The Beauty of Holiness, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
THe fourth Use is for Examination. If ever Examination were needfull, 'tis here: If you take but farthings, you will try them; you are more carefull about silver, but most exact in trying gold: This is (as I may say) the golden grace, the grace of our graces, without which all morall vertues are but canorae nugae, glorious trifles. Sanctification is a radicall, fundamentall grace. Now an error in the foundation is most dangerous, and destroyes the building. This cannot hurt thee; for if upon triall thou findest that thou hast it, thou hast cause to be thankfull, and to admire the riches of Gods free-grace and love that he should passe by thousands more wise, more rich, more noble and able to have done him better service, and yet should look on thee in thy low and lost condition. 2. If upon triall thou findest the want of it, then give no rest to thine eyes, nor take comfort in any thing till thou hast obtained it: And because many do willingly deceive themselves, taking bleareyed Leah for a beautifull Rachel, a false sanctification for a true; I shall therefore 1. shew you What it is not. 2. What it is.
1. It is not an externall, federall, visible See the severall acceptations of this word in those elaborate Serm. of M. Ant. Burg…ss, Ser 62. & 64. & Ser. 19. & 28. & 45. & 57, 58.holinesse, when by vertue of the externall Covenant all the Lords people are said to be holy: Thousands have this that shall never see God; a Simon Magus may be baptized, and yet be in the gall of bitternesse still. He is not a Jew that is one outwardly; it is not *VnderUnder those two Synechdochically all ou…ward priviledge are comprehended.circumcision which comprehended the priviledges of the Jew, nor uncircumcision which comprehended the priviledges of the Gentiles, with all their wealth, wisdom, nobility, birth, &c. it is none of these which God regards, but it is the New-creature he delights in, Gal. 5. 6.
2. It is not civility or morall righteousnesse; civility is one thing, sanctification is another; that's a morall, common vertue; this is a special, saving grace; that a Heathen may have, he may be just, righteous, sober, civil; but this is a grace peculiar to the people of God. 2. The civil man looks only to the outward act, but the sanctified man looks also to the inward man. 3. Civility comes by education, sanctification by grace. 4. Civility stands in negatives, not to hurt, not to steal; but sanctity in doing good, as well as eschewing evil. 5. Civility looks only to the second Table, sanctification to both. Thus you have a fivefold difference between sanctity and civility.
3. It is not an opinionative, hypocritica… holinesse, such as the Pharisees had, who conceited they were holy, because they fasted, praied, gave almes, &c. though it were but externally and hypocritically: Thus many amongst our selves, because they frequent duties, they conclude themselves to be holy, not considering that duty and prophanesse may stand together. Men may perform all the duties of Religion, and obtain a great measure of illumination, so that in their own opinions, and conceits they may think themselves holy, and in the judgement of charity may be thought to be so by others, Heb. 10. 29. and yet be nothing, as Iudas, Simon Magus, and those Heb. 6. 4 *Hypocrita dicuntur sanctisicatiaequivocè (i.) respectu externae vocationis & professionis; propriè vero soli electi intus renovantur, ver…que & univocè sanctificantur. Tilen.that had an externall sanctification in outward profession, common illumination, and some sleight reformation. Not that I speak against duties or ordinances (for I know that such as God hath decreed to the end, he hath decreed them to the use of means to bring them to that end) but against resting in the bare performance of them, or idolizing them.
4. There is a real, internal, qualitative holinesse, & this is that holinesse which we are to seek after; it is not shews or shadows, it is nothing but real holinesse which can satisfie a gracious soul. This is no superficiall, sleight alteration, but Ephes. 1. 19 foreign, supereminens illa magnitudo, V. Leigh in locum.God by his Almighty power alters the very bent and resolution of the soul a quite contrary way; he sets not up a bare foorm of holinesse, but infuseth life and power; he puts to the exceeding greatnesse of his power to work it; it is harder to create a new heart, then a new world; for in that God would meet with no opposition, it is but speaking the word, and is is done, Psal. 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: but in the work of Regeneration, the devil, sin, and the world oppose. 2 The creation of heaven is but fingerwork, Psal. 8. 3. but the restauration and renovation of man cals for Gods arm, Luke 1. 51. and mighty power to crucifi… corruption, and to enable us to duties of obedience, 1 Cor. 4. 20. By this grace we are said to be partakers of the * Non trans… naturae humanae in divinä, sed participatione donorū; quibus conformes efficimur divinae naturae. Paraeus.divine nature, 2 Pet. 1. 4. (i.) Analogically and by way of similitude, when we partake of those graces which make us like unto God, when we are just, patient, mercifull, pure as God is, when we love what he loves, and hate what his soul abhorres; this is the image of God in us, and by these God becomes (as it were) visible in man. Hence sanctification (say some) is nothing else but the conformity of our hearts and lives to Gods will. It is a created quality (say Sanctitas est congruentia nostra cum lege Dei. Les. S. est Realis mutatio hominis …a turpitudine peccati, in puritatem …maginis Dei, Alsted.others) of purenesse in the Saints, wherby they resemble God, being pure and severed in part from the mixture of sin and corruption: So much the word Kadash implies, one separated from a common to a Divine use; because holinesse consists in a separation frō sin & a dedication to God, 1 Pet. 1. 14. 15. not fashioning your selves according to your former lusts in your ignorance; What then? But as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Hence some make this morall See more Mr. …. Iud… 2. p. 26, …7.holinesse to be two fold;
1. Privative, (i.) an immunity and purity from sin.
2. Positive, which is, 1. Grace in the habit. 2. … i… the act, when …God is known, feared, served, …; and sin is hate… and eschewed; when there is the root of … in the hear… & the fruit of righteousn… … then is a person or people truly … the utensiles in the Law were … holy, when they were set apart fro… … other service to God alone; so a … said to be holy, … his heart and li… are separated from all by-ends and aims, and they are wholly devoted unto God. Holinesse is a kinde of spiritual foreign Purus, …, …, ab us… commu… ad a vinum separatus. Rivet.chastity, when the soul is consecrated to God, and goes not a whoring after the vanities of the world. Hence the Saints are called Virgins, for their purity and spiritual chastity, Cant. 1. 3. Matth. 25. 1. Rev. 14. 4. The Apostle describing the holinesse of Christ, shews us clearly what holinesse is, Heb. 7. 26. Christ our High-Priest is holy. What's that? he is harmlesse, undefiled, separated from sinners. We see then that sanctity consists in discretion, distinction and discrimination from common use by way of exaltation and preheminence. Hence the Lord describing his own people, cals them a people separated and severed from the wicked of the world, to be an holy people to himself, Levit. 20. 24. 25. Psal. 4. 4. The Lord hath set apart for himself the man that is godly; therefore when the Lord cals his people to sanctity, he cals to an holy separation, 2 Cor. 6. 17. 18. Come out from amongst them and be ye separate. God will have his people to Non requirit ut loca infidelium deserant fideles, unde nulla contamintio est, sed vt á superstitosis ritibus, ac sceleratis illorum moribus separentur Muscut.shew their sanctity by a discriminative manner of living, since the Lord hath discriminated and severed them from the base people of the world, who lie like beasts tumbling in their own filth, 1 Job. 5. 18, 19. to be his own peculiar people; therefore they must have different lives, different waies, and different aims from the men of the world: though they live in the world, yet must they not live like the world, but must do such excellent things as the world cannot do; this Christ expects from his, Matth. 5. 47. What do ye more then * See this excellently enlarged by M. Bur. … tious Spi. p. 189, &cothers? implying that his disciples must do more then heathens, more then civil men, more then formalists or hypocrites.
Yet that I may make it clear to every capacity what sanctification is, I shal define it, and explain all parts of it in order, because it tends much to the right understanding of this point. Yet we must not rest in a bare notional Opto magis sentire sanctification…, quám scire ejus defini… tionem.knowledge of the definition of sanctification, but we must labour to finde the virtue and power of it in our hearts and lives.
Def. Sanctification is a grace of the Spirit, wrought in all Beleevers, whereby they are purified daily more and more from their native corruption, and are restored to the Image of God, daily dying to sin, and living to righteousnesse.
1. It is a grace, gift or work of the Spirit: sanctity grows not in natures See Ienkyn on Iude. 1. p. 48… &c.garden, but it is a quality or infused gift of the Spirit, who is therfore called the Spirit of sanctification, Rom. 1. 4. It washeth and cleanseth us. 1 Cor. 6. 11. By it God takes away mens stony, stubborn, rebellious hearts, and gives them hearts of flesh, (i.) melting, flexible, obedient hearts. Hence the Spirit is compared to
Fire.
Water.
Winde.
1. To *8ee more Dr. R…ynolds on the Sacrament. ch. 19. p. 183, to 187.Fire, Matth. 3. 11. Isa. 4. 4. because it inlightens our mindes, purgeth and refineth us from the drosse of sin, and inflames our cold hearts with a zeal for Gods glory.
2. To Water, for its cleansing nature, it makes our barren hearts fruitfull, it refresheth us, it cools and pacifieth the scorched conscience, Isa. 44, 3, 4.
3. To the Winde, *See Sibbs in locum.Cant. 4. 16. which is 1. Free, it bloweth where it listeth, Iohn 3. 8. 2. It dries up dirty ground. 3. It helps and drives us on in our journey.
4. It cools and comforts in a time of heat.
5. It purgeth the chaff from the wheat.
6. It melts hard ice, Psal. 147. 17. 18.
7. It purifies the aire. 8. It increaseth the heat of fire. All these operatitions hath the sanctifying Spirit of God on the soules of his people. It is free…y given, it dries up the unclean lusts of their hearts, it helps them in their way to heaven, it cools and comforts troubled conscien…s, &c.
II. It is not wrought in every soul, but only in the hearts of beleevers. Faith is the internall, instrumentall cause; by it we apply Christ to our selves for our sanctification. All beleevers more or lesse are sanctified; it is the nature of faith where it dwels, to purifie the heart, Acts 15. 9.
III. The subject or seat of our sanctification is the *See that excellent Tract of M. Ambrose on the new birth, p. 9, 10, 11, &c.whole man, body, soul & spirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. 1 Thes. 5. 23. Hence the spouse of Christ is said to be fair in all parts; eyes, hair, teeth, lips, temples, Cant. 4. 1, to 8. They are sanctified throughout in every part, though every part be not throughout sanctified; as sin hath defiled and corrupted all the powers and parts of soul and body, so all must be renewed and sanctified. Burnt offrings must be whole, not a head or a leg, but all must be sacrificed, Levit. 1. 8, 9. Not that the substance of our bodies or souls are changed, but the qualities; corruption is purged out, and …. non est mutatio naturae, sed qualitatum; non mutat substantiam, sed corruptionē; non in nihilum, sed in ordinem redigit affectus; siquis naturâ fit …, non tollit tristitiā sed moderatur, &c. Sibel. … Iudā. p. 41.grace is planted in its stead; our understandings which before were darkened, now they are light in the Lord; our judgements are rectified, 1 Cor. 2. 15. our memories are renewed and made more retentive of the best things; our wils are flexible and conformable to Gods will; our affections are subdued and set on right objects, Gal. 5. 24.
2. The body and all its members are sanctified and renewed; sinne doth not reign there, Rom. 6. 12, 19. Its become a Temple for Gods Spirit to dwell in, all its members are become servants of righteousnesse unto holinesse.
3. The actions and outward conversation: Nee satis est cor sanctificatum esse, nisi tota nostra vita & externa conversatio internae sanctitatis animi sit signaculum. Sibel. M, Ant. Burgess Ser. 115.Our words and works which before were vain and sinfull, are now sweet and savoury, tending to Gods glory and the good of others. So that all such as are truly sanctified, are wholly sanctified; Old things are past away, and all become new; new mindes, new memories, new judgements, new affections, new desires, new fears, new love, new joy, new sorrow, new food, new raiment, new language, new company, new ends and aims, &c. He now answers as the young penitent man in Ambrose answered the courting Minion, Cur non respicis, ego sum? Hearken, 'tis I, Sed ego non sum ego. Though you be still the same woman, yet I am not the same man. As an old Ale-house while a drunken tenant lived there, 'twas never empty of drunkards, theeves, whores, &c. But now an honest tenant is come in, down goes the sign, and when old guests call, there's no room for them, for there's another man dwels there.
Now the parts of sanctification are two;
1. Mortification or dying to sin; by the Robur, tyran…s & vires peccati debilitantur, & paulatim abolentur. Si…spirit they mortifie the deeds of the flesh, Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 3, 5, 9. 10. The death of Christ is the death of their sin; sin is an underling in the soul, it reigns not there. This is called in Scripture, a pulling out of the eyes, a cutting off the hands, a keeping under our bodies, denying our selves, purging out the old leaven, putting off the old man.
2. Vivification or living unto righteousnesse; Genera… unius est destructio alterius. Austwhen Gods Image is restored, and we are made conformable to his will, so that what pleaseth him, pleaseth See both these parts fully handled …n Mr. Dovvnams, Warf. p. 285 & Mr. Ienkyn on Jude 1. p. 21. to 46.us; and what is displeasing to him, is displeasing to us; they do not only fly evil, but they do good, they have their part in the first resurrection, therefore the second death shall have no power over them, Rev. 20. 6. They draw virtue from Christs resurrection whereby they rise from sin to newnesse of life Colos. 3. 9. 10. Rom. 6. 10. 11.
Now I come more particularly to the signes of sanctification, and these call for our more special observation; they are seven.
1 Sign. A holy man hath an holy heart, he first makes clean the inside, The heart wins all the Cards, yea though it be the knave of Clubs with all his Ceremonies, Latimer.he knows that God delights most in a pure heart, and commands us to keep that clean, Isa. 1. 18. Jer. 4. 14. & 13. ult. Prov. 23. 26. Iames 4. 8. therefore his greatcare and desire is to keep it pure as becomes the Temple of God. The hypocrite is all for externall holinesse, to be seen of men; the Pharisees could cleanse the outside, but within they were full of wickednesse, therfore Christ denounceth such woes against them, Matth. 23. 25. 26. Amaziah did much, but lost all, because his heart was rotten, 2. Chron. 25. 2. it ruined him, v. 14, 15, 16. True holinesse is a plain and an even thing, without false-hood, guile, perversnesse of spirit, or starting aside; it hath one end, one rule, one way, one heart; when hypocrites and double minded men, they pretend to God, but follow the world. If ever then we would be truly holy, we must put in practice the councell of the Lord, Ezek, 18. 31. We must cast away with an holy indignation, not lay them aside for a time, 2. Not some, but All our transgressions, great, small, profitable, pleasing &c. 3. Get a new heart, A morte temporali, & spirituali Deus solutionem promittit, modo de puriori vivendi ratione serio medi… tentur. Sanct. in loco.sanctification must begin within; if the heart be changed, the outward man will soon follow. 4 A motive from the danger, Why will ye endanger the …ternall salvation of your souls by resisting the motions of Gods holy Spirit
2. His language is pure. When the man is changed, his language is changed, God gives to pure men a pure language, Zeph. 3. 9. He is now a good Qualis vir …alis oratio Loquere …, t… videam.man, and therefore out of the good …reasure of his heart he bringeth forth good things, as the wicked man out of …he evill treasure of his heart brings forth swearing, cursing, lying, slandering, &c. Matth. 12. 34. 35. You may ghesse at a man by his talke, a rotten man will have rotten talk, Ephes. 4. 13. a gratious man hath gratious language.
3. His waies are pure; not only his Burgess last Ser. Ser. 94.words, but his works are holy: A hypocrite may have fine words, but his Hypocrita odit peccatum non quà peccatum, sed quà morbum & poenam.works are naught; he may hate sin as it makes him sick, or poor, &c. but not as it is sin and displeasing to God; he hates not sin, but he loves not burning. A mans works and walking discover what he is; a swine is known by his delighting in dirty puddles; but a sheep loves fair pastures. A holy man loves to keep communion with God by constant prayer, but the prophane man will not once call on him, Psal. 14. 4. for prayer will either make him leave sin, or sin will make him leave praying. He is jealous over himself, fearfull to offend, shuns the occasions of sin, willing in all things to live honestly, hating See more Harsnet. on Repent. p. 125, to 145, &c.not one, but every false way; he is universal in his obedience, he doth not pick and chuse his way, but makes it his daily exercise to keep a conscience void of offence both towards Go… and man: He adds righteousnesse to his holinesse, and holinesse to his righteousnesse, and so follows the Lord fully, Psal. 15. 2. Luke 1. 6. Acts 13. 22. & 24. 16. He is habitually holy, Act…o una non denomina… …. Neq. sanctisicatio uno atqaltero▪ …ené vel malefacto est metienda, sed totius vitae …; is sibonus fuerit, cor sanctisicatum esse, nullus dubita. Sibelholinesse is his trade; a wicked man may do a work that is materially good, but as it comes from him it it abominable: What Saint John saith of goodnesse, is most true of holinesse, 3 John 11 He that doth good [out of an habit and principle of goodnesse] is of God, but he that doth evil [habitually as his trade] hath not seen God. Godlinesse is the good mans exercise, 1 Tim. 4. 7. the bent and resolution of his soul is, not willingly to sin against God in any thing, he chuseth misery rather then iniquity, and affliction rather then sinne. A pure heart and a purpose to sin can never subsist together; for what is holinesse but an exact obedience to Gods commands, True hatred is foreign against the whole kind. Arist. He that hates one sin as 'tis sin, will hate all. Quatenus ipsum includit de …mni.& that 1. Extensive, to themall. 2. Intensive, with the high estintention of our affections, with all our heart, mind & might; for he that willingly breaks one commandment, doth habitually & dispositively break them all, & when a temptation comes he will stick at none, Iames 2. 10, 11. 'Tis true in many things we offend all, James 3. 2, through frailty and infirmity, but not deliberately and wilfully; yea sins of weaknesse and infirmity are grievous to a gratious soul, that wearinesse in duty though not of duty, that indisposition and heavinesse which cleaves to them in the best things (which a naturall man takes no notice of yet) is better unto them. Many good souls doubt of their sanctification, but if thou finde in thy self an unfeined hatred of All sin, both of grosse sin in thy actions, & of lesser sins in thy affections, know undoubtedly that thou art sanctified, and shalt be saved, 1 Iohn 5. 18.
4. He loves pure ordinances, plain powerfull preaching, zealous praying, quickning conference, &c. these are delightfull to him; a pure heart loves foreign In quo adulterando nullus intercessit dolus: Hereticie nim gypsum lacte miscent á Lap.the pure and sincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2. 2. It's a signe a man is rotten when he cannot endure a plain downright Micajah because he tels them the truth, such men are evil and therfore cānot, endure the light Ioh 3. 19
5. By your love to pure ones; Saints will love Saints; sheep delight in the company of sheep and not of swine. David a Saint delights in Saints, Psal. 16. 3 Paul when changed, changeth his company and and joynes himself to the Saints, Acts 9. 26. Yet it is not every love to a Saint that argues a Saint, but pure and sincere love, which is known by these three signes,
1. It is a love to [All] the Saints, he loves a poor Saint as well as a rich one, he loves a Saint in rags, as well as a Saint in glorious robes, a Iob on the dunghill as well as a David on the throne, Ephes. 1. 15. Colos. 1. 4. they love not one or two of the Brethren, Eti…msi Lutherus millies me diabolum vocet, ego tamen illum insignem Dei servnm agnosco. Calvin* Let Luther hate me and in his wrath call me devil a thousand times. yet will I love him & acknowledge him a most precious servant of God said meck Calvin.but the Brotherhood, even the whole society & fraternity, the whole Church of God, such as they never saw, yea though they may differ from them in some small matters, and it may be have mis-called them and wronged them, yet if they have grounds to judge them Saints, they can passe by all & pray for thē, & readily forgive them 2. He loves the Saints simply because saints, for their piety more thē for their parts: true love is spirituall and springs from spirituall considerations; they love the pure for their purity, & the sincere, for their sincerity; but carnall love hath carnall ends, they love the godly for their riches, honour, wisdome, kinred, bounty, &c. they hate them solely for their piety, such and such were excellent men if they were not Puritans and Roundheads, &c.
3. He can prefer them before his naturall kinred which are wicked, as Christ did, Matth. 12. 47. &c. In all Cognatio carnalis post…abenda spirituali. Paraeus.their relations they prize piety: they preferre a godly wife, a godly child, a godly servant, a godly Magistrate, a godly Minister, before any other. [If any would see more, let him peruse Dyke on the Sacrament, chap. 13. Downham on the Sacrament, chap. 10. Sheffeild on Conscience, chap. 14. Wall None but Christ, chap. 21.] M. Ant. Burgess 120. Ser. Ser. 18.
6. Holy men will labour to make others Bonum est' sui diffusivum.holy, they love not to eat their spiritual morsels alone: like the sun they do (what in them lies) to give light to all, like a sweet perfume they refresh such as come near them. Holy Abraham will teach his family the way of the Lord, Andrew finding Christ, brings Simon; Philip brings Nathaniel; the woman of Samaria brings her neighbours, John 1. 41, 43, 45. &c. As wicked men draw others to wickednesse, so the See more Dyke Quenching the Spi. p. 42, &c.godly say as Paul to Agryppa, Acts 26. 29. I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am.
7. Holy men are humble men; the more holy, the more humility; none see Fundamentū sanctitatis est humilitas Cyprian.their own nakednesse, nothingnesse wants and weaknesse so much as they; as all the graces of Gods Spirit are humbling graces, so holinesse especially: Hence Paul a holy man, yet in his own esteem the least of Saints, the chiefest of sinners: Job abhorres himself; David is a worm; Isaiah thinks himself undone, Moses is meek. Bradford in his owne estimation, is miserrimus peccator, a very hypocrite, a most hard-hearted, unthankfull sinner, a very painted hypocrite, &c. They durst never call themselves Saints, The close walking people, The godly party, The spirituall ones, &c. It is the property of proud and subtle hereticks to paint with two colours, that they may not easily be discerned, Rom. 16. 18. 1. They glory that they are the servants of God, when they only serve their own belly. 2. They use good words and fair speeches to deceive the simple: These silken men have silken words; nothing but free-grace, pure Churches, pure Ordinances, pure Gospel, all blessings: Thus they insinuate themselves with such gentlenesse, mecknesse, sobernesse, that one would See more Gell…spy Miscellan. e…. 13think that God and goodnesse were confined to such a people; but pull off the vizard, and there appears a proud Antinomian, a loose Anabaptist, a licentious A…ian, a blasphemous Socinian, &c. In briefe, take this Character of one that is truly Holy. He is one that understands his owne absolute emptines, and Christs absolute fullnes; he denyes his owne best works, and relyes solely upon Christ for salvation; he leaves nothing undone which Gods word reveales, useth all means for the increase of his Graces; he is not cast downe by failings as utterly dejected, nor exalted by performances, as more accepted with God; but looks at sin past with shame, at sin present with sorrow, on the world with contempt; the Gospels credit is his aime, Gods glory his end; he silenceth some, shameth others, shines out to all, &c.
He that would see more signs of holinesse, let him peruse Dr. Preston on the New Creature, Ser. 9. Dr. Taylor on New Creat. p. 46, 47. Ambrose his Media, p. 10, &c. M. Ant. Burgess Ser. 53. & Ser. 63.