68G THE CHAJIBER OF IMAGERY.
ing and cleansing the wLole person may be carried on toward perfec- tion. See 2 Cor. vii. 1 ; 1 Thess. v. 23 ; 1 John iii. 3. And he who is constantly engaged in that work with success, will see the folly and vanity of any other pretended way for the purging of sins, here or hereafter. The consequent of these things is, peace with God; for they are assured pledges of our justification and acceptance mth him, and being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And where this is attained by the gospel, the whole fabric of purgatory falls to the ground ; for it is built on these foundations, that no assurance of the love of God, or of a justified state, can be obtained in this life ; — for if it may be so, there can be no use of purgatory. This, then, will as- suredly keep the souls of believers in a contempt of that, which is nothing but a false relief for sinners, under disquietment of mind for want of peace with God.
Sect. XI. Some other instances of the same abomination I shall yet mention, but Avith more brevity, and sundry others must at pre- sent be passed over without a disco\'ery. It is the known method of gospel faith and obedience, — the way of God's dealing with believers in the covenant of grace, — that, after their initiation and implantation into Christ, they should labour to thrive and grow in grace, by its continual exercise, until they come to be strengthened and confirmed therein} And this, in the ordinary way of God's dealing with the chmxh, they shall never fail of, unless it be through their own ne- glect : for there are many divine promises to this purpose, and it lies in the nature of the things themselves ; for the seeds of grace are of that kind of habits which will be mcreased and strengthened by exer- cise. Wherefore, tliis confirmation in grace is that whereof believers have a blessed experience.
This truth, in general, of an implantation into Christ, and the ensuing confirmation in gi'ace, is universally assented unto ; none can deny it without denying the whole doctrine of the gospel. But the sense and experience of it was lost amongst them of whom we treat ; yet would they not forego the profession of the principle itself, — which would have proclaimed them apostates from the grace of Christ. "Wherefore they formed an image of it, or images of both its distinct parts, which they could manage unto their own ends, and such as the carnal minds of men could readily comply with and rest in. As in the other sacrament they turned the outward signs into the things signified, so in this of baptism, they make it to stand in the stead of the thing itself; which is to make it, if not an idol, yet an image of it. The outward participation of that ordinance with them is re-
' 'i'liis spction was first given in the folio edition of Owen's Sermons and Tracts, ])uljlislied in 1721. It does not appear iu the sermcn as printed in the " Morning K.\ercibe.s." — ICu.
THE CHAMBER OF IMAGERY. 587
generation and implantation into Christ, without any regard unto the internal grace that is signified thereby ; so that which in itself is a sacred figure, is made an image to delude the souls of men.
And that which they would impose in the room of spiritual con- firmation in grace is yet more strange. The image which they set up hereof is episcopal imposition of hands. When one that hath been baptized can answer some few questions out of a catechism, though he be very ignorant, and openly vicious in his conversation, by this laying on of hands he is confirmed in gi'ace.
It may be some will say, there is no great matter, one way or other, in things of this sort ; they may be suffered to pass at what rate they will in this world. I confess I am not so minded. If there be any thmg in them but mere formality and custom, — if they are trusted unto as the things whose names they bear, — they are pernicious unto the souls of men. For if all that are outwardly baptized should thereon judge themselves implanted into Christ, -without regard unto the internal washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost; and all who have had this imposition of hands should, without more ado, suppose themselves confirmed in grace, — they are in the ready way to eternal ruin.
Sect. XII. It is granted among all Christians, that all oiw helps, our relief, our deliverance from sin, Satan, and the world, are from Christ alone.
This is included in all his relations unto the church, — in all his ofiices, and the discharge of them ; and is the express doctrine of the gospel. It is no less generally acknowledged, — at least the Scripture is no less clear and positive on it, — that Ave receive and derive all our supp)lies of relief from Christ by faith: other ways of the participa- tion of any thing from him, the Scripture knoweth not. Wherefore, it is our duty, on all occasions, to apply ourselves unto him by faith, for all supplies, reliefs, and deliverances : but these men can find no life nor power herein ; at least, if they grant that somewhat might be done this way, yet they know not how to do it, being ignorant of the life of faith, and the due exercise of it. They must have a way more ready and easy, exposed to the capacities and abilities of all sorts of persons, good and bad; yea, that will sei-ve the turn of the worst of men unto these ends. An image, therefore, must be set up for com- mon use, instead of this spiritual application unto Christ for relief; and this is the makins; of the sign of the cross. Let a man hut make the sign of the cross on his forehead, his breast, or the like, — which he may as easily do as take up or cast av/ay a straw, — and there is no more required to engage Christ unto his assistance at any time. And the virtues which they ascribe hereunto are innumerable. But this also is an idol, a teacher of Hes, invented and set up for no other