To conclude, we have all grace and holiness from Christ, or we have it of ourselves. The old Pelagian fiction, that we have them from Christ because we have them by yielding obedience unto his doctrine, makes ourselves the only spring and author of them, and on that account [it was] very justly condemned by the church of old, not only as false, but as blasphemous. Whatever, therefore, is not thus derived, thus conveyed unto us, belongs not unto our sanctifica- tion or holiness, nor is of the same nature or kind with it. What- ever ability of mind or will may be supposed in us ; what application soever of means may be made for the exciting and exercise of that ability ; whatever effects, in virtues, duties, all offices of humanity, and
CHAR VI.] IN THE SANCTIFICATION OF BELIEVERS. 523
honesty, or religious observances, may be produced thereby from them, and wrought by us, — if it be not all derived from Christ as the head and principle of spiritual life unto us, it is a thing of another nature than evangelical holiness.
(3.) The immediate efficient cause of all gospel holiness is the Spirit of God. This we have sufficiently proved already. And al- though many cavils have been raised against the manner of his operation herein, yet none has been so hardy as openly to deny that this is indeed his work; for so to do is, upon the matter, ex- pressly to renounce the gospel. Wherefore, we have in our foregoing discourses at large vindicated the manner of his operations herein, and proved that he doth not educe grace by moral applications unto the natural faculties of our mindj, but that he creates grace in us by an immediate efficiency of almighty power. And what is so wrought and produced differeth essentially from any natural or moral habits of our minds, however acquired or improved.
(4.) This evangelical holiness is a fruit and effect of the cove- nant of grace. The promises- of the covenant unto this purpose we have before, on other occasions, insisted on. In them doth God de- clare that he will cleanse and purify our natures, that he will write his law in our hearts, put his fear in our inward parts, and cause us to walk in his statutes; in which things our holiness doth consist. Whoever, therefore, hath any thing of it, he doth receive it in the accomplishment of these promises of the covenant : for there are not two ways whereby men may become holy, one by the sanctification of the Spirit according to the promise of the covenant, and the other by their own endeavours without it; though indeed Cassianus, with some of the semi-Pelagians, dreamed somewhat to that purpose. Wherefore, that which is thus a fruit and effect of the promise of the covenant hath an especial nature of its own, distinct from whatever hath not that relation unto the same covenant. No man can ever be made partaker of any the least degree of that grace or holiness which is promised in the covenant, unless it be by virtue and as a fmit of that covenant; for if they might do so, then were the cove- nant of God of none effect, for what it seems to promise in a peculiar manner may, on this supposition, be attained without it, which ren- ders it an empty name.
(5.) Herein consists the image of God, whereunto we are to be renewed. This I have proved before, and shall afterward have occasion to insist upon. Nothing less than the entire renovation of the image of God in our souls will constitute us evangelically holy. No series of obediential actings, no ol)servance of religious duties, no attendance unto actions amongst men as morally virtuous and useful, how exact soever they may be, or how constant soever we may be
524 THE POSITIVE AVOEK OF THE SPIRIT [BOOK IV.
unto tliem, will ever render us lovely or holy in the sight of God, un- less they all proceed from the renovation of the image of God in us, or that habitual principle of spiritual life and power which renders us conformable unto him.
From what hath been thus briefly discoursed, Ave may take a pro- spect of that horrible mixture of ignorance and im2:)udence wherewith some contend that the 'practice of moral virtue is all the holiness which is required of us in the gospel, neither understanding what they say nor whereof they do affirm. But yet this they do Avith so great a confidence as to despise and scoff at any thing else wliich is pleaded to belong thereunto. But this pretence, notwithstanding all the swelling Avords of vanity whereAvith it is set off and vended, will easily be discovered to be Aveak and frivolous; for, —
1. The name or expression itself is foreign to the Scripture, not once used by the Holy Ghost to denote that obedience which God requireth of us in and according to the covenant of grace. Nor is there any sense of it agreed upon by them who so magisterially im- j)ose it on others: yea, there are many express contests about the signification of these words, and what it is that is intended by them, which those Avho contend about them are not ignorant of; and yet have they not endeavoured to reduce the sense they intend unto any expression used concerning the same matter in the gospel. But all men must needs submit unto it, that at least the main part, if not the Avhole of religion, consists in moral virtue, though it be altogether uncertain Avhat they intend by the one or the other ! These are they Avho scarce think any thing intelligible Avhen declared in the Avords of the Scripture, which one hath openly traduced as a "ridiculous jargon." They like not, they seem to abhor, the speaking of spiritual things in the words which the Holy Ghost teacheth: the only reason whereof is, because they understand not the things themselves; and whilst they are "foolishness" unto any, it is no wonder the terms whereby they are declared seem also so to be. But such as have received the Spirit of Christ, and do know the mind of Christ (which profane scoffers are sufficiently remote from), do best receive the truth and apprehend it, when declared not in " the Avords Avhich man's Avisdom teacheth, but which are taught by the Holy Ghost." It is granted to be the Avisdom and skill of men farther to explain and declare the truths that are taught in the gospel, by sound and whole- some words of their own; which yet all of them, as to their propriety and significancy, are to be tried and measured by the ScrijDture it- self But we have a new Avay of teaching spiritual things, sprung up among some, who, being ignorant of the whole mystery of the gospel, and therefore despising it, Avould debase all the glorious truths of it, and the declaration made of them, into dry, barren, sapless, philoso-