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23. Whose I am, and whom I ferve. In a word, the chofen and called are all faints, because feparated from the reft of the world, they are declared to be God's on feveral accounts. But we have not yet mentioned the principal thing.

3. Called X. Thirdly, Holinefs denotes that purity of a holy, becaufe of man, in his nature, inclinations and actions, which their con- confifts in an imitation and expreffion of the divine formity to purity or holiness. God is the great patern of his rathe divine tional creatures. His will is expreffed in the law, purity, which was the patern fhewn to Mofes in the mount,

Sanctification de

fined.

Diftin

according to which the fanctuary of our foul ought to be framed. But his divine virtues or perfections are a patern, which we are to contemplate with fo much diligence, attention and devotion, as to be ourfelves transformed according to that, 1 Pet. 1, 15. 16. But as he which hath called you is holy fo be ye boly in all manner of conversation: because it is written, be ye holy, for I am boly. Virtue or holiness may be confidered in different refpects. As it agrees with the prescription of the law, it is called righteousness but as it is a conformity to God, and an expreffion of his purity, it is termed holiness. And it is chiefly in this fenfe, that we shall now fpeak concerning holi

nefs.

XI. Having, thus previously explained these things, it will not be hard to infer, what we mean by SANCTIFICATION; namely, that real work of God, by which they, who are chofen, regenerated and juftified, are continually more and more transformed from the tur pitude of fin, to the purity of the divine image.

XII. We diftinguish this work of God from the guished first regeneration, and firft effectual calling to Chrift. from the For, the immediate term, or effect of regeneration, iş first rege- a principle of fpiritual life, which, in a moment, is and voca- put into the foul, by the immediate energy of the tion.. Holy Spirit. The term, or effect of effectual calling is

neration

the myftical union, and communion with Chrift. But the term or effect of SANCTIFICATION are the habits

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of fpiritual virtues or graces, and their lively exercife: and thus fanctification follows upon regeneration and effectual calling, at least in the order of nature, and fupposes those actions of God as going before it.

XIII. There is ftill a further difference between As alfo fanctification and juftification: for juftification is a from juftijudical act, terminating in a relative change of ftate; fication. name y, a freedom from punishment and a right to life: fanctification a real work, which is performed by a fupernatural influence, and which terminates in a change of state as to the quality both of habits and actions,

XIV. Yet we are to take notice, that the term, A diftincfanctification, is not always taken, by divines, in tion not this ftrict fenfe; fometimes they comprehend under always obferved by it regeneration and the first infufion of a new life, and divines. take fanctification, renovation of the fpirit, regeneration, the new creature, the firft refurrection for fynonymous terms; as the Leyden profeffors, Synops. Difput. 33. §. 2. Sometimes alfo they include juftification under the fame term. It is well known, fays the abridger of Chamierus, p. 860, that the terms, justification and fantification are put one for the other. Gomarus in like manner, on i Pet. 1. 2. Sandlification, taken in a general fenfe, comprizes regeneration and juftification. Nay fometimes, the word, fanctification, is taken fo largely, as to include the whole of man's falvation. Polanus in Syntagm. lib. 6. c. 37. times both appellations, viz. regeneration and fanctification, are taken in a larger fenfe, for the whole of our falvation, or beatification, if I may fo fpeak, as Heb. 10. 10. But yet the accuracy of thofe is more commendable, who diftinguish thofe terms in the manner I have explained: especially as the Scripture often diftinctly mentions thofe benefits, and defcribes fanctification, as a continued work of God, leading the Elect gradually on to perfection, and as I do not remember, to have obferved it fpeak fo of regeneration,

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XV. Nor

Sanctifica

XV. Nor are we to omit, that fanctification is tio pro fometimes held forth as a bleffing from God to man, poled fometimes Theff. 5. 23, and the very God of peace fanctify you as a blef wholly; fometimes as 'man's duty towards God, fing from I Theff. 4. 3. For this is the will of God, even your God,fome fanclification. The former God powerfully works in man's us, according to the purpofe of his gracious decree. duty.

times as

The term from

The latter he justly requires of us, by the will of his holy command. When fanctification denotes the first implantation of fpiritual habits, it is a mere bleffing from God, in procuring which we do not cooperate with him, but receive it from him. As it fignifies the activity, or lively exercife of infufed habits, and their corroboration and progrefs, fo far we are active; but then it is, as we are acted upon, under God, and dependently on him; for these things can never be feparated.

XVI. The term from which, in fanctification, is the which is pollution of fin. Adam, in departing from the prethe pollu- icribed rule, forfeited the ornament of the image of tion of fin. God, in which he was formed, for himfelf and all his

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pofterity. And whilst he wickedly affected a forbidden
equality with God, came moft to refemble the devil,
and, like that evil fpirit, deformed himself by his
own crime: than which we can imagine nothing
more hideous or bafe. The foul of the finner is a
horrid monfter, mifshappen, huge and devoid of
light mere darknefs, mere confufion, every thing.
disjointed and out of order there; nothing properly
placed, the things we fhould defpife a e efteened,
and what we fhould value moft are neglected. Was
any to take a clear view of his inward difpofition in
a faithful mirrour, he would, certainly, with the ut-
moft horror, fly from himself, as from a moft terri-
ble fpectacle. And indeed, if holinefs is the moft
beautiful ornament of the divine perfections, that
thing must needs be the most deformed, which is
not only the most unlike,but diametrically oppofite to
that ornamental beauty. This is that papia
'ρυπαρία και περισσεία
xaxas mentioned Jam. 1. 21. Filthiness and fuperfluity

of

of naughtiness, To this it is owing, that man is become abominable in the fight of God, who cannot but turn away the radiant eyes of his unfpotted holinets. Hab. 1. 13.

his pofte

rity.

XVII. Moreover, Adam propagated this vile refem- Propablance of the devil to his pofterity, not excepting thöfe, gatedfrom whom grace has fanctified. For he also begat Seth Adam to in his own likeness, after his image, Gen. 5. 3. I do not chiefly apply this to the likenefs of the human nature, much lefs to the likenefs of that holiness, which God graciously reftored to Adam, as Chryfoftom, Lyranus and Clarius contend for. For, ift. Holinefs and righteoufnefs are not the image of any man, but of God. 2dly, Adam is never propofed in Scripture, as the patern or author of holinefs, but as the perfon, by whom fin entered into the world, Rom. 5. 12. 3dly, The image of holiness, reftored in the parent by grace, is never propagated to the fon, by natural generation. Things natural, are propagated, but things fupernatural are alone of God that heweth mercy. Rom. 9. 16. But by this likenefs of Adam, I understand the vicious corruption of his nature. ift. Because the image of Adam, after Seth was begotten, is fet in oppofition to the image of God, after which Adam was created. 2dly, Because the Apostle, in like manner, oppofes 1 Cor. 15. 49, the image of the earthy Adam, as confifting of fin and pollution, to the image of the heavenly Adam, which confifts in holiness and glory. 3dly, becaufe the whole analogy of Scripture evinces, that a clean thing cannot be brought out of an unclean, and that what is born of the flesh is flesh, Job. 14. 4. John 3. 6.

old man,

XVIII. This turpitude of fin is, by Paul, called the Called the old man, Eph. 4. 22. Col. 3.9. Man, because it over- because it fpreads the whole man, and defiles both foul and defiles the body; in the foul it has poffeffion of the understanding, whole will and affections.

man.

XIX. It has involved the understanding in hor- Blinding rid darkness, whereby it is grofly ignorant of divine the understanding.

things,

With a love of that blindnefs.

And a

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things, Eph. 4. 18. So that the
the na
tural or animal man, or he that has no other fpirit
but his foul, and deftitute of the fpirit of God,
Jud. v. 20, receiveth not the things of God, neither can
he know them, 1 Cor. 2. 14. And as he difcerns no
wisdom in divine things, worthy of God, fo, with in-
tolerable prefumption, he reprefents them under
thofe difagreeable notions, which his own foolish, and
felf conceited wisdom hath devised; and while he at
tempts to correct the wisdom of God, which he can-
not understand, he transfigures it, as much as he
can, to downright folly, And this is that, which is
faid, Rom. 1. 22, 23. Profeffing themselves to be wife,
they became fools: and changed the glory of the incor-
-ruptible God, &c.

I

XX. But the finner is not only under blindness, but is in love with his blindness. He glories, that he really fees, even when he is most blind, John 9. 40, 41. And when, to the utmost of his power, he refifts the true light, tho' difcovering itself, in a most pleafing manner, by the works of divine providence, by the word of God, and by fome sparkling rays of the fpirit; he loves darkness rather than light, bateth the light, neither cometh to the light. John 3. 19, 20. Of fuch Job witneffeth, that they are of thofe that rebell against the light, Job 24. 13. They have an averfion to all light, both that which is natural, which hinders them from perpetrating their crimes in the fight of the world, and that which is moral, which convinces them of the duty, they ought certainly to perform, but which they wickedly neglect. They endeavour to ftifle it, by difputing both against the word of God and their own confcience. Hence, thofe impious expreffions of fome, who wifh, that this, or the other truth, that oppofes their lufts, was not to be found in the word of God.

F

XXI. And yet, thofe very perfons, that are, fo foolwifdom to ifh in that which is good, are moft fubtile and crafty do evil. is that which is evil. Jer. 4. 22. They commit evil

by

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