SERMON XXVI.
Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.—john XVII. 17.
herE is Christ's second request
for his disciples. Where
1. The request itself, sanctify them.
2. The manner how it is to be accomplished, through
thy truth.
3. The reason why it is to be so accomplished, thy
word is truth.
The main points are the influence of truth upon
sanctification, and that the word is the public record and register of this
truth.
Now I shall make some entrance upon the verse.
First, The request; and here—(1.) What he prayeth
for; (2.) To whom; (3.) For whom.
First, What he prayeth for, sanctification.
1. Observe, Our chief aim in prayer for
ourselves and others should be to be sanctified. Christ prayeth
for sanctification.
[1.] What it is to be sanctified. To sanctify
is—(1.) To consecrate or set apart for some holy use; (2.)
To cleanse or purify; (3.) To adorn
with gifts of grace.
Some prefer the first acceptation, and apply it
particularly to the apostolical calling. 'Sanctify
them.' that is, separate them, and set them apart for the work of an apostle.
So Christ was sanctified, that is, set apart for the work of redemption. But it
is not sanctify them for thy truth, but in or by thy
truth, \~en\~ \~th\~ alhyeia\~;
and therefore this scripture hath a more general respect and signification.
However, in the work of holiness, all the senses may be token in; for whoever are sanctified are set apart, cleansed, and adorned with
grace.
(1.) Set apart by God and by themselves. By God, both in time and before time. Before
time they are set apart by God's decree, to be a holy seed to himself in and by
Christ; separated from the [Pg. 412] perishing world, to be vessels of honour, as the reprobate are called vessels of wrath and dishonour; set apart by God's election, chosen to be holy:
Eph. i. 4, 'According as he hath chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame
before him in love.' But then in time they are regenerated, and so actually set
apart. Sanctification is an actual election. By election they are distinguished
from others in God himself, so by regeneration and sanctification they are
distinguished from others in themselves, separated and set apart from the
perishing world, to act for God, to seek the things that may make for his
glory: James i. 18, 'Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.'
The first-fruits were the Lord's portion. Or else by the consent of their own
vows: Rom. xii. 1, 'I beseech you that you present yourselves a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, that is your reasonable service.' They have
dedicated and devoted themselves to God. God calleth
for it when he saith,' My son, give me thy heart.' God will have his own right
established by the creatures' consent; it is a necessary fruit of grace.
(2.) Purged by degrees, and made free from sin;
this is to be sanctified, to be purged from the corruption of sin and the
world. We are not only accounted holy, but we are made holy, and that cannot be
till we are purged, because we come into the world polluted with the stain of
sin: 1 Cor. vi. 11,' Such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are
sanctified, but ye are justified, m the name· of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God.' There is a stain and an uncleanness
sticketh to our natures and defileth
all our actions; we need to be purged.
(3.) Endowed with God's image and likeness; not
only cleansed from sin, but adorned with grace; as the priests under the law
were not only washed, but adorned with gorgeous apparel. To be sanctified is
more than to be purified, because it noteth not only
the expulsion of sin, but the infusion of grace: 2 Tim. ii. 12, 'If a man
therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet fur
the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.' Besides purging,
Sanctification addeth somewhat more; they are not
only purged from the filthiness of sin, but prepared by the infusion of grace
for every good work, made holy as God is holy.
[2.] Why we should chiefly mind it in prayer?
(1.) Because of the excellency of it. It is God's glory, angels' glory, saints' glory. God's glory: Exod.
xv. 11, 'God is glorious in holiness.' Angels' glory, who
are called Matt. xxv. 31, 'Holy angels.' And the
saints' glory: Eph. v. 26, 27, 'That he might sanctify them with the washing of
water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not
having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it might be holy, and
without blemish.' The church's honour lieth not in pomp and outward ornament, but in holiness.
(2.) Because God aimeth at it in all his dispensations. Election:
Eph. i. 4,' According as he hath chosen us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame
before him in love;' 2 Thee, ii. 14, 'God hath from the beginning chosen
you, through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth.' God [Pg.
413] chooseth us that we may be of a choice spirit.
As when Esther was chosen out among the virgins, then she was decked with
ornaments, so when we are chosen by God we are beautified with holiness. Redemption: Eph. v. 26,' Christ loved the church, and gave himself
for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water, by the
word.' His promises: 2 Peter i. 4, 'Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust' His providences: Heb.
xii. 10, 'They verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but
he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Earthly parents
correct their children out of mere passion, but he to renew our affections, to
sanctify us for himself, that the husk may fly off. He
bestows blessings to encourage us in holiness: 1 Tim. vi.
17, 18, 'Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded,
nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth
us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;' that your riches may be
instruments of piety, not occasions to the flesh. It is our corruption to turn
all things to a carnal use. His ordinances: 'That he might sanctify them by the
washing of water, through the word.' Eph. v. 26. This
is God's aim, and it should be ours.
Use. Is to teach us what to seek
for ourselves and others; not temporal felicity so much as sanctification; not
deliverance from afflictions, nor outward blessings, so much as the sanctified
use of them. This is to pray for one another out of the communion of the
Spirit, and for ourselves out of a principle of the divine nature. Temporal
blessings are only to be desired in order to spiritual ends. Nature is allowed
to speak, but grace must be heard first: Mat. vi. 33,
'Seek ye first the
2. Observe from the matter,
he had prayed for conservation from evil, now for sanctification. It is not
enough to keep from evil, but we must be holy, and do good:
Ps. xxxiv. 14, 'Depart from evil, and do good;' Isa. i. 16, 17,' Cease to do evil, learn to do well.' God hateth evil and delighteth in
good; as we must hate what God hateth, so we must
love what God loveth. Eadem
vette et nolle.
I durst not sin, God hateth it; I durst not omit
this duty, God loveth it. Our obedience must carry a
proportion with the divine mercy; not only be positive but privative. Divine
mercy spareth and saveth:
'God is a sun and a shield.' Ps. lxxxiv.
11. Therefore we must not 'walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the
way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful;' but our delight must be
'in the law of the Lord, and in his law must we
meditate day and night,' Ps. i. 1, 2. We must have
communion with Christ in all his acts, in his death and resurrection. He mortifieth sin and quickeneth the
heart: Rom. vi. 11, 'Likewise reckon ye also
yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ
our Lord.' The same divine answer that killeth the
old man quickeneth the new. In the word, which is the
rule, there are precepts and restraints; therefore we are not only to escape
from sin, but there must be a delight in communion [Pg. 414] with God; there
most he an eschewing what God forbiddeth, and a practising what God commandeth.
Thus are we obliged from our approver, our principles, our encouragements, our rule.
Use. Let it press us not to rest
in abstaining from sin. Men are not vicious, but they are not sanctified. The pharisees' religion ran, upon negatives.
1. Both are alike contrary to the new nature.
2. Both are alike disserviceable to the work of
grace.
3. Both are hated by God.
1. Both are contrary to the new nature; it hateth evil and loveth good. There is a putting off and a putting on: Eph. iv. 22, 'That ye put off concerning the former conversation
the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and that ye put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.'
It is indeed a question where the trial of a Christian lieth
most sensibly, in mortification or vivification? in a
hatred of sin or in the practice-of duty? It may be alleged that our nature
doth more easily close-with precepts than prohibitions. We are many times
content to do-much; if the law require this or that,
we yield and consent to it; but to be limited and debarred of our delights,
this is most distasteful. Men that love sin cannot endure restraints: Oh! that there were no-bonds! And therefore, to meet with man's
corruption, the decalogue
consists more of prohibitions than precepts; the fourth and fifth commandments
are only positive. But then, on the other side, it may be alleged that many
that live a civil life, and do no man wrong, have no care of communion with
God, and that sins trouble the conscience more than want of grace. Natural conscience
doth not use to smite for spiritual defects. Sins work an actual distemper and
disturbance to reason. It is the new nature that maketh
conscience of duties, and of obeying God's precepts, therefore the new nature
is here most tried;, but yet both must be regarded.
2. Both are alike
disserviceable to the work of grace. It is another question whether we are more
hardened by sins of omission or by sins of commission? For sins of commission,
it may be alleged that they stun the conscience, like a great blow on the head,
and cast grace into a swoon. David's adultery put all out of order: 2 Sam. xii.
14, 'Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the
enemies-of the Lord to blaspheme, the child which is
born of thee shall surely die.' He lay in a spiritual swoon till the child was
born. But then on the other side, neglect of duty depriveth
us of the influences of grace, and hardens us insensibly. An instrument, though
never so well in tune, yet if you let it alone, it will soon be out of order,
worse than if a string were broken. After some great and sudden fall into sin,
there may be a recovery, as in David's case, but it is hard to recover out of
long neglects; therefore sins of omission are more dangerous than sins of
commission. And if your communion with God be not constant, the heart contracts
rust. A key that is seldom turned is rusted in the lock; by neglect and
omission of God and duties the heart is wonderfully hardened and estranged from
God. Gifts and graces languish and perish in idleness: 2 John 8, 'Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have
wrought.' [Pg. 415] Standing pools are apt to putrify;
and sins increase as well as unfitness for duties, the
motions of the Spirit are quenched.
3. Both are odious to God. It is a question
whether God hateth most the careless sluggish person
or the outwardly vicious. A barren tree cumbereth the
ground, and is rooted out, as well as the bramble. It is not enough that a
servant do his master no hurt, but he must do-his work. A husbandman is not
contented that his land does not bear him briars and thorns, but it must yield
him good grain. It is not enough to say, I am no swearer,
no drunkard. What communion have you with God? What
motions and feelings of the power of holiness? Want of grace depriveth a man of happiness. As you would not be damned in
hell, so you should get evidences for heaven. Negative righteousness in
abstinence from sin the brutes and inanimate creatures have; it is improper and
lame. Omission of good duties is a more general means of destruction than
commission of evil; but then commission of evil is ever accompanied with
omission of good, but omission of good is not always accompanied with commission
of evil. He that doth evil dishonoureth God more, but
he that omitteth good disadvantageth himself more. Sin is more odious than want
of grace in itself; yet want of grace, considering our advantages, may provoke
God as much as commission of sin. Secondly, To whom he
prays: 'Holy Father, sanctify them.' Observe, it is
God must sanctify us; we cannot ourselves, and means will not without God.
1. We cannot ourselves. We could defile
ourselves, but we cannot cleanse ourselves; as little children defile
themselves, but the nurse must make them clean. A sheep can wander of itself,
but it is brought home upon the shepherd's shoulders. Domine,
errare per me potui, redire non potui. God, that
gave us his image at first, must again stamp it on the soul. Who,
can repair nature depraved but the author of nature? When a watch is out of
order we send it to the workman: Eph. ii. 10, 'We are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we might walk therein;' Lev. xxi. 8, 'I
the Lord that sanctify thee am holy.' It is God's prerogative.
2. The means cannot without God. It is by the
truth, but God is the principal cause. Sanctification is ascribed to many
causes. To God the Father, as he decreeth it: Jude 1,
'To them that are sanctified by God the Father.' To the Son, as he merited it:
Eph. v. 25, 26, 'He gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and
cleanse it.' To the Holy Ghost, as he effects it: 2 Thes. ii. 13,' God hath from the beginning chosen you to
salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit.' To faith, as it receiveth the grace of God: Acts xv. 9,
'Purifying their hearts by faith.' To the word, as the instrument of
begetting it: John xv. 3, 'Now ye are clean, through the word which I have
spoken unto you;' it is the external means, but all efficacy is of God, and
grace is his creature; else what should be the reason why the same word,
preached by the same minister, worketh on some and hardeneth others, at least it amendeth
them not?
Use. It presseth
us [Pg. 416]
1. To wait and look for it from God. A plant thriveth better by the dew of heaven than when watered by
the hand. We may say as Peter, Acts iii. 12, 'Why look ye so earnestly on us,
as though by our own power and holiness we had made this man to walk?' 'Am I in
the place of God?' saith Jacob to Rachel, Gen. xxx. 2.
When you look only to the teacher's gifts, you lose the divine operation; it
may fill your heads with fancies and notions but not your hearts with grace.
2. To praise the Lord when it is accomplished: 1
Cor. iii. 5, 'What is Paul, or what is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye have believed?' as if
children should thank the servants for what they have. Grace maketh us more in debt; you have received it from him, not
from yourselves:' Not I, but the grace of God in me;' 'Thy pound hath gained
ten pounds.' If you have any holiness, any good work, it is not of yourselves,
but of God Every act, every degree of holiness, is from God.
Thirdly, For whom he prayeth, the apostles.
1. That were already
holy: John xiii. 10, 'Ye are clean;' and in the verse
immediately preceding, 'They are not of the world;' yet now,' Sanctify them,'
let their hearts be more heavenly, and their lives more pure every day.
Observe, those that are sanctified
need to be sanctified more and more: Rev. xxii. 11, 'He that
is righteous, let him be righteous still; he that is holy, let him be holy
still.'
[1.] Our inward sanctification must increase, because
of the weakness of present grace and the relics of corruption: 2 Cor. iv. 16, 'Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' It is
not a work to be done at once: 1 Thes. v. 23, 'And
the very God of peace sanctify yon wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit,
soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the corn-log of our Lord Jesus
Christ' It is perfect in parts at first; the new creature doth not come out
maimed; but not in degrees: there is need of more sanctification in spirit, in
soul, in body; the kingdom of heaven increaseth by
degrees.
[2.] Our outward man must be cleansed day by
day, because of new defilements: John xiii. 10, 'He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean every whit'
It is an allusion to a man coming from the bath; his feet contract soil in the
passage. Your persons are sanctified by the Spirit; but when you are never so
holy, there are new defilements.
Use 1. Be not satisfied with any
present degrees of grace. There is a holy covetousness: 'I count not myself to
have attained,' Phil, iii 14. Christ is so full that we cannot receive all at
once.
2. It is a strange conceit in any to think they
may be too good. When we begin to be unwilling to grow better, we begin to wax
worse; it is a good degree of grace to know our defects.
3. Therefore let us use means to persist in
holiness, to increase in holiness, especially prayer, which is the breath which
God hath appointed to keep in the name.
Again, For
the persons once more: they were to preach the word; are a preparative, he prayeth for sanctification. [Pg. 417]
Observe, holiness is a good preparative to the
ministry, and they are inwardly consecrated by the Spirit sanctifying them.
[1.] That they may have experience of the truth of
the doctrine upon their own hearts. The apostles were to preach the truth to
others; now saith he, 'Sanctify them through thy truth.' 'I
believed, and therefore have I spoken,' Ps. cxvi.
10. We speak best when we speak by experience. This is the right way of getting
sermons by heart. We are God's witnesses; now we should have sound experience:
1 John i. 1, 'That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; that which we have seen
and heard, declare we unto you.' Ezekiel was first to eat the roll, Ezek. iii. 1-3; not only to see it, and to hear it, but to eat it.
Ministers must first eat themselves, then feed others.
We are not to speak by hearsay, to deliver God's message as a mere narration,
but out of a deep impression on the heart. What cometh from the heart and from
experience is quick and lively.
[2.] For the honour of
God. Carnal ministers bring a reproach upon the ordinances: 1 Sam. ii. 17, 'The
sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for men abhorred the
offering of the Lord.' Who will take meat out of a leprous hand?
[3.] To answer the types of the law. Aaron and
his sons were sanctified for the Levitical
priesthood, Exod. xxix. 4; to be washed with blood
and oil, to be washed in the great laver, sprinkled with blood, anointed with
oil, which denotes remission of sins, regeneration, the gifts of the Spirit: 1
John v. 8, 'There are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, the water,
and the blood.' Every office should have a solemn consecration.
Use 1. Ministers should look to
their inward call. They that are designed to serve God in a special manner must
look after special purity. It breedeth atheism, when
we do not live up to our doctrine. People will say they must say something for
their living.
2. Let people look to their choice of ministers.
There is a great deal of difference between an eloquent and an experienced
pastor.
Secondly, We now come to the means or
manner how Christ's request is is to be accomplished,
'by thy truth,' \~en\~ \~th\~ \~alhyeia\~. It may
be rendered in thy truth, or by thy truth, or through thy
truth; as ver. 19, \~en\~ \~alhyeia\~, without
an article, 'that they may be sanctified through the truth;' or, as in the
margin, 'truly sanctified;' but we better render it 'by the truth;' there is an
article \~th\~, not in truth, but in the
truth; and it is presently added, 'Thy word is truth.' So that it noteth not the kind of their sanctification, but the
instrument and means. Now these words 'by thy truth' may be understood either
of God's faithfulness or his revealed will, both which are called the truth. Of
God's faithfulness, as ver. 11, \~thrhson\~ \~en\~ \~onomati\~ \~sou\~; So here, \~agiason\~
\~en\~ \~th\~ \~alhyeia\~, as
'keep them by thy power:' so sanctify them by, or according to thy truth and
faithfulness. But this exposition, though plausible, yet is not so proper,
because it is presently added, 'Thy word is truth,' By
truth, then, is meant, not his faithfulness, but his revealed will. Now God
hath revealed his will by the light of nature, or by the light of his word.
That will of God which [Pg. 418] is
revealed by the light of nature is called truth; so the Gentiles are charged,
Rom. i. 18, with 'holding the truth in
unrighteousness,' \~to\~ gnwston\~; 'that
which may be known of God,' ver. 19, is called truth. How came the Gentiles by
the truth, who are strangers to the covenant of promise? The apostle answereth, much of God was known to them. But this truth
that is here spoken of is the will of God made known in his word, or the
knowledge of things necessary to salvation, concerning God and his worship,
first delivered by the prophets, afterwards explained by Christ himself to the apostles,
and by them consigned to the church. Now the truths delivered in the word may
be referred to two heads—law and gospel. The distinction in Christ's-time was
law and prophets. In this place Christ chiefly intendeth
the gospel; the truth which they were sent to preach to others, Christ would
nave them to have an experience of it themselves. And it is notable that in
many places of scripture the gospel is called the truth, not only in opposition
to human writings, but also with respect to the law and other parts of
scripture, because it is truth by way of eminency, as we call the plague the
sickness, as being the chief of the kind.
Before I come to the observations I must clear
up the latter part of the text,' Thy word is truth.' Why is this added? I answer—
Either by way of explication, or by way of argument
and reason.
1. By way of explication. Christ would pray
intelligibly; some might ask, as Pilate did, 'What is truth?' John xviii. 38. Christ answereth,
'Thy word is truth.' The word is the authentic and public record of the church;
the truth whereby we are sanctified is nowhere else to be found; all pretended
truths are hereby to be examined.
2. Or else by way of argument and reason why
Christ would have-them to be sanctified by the truth, that they might have a
saving experience of the power of it, and so the better preach it to others;
then we know the truth of the word, when it sanctifieth.
This premised, I come to the point
Doct. That God sanctifieth
by his truth. I shall open the point in these proposition:
1. God's way of working is by light; and in
infusing grace he beginneth with the understanding.
He dealeth with man as a rational creature; and
therefore not only teacheth, but draweth
and sanctifieth the heart by enlightening the mind.
As the rising of the sun doth not only dispel darkness but mists and vapours, so doth a saving light not only dispel ignorance
but lusts. This way is spiritual life begun: Eph. v. 14, 'Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give thee light.' A man would have thought the apostle should
rather have said, And Christ, shall give thee life, than 'give thee light.' It
is the apostle's word; \~apofwsei\~ \~soi\~, he shall shine upon thee, rather than \~zwpoihsei\~, he shall'
quicken thee. But light is enough; the power of grace breaketh
in upon the soul by the light of the gospel; as it is said of the natural life,
John i. 4, 'In him was life,
and the life was the light of men.' Reason and understanding are
the fountain of life to men, so is spiritual reason and spiritual understanding
to the soul. If the mind of a man were once spiritual, enlightened, and
possessed of the ways of God, the heart could not utterly reject,
them. [Pg. 419]
There is a notional illumination,
that, like a winter sun, shineth but warmeth not, leaveth no comfort
and profit upon the heart. But a spiritual light is always effectual; for
though the will and the judgment are distinct faculties, and the will is averse
as the understanding is blind, yet God doth never soundly and thoroughly
convince the judgment, but he moveth and inclineth the will. If we know things as we ought to know,
'as the truth is in Jesus,' Eph. iv. 21, the heart
must needs close with the ways of God; for the will of man is not brutish, but
reasonable, and acteth reasonably. Answerably to the
discovery of good or ill in the understanding, there is a prosecution or aversation in the will. Therefore a thorough conviction of
judgment must be the ground of grace in the heart; for God worketh
in us, not only by a powerful and real efficacy, but agreeably to an intelligent
nature, by teaching, persuading, counselling: nothing
can be wrought in this moral way unless light and knowledge go before.
2. It must be a true, and not
a false light. Truth sanctifieth, and error defileth: Titus i. 1, 'According
to the acknowledgment of the truth that is after godliness.' Bight thoughts of
God and his ways preserve an awe in the heart, which
both restraineth and reneweth.
\~Ta\~, \~drya\~ \~dogmata\~
\~peri\~ \~Yeou\~ \~legomena\~ \~agiazei\~ \~thn\~
\~quchn\~, saith Chrysostom. It is truth that cleanseth the heart; error leaveth
a stain and defilement The understanding and the will are like the head and
stomach; a corrupt heart blindeth the mind, and a
blind mind corrupts the heart; they mutually vitiate one another: as in a
ruinous house, the upper room being uncovered, lets down the rain to founder
the supporters below, and the rottenness of the supporters below weakeneth all above. Erroneous persons are generally
represented in scripture as vain and sensual: Jude 8, 'These filthy dreamers
defile the flesh.' First there is dreaming, and then defilement; error maketh way for looseness, and a vain mind for vile
affections. Partly by God's just judgment: some opinions seem to be remote, and
lie far enough from practice, yet the persons that profess them are generally
loose. Nay, some errors seem to encourage strictness, as doctrines concerning
the power of nature, and the merit of good actions; but we find it is
otherwise. Duty is best pressed upon God's terms: Phil, ii. 12, 13, 'Wherefore,
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it
is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of
his own good pleasure.' By the judgment of God, such are of loosest life. God
will have his glory kept unstained. Idolatry is expressed by whoredom; bodily
uncleanness ends in spiritual:' Hosea iv. 12, 13, 'My
people ask counsel of their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them; for the spirit of whoredoms
have caused them to err, and they go a-whoring from under their God. They
sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills,
under oaks, and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good. Therefore
your daughters shall commit whoredoms, and your
spouses shall commit adultery.' So Rom. i. 23, 24,
'They changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible
man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and [Pg. 420] creeping things.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleannees,
through the lusts of their own hearts to dishonour
their own bodies between themselves.' Partly by a natural efficacy; the spirit
is embased by error, and all false principles have a
secret and pestilential influence on the life and practice. We lose a sense and
care of piety, if we have not a right apprehension of God's essence and will; a
frame of truth keepeth an awe.
Therefore, where there is so much truth as to sanctify, vet because it is
mingled with falsehood, there is no such reverence of God, no such strictness.
Unbelief is the mother of sin; misbelief is the nurse
of it In error there is a sinful confederacy between
the rational and the sensual part, and so carnal affections are gratified with
carnal doctrines.
3. Every true light will not serve the turn, but
it must be the light of the word. God hath reserved this honour
of sanctifying the heart to the doctrine of the scriptures, to evidence their
divine original: James i. 18, 'Of
his own will begat he us with the word of truth.' The great change that is
wrought in the heart of man is by the word. A moral lecture may make a man
change his life, but the word of God roaketh a man
change his heart, as Xenocrates' moral lectures made Pollemo leave his vicious and sensual course of life; but
regeneration is only found in the school of Christ: 'He hath begotten us by the
word of truth.' And the ordinance of preaching the word is consecrated to this
purpose: Eph. v. 26,' That he might sanctify them by the washing of water
through the word.' There are other occasional helps, but this is the instituted
means. God will work no other way in his ordinary and revealed course, and will
accept no other obedience and sanctification but by the word. Holiness, or that
piety which is proper and genuine, is wrought by a divine truth, otherwise it
is superstition, not godliness; civility, not holiness of conversation. Though
men have never so good an inclination, yet because they have not a divine
revelation for their warrant, it is but a bastard religion, superstition, or
framing a strictness of our own, accompanied with opposition against the truth.
The word and Spirit are in conjunction: Isa. lix. 21,
'My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall
not depart out of thy mouth,' &c. These act in
conjunction, and it is for the honour of the
scriptures that God hath annexed them: 1 Thes. v. 19,
20, 'Quench not the Spirit; despise not prophesying.' Preaching of the word and
pouring out of the Spirit go together.
4. Every part of the truth worketh not, but only the gospel, which is the truth, \~kat\~ \~exochn\~. The
law showeth us our spots, and the gospel cleanseth and washeth them away.
The work of the law is preparation, but that which hath a special and direct
influence upon sanctification is the gospel: John xv. 3,' Now ye are clean
through the word which I have spoken to you;' and that was the gospel privilege.
This pulleth in the heart to God, that we may be
partakers of his grace. Moses brought them to the borders, but Joshua brought
them into the
5. The gospel worketh
not unless it be accompanied with the Spirit. There is
a great deal of difference between seeing things in the light of reason, and
seeing things in the light of the Spirit Truth represented in the light of
reason begets but a human faith, leaveth a weak
impression, and hath but a weak operation upon the soul; but things represented
in the light of the Spirit worketh quite otherwise;
there is not only a notional irradiation, but an experimental feeling; they see
another manner of beauty and excellency in Christ, a
vanity in worldly delights, which they never saw before. Running water and
strong water differ not in colour, but in taste and
virtue: John xvi. 13,' When he the Spirit of truth is
come, he will guide you into all truth;' 1 John ii. 27, 'The anointing which ye
have received of him abideth in you; and ye need not
that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth
you of all things.' Most men content themselves with a superficial belief; they
have but a human knowledge of divine things, and therefore their souls are not
carried out to holiness, love, fear, trust, obedience; they have a cold and
naked apprehension: literal knowledge is washy and weak, it worketh
not: 1 Peter i. 22, 'Seeing ye have purified your
souls, in obeying the truth through the Spirit.'
6. This must not only be represented in the
power and demonstration of the Spirit, but received and applied by faith.
Sanctification is sometimes ascribed to the gospel, and sometimes to faith,
which receiveth the gospel: Acts xv. 9, 'Purifying their hearts by faith.' Our hearts are
purified by the word of truth: 1 Peter i. 22, 'Seeing
that ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth, through the Spirit.'
Here they were purified by faith. The word worketh
not without an act on our part as well as on God's: 'The word preached did not
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that
heard it.' Heb. iv. 2; as a plaster worketh not till it be applied to
the sore. Nay, the apostle's word implieth more; the
word must not only be applied to the soul, but mingled with the soul, \~sugkekraminov\~. As in a medicine, the
ingredients must be mixed together to do good; so if
we have the word, we must have the Spirit, and we must have faith; mix it
altogether, and then it worketh. Faith receiveth the word as a divine and infallible truth, and
that begets an awe.
In short, faith working to sanctification, apprehends the love of God, the blood of
Christ, the promises, precepts of the word; and by all these it is ever purging
and working out corruption. By apprehending the love of God: Gal. v. 6, 'In Christ
Jesus neither circumcision [Pg. 422] availeth
anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love.' Shall I love that which God hateth? Oh! do not this abominable
thing that I hate,' Jer. xliv. 4. Faith represented
God pleading thus: Is this thy kindness to thy friend? do
I thus requite God for nil his kindness to me in Christ? There is an exasperation against lusts. It maketh
use of the blood of Christ: 1 John i. 7, 'The blood
of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins;'
Heb. ix. 14, 'How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead
works to serve the living God?' That is an excellent purger.
In outward purging it is the water and the soap cleanseth,
but the hand of the laundress applieth it, and rubbeth the clothes that are washed. Faith apprehendeth the blood of Christ to purge the conscience,
it waiteth tor the
sanctifying virtue of his blood, and the grace purchased thereby. So faith maketh use of the promises; this giveth
faith encouragement to expect glorious rewards. Assistance is purchased, and
acceptance is promised: 2 Cor. Vii. 1, 'Having
therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthinem of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in
the fear of God' Then faith constantly maketh use of
the precepts and counsels of the word, by which sin is discovered and taxed.
When the word is received by faith, there goeth a
light with it to see sin after another manner, although a man did not know it
before. Faith persuadeth us that the commands of God
are just and equal. There is a believing commands, as well as promises; this is
a command from God: Ps. cxix. 66,
'Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed thy commandments.'