43() THE FILTH OF SIN PURGED [BOOK IV.
ference between good and evil; but this side-wind, that at once pretends to relieve men from the filth of sin, and keeps them from the only ways and means whereby it may be cleansed, insensibly leads them into a quiet pursuit of their lusts, under an expectation of relief when all is past and done. Wherefore, setting aside such vain imaginations, we may inquire into the true causes and ways of our purification from the uncleanness of sin described, wherein the first part of our sanctification and the foundation of our holiness doth consist.
CHAPTER V.
THE FILTH OP SIN PURGED BY THE SPIRIT AND BLOOD OF CHRIST.
Purification of the filth of sin the first part of sanctification — How it is effected — The work of the Spirit therein — Efficacy of the blood of Christ to that pur- pose— The blood of his sacrifice intended — How that blood cleanseth sin — Application unto it, and application of it by the Spirit — Wherein that appli- cation consists — Faith the instrumental cause of our purification, with the use of afflictions to the same purpose — Necessity of a due consideration of the pollution of sin — Considerations of the pollution and purification of sin practically improved — Various directions for a due application unto the blood of Christ for cleansing — Sundry degrees of shamelessness in sinning — Direc- tions for the cleansing of sin continued — Thankfulness for the cleansing of sin, with other uses of the same consideration — Union with Christ, how con- sistent with the remainders of sin — From all that, differences between evan- gelical holiness and the old nature asserted.
Thirdly, The purging of the souls of them that believe from the defilements of sin is, in the Scripture, assigned unto several causes of different kinds; for the Holy Spirit, the blood of Christ, faith, and afflictions, are all said to cleanse us from our sins, but in several ways, and with distinct kinds of efficacy. The Holy Spirit is said to do it as the principal efficient cause; the blood of Christ as the me- ritorious pirocuring cause; faith and affliction as the instrumental causes, — the one direct and internal, the other external and occa- sional.
I. That we are purged and purified from sin by the Spirit of God communicated unto us hath been before in general confinned by many testimonies of the holy Scriptures. And we may gather, also, from what hath been spoken, wherein this work of his doth consist; for, —
- 1. Whereas the spring and fountain of all the pollution of sin lies in the depravation of the faculties of our natures, which ensued on the loss of the image of God, he renews them again by his grace, Tit. iii. 5. Our want of due answering imto the holiness of God, as represented in the law, and exemplified in our hearts originally, is a
CHAP, v.] BY THE SPIRIT AND CLOOD OF CHlllST. 437
principal part and universal cause of our wliole pollution and defile- ment by sin; for when our eyes are opened to discern it, this is that which in the first place filleth us with shame and self-abhorrency, and that which makes us so unacceptable, yea, so loathsome to God. Who is there who considereth aright the vanity, darkness, and ig- norance of his mind, the perverseness and stubbornness of his will, with the disorder, irregularity, and distemper of his affections, with respect unto things spiritual and heavenly, who is not ashamed of, who doth not abhor himself? This is that which hath given our nature its leprosy, and defiled it throughout. And I shall crave leave to say, that he who hath no experience of spiritual shame and self- abhorrency, upon the account of this inconformity of his nature and the faculties of his soul unto the holiness of God, is a great stranger unto this whole work of sanctification. Who is there that can re- count the unsteadiness of his mind in holy meditation, his low and unbecoming conceptions of God's excellencies, his proneness to foolish imaginations and vanities that profit not, his aversation to spirituality in duty and fixedness in communion with God, his proneness to things sensual and evil, all arising from the spiritual irregularity of our natural faculties, but, if ever he had any due apprehensions of divine purity and holiness, is sensible of his own vileness and baseness, and is ofttimes deeply affected with shame thereon? Now, this whole evil frame is cured by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost in the rectifying and renovation of. our natures. He giveth a new understanding, a new heart, new affections, renew- ing the whole soul into the image of God, Eph. iv. 23, 24; Col. iii. lO; The way whereby he doth this hath been before so fully declared, in our opening of the doctrine of rqgeneration, that it need not be here repeated. Indeed, our original cleansing is therein,, where mention is made of the " washing of regeneration," Tit. iii. 5. Therein is the image of God restored unto our souls. But we con- sider the same work now as it is the cause of our holiness. Look, then, how far our minds, our hearts, our affections, are renewed by the Holy Ghost, so far are we cleansed from our spiritual habitual pollution. Would we be cleansed from our sins, — that which is so frequently promised that we shall be, and so frequently prescribed as our duty to be, and without which we neither have nor can have any thing of true holiness in us, — we must labour after and endeavour to grow in this renovation of our natures by the Holy Ghost. The more we have of saving light in our minds, of heavenly love in our wills and affections, of a constant readiness unto obedience in our hearts, the more pure are we, the more cleansed from the pollution of sin. The old principle of corrupted nature is im clean and defiling, shameful and loathsome; the new creature, the principle of grace