For the farther explanation of it, I shall only add three things: —
(1.) That this habit or principle, thus wrought and abiding in us, doth not, if I may so say, firm its own station, or abide and continue in us by its own natural efficacy, in adhering unto the faculties of our souls. Habits that are acquired by many actions have a natural effi- cacy to preserve themselves, until some opposition that is too hard for them prevail against them ; which is frequently (though not easily) done. But this is preserved in us by the constant powerful actings and influence of the Holy Ghost. He which works it in us doth also preserve it in us. And the reason hereof is, because the spring of it is in our head, Christ Jesus, it being only an emanation of virtue and power from him unto us by the Holy Ghost. If this be not ac- tually and always continued, whatever is in us would die and wither of itself See Eph. iv. 1 5, 1 6 ; Col. iii. 3 ; John iv. 1 4. It is in us as the fructifying sap is in a branch of the vine or olive. It is there really and formally, and is the next cause of the fruit-bearing of the branch :
476 THE POSITIVE WORK OF THE SPIRIT [BOOK IV.
but it dotli not live and abide by itself, but by a continual emana- tion and communication from the root; let tliat be intercepted, and it quickly withers. So is it with this principle in us, with respect unto its root, Christ Jesus.
(2.) Though this principle or habit of holiness be of the same kind or nature in all believers, in all that are sanctified, yet there are in them very distinct degrees of it. In some it is more strong, lively, vigorous, and flourishing; in others, moi'e weak, feeble, and inactive; and this in so great variety and on so many occasions as cannot here be spoken unto.
(3.) That although this hahit and principle is not acquired by any or many acts of duty or obedience, yet is it, in a way of duty, p?-e- served, increased, strengthened, and improved thereby, God hath appointed that we should live in the exercise of it ; and in and by the multiplication of its acts and duties is it kept alive and stirred up, without which it will be weakened and decay,
2. This being what I intend as to the substance of it, we must, in the next place, show tliat there is such a spiritual habit or principle of spiritual life wrought in believers, wherein their holiness doth consist. Some few testimonies of many shall suffice as to its present confirmation.
The work of it is expressed, Deut.xxx. 6, "The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." The end of holiness is, that we may "live;" and the principal work of holiness is to "love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul;" and this is the effect of God's "circumcising our hearts," without which it will not be. Every act of love and fear, and consequently every duty of holiness what- ever, is consequential unto God's circumcising of our hearts. But it should seem that this work of God is "only a removal of hinderances," and doth not express the collation of the principle which we assert. I answer, that although it were easy to demonstrate that this work of circumcising our hearts cannot be effected without an iinplanta- tion of the prmciple pleaded for in them, yet it shall suffice at present to evince from hence that this effectual w^ork of God upon our hearts is antecedently necessary unto all acts of holiness in us. But here- withal God writes his law in our hearts : Jer. xxxi. S3, " I Avill put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." The habit or principle which we have described is nothing but a trans- cript of the law of God implanted and abiding in our hearts, whereby we comply with and answer unto the whole will of God therein. This is holiness in the habit and principle of it. This is more fully expressed, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, " A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my
CHAP. VI.] IN THE SANCTIFICATION OF BELIEVEES. ' 477
statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do tliem." The whole of all that actual obedience and all those duties of holiness which God requireth of us is contained in these expressions, "Ye shall walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments to do them." Antecedent hereunto, and as the principle and cause thereof, God gives a "new heart" and a "new spirit." This new heart is a heart with the Jaw of God written in it, as before mentioned ; and this new sj^irit is the habitual inclination of that heart unto the life of God, or all duties of obedience. And herein the whole of what we have asserted is confirmed, — namely, that antecedently unto all duties and acts of holiness whatever, and as the next cause of them, there is by the Holy Ghost a new spiritual principle or habit of grace communicated unto us and abiding in us, from whence we are made and denominated holy. _