628 NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM [BOOK V.
Wherefore the force of this argument is evident and exposed unto all. God hath in this matter positively declared his will, interposing his sovereign authority, commanding us to be holy, and that on the penalty of his utmost displeasure ; and he hath therewithal given us redoubled assurance (as in a case wherein we are very apt to deceive ourselves) that, be we else what we will or can be, without sincere holiness he will neither own us nor have any thing to do with us. Be our gifts, parts, abilities, places, dignities, usefulness in the world, profession, outward duties, what they will, unless we are sincerely holy (which we may not be and yet be eminent in all these things), we are not, we cannot, we shall not be, accepted with God.
And the Holy Ghost is careful to obviate a deceit in this matter which he foresaw would be apt to put itself on the minds of men ; for whereas the foundation of our salvation in ourselves, and the hinge whereon the whole weight of it doth turn, is our faith, men might be apt to think that if they have faith, it will be well enough with tliem, although they are not holy. Therefore, because this plea and pretence of faith is great, and apt to impose on the minds of men, who would willingly retain their lusts with a hope and expec- tation of heaven, we are plainly told in the Scripture that that faith which is without holiness, without works, without fruits, which can be so, or is possible that it should be so, is vain, [is] not that faith which will save our souls, but equivocally so called, that may perish for ever with those in whom it is.
CHAPTER IV.
NECESSITY OF HOLINESS FROM GOD's SENDING JESUS CHRIST.
The necessity of holiness proved from the design of God in sending Jesus Christ, with the ends of his mediation.
IV. We have yet other considerations and arguments to plead unto the same purpose with them foregoing; for one principal end of the design of God in sending his Sooi into the world was, to recover us into a state of holiness, which we had lost : " For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil," 1 John iii. 8. The manifestation of the Son of God was his incarnation, 1 Tim. iii. 16, in order to the work which he had to accomplish in our nature ; and this was, in general, the destruction of the works of the devil ; and among these, the principal was the infecting of our nature and persons with a principle of sin and enmity against God, which was the effect of his temptation. And
CHAP. IV.] god's sending JESUS CHRIST. 629
this is not done but by the introduction of a principle of holiness and obedience. The image of God in us was defaced by sin. The renovation or restoration hereof was one principal design of Christ in his coming. Unless this be done, there is no new world, no new creatures, no restoration of all things, — no one end of the mediation of Christ fully accomplished. And whereas his great and ultimate design was to bring us unto the enjoyment of God, unto his eternal glory, this cannot be before, by grace and holiness, we are "made meet for that inheritance of the saints in light." But we shall consider this matter a little more distinctly.
The exercise of the mediation of Christ is confined unto the limits of his threefold office. Whatever he doth for the church, he doth it as a priest, or as a king, or as a prophet. Now, as these offices agree in all the general ends of his mediation, so they differ in their acts and immediate objects: for their acts, it is plain, — sacerdotal, regal, and prophetical acts and duties, — are of different natures, as the offices themselves are unto which they appertain ; and for their objects, the proper immediate object of the priestly office is God himself, as is evident both from the nature of the office and its proper acts. For as to the nature ot the office, "every priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins," Heb. v. 1. A priest is one who is appointed to deal with God in the behalf of them for whom he exe- cutes his office. And the acts of the priestly office of Christ are two, oblation and intercession, of both which God is the immediate ob- ject. He offered himself unto God, and with him he makes inter- cession. But the immediate object of Christ's kingly and propheti- cal offices are men or the church. As a priest, he acts with God in our name and on our behalf; as a king and prophet, he acts towards us in the name and authority of God.
This being premised, we may consider how each of these offices of Christ hath an influence into holiness, and makes it necessary unto us: —
First, For the priestly office of Christ, all the proper acts of it do immediately respect God himself, as hath been declared ; and, therefore, he doth not by any sacerdotal act immediately and effi- ciently work holiness in us. But the effects of these priestly acts, that is, his oblation and intercession, are of two sorts: — 1. Imme- diate, such as respect God himself; as atonement, reconciliation, satisfaction. In these consist the first and fundamental end of the mediation of Christ. Without a supposition of these all other things are rendered useless. We can neither be sanctified nor saved by him unless sin be first expiated and God atoned. But they are not of our present consideration. 2. The mediate effects of Christ's