And this consideration is of itself sufiicient to evince that this holi- ness whereof we treat differs essentially from all other habits of the mind and actions proceeding from them, as having an especial nature of its own. Whatever there may be in any men of virtue and piet}^, or whatever their endeavours may be, in ways of honesty and duty towards God and men, if the power and principle of it in them be not a fruit of electing love, of the Spirit of sanctification, given of God for this certain end, that we may attain the salvation Avhereunto we are chosen, it belongeth not unto this holiness. Wherefore, the apostle Peter, giving us in charge to use " all diligence," whereby we may make " our calling and election sure," — that is, unto our souls, and in our own minds, — prescribes as the means of it the exercise and increase of those graces which are its proper effects, 2 Pet. i. 5-7, 10. And the reason why we see so many glorious professions of faith and obedience utterly to fail as we do, is because the faith so pro- fessed was not "the faith of God's elect," Tit. i. 1; and the obedi-
CHAP. VI.] IN THE SANCTIFICATION OF BELIEVERS. 505
ence of it was not the fruit of that Spirit of sanctiflcation which God gives to man to make his purpose of election infallibly effectual, that so the " purpose of God which is according to election might stand," Rom. ix. 11, and "the election," or those elected, might obtain the grace and glory designed for them, chap. xi. 5, 7. And it is an evi- dence of much spiritual sloth in us, or that which is worse, namely, that our graces and obedience are not genuine and of the true hea- venly race, if we endeavour not to satisfy ourselves that they are real effects of electing love.
If any one shall inquire, how we may know whether the graces of holiness, which we hope are in us, and the duties that proceed from them, are fruits and effects of election, seeing such only are genuine and durable, I answer, it may be done three ways : —
[1.] By their growth and increase. This in ordinary cases, setting aside the seasons of prevalent temptations and desertions, is the best evidence hereof. Waters that proceed from a living fountain increase in their progress, because of the continual supplies which they have from their spring, when those which have only occasional beginnings, from showers of rain or the like, do continually decay until they are dried up. The graces that come from this eternal spring have con- tinual supplies from it, so that, if they meet with no violent obstruc- tions (as they may do sometimes for a season), they do constantly in- crease and thrive. And, therefore, no man can secure his spiritual comforts one moment under a sensible decay of grace; for such a decay is a very sufficient reason why he should call the truth of all his grace into question. Where the Spirit of sanctification is, as given in pursuit of the purpose of election, it is " a well of water springing up into everlasting life," John iv. 14. The quietness and satisfaction of professors under a decay of grace is a soul-ruining secu- rity, and hath nothing in it of spiritual peace.
[2.] We may discern it when we are much stirred up unto dili- gent acting and exercise of grace, out of a sense of that electing love from whence all grace doth proceed. It is the nature of that grace that is the fruit of election greatly to affect the heart and mind with a sense of the love that is therein : so the apostle says expressly that one grace exciteth and stirreth up another, from a sense of the love of God, which sets them all on work, Rom. v. 2-5. So God is said to " draw us with loving-kindness," because "he hath loved us with an everlasting love," Jer. xxxi. 3 ; that is, he gives us such a sense of his everlasting love as thereby to draw us after him in faith and obedience. Those principles of duties in us which are excited only by fear, awe, hope, and the jealous observances of an awakened conscience, will scarce at any time evince this heavenly extract unto a spiritual understanding. That grace which proceeds from especial
506 THE POSITIVE WORK OF THE SPIRIT [BOOK IV.
love will carry along witli it a holy quickening sense of it, and thereby be excited unto its due exercise. And we do what we can to famish and starve our eTaces, when we do not endeavour their suj)plies by faith on that spring of divine love from whence they proceed.
[8.] Seeing we are chosen in Christ, and predestinated to be like unto him, those graces of holiness hav^e the most evident and legible characters of electing love upon them which are most effec- tual in working us unto a conformity to him. That grace is cer- tainly from an eternal spring which makes us like unto Jesus Christ. Of this sort are meekness, humility, self-denial, contempt of the world, readiness to pass by wrongs, to forgive enemies, to love and do good unto all ; which indeed are despised by the most, and duly regarded but by few. But I return.