' Isa. vi. 3 ; Josh. xxiv. 19 ; Rev. xv. 4 ; Exod. iii. 14 ; Deut. xxxii. 4 ; Isa. xl. 28, xli. 4, xliii. 10, xliv. 6, xlviii. 12 ; Rev. i. 4, 17; Mai. iii. 6 ; James i. 17 ; 1 Sam. xv. 29; Gen. i. 26; Matt. xix. 17; Eccles. \ii. 29; Ileb. vii. 25; Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27; Isa. iv. 3, 4 ; Rom. vi. 4-6 ; Eph. iv. 22-24.
I.] HOLINESS IN ITS SEVERAL ACCEPTATIONS. 89
the holiness of these is either complete, as it is with the spirits of just men made perfect ; or inchoate and begun only, as with the residue of sanctified ones in this life. The certain perseverance of the for- mer in their present condition being not directly opposed by any, though the foundation of it be attempted by some, we have no need as yet to engage in the defence of it. These latter are said to be sanctified or holy two ways, upon the twofold account of the use of the word in the Scripture; for, —
First, some persons, as well as things, are said to be holy, especi- ally in the Old Testament and in the Epistle to the Hebrews, almost constantly using the terms of sanctifying and sanctified in a legal or temple signification, in reference unto their being separated from the residue of men with relation to God and his worship, or being consecrated and dedicated peculiarly to the performance of any part of his will, or distinct enjoyment of any portion of his mercy.^ Thus the ark was said to be holy, and the altar holy ; the temple was holy, and all the utensils of it, with the vestments of its officers. So the whole people of the Jews were said to be holy. The particular re- spects of covenant, worship, separation, law, mercy, and the like, upon which this denomination of holiness and saintship was given unto them and did depend, are known to all. Yea, persons inhe- rently unclean, and personally notoriously wicked, in respect of their designment to some outward work, which by them God will bring about, are said to be sanctified. Distinguishing gifts, with designation to some distinct employment, are a bottom for this appellation, though their gifts may be recalled, and the employment taken from them, Isa. xiii. 3. We confess perseverance not to be a proper and inseparable adjunct of this subject, nor to belong unto such persons, as such; though they may have a right to it, it is upon another ac- count. Yet, in the pursuit of this business, it will appear that many of our adversaries' arguments smite these men only, and prove that such as they may be totally rejected of God; which none ever denied.
Again ; the word is used in an evangelical sense, for inward purity and real holiness: whence some are said to be holy, and that also two ways; for either they are so really and in the truth of the thing itself, or in estimation only, and that either of themselves or others. That many have accounted themselves to be holy, and been pure in their own eyes, who yet were never washed from their iniquity, and have thereupon cried peace to themselves, I suppose needs no prov- ing. It is the case of thousands in the world at this day. They think themselves holy, they profess themselves holy; and our adver- saries prove (none gainsaying) that such as these may backslide from what they have and what they seem to have, and so perish under
1 Exod. xxviii. 36, 38 ; Lev. v. 15; Ezek. xxii. 8 ; Heb. ii. 11, x. 10 ; Jolin xvii. 19.
90 DOCTRINE OF THE SAINTS' PERSEVERANCE. [CHAP.
the sin of apostasy.^ Again, some are said to be holy upon the score of their being so in the esteem of others ; which was and is the con- dition of many false hypocrites in the churches of Christ, both primi- tive and modern ; — like them who are said to " believe in Christ," upon the account of the profession they made so to do, yet he would not " trust himself with them, because he knew what was in them." Such were Judas, Simon Magus, and simdry others, of whom these things are spoken, which they professed of themselves, and were bound to answer, and which others esteemed to be in them. These some labour with all their strength to make true believers, that so they may cast the stumbling-block of their apostasy in the way of the saints of God closing with the truth we have in hand.^ But for such as these we are no advocates; let them go to their " own place," according to the tenor of the arguments levied against them from Heb. vL 4-6, 2 Pet. ii. 1, etc., and other places.
Moreover, of those who are said to believe, and to be holy really and in the truth of the thing itself, there are two sorts : First, such as, having received sundry common gifts and graces of the Spirit, — as illumination of the mind, change of affections, and thence amend- ment of life, with sorrow of the world, legal repentance, temporary faith, and the like, which are all true and real in their kind, — do thereby become vessels in the great house of God, being changed as to their use, though not in their nature, continuing stone and wood still, though hewed and turned to the serviceableness of vessels ; and on that account they are frequently termed saints and beHevers. On such as these there is a lower (and in some a subordinate) work of the Spirit, effectually producing in and on all the faculties of their souls somewhat that is true, good, and usefid in itself, answering in some likeness and suitableness of operation unto the great work of regene- ration, which faileth not. There is in them light, love, joy, faith, zeal, obedience, etc., all true in their kinds; which make many of them in whom they are do worthily in their generation : howbeit they attain not to the faith of God's elect, neither doth Christ live in them, nor is the life which they lead by the faith of the Son of God, as shall hereafter be fully declared.^ If ye now cashier these from the roll of those saints and believers about whom we contend, seeing tliat tliey are nowhere said to be united to Christ, quickened and justified, partakers of the first resurrection, accepted of God, etc., ye do al- most put an issue to the whole controversy, and at once overturn