Use uU. Extol and magnify God's mercv, who hath adopted you into his family ; who, of slaves, hath made you sons ; <){ heirs of hell, heirs of the promise. Adoj)- tion is a free gift. He gave them power, or dignity, to become tiie sons of God. As a thread of silver runs through th.e whole piece of work, so free grace runs through this whole privilege of ado])tion. Adoption is a greater mercy than Adam had in paradise; he was a son by creation, but here is a further sonship by adoption. To make us thankful, consider, in civil adoption there is some worth and excel- lency in the person to be adopted ; but there was no worth in us, ueitlier beauty, nor parentage, nor virtue; nothing in us to move God to bestow the prerogative of sonship u])on us. We have enough in us to move God to correct us, but nothing to move Idm to adopt us, therefore exalt free grace, begin the work of angels here ; bless him witli your praises who hath blessed you in making you his sons and daughters !
OF SANCTIFICATION,
1 TiiEss. iv. 3. For this is the ivill of God, even your scwcfpoticn.
THE notion of the word sanctijicotion signifies to consecnite and set a])art to an holy use : thus they are sanctified persons, who are separated from the world, and set apart for God's service. Sanctification hath a privative and a positive part.
1. A privative part, mortification, which lies in the purging out of sin. Sin is com- pared to leaven which sours ; and to leprosy
which defiles; sanctification doth purge out " the old leaven," 1 (or. v. 7. Though it takes not away the life, yet it takes away the love of sin.
2. A positive part, vivification, which is the spiritual refining of the soul, which in scripture is called a " renewing of your mind," Rom. xii. 2., and a " partaking of the divane nature," 2 Pet. i. 4. The
OF SANCTIFICATION.
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priests in the law not only were wjished in the great laver, but adorned with glori- ous apparel, Exod. xxviii. 2., so sanctifica- tion not only watches from sin, but adorns with purity.
Quest. flJiat is sanctiJicatio7i ?
Alls. It is a principle of grace savingly wrought, whereby the heart becomes holy, and is made after God's own heart. A sanctified person bears not only God's name, but image. For the opening the nature of sanctilication, I sliall lay down these seven positions.
1. Sanctification is a supernatural thing: it is di\inely infused. We are naturally polluted; and to cleanse, God takes to be his prerogative ; Lev. xxi. 8., " I the Lord whicli sanctifieth you." Weeds grow of themselves. Flowers are planted. Sancti- fication is a flower of the Spirit's planting, therefore it is called, " The sanctification of the Spirit," 1 Pet. i. 2.
2. Sanctification is an intrinsical thing ; ' it lies chiefly in the heart.' It is called the adorning " the hidden man of the lieart," 1 Pet. iii. 4. The dew wets the leaf, the sap is hid in the root : the religion of some consists only in externals, but sanc- tification is deeply rooted in the soul, Ps. li. 6., " In the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom."
3. Sanctification is an extensive thing: it spreads into the whole man, 1 Thess. v. 23., '• The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." As original corruption hath de- praved all the faculties, ' the whole head is sick, the whole heart faint,' no part sound, as if the whole mass of blood were corrupt- ed, so sanctification goes over the whole soul. After the fall, there was ignorance in the mind ; now in sanctification, we are ' light in the Lord,' Eph. v. 8. After the fall, the will was depraved ; there was not only impotcncy to good, but obstinacy ; now, in sanctification, there is a blessed pliableness in the will, it doth symbolize and comport with the will of God. After the fall, the affections were misplaced on wrong objects; in sanctification, they are turned into a sweet order and liarmony, — the grief placed on sin, — the love on God, — the joy on lieaven. Thus sanctification spreads itself iis far as original corruption :
it goes over the whole soul, " the God of peace sanctify you wholly." He is not a sanctified person who is good only in some part, but who is all over sanctified, therefore in scripture grace is called " a new man," Col. iii. 10., not a new eye or a new tongue, but a " new man." A good Christian, though he be sanctified but in part, yet in every part.
4. Sanctification is an intense ardent thing, Qua/itatcs sunt in suhjexto intensive^ Rom. xii. 11., " Fervent in spirit." Sanc- tification is not a dead form, but it is in- flamed into zeal. We call water hot, when it is so in the third or fourt!i defrree : he is holy, whose religion is heated to some degi-ee, and his heart boils over in love to God.