3dly. The difficulty and burdensomeness complained of may pro- ceed from the interposition of perplexing temptations, which weary, disquiet, and distract the mind. This may be, and frequently is so ; and yet our assertion is not impeached. We only say, that set aside extraordinary occasions and sinful neglects, this principle of grace and holiness doth give that suitableness to the mind unto all duties of obedience, that constancy in them, that love unto them, as make them both easy and pleasant
By these things we may inquire after the habit or principle of holiness in our own minds, that we be not deceived by any thing that falsely pretendeth thereunto; as, —
First, Let us take heed that we deceive not ourselves, as though it would suffice unto gospel holiness that we have occasionally good 'purposes of leaving sin and living unto God, then when something urgeth upon us more than ordinary, with the effects which such pur- poses will produce. Afflictions, sicknesses, troubles, sense of great guilt, fear of death, and the like, do usually produce this frame; and although it is most remote from any pretence unto evangelical obedi- ence, yet I could not but give a caution against it, because it is that whereby the generality of men in the world do delude themselves
CHAP. VI.] IN THE SANCTIFICATION OF BELIEVEES. 501
into eternal ruin. It is rare to find any that are so stubbornly pro- fligate, but at one time or another they project and design, yea promise and engage unto, a change of their course and amendment of their lives, doing sundry things, it may be, in the pursuit of those designs and purposes; for they will thereon abstain from their old sins, with whose haunt they are much perplexed, and betake them- selves unto the performance of those duties from whence they expect most relief unto their consciences, and whose neglect doth most re- flect upon them. Especially will they do so when the hand of God is upon them in afflictions and dangers, Ps. Ixxviii. 34-37. And this produceth in them that kind of goodness which God says " is like the morning cloud or the early dew," — things that make a fair ap- pearance of something, but immediately vanish away, Hos. vi. 4, Certainly there need not much pains to convince any man how un- speakably this comes short of that evangelical holiness which is a fruit of the sanctification of the Spirit. It hath neither the root of it nor any fruit that doth so much as resemble it. But it is to be lamented that such multitudes of rational creatures, living under the means of light and grace, should so vaiidy and wofully delude their own souls. That which they aim at and intend is, to have that in them whereby they may be accepted with God. Noav, not to insist on what will absolutely frustrate all the designs of such persons, — namely, their want of faith in Christ, and an interest in his righteous- ness thereby, which they are regardless of, — all that they project and design is as far beneath that holiness which God requireth of them, and which they think hereby to obtain, as the earth is beneath the Leavens. All that they do in this kind is utterly lost; it will never be either a righteousness unto them or a holiness in them. But this deceit is frequently rebuked. God only by his grace can remove and take it away from the minds of men.
Secondly, And we may learn hence not to be imposed on by gifts, though never so useful, with a plausible 'profession thereon. These things go a great way in the world, and many deceive both them- selves and others by them. Gifts are from the Holy Ghost in an especial manner, and therefore greatly to be esteemed. They are also frequently useful in and unto the church; for " the manifestation of the Spirit is given unto men to profit withal." And they put men on such duties as have a great shoAV and appearance of holiness. By the help of them alone may men pray, and preach, and maintain spiritual communication among them with whom they do converse. And as circumstances may be ordered, they juit sundry jjersons on a frequent performance of these duties, and so keep them up to an eminency in profession. But yet, when all is done, they are not holiness ; nor are the duties performed in the strength of them alone
502 THE POSITIVE WORK OF THE SPIRIT [BOOK IV.
duties of evangelical obedience, accepted of God in them by whom they are performed; and they may be where there is nothing of holi- ness at all. They are, indeed, not only consistent with holiness, but subservient unto it, and exceeding promoters of it, in souls that are really gracious; but they may be alone, without grace, and then are they apt to deceive the mind with a pretence of being and doing what they are not nor do. Let them be called to an account by the na- ture and properties of that habit and principle of grace which is in all true holiness, as before explained, and it will quickl}^ appear how short they come thereof: for as their subject, where they have their residence, is the mind only, and not the will or affections, any farther but as they are influenced or restrained by light, so they do not renew or change the mind itself, so as to transform it into the image of God; neither do they give the soul a general inclination unto all acts and duties of obedience, but only a readiness for that duty which their exercise doth peculiarly consist in. Wherefore they answer no one property of true holiness ; and we have not seldom seen discoveries made thereof.