Having spoken of the state, I come now to speak of the author of it, God the Father. But why is it so distinctly attributed to the Father ? Is not Christ ' our sanctification ? ' 1 Cor. i. 30, and is it not called 'the sanctification of the Spirit?' 2 Thes. ii. 13. The answer shall draw out the strength of the phrase in these propositions. (] .) It is true that the whole Trinity, one way or other, concurreth to the work of holiness ; those works ad extra are indivisa, common to all the persons — the Father sanctifieth, the Son sanctifieth, and the Holy Ghost sanctifieth : the same may be said of preserving and calling. (2.) Though all work jointly, yet there are distinct personal operations, by which they make way for the glory of each other ; the love of the Father for the glory of the Son, and the glory of the Son for the power of the Spirit. See how the scripture followeth these things. You shall find first, that no man cometh to the Son, but from the Father, by election : John vi. 37, ' All that the Father giveth me shall come to me :' so ver. Qd, 'No man cometh unto me, unless it be given him of my Father.' Look again and you shall find that no man cometh to the Father from the bondage of sin and Satan, but by the Son, through his redemption and mediation : John xiv. 6, ' I am tlie way, the truth, and the life ; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.' Again, you shall see no man is united to the Son but by the Holy Ghost, who worketh in those whom the Father did choose, and the Son redeem ; and therefore ' the sanctification of the Spirit ' is as necessary as ' the blood of Jesus,' 1 Peter i. 2. So that you see all have their distinct work ; the inclioation is from the Father, the dis- pensation by the Son, and the consummation by the Spirit: from the Father, in the Son, and through the Spirit. There is God's choice^ Christ's purchase, and the Spirit's application ; all are joined in one verse, — for indeed they must not be severed, — even in the place last alleged, 1 Peter i. 2. (3.) Because the first distinct operation is the Father's, therefore the whole work in scripture is often ascribed to him. He is said to justify; ' the justifier of them that believe in Jesus,' Eom. iii. 26. So he is said elsewhere to purge : John xv. 1, 2, 'I am the vine, and my Father is the husbandman ; he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' All dependeth upon the decree of his love. Christ doth not work upon a person, unless he be given to him by the Father ; and, therefore, he being first in order and operation, the whole work is made his work : ' Sanctified in God the Father.' Observe ; —
40 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 1.
Ohs. 1. That sanctification is God's work, wrought in us by the Father. To cleanse the heart is beyond the power of the creature ; it can no more make itself holy, than make itself to be. We could defile ourselves, but we cannot cleanse ourselves : as the sheep can go astray of itself, but it can never return to the fold without the shep- herd's care and help.i Lusts are too hard for us, and so are the duties of obedience. God, that gave us his image at first, must again plant it in 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 : ' We are his workmanship in Christ,' Eph. ii. 10. God taketh it to his prerogative : Lev. xxi. 8, ' I am the Lord that sancti- fieth thee.' Grace is his immediate creature ; man's will contributeth nothing to the Avork but resistance and rebellion ; and outward means work not, unless God put in with them ; else why should the same word preached by the same minister • work in some and harden others ? All the difference ariseth from God's grace, which acteth according to pleasure. Well, then : —
Use 1. Let us wait upon God till the work be accomplished. Our wills are obstinate and perverse, but God never made a creature too hard for himself; he is able to do this thing for us, and it is our comfort we have such a God to go to. The heathens, that groptd and felt after God, were to seek of a power to quell their lusts, and there- fore were put upon sad remedies : whereas all is made easy to you in the power of God through Christ. Crates gave this advice to one that came to him to know how he should subdue the lust of unclean- ness ; he answered, that he should either famish himself or hang him- self ; 3 they knew no remedy but offering violence to nature, or else death and despair. Democritus blinded himself, because he could not look upon women without lusting after them. Now God teacheth us to put out the eye of our lust, not of our bodies. * Bless God that you know whose work it is, and to whom to go for sanctification.