faith, so adoption agreeing with it, is of the same nature; and accordingly we are said to be the children of God by faith, chap iii. 26. that is, it is by faith that we have a right to claim this relation, together with the privileges which are the result thereof.

Moreover, as adoption includes in it a person's being made meet for the inheritance, which God has reserved for him, and so is endowed with the temper and disposition of his children, consisting in humility, heavenly-mindedness, love to him, dependence upon him, and a zeal for his glory, a likeness to Christ; as the same mind is said to be in us, in some measure as was in him; in this respect adoption agrees with sanctification, which is what we are next to consider.

QUEST. LXXV. What is sanctification?

ANSW. Sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit, applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them, renewed in their whole man, after the image of God, having the seeds of repentance unto life, and of all other saving graces put into their hearts; and those graces so stirred up, increased and strengthened, as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.

1.

W sanctify.

E shall shew what we are to understand by the word This is sometimes considered as what has God for its object: thus he is said to sanctify himself, when he appears in the glory of his holiness, and gives occasion to the world to adore that perfection, which he is sometimes represented as doing, when he punishes sin in a visible and exemplary manner. Thus when God threatens to call for a sword, and plead against a rebellious people, with pestilence and with blood, he is said, by this means, to magnify and sanctify himself, so as to be known, to wit, as an holy God, in the eyes of many nations. And when he fulfils his promises, and thereby advances his holiness, as when he brought his people out of captivity, and gathered them out of the countries, wherein they had been scattered, he is said to be sanctified in them, Ezek. xxxviii. 21-23. And he is sanctified by his people, when they give him the glory that is due to his perfection, as thus displayed and magnified by him: thus God's people are said to sanctify the Lord of hosts, when they make him the object of their fear and of their dread, Isa. viii. 13.

However, this is not the sense in which we are here to understand it, but as applied to men; in which respect it is taken in various senses, namely, for their consecration, or separation unto God; thus our Saviour says, when devoting and applying himself to the work, for which he came into the world; for their sakes I sanctify myself, John xvii. 19. But this is not the sense in which it is to be understood in this answer.

Moreover, it is often taken, in scripture, for persons being devoted to God, to minister in holy things: thus Aaron and his sons were sanctified, that they might minister unto him in the priest's office, Exod. xxviii. 41. And it is sometimes taken for an external federal dedication to God, to walk before him as a peculiar people in observance of his holy institutions. Thus when Israel consented to be God's people they are styled, holi ness unto the Lord, Jer. ii. 3. the holy seed, Ezra ix. 2. and an holy nation, 1 Pet. ii. 9. And the church, under the gospel. dispensation, as consecrated, and professing subjection, to Christ, or separated to his service, and waiting for his presence, while engaged in all those ordinances, which he has appointed in the gospel, is described as called to be saints, Rom. i. 7. and they are hereby related to him, in an external and visible way. Neither is this the sense in which the word is taken in this answer; in which we are to understand sanctification as a spe cial discriminating grace, whereby persons are not barely externally, but really devoted to Christ by faith: it is the internal beauty of the soul, whereby all the faculties being renewed, and a powerful, effectual change wrought therein; they are enabled to turn from sin unto God, and exercise all those graces, whereby they walk in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of their lives, Luke i. 75. till this work, which is gradually carried on here, shall be brought to perfection hereafter.

2. It may farther be observed, that sanctification as described in this answer, may be considered as including in it several other graces, some of which have been already insisted on, namely, regeneration, effectual calling, and faith; and there is another grace connected with it, which will be particularly insisted on under the next answer, namely, repentance unto life; all which graces are said to be wrought by the powerful operation of the Spirit, in those who were, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy. Regeneration is styled, by some, initial sanctification, as all graces take their first rise from the principle which is therein implanted. Effectual calling, or conversion, is that whereby we are brought into the way of holiness, and internally disposed to walk therein. Faith is that grace whereby this work is promoted, as all holy actions proceed from it, as deriving strength from Christ, to perform them. VOL. III. U

And repentance is that whereby the work of sanctification dis covers itself, in the soul's abhorring, and flying from, every thing that tends to defile it; approves itself to God as one, who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity without the greatest detestation. But inasmuch as these graces either have been, or will be particularly insisted on, in their proper place, we shall more especially consider sanctification as a progressive work, whereby it is distinguished from them, by which we daily consecrate, or devote ourselves to God; and our actions have all a tendency to advance his glory; and, by the Spirit, we are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness; so that it is not barely one single act of grace, but it contains in it the whole progress of the work of grace, as gradually carried on till perfected in glory; this is what we are to speak particularly to. And,

I. It includes in it a continual devotedness to God. As the first act of faith consists in a making a surrender of ourselves to Christ, depending on his assistance in beginning the work of obedience in the exercise of all Christian graces; so sancti fication is the continuance thereof. When we are first converted, we receive Christ Jesus the Lord; and in sanctification we walk in him, and exercise a daily dependence on him in the execution of all his offices; make his word our rule, and delight in it after the inward man. How difficult soever the duties are that he commands, we take pleasure in the performance of them, make religion our great business, and in order thereunto conclude, that every thing we receive from him is to be improved to his glory. And as every duty is to be performed by faith; so what has been before observed concerning the life of faith, is to be considered as an expedient to promote the work of sanctification.

II. In the carrying on of this work we are to endeavour, to our utmost, to fence against the prevailing power of sin, by all those methods which are prescribed in the gospel, that so it may not have dominion over us; this is generally styled the work of mortification. The apostle speaks of our old man being crucified with Christ, and the body of sin destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin, Rom. vi. 6. and of our crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts, and of our mortifying the deeds of the body through the Spirit, Gal. v. 24. that is, by his assistance and grace, which is necessary in order thereunto, Rom. viii. 13.

This is a very difficult work, especially considering the prevalency of corruption, and the multitude of temptations that we are exposed to; the subtilty and watchfulness of Satan, who walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; the treachery of our own hearts, that are so prone to

depart from God; the fickleness and instability of our resolu tions; the irregularity of our affections, and the constant efforts made by corrupt nature, to gain the ascendant over them, and turn them aside from God: this it does sometimes by present ing things in a false view, calling evil good, and good evil; representing some things as harmless and not displeasing to God, that are most pernicious and offensive, endeavouring to lead us into mistakes, as to the matter of sin or duty, and to persuade us, that those things will issue well which are like to prove bitterness in the end; and attempting to impose upon us, as though we were in a right and safe way, when, at the same time, we are walking contrary to God, and corrupt nature is gaining strength thereby. But this will be farther considered when we speak concerning the imperfection of sanctification in believers. Now this renders it necessary for us to make use of those methods which God has prescribed for the mortification of sin; and in order thereunto,

1. We must endeavour to maintain a constant sense of the heinous nature of sin, as it is contrary to the holiness of God, a stain that cannot be washed away, but by the blood of Jesus, the highest instance of ingratitude for all the benefits which we have received, a bitter and an only evil, the abominable thing that God hates; it is not only to be considered as condemning, but defiling, that hereby we may maintain a constant abhorrence of it; and that not only of those sins that expose us to scorn and reproach in the eye of the world, but every thing that is in itself sinful, as contrary to the law of God.

2. We must be watchful against the breakings forth of corrupt nature, observe the frame and disposition of our spirits, and the deceitfulness of sin, which has a tendency to harden us, and avoid all occasions of, or incentives to it, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh, Jude, ver. 23. abstaining from all appearance of evil, 2 Thess. v. 22. And to this we may add, that we are frequently to examine ourselves with respect to our behaviour in every state of life; whether sin be gaining or losing ground in us; whether we make conscience of per forming every duty, both personal and relative? what guilt we contract by sins of omission, or the want of that fervency of spirit which has a tendency to beget a formal, dead, and stupid frame and temper of mind, and thereby hinder the progress of the work of sanctification? but that which is the principal, if not the only expedient that will prove effectual for the mortifying of sin is, our seeking help against it from him who is able to give us the victory over it. Therefore,

3. Whatever attempts we use against the prevailing power of sin, in order to the mortifying of it, these must be perform

See Quest Ixxviii.

ed by faith; seeking and deriving that help from Christ, which is necessary in order thereunto. And therefore,

(1.) As the dominion of sin consists in its rendering us guilty in the sight of God, whereby the conscience is burden. ed, by reason of the dread that it has of that punishment which is due to us, and the condemning sentence of the law, which we are liable to; and as its mortification, in this respect, con. sists in our deliverance from that which makes us so uneasy, no expedient can be used to mortify it, but our looking by faith to Christ, as a propitiation for sin, whereby we are enabled to behold the debt which we had contracted, cancelled, the indictment superseded, and the condemning sentence repealed; from whence the soul concludes, that iniquity shall not be its ruin. This is the only method we are to take when oppressed with a sense of the guilt of sin, which is daily committed by us. It was shadowed forth by the Israelites looking to the brazen serpent, a type of Christ crucified, when stung with fiery serpents, which occasioned exquisite pain, and would, without this expedient, have brought immediate death: thus the deadly wound of sin is healed by the sovereign balm of Christ's blood, applied by faith; and we, by his having fulfilled the law, may be said to be dead to it, as freed from the curse thereof, and all the sad consequences that would ensue thereupon.

(2.) As sin is said to have dominion over us, in that all the powers and faculties of our souls are enslaved by it, whereby, as the apostle expresses it, we are carnal, sold under sin, Rom. vii. 14. when we are weak and unable to perform what is good, and the corruption of nature is so predominant, that we are, as it were, carried down the stream, which we strive against, but in vain in this respect sin is to be mortified, by a fiducial application to Christ, for help against it; and herein we are to consider him as having undertaken, not only to deliver from the condemning, but the prevailing power of sin; which is a part of the work that he is now engaged in, wherein he applies the redemption he purchased, by the powerful influences of the Holy Spirit, and the soul seeks to him for them. As it is natural for us, when we are in imminent danger of present ruin, or are assaulted by an enemy, whose superior force we are not able to withstand, to cry out to some kind friend, for help; or when we are in danger of death, by some disease which nature is ready to sink under, to apply ourselves to the physician for relief: thus the soul is to apply itself to Christ for strength against the prevailing power of indwelling sin, and grace to make him more than a conqueror over it; and Christ, by his Spirit, in this respect, enables us (to use the apostle's words,) to mortify the deeds of body, Rom. viii. 13.