Question 7 This Doctrine may serve in the next place, to answer a seventh Question, touching the necessity of Sanctification. For it may be demanded, If the Lord will give himself unto the soul in the Covenant of his Grace, not only his attributes, but his person, all that is God is given by virtue of this Covenant.
If God will give himself, not only to choose us to life and glory, but his Son to redeem us, and his holy Spirit to sanctify us, Ezekiel 36:27, what need is there of Sanctification: for if the Holy Ghost will dwell in us, he can take our wits, and understanding, and understand all our Meditations for us, without any such actual concurrence of ours, as might be requisite for that end; if the Lord giveth himself to be my righteousness, and holiness, what need I then these gifts of holiness? So that this in sum is the Question, If the Lord will give unto us himself, what need we these gifts to work any thing, which God is much more able to perform then we can be? This springeth naturally from the Doctrine.
Answer: Though the Lord giveth us himself, and his holy Spirit to dwell in us, yet is it needful that we should be indued with all the gifts of the Spirit of Grace that do accompany salvation. You will say, What need is there then that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us? or will not these carry an end our souls unto immortality? Truly we have need that the Lord should give us his holy Spirit to dwell in us, notwithstanding all the gifts of his grace, though they indeed are necessary conditions to be found in the souls of all God’s servants, Hebrews 12:14, Follow peace and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. As if he made it of absolute necessity to salvation, not only in another world, but for a comfortable condition in this world; follow Peace and Holiness, as if so be that they were ready to fly away from a man; and indeed the word doth imply no less: for [[check Greek]]ðsiks’s, doth signify the pursuit of something that fleeth from a man, as peace will many times flee from one, and a man will have much ado to attain unto it, Psalm 120:6,7, My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace: I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war: it is not easily attained unto, therefore should not be suffered to depart, but held fast when it is enjoyed.
And so for Holiness: the Apostle would have us make an holy kind of pursuit after it, as if it were still withdrawing from us; which cometh through the corruptions of our heart; for we are soon weary of holy Duties, as Prayer, or Conference, or the like: if Holiness be in any thing, it soon groweth wearisome to flesh and blood; but though our weak and feeble nature will be withdrawing us from holiness, yet the Lord would have us to follow it, and pursue it; and so shall a man be withdrawn from the world, and from the temptations and bad examples thereof. Do not say, What, shall we be wiser then our Fathers? and, Is not Moderation best in all things? but consider what the Apostle saith, Follow still after it, even unto perfection; and his words do intimate the reason of it, without which no man shall see the Lord: for what is Holiness in its own nature? it is that which giveth God his due, as Righteousness giveth man his due.
And this is a main ground why we are so slow in works of holiness; for were they of another nature, and did they serve our turns more, as we think, we should not then account them tedious; If I were to sit and tell money all day long, this is for my self (saith a man) and for my profit; and if it were for another, we should not think the time long, it may be, at that work neither: but (mind you) when it cometh to any thing which doth concern the Lord, then it’s so far above a man’s reach, whatsoever we have to do in the things of God, that we should soon be weary of reaching forth our hands all the day long unto the Lord, and to be constantly for God, from God, and with God, in all our Actions: our base spirits are soon ready to be withdrawing from the Lord; therefore the Apostle biddeth us follow after Peace, and Holiness, without which no man shall see God: so that great is the necessity of Holiness, and worthy to be followed after: for though a man’s own heart, and the world, and men, and Satan withdraw us from it, yet follow after it, for without it no man shall see God. There is a kind of holiness which some men have attained unto, many a fair day ago, but ’tis a thousand to one, whether it be the holiness which doth accompany salvation, for that Holiness is not easily attained unto; but the other will easily cleave close unto a man.
1 Question: Now if you shall ask me, wherefore the Lord will have us pursue after Holiness; and what needeth it, if the Spirit of Holiness dwell in me by an everlasting Covenant: if it did withdraw from us as it did from Adam, it was another matter; but though it may be quenched in us, yet abideth it for ever: what need then of gifts of Holiness?
Answer: That one word may be sufficient, which we find in 2 Timothy 2:21, If any man purge himself from these evils, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. This showeth us why gifts of Holiness are requisite to be in God’s people, namely that they might become meet instruments in the hands of God, and fitted unto every good word and work; therefore it is, that the Lord will have us to be filled with all the gifts of Righteousness, and fruits of his Spirit, that we might be more fit Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in: and this is the principal Reason of the Point.
2 Question: If then there be such gifts of holiness, what need the Holy Ghost dwell in us? is it not enough that he should shed abroad these things into our hearts? cannot the Lord carry an end the work of our salvation by these gifts?
Answer: There is need that the Holy Ghost should dwell in us, notwithstanding.
1. To keep these gift in us.
2. To act them in us.
3.To witness these unto our souls, for our comfort, and the good one of another. Some Scriptures for all these.
1. That there is need of the Holy Ghost to keep these things in us, 2 Timothy 1:14, That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. There is a very worthy thing committed to us, how shall we keep it? not by our own wit and wisdom, careful watchfulness, and faithfulness, (though such things ought not to be wanting) but the charge is, Keep those things by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. We stand in need of gifts, to be fit instruments in the hands of God; we stand need of the Spirit of God, to maintain that which God giveth us: and though Adam’s gifts were in perfection, yet not having the holy Ghost to keep them for him, they all fly from him as soon as ever he had tasted of the forbidden fruit, and left him naked and desperate. Therefore in the Covenant of Grace the Lord giveth the Holy Ghost to keep strong possession in his servants, against the strong man armed. This is the first ground why the Holy Ghost dwelleth in us.
2. It’s the Holy Ghost that acteth the gifts given to us, and enableth them in us: for the Holy Ghost who keepeth possession, doth derive continued strength into our faith, which putteth life into all the gifts of God. And if you shall ask how love, and patience, and the rest of the gifts of God do work? The Holy Ghost stirreth up faith to look unto Christ, who returneth strength by his Spirit unto Faith; and so faith worketh by love, and by meekness, and by all the rest of the fruits of the Spirit. Thus the Spirit of God acteth according to what we read, Romans 8:14, As many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God: come to any holy duty, and it is the Holy Ghost, that leadeth you along, and Acteth in you: to Ezekiel 36:27, I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgements, and do them. And, holy men of God speak as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. It is the Spirit of God that moveth us to any good work, and that acteth the gifts of his grace in us.
