41 6 EELIEVERS THE OBJECT OF SANCTIFICATION, [BOOK IV.
latter account do they grow up in some into penances, vows, uncom- manded abstinences, and various self-macerations, with other pain- ful and costly duties. Where the light they receive is, in the general, accordinof unto truth, there it will eng^age men into reformation of life, a multiplication of duties, abstinence from sin, profession, zeal, and a cordial engagement into one way or other in religion. Such persons may have good hopes themselves that they are holy; they may appear to the world so to be, and be accepted in the church of God as such ; and yet really be utter strangers from true gospel holi- ness. And the reason is, because they have missed it in the founda- tion ; and not having, in the first place, obtained an interest in Christ, have built their house on the sand, whence it will fall in the time of trouble. If it be said that all those who come up unto the duties mentioned are to be esteemed believers, if therewith they make pro- fession of the true faith of the gospel, I willingly grant it; but if it be said that necessarily they are so indeed, and in the sight of God, and therefore are also sanctified and holy, I must say the contrary [; it] is expressly denied in the gospel, and especial instances given thereof.
Wherefore let them wisely consider these things who have any conviction of the necessity of holiness. It may be they have done much in the pursuit of it, and have laboured in the duties that materially belong unto it. Many things they have done, and many things forborne, upon the account of it, and still continue so to do. It may be they think that for all the world they would not be found among the number of unholy persons at the last day. This may be the condition of some, perhaps of many, who are yet but young, and but newly engaged into these ways upon their convictions. It may be so with them who for many days and years have been so following after a righteousness in a way of duty. But yet they meet with these two evils in their way: — 1. That duties of obedience seldom or never prove more easy, familiar, or pleasant unto them than they did at first, but rather are more grievous and burdensome every day. 2. That they never come up unto a satisfaction in what they do, but still find that there is somewhat wanting. These make all they do burdensome and unpleasant unto them, which at length will betray them into backsliding and apostasy. But yet there is somewhat Avorse behind; all they have done, or are ever able to do, on the bot- tom upon which they stand, will come to no account, but perish with them at the great day. Would we prevent all these fatal evils? would we engage in a real, thriving, everlasting holiness? — let our first business be to secure a relation unto Jesus Christ, without which nothing of it will ever be attained.
To close this discourse, I shall only from it obviate a putid ca- lumny cast by the Papists, Quakers, and others of the same con-
CHAP. Til.] AND SUBJECT OF GOSPEL HOLINESS. 41 7
federacy, against the grace of God, upon tlie doctrine of the free justification of a sinner, through the imputation of the righteousness of Christ: for with a shameless impudence they clamour on all by whom it is asserted, as those who maintain salvation to be attainable through a mere external imputation of righteAusness ; whilst those so saved are " unclean and unholy," as the Quakers, or " negligent of the duties of righteousness and obedience," as the Papists and others, slanderously report: for the frontless impudence of this calumny is sufficiently evident from hence, that as we assert sanctification and holiness to be peculiar only unto believing, justified persons, — that is, that faith and holiness are inseparable, habitually or actually, or in both regards, — so, in like manner, that all such persons are infallibly sanctified and made holy.
All believers, and only believers, being sanctified and made holy, what it is that is sanctified in them, or what is the proper seat and subject of this work, is, in the next place, to be declared ; for it is not a mere external denomination, as things were called " holy" under the Old Testament, nor any transient act, nor any series or course of actions, that we plead about, but that which hath, as a real being and existence, so a constant abiding or residence in us. Hence, he that is holy is always so, whether he be in the actual exercise of the duties of holiness or no, though an omission of any of them in their proper season is contiiiry unto and an impeachment of holiness, as to its degrees. Now, this subject of sanctification is the entire na- ture or whole person of a believer. It is not any one faculty of the soul or affection of the mind or part of the body that is sanctified, but the whole soul and body, or the entire nature, of every believing person. And hereby is the work of sanctification really distinguished from any other mere common work whicli may represent it, or pre- tend unto it; for all such works are partial. Either they are in the mind only by light and notions of truth, or on the affections only in zeal and devotion, or on the mind and conscience in the convictions of sin and duty ; but farther they proceed not. But true holiness consists in the renovation of onr whole persons; which must be demonstrated.