 2.14. (5) Sins of Believers harden natural men, and embolden them in their ſins, when they ſee them that have knowledge, and profeſs Religion, to do ſuch things. (6) Chriſt that is our head, is holy; that is one of the Apoſtles Arguments why we ſhould be holy. 1 John 3.5. in him ſaith he, is no ſin, in Chriſt your head. O ſtrive to be like him. (7) God dwels among his people in an intimate way of preſence: Num. 5.1,2,3. There ſhall no uyclean thing be fomnd among you, becauſe the Lord dwels in the midſt of you: This is a ſtrong Argument, the hearts of Believers are as it were the preſence Chamber of the King of Glory; and ſhall not they be ſwept and clean? (8) Sin is contrary to the uſe that Believers are deſigned to in the world they are to be lights of the world: ſin makes them but dark Lanthorns; they are to be the ſalt of the earth to keep the world from ſtinking and putifying. (9) God hath glory from others by the holineſs of his people; when they ſee our good works, they glorifie our Father which is in he aven. (10) Sin darkens the ſoul, and hinders it in its communion with God.
There are ſome corruptions in the hearts of Believers that do exceedingly diſmay them as if they would never be ſubdued. Sons of Anak indeed, that we and all our graces look but like graſhoppers in compariſon of thoſe great Goliabs; but God that at firſt infuſed ſuch gracious qualities and habits, when we were ſtark dead in treſpaſſes and ſins; how eaſily can he ſubdue the ſtrongeſt corruptions in our hearts that believe! God that firſt converted Paul when he was in his ful ſpeed againſt Chriſt, can pluck out the thorn in the fleſh; 2 Cor. 12.7,8,9. He tels him that his Grace was ſufficient for him: There are many things that Believers ſhould have in their eye, as to holineſs; as, (1) to avoid Temptation. (2) Get ſound Repentance for former ſins, which may prevent much ſin for the future. (3) Take heed to the word, as our Rule in all our walkings, Pſal. 119. (4) Pray ſervently and importunately againſt every luſt. (5) But above all act faith; put forth your faith upon the Lord Jeſus for the ſubduing of corruption; the heart, and ſo alſo the life is purified by faith in him. Act. 15.9. It is not a mans reſolutions and vows againſt ſin: it is not the auſterity of the Papiſts, it is not the doing of ſo many outward things that will kill a corruption in the heart, but Chriſt believed on in the heart. For by faith, (1) we are ingraffed into Chriſt as our ſtock, that ſo we may grow upon a new root, that by faith, as John 15.1,2,3,4,5. we are implanted into Chriſt. Now as the Branch cannot bear fruit of it ſelf, except it abide in the vine, no more can we except we abide in him: (2) By faith we get ſome hope and courage againſt ſin that it ſhall be ſubdued, and are freed from thoſe fears that cut off endeavours and ſink the ſoul. (3) By Faith a ſoul is enabled to apply, pleade and argue the promiſes that are made againſt the prevailing of ſin in Believers, of which ſort there are many in the word, as Jer. 31.31,32. Ezek. 36.26,27. Rom. 6.14. (4) By faith we receive the Spirit from Chriſt, which is he that can mortifie the deeds of the fleſh, the ſtrongeſt corruptions in the world. (5) Yea if we have not ſo much holineſs in the outward bulk, yet it gives much comfort to a ſoul when it finds that the little holineſs he hath doth flow from union with Chriſt, and that ſuch a corruption was mortifyed meerly by faith in Chriſt.