Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of Sanctification.
HAving spoken of the relative Change, or of our State in Adoption, Justification, I shall now speak of the moral Change of our Persons and Qualities in Sanctification.
Although we distinguish between Justification and Sanctification, yet we acknowledge that they are inseparable, and that one doth necessarily follow the other.
To sanctifie sometimes signifies
First, To acknowledge the holinesse of a thing, so God is said to sanctifie himself, and his own name, or to use it according to its holinesse: so we are said to sanctifie the Lord and the Sabbath-day, that is; use it holily.
Secondly, To make holy, so a person or thing may be said to be made holy threeGod made man a holy creature, he was peculiarly devoted to Gods service; when man fell the devil defiled this Temple, God departed from us, he a…ain cleanseth away this filth and repaireth his image in us wayes:
1. When it is separated from a common use.
2. When it is devoted to God, made peculiar to him, so one might sanctifie a house or beast.
3. When it is cleansed and purged from all filthinesse and naughtinesse.
In the two first senses it is opposed to common and prophane, in the last to unclean in Scripture, such are goods, houses, the Temple.
What Sanctification is.
Some describe it thus:
It is the Grace of God dwelling in us, by which we are inabled to live a holy life.
It is a supernatural work of Gods Spirit, whereby the soul and body of a beleever are turned to God, devoted to him, and the image of God repaired in all the powers and faculties of the soul.
It is a resolution of will and endeavour of life to please God in all things, springing from the consideration of Gods love in Christ to mankinde revealed in the Gospel.
Sanctification is a continued work of the Spirit flowing from Christ as the Head, purging a man from the image of Adam, and by degrees conforming us to the image of Christ.
1. It is an act of the Spirit. The special work of the Father is Creation, of the Sonne Redemption, of the holy Ghost Sanctification. The Father proposed and plotted the work of Reconciliation. Christ undertook the service, but the Spirit is the Unction that takes away all enmity that is within us. The Spirit dwels in the Saints virtually and operatively by his Gifts, Graces, Comforts, and by exciting them. Some dislike that passage of Luther *Loc. Commun. Class. 1. c. 11., Habitat ergo verus Spiritus in credentibus non tantum per dona, sed quoad substantiam, though others of our Divines follow him. The Spirit of God is the efficient cause of Sanctification. The sanctified are called such as are in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit, If we mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit we shall live. If any be led by the Spirit he is the Son of God; and if any▪ have not the spirit he is none of his, Eze. 36. 27. The holy Ghost useth the Word of God, the doctrin of the Gospel as its immediate instrument to work this holiness of heart and life. Christ sends his Spirit that by the Word works faith and all Graces. An act of the Spirit flowing from Christ as the Head, common works of the Spirit flow not from Christ as the Head, Iohn 1. 16. Col. 1. 19. Christ is the common treasury of all that Grace God ever intended to bestow, 1 Iohn 2. 20. the intendment of union is communication.
2. A continued work of the Spirit to distinguish it from Vocation, Conversion, Regeneration, it is stiled Vocation, because it is wrought by a heavenly Call, Conversion, because it is the change of a mans utmost end, Regeneration because one receives a new Nature and new Principles of action. The carrying on of this work in blotting out the image of old Adam, and by degrees introducing the image of Christ is Sanctification, 2 Cor. 7. 1. therefore we must have supplies of the Spirit, Psal. 92. 10.
Sanctification is answerable to original corruption, and intended by the LordThere is a total change of the whole man, the Mind, Rom. 12. 2. Spirit, Ezek. 36. 26. Heart, Deut. 10. 26. Conscience Heb. 9. 14. Will, Phil. 2. 13 Affections, Gal. 5. 24. The body it self, Col. 2. 11. Rom. 6. 12. Christ is our Sanctification three several wayes: 1. Meritoriously, he hath purchased it from God by his being an offering for all our defilement. 2. As he is the exemplar or copy of it. 3. He is by his Spirit the efficient cause, that brings into the soul the vertue of his Death to kill sinne, and of his Resurrection whereby his life is communicated to us. to be a Plaister as broad as the sore. That was not one sinne, but a sinne that had all sinne: so this is not one distinct Grace, but a Grace that comprehends all Grace.
It is called the new man in opposition to the old man, because it makes us new, changing from the natural filthinesse of sinne to the righteousnesse and holinesse whereof we were deprived by the fall of Adam, and to note the author of it, which is the Spirit of God working it in us, called the holy Spirit, because he is so in himself, and works holinesse in us, the Divine Nature, because it is a resemblance of that perfection which is in God, and the image of God for the same cause, because it maketh us in some degree like unto him.
The moving cause is the consideration of the love of Christ to mankinde revealed in the Gospel, the matter of it, a resolution and constant endeavour to know and do the whole will of God revealed in his Word, Psal. 119. 30. & 73. 10. the forme▪ a conformity to Gods Law or whole will so revealed, Psal. 119. the end principal to glorifie and please God, secondary to attain his favour and eternal happinesse. The extent must be in all things, the subject of it is the whole man, the whole soul and body. Sanctification reacheth to the frame of his heart. David hid the Law of God in his heart, the inward man, therefore called a New-Creature; and outward Conversation, therefore called a living to God, 1 Thess. 5. 23.
The Parts of it are two, Mortifying and Crucifying the old man with its lusts and affections, quickning the new man, bringing forth the fruit of the Spirit.
The Properties of it:
1. It is sincere.
2. Constant, therefore it is called a walking in the way of the Lord.
3. Imperfect here.
4. Grows and proceeds toward perfection.
A godly life is distinguished,
1. From the false goodnesse of the Hypocrite, for that is willing sometimes to do Gods will, not with such a setled will as to indeavour it, and willing in some things, not in all things to do Gods will. The motive to that is only love of himself, or some outward thing.
2. From the perfect goodnesse which was required in Adam in the Covenant of works, for that was not only a will and endeavour to Know and Do, but an actual Knowing and Doing. They differ as much as shooting at the Mark and hitting it.
Purity consists in freedom from mixture with that which is of a baser nature, asSee Dr Willet on Exod. 30. 34. when silver is mixed with lead or drosse it is impure.
All godly men must be pure, Titus 1. 15. The Apostle Paul describes godly men by this Epithete; Our Saviour telleth his Apostles, Now are you clean, or pure (allImpuritas uniuscujusque rei consistit in hoc, quòd rebus vilioribus immiscetur. Non enim dicitur argentum esse impurum ex permixtione auri, per quam melius redditur, sed ex permixtione plumbi, vel stanni. Aquinas 2a, 2ae, Quaest. 7. Artic. 2. is one) by the word which I have spoken unto you, Joh. 15. 3. Mat. 5. 8. Ps. 24. 4. 2 Cor. 7. 1. He that hath this hope purisieth himself as he is pure.
Reasons. 1. Because he hath to do with a God of pure eyes which can abide no iniquity nor unclean thing, and therefore one must be pure, else he cannot possibly be accepted with him, nor have any of his services favourably entertained.
2. The Lord Jesus by his Spirit and Word, and by faith doth dwell in the heart of his people; now Faith, the Word and Spirit, will purisie, all these are clean and pure things, of a cleansing and purging nature, therefore he in whom they be must be pure. Purity or being purged is opposed to foulnesse and uncleannesse. Uncleannesse is a deformity cast upon a thing through the cleaving to it of some thing worse and baser then it self. Sinne is the uncleannesse of the soul which defiles it, and makes it deformed and unpleasing to God, so that he can take no delight in it, not admit it into any society and familiarity with himself; Purity is a freedome from sin, because that is the only thing which can pollute the soul.
There is a double freedom from sinne, one when it is not at all in the soul, nor no spots or stain of it, and so no man is pure; another when no uncleannesse is suffered to remain, but is washed off and purged away by the application of the bloud of Christ, and the water of true repentance, so that no stain of sinne is there allowedPuritan in the mouth of a Drunkard doth mean a sober man, in the mouth of an Arminian it means an Orthodox man, in the mouth of a Papist it is a Protestant, and so it is spoken to shame a man out of all Religion. It hath been an old custom of the world to hate and maligne the righteous, to reproach them, to call them Puritans, though very Heathens have acknowledged that there is no Religion without purity. Cicero, Horace and others describing a man that is religious, say, that he is an entire man, a man pure from sinne. Mr Fenner on John 3. 20. See Mr Burrh. on Hos. 2. 5. pag. 307. or suffered to rest upon the soul, and this is the purity meant, 2 Sam. 22. 27. when a man is careful to observe, lament, confesse, resist, crave pardon of, and strive against all the sinful and corrupt fruits of his evil and naughty nature which cannot be altogether repressed.
How far this purity must extend:
1. To the heart, which Salomon wisheth a man to keep with all diligence, and of which the Apostle saith, That faith purifieth the heart, because God searcheth the heart, and his pure eyes do principally look unto the inside.
2. To the Tongue likewise; Salomon saith of the pure, His words are pure.
3. To the Actions, Psal. 24. 4.
He then is a pure man which doth with such due care oppose and resist the sinfulnesse of his nature, that either it doth not break forth into sinful thoughts, words and deeds, or if it do, he labours presently to purge himself by confessing and bewailing the same before God, by humble begging of pardon, by renewing his purposes and resolutions of amendment, and by labouring to rest upon the bloud and merits of Christ for pardon. He that doth this is altogether as free from sinne in Gods account, as if he had not sinned, God esteeming him as he is in Christ.
The Excellency of the work of Sanctification:
Christians look on the grace of Adoption, Justification and spiritual Wisdom,There is, 1. A beauty in holinesse, 1. Every grace is an ornament 1 Pet. 5 5. See Psal. 45. 1…, 14, 16. Ezek. 8. 14. 2. Holinesse is called a new Creation, Eph. 2. 10. A Resurrection, Ephes. 4. 5. 3. Sinne is a deformity, 2 Pet. 3. 14 filthinesse it self, 2 Cor. 7. 1. Ephes. 5. 27. Corruptio optimi pessima, sinne is not only malum triste, but turpe. 2. This beauty of holinesse consists in four things: 1. It is a conformity to the image of God, 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. Beauty consists in indeficiency when no part is wanting, 1 Thess. 5. 23. 2 Tim. 3. 17. they are in parts perfect as children, though not in degree. 3. Beauty consists in a symmetry, a due proportion of parts, the understanding guides the man, the will submits to the dictates of an enlightened understanding, the affections are subject to the command of reason, John 11. 33. 4. There is a lustre in beauty, the Spirit of grace is called the oyl of gladnesse, Psal. 45. 7. because it makes the face to shine. Sincerity is the harmony, and zeal the lustre or varnish of all graces, Psal. 42. 11. 3. There is that beauty in holinesse which is not to be found in any thing here below, 1. It is in the inward man, 1 Pet. 3. 3. Absolom though outwardly beautifull was inwardly deformed. 2. This commends a man to God, 1 Pet. 3. 3, 4. 3. All other beauty will decay by sicknesse or old-age, not this, Prov. 31. 30. 4. This prepares you for the wedding; the time of this life is the time of Espousals, the Marriage shall be in the life to come, Revel. 19. 7. as high Priviledges, but through the Devils policy they look on this as a drudgery, whereas there is not a greater priviledge or higher favour; all the subjects of Christs Kingdom are holy, Isa. 4. 3. & Chap. 35. They have Gods Image repaired in them, which consists in righteousnesse and true holinesse. Holinesse is a conformity of the frame of the heart to the will of God. Christs life is communicated to them, whereby they die to their corruptions, and labour to live according to the rules of the Gospel. This is a great priviledge to be a Saint.
Reasons, 1. Because holinesse is the Lords own excellency, it is his great Attribute, He is glorious in holinesse; The Cherubims (Isa. 6.) sing holy; and the Church sings so in the Revelation.
2. It is the Image of God wherein he created man, when he intended to make him a beautiful creature. See Ephes. 4. 24.
3. It is a great part of the happinesse which the people of God shall enjoy in heaven to all eternity, Ephes. 5. 27.
4. A soul that is empty of it is abominable in Gods sight, Psal. 5. 5. Hab. 1. 13. there are but two sorts of creatures capable of holinesse, Angels and Men, the Angels as soon as they were sin'd▪ for ever thrust out of heaven, as soon as man sinn'd, God cast him out of Paradise, and God left the greatest number of men to perish.
5. God every where pronounceth such blessed, and makes great Promises to them. This Priviledge is communicated to every one under the Dominion of Christs grace, Isa. 11. from vers. 1. to 12. 1 Pet. 2. 8, 9. and to none else, the world is Satans Kingdom.
This serves to comfort and cheer the soul, what ever God doth for any he never gives a greater pledge of his love then to sanctifie them. God gives holinesse for the onelyonly great standing Evidence of his Favour; Holinesse is the Evidence of thy Election, Calling, Justification, Adoption: Justification and Adoption have Comforts which Sanctification hath not, yet this cleares them to me.
The work of Sanctification is imperfect in all the servants of God, while they are in this world, Rom. 6. per totum, the seventh and eighth Chapters. 2 Cor. 5. 11. Ephes. 4. 18. to the end.
First, Those gracious Qualities which the Spirit of God hath wrought in the soul, are but feeble and initial, 1 Cor. 13. We know, love, and beleeve but in part.
Secondly, There remains still a body of corruption, a depravation of all the faculties of the soul, which consists in aversnesse from that which is good, and pronenesse to all evil, therefore Sanctification consists in mortifying those reliques of corruption, Col. 3. 5. Rom. 7. lat. end. 1 Iohn 1. lat. end.
Thirdly, While Gods people are in this world no good things they do are perfect, yea they are all tainted with corruption, Isa 64. 10.
The Lord could as easily make Sanctification perfect, as Justification. He hates the stain of sinne as well as the guilt, and the Law requires a pure nature as well as pure life, but God suffers the work of Sanctification to be imperfect, and these reliquiae vetustatis (as Augustine cals them) remain.
1. Because he would have his people fetch their life from the intercourse they have with Christ, the exercise of faith, and delights that his people should stand in need of Christ, if Sanctification were perfect, Christ should have nothing to give.
2. He would exercise his people in prayer and confessions. His people ask for themselves in prayer the destroying of corruption and perfecting of grace.
3. God loves to have his people nothing in themselves; all Christs course on earth was an abased condition, God would have his people like Christ low and base.
4. The Lord hath appointed that this life should be to his people a warfare. Iob 14. 14. Their great conflict is with their own lusts.
5. Because he would have his people long to be in heaven, 2 Cor. 5. 2.
6. That he might thereby magnifie the grace of the new Covenant above all that he gave in the old; God gave perfect grace to Angels and to Adam and his posterity; but that vanished away, yet now a spark of graces lives in a Sea of corption.
7. Hereby Gods patience and forbearance is much exalted to his own people, Numb. 14. 17, 18.
Therefore it is hard to discern whether the work of Sanctification be wrought in us or no, because of the reliques of corruption.
Evidences of Sanctification:
1. A heart truly sanctified stands in awe of the Word; Sanctification is the LawHolinesse is the image of Christ. written in the heart, a principle put into the soul answerable to the duty the Law requires, Iohn 14. 22, 23.
2. The remainders of corruption and the imperfection of grace will be his continual burden, Rom. 7. 24. 2 Cor. 11. 23.
3. There is a continual combate maintained betwixt sin and grace.
4. Where there is true Sanctification it is of a growing nature; living things will grow, 2 Pet. 3. 18. Mal. 3. 3, 4.
5. Where there is true grace you shall especially see it when God cals you to great trials, Natura vexata seipsum prodit, Gen. 22. 20.
Means to get holinesse.
Only the Spirit of Christ bestowed upon thee by faith, Ioh. 7. 38. the Apostles arguments to holinesse are taken from their interest in Christ. Titus, The grace of God that brings Salvation. Faith in the bloud of Christ, Heb. 9. 14. See Act. 15. 9. The Word, John 17. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 22. The Word read, heard, meditated in, transformeth the soul into its likenesse. The Sacrament is a sanctifying Ordinance, the death and merits of Christ set before us, prayer, pray more for Gods sanctifying Spirit, 1 Thess. 5. 23.