Ver. 14.] SERMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. 261
hath chosen us in him hefore the foundation of the world, that we might be holy, and without blame before him in love.' Redemption : Eph. v. 25, 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.' Sancti- fication : 2 Thes. ii. 13, ' God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.' It is for the honour of every person that their intention may not be frustrate ; and chiefly upon this ground, because by this means they would justify and honour their personal operation to the world. Those that are chosen by the Father must be of a choice spirit. Christ will not be the head of an ulcerous body ; he will not be like ISTebuchad- nezzar's image, ' whose head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay,' Dan. ii. 32, 33. A beautiful head upon a negro's body is monstrous. We are vessels formed and set apart for the master's use. Those that are under his forming come new out of the forge. Unclean vessels can never be used to any good purpose unless they be washed and sweetened. They are to be looked upon as God's choice, Christ's purchase, and the Spirit's charge. Or if you will have it in other relations, they are God's children, Christ's members, and the Spirit's temples. God's children must resemble their Father; Christ's members must be like their head; and the Holy Ghost will not dwell in a defiled temple.
2. AVith respect to themselves, and their relation to one another, they must be purified : 1 Peter i. 22, ' Seeing that ye have purified yourselves in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fer- vently.' The purification of our own souls maketh us to love purity in others, for similitude is the ground of delight and complacency. No man can delight in the purity of others unless he be in some measure purified himself. Holy men are only fit for this communion and society ; others ' go in the way of Cain,' Jude 11, 'Who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother : and wherefore slew he him ? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous," 1 John iii. 12. Carnal professors, that creep into the church unawares, are full of envy, strife, and wrath. How can we edify one another in the holy faith unless we be first holy ? A man would think they should be purified to the love of God ; nay, but they must be purified to the love of the brethren.
3. With respect to the world. A distinct body should have a dis- tinct excellency. They are a people distinct from the world, they are set apart for God : Ps. iv. 3, ' Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself.' They are a chosen generation. Many other societies excel the church for strength, policy, and worldly pomp ; but holiness and purity is the church's badge : Ps. xciii. 5, ' Holiness becometli thy house, 0 Lord, for ever.' God's peculiar people must have a peculiar excellency upon a double ground —
[1.] Because of likeness to God: Exod. xv. 11, 'Who is like thee, 0 Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness.' It is God's glory, and therefore the church's. God is rich in mercy, but glorious in holiness : his treasure is his goodness, but his honour is his holiness and immaculate purity ; as among men, their wealth is distinguished from their honour.
262 SEKMONS UPON TITUS II. 11-14. [Ser. XXI.
[2.] Because all the ordinances hold it forth, especially the ordinance of initiation. So that it is the greatest hypocrisy in the world to pretend to be God's people and not to be holy, because they wear the badges of holiness ; they all come in by the washing of water. Men forget their baptism : 2 Peter i. 9, ' He hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.' Men that are only whited over with the name of christians, and sin is still new and fresh, as an old thing they forget the effect of their baptism ; that a washed man should be so foul and noisome still, sure they forget, or do not know what it is to be baptized into Christ.
Secondly, The manner how he purifieth them. There is on Christ's part the Spirit and ordinances, and his merit reacheth to both ; and on our part faith. ■ 1. On Christ's part.
[1.] The Spirit is necessary: Titus iii. 5, * He saved us by the wash- ing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' The Holy Ghost applieth all the grace which the Father intendeth and Christ hath purchased. We are usually said to be saved by the blood of Christ ; that was the merit and price. There was a grant on God the Father's part : Eev. xix. 8, ' To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen clean and white.' An authentic act passeth in the court of heaven that we shall have fine linen, as Esther had garments out of the king's wardrobe. But this is founded on Christ's merits. The stream in which we are washed flowed out of Christ's heart : 1 John i. 7, ' The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' But then the Holy Ghost, as the executor of Christ's will and testament, worketh and applieth all. The merit of the creature is excluded by Christ's merit and the Father's grant ; the power of the creature is excluded by the work of the Spirit ; he worketh with a respect to Christ's blood. As in the cleansing of the leper, the bird was to be killed over running water, Lev. xiv. 5, so in the cleansing of the sinner there is the merit of Christ and the work of the Spirit : 1 Cor. vi. 11, ' But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.' If we come to the Father, the Father sends us to the Son, otherwise he could not look upon us ; the Son sends us to the Spirit ; the Spirit sends us to Moses and the prophets.