(2.) Secondly, If ever thou wouldst be holy, thou must seek iJie Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the efficient cause of all that holiness that is in the world. The Spirit of God is a spirit of holiness, Rom. i. 4; he is frequently called the Holy Spirit : ' Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me,' Ps. li. 11 ; 'But they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit,' Isa. bdii. 10 ; ' And grieve not the Holy Spirit of Grod, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption,' Eph. iv. 30 ; 'He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his Holy Spirit,' 1 Thes. iv. 8 ; ' In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise,' Eph. i. 13. To make a man holy is more than to create a world ; it is a work too high and too hard for angels or men ; it becomes none, and it can be done by none but by the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is made the Spirit's personal operation, in that 2 Thes. ii. 13, and in that 1 Pet. i. 2. It is the great work of the Spirit to shape, form, and fashion the new creature holiness, in all the vessels of glory. The Spirit is the root of all holiness ; and therefore the several parte of holiness are called the fruits of the Spirit, Gal. v, 22. It is true, Grod purposes holiness to his people, and Christ has purchased hohness for lus people ; but it is only the Spirit that is the efficient cause or worker of holiness in his people. Though the Father, Son, and Spirit hath designed to re-imprint holiness upon man's heart, yet the Spirit has the greatest hand in that work. When man was in his primitive glory, holiness was his loveliness and his Likeness to God ; but being now fallen, that image is so broken and marred, that no hand can repair it or restore it but the hand of the Spirit. The great principle of holiness which was in Christ, as to his human nature, was the Holy Spirit, which he had above measure ; for he was anointed with the unction of the Spirit above his fellows. So that, look which way you will, the Spirit still appears to be the great principle of holi- ness. Holiness is the very picture of God, and certainly no hand can carve that excellent picture but the Spirit of God. Holiness is the divine nature, and none can impart that to man but the Spirit. A man never comes to see his sins, nor to be sick of his sins, nor to loathe his sins, nor to arraign his sins, nor to condemn his sins, nor to judge himself for his sins, evangeKcally, till he comes to be possessed of the Holy Spirit. A man never comes to spit out the sweet morsels of sin, he never comes to make a sacrifice of his only Isaac, and to cut liis delicate Agag in pieces, and to strangle his Delilah, and in good earnest to set upon an utter extirpation of those sins that his constitu- tion, inclination, custom, calling, and interest does most incline him to, till a Spirit of holiness comes upon him. Till this Holy Spirit, which is a spirit of judgment and burning, falls upon the hearts of sinners, they will never be fired out of their pride, formality, carnality.
Heb. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 215
sensuality, and security. When this Holy Spirit comes as a spirit of glory and power to change thy heart, to destroy thy sins, to reform thy ways, and to save thy soul, &c., oh, then cry out, let him still go on conquering and to conquer, till all his enemies are made his foot- stool. Oh, let him cut off every right hand, and pluck out every right eye, &c., that does offend ! Oh, let him do justice upon every sin, upon every open sin, upon every secret sin, upon every bosom sin, upon every pleasing sin, and upon every gainful sin ! Oh, sot your- selves under the celestial influences and sweet distillings of the Holy Spirit ! Oh, prize his motions ! oh, welcome his motions ! oh, comply with his motions ! oh, follow his motions, that so you may be holy and happy for ever. When David asked counsel of Grod, whether he should go up against the Philistines or no, he received this answer : ' When thou hearest the noise of one going in the top of the mulberry- trees, then remove, for then shall the Lord go out before thee to smite the Philistines,' 2 Sam. v. 24. So should every one wisely observe, when the Spirit sweetly and strongly moves them to mind holiness, to fall in love with holiness, to press after holiness ; when the Spirit moves them to leave off their sins, to turn to God, to open to Christ, to tremble at threatenings, and to embrace promises ; oh, make much of these holy motions ! oh, cherish these divine breathings 1 oh, don't quench these heavenly sparks, lest the Spirit never move thee more, nor never strive with thee more, Gen. vi. 3. Oh, when thou hearest a voice within thee, or a voice behind thee, saying, ' Come with me from Lebanon, my sister, my spouse,' &c., Isa. xxx. 21, and Cant. iv. 8, come away from thy cups, thou drunken wretch ! come away from thy wanton Delilahs, thou unclean wretch ! come away from thy sin- ful pleasures, thou voluptuous wretch ! come away from thy bags, thou worldly wretch ! come away from thy honours, thou ambitious wretch ! and come away from thy fraud, thou cheating wretch ! oh hearken to this voice ! oh obey this voice, that it may go well with thy soul for ever ! If now thou strikest whilst the iron is hot, if now thou hoistest up sail whilst the wind is fair, thou mayest be made for ever. In that John V. 4, there were certain times when the angel came down and troubled the waters, and whosoever did then step in, was healed of whatsoever disease he had: so there are certain times and seasons wherein the Spirit of holiness stirs the heart and affections, and moves and breathes upon the soul. Now if men were wise to observe these times and seasons, they might be happy for ever. The time of the Spirit's moving is the acceptable time ; if you observe it you are made, if you neglect it you are marred. All the movings and motions of the Spuit are in order to an eternity of felicity and glory, Spiritus sanctus est res delicata. Oh, therefore don't grieve the Spirit, don't cross the Spirit, don't vex the Spirit, don't tempt the Spirit, don't quench the Spirit, don't oppose the Spirit, don't resist the Spirit, don't deal harshly or unkindly with the Spirit, by sinning against illumina- tion, conviction, resolutions and promises of reformation. Oh, be more tender of the gracious motions of the Spirit, than thou art of thy name, thy estate, thy liberty, thy life ; for he designs thy internal good in this world, and thy eternal good in the other world ; and therefore don't affront him, nor carry it unworthily towards him. If thou
216 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [Heb. XII. 14.