his power, to serve him, as well as to be saved by him; and which is resigned to all the dispensations of divine providence: the affections are made spiritual, holy, and heavenly; from whence springs a cheerful obedience to the commands of God and Christ: and the mind and conscience, which were defiled with sin, are purged from dead works to serve the living God.-2. The body also is influenced by sanctifying grace. As, though the heart is the principal seat of sin, out of which all manner of wickedness flows, and spreads itself, not only over the powers and faculties of the soul, but also over the members of the body; so that there is no part nor place clean: thus, though the soul is the principal seat of sanctification, yet it diffuses its influence, as over all the powers of the soul, so over all the members of the body; its sensual appetite and carnal lusts are checked and restrained by sanctifying grace; so that sin reigns not in our mortal bodies, as to obey the lusts thereof, and to yield our members, as instruments of unrighteousness, unto sin, Rom. vi. 12, 13.

III. The causes of sanctification, by whom it is effected, from whence it springs, and by what means it is carried on, and at last finished.— 1. The efficient cause is God, Father, Son, and Spirit. Sometimes it is ascribed to the Father, the God of all grace, who will make us perfect, perfectly holy; the very God of peace, with whom we have peace, through Christ, will sanctify us wholly; the Father, on whom we call, the Father of Christ, and of us, says, Be ye holy, as I am holy, and who only can make us so, 1 Pet. i. 16. And Christ is not only our sanctification, but our sanctifier; He that sanctifieth is Christ, and they who are sanctified are his chosen and redeemed ones; and these are all of one, Heb. ii. 11; of one and of the same nature, he partakes of their nature, and they are made partakers of his; all that holiness which they have, they have from him; from that fulness of it which is in him. Though this work of sanctification is more commonly ascribed to the Holy Spirit, who is therefore called, the Spirit of holiness; not only from his own nature, but from his being the author of holiness in the hearts of God's people, and which is therefore called, the sanctification of the Spirit; it is he that begins, and carries on, and finishes this work; every grace is from him, faith, hope, and love, and every other; and which are supported and maintained, and drawn forth into exercise, and brought to perfection by him.-2. The moving cause, is the grace and good-will of God, the same grace which moved God to choose any to holiness, moves him to work it in them; the same grace which moved him to send his Son into the world to redeem men, moves him to send his Spirit into their hearts to sanctify them: the same great love, and abundant mercy, that moves him to regenerate and quicken them, moves him to sanctify them as of his own good-will he begets them again, it is of his own good-will that he sanctifies them; This is the will of God, not only his will of precept, and his approving will; but the purpose and counsel of his will, what flows from his sovereign will; even your sanctification, 1 Thess. iv. 3. The state and condition of the people of God, before their sanctification, clearly shows that it must arise, not from any merit or motive in them; but

from the free-favour and good-will of God, 1 Cor. vi. 9-11.-3. The instrumental cause, or means, is the word of God; both the written word, the scriptures, which are holy scriptures; the author holy, the matter holy, and, when attended with a divine power and influence, are the means of making men holy, and of fitting and furnishing them for every good work; and also the word preached, when accompanied with the same power; Faith comes by hearing, and is increased thereby: the doctrines of the gospel are according to godliness; and with a divine blessing, influence both the heart and life to godliness and holiness; the ordinances are made and continued, for the perfecting of the saints, for the carrying on, and perfecting the work of holiness in them; and various providences of God, even afflictive ones, are designed of God, and are means, in his hand, of making his people more and more partakers of his holiness, Heb. xii. 10; of this use afflictions were to holy David, Psalm exix. 67, 71.

IV. The adjuncts or properties of sanctification.

1. It is imperfect in the present state, though it will most certainly be made perfect; where the work is begun it will be performed: sanctification in Christ is perfect, but sanctification in the saints themselves is imperfect; it is perfect with respect to parts, but not with respect to degrees. Sanctification, as a principle, which is the new creature, or new man, has all his parts; though these are not grown up to the measure of the fulness of the stature of Christ, as they will do; where there is one grace, there is every grace, though none perfect; there is a comparative perfection in the saints, when compared with what they themselves once were, and others are; and when compared even with other saints, for one saint may have a greater degree of grace and holiness than another; let us therefore, as many as be perfect; and yet the greatest of those was not absolutely perfect, even the apostle himself, who so said, Phil. iii. 12, 17; all the saints may be said to be perfect, as perfection denotes sincerity and truth; so their faith, though imperfect, is unfeigned; their hope is without hypocrisy, and their love without dissimulation; but otherwise sanctification in the best of men is imperfect; this appears,-1. From the continual wants of the saints; they are always poor and needy, as David says of himself; which could not be true of him as to things temporal, but as to things spiritual: the best of saints continually stand in need of more grace to oppose sin, resist temptations, perform duty, and persevere in faith and holiness; the grace of God is sufficient for them, but then that must be daily communicated to them; God has promised to supply, and he does supply all their need, as it returns upon them: but then it cannot be said that they are perfect and entire, wanting nothing; since they are continually in want of more grace.-2. This appears from their disclaiming perfection in themselves, and their desires after it. Job, David, the apostle Paul, and others, have in express words declared they were not perfect, nor thought themselves so, but far from it; and yet expressed strong desires after it which showed they had it not; the apostle Paul has fully set forth both in those words of his, Not as though I had already attained, &c. Phil. iii.

12-14.-3. That Sanctification is imperfect, is abundantly manifest from indwelling sin in the saints, and the sad effects of it; the apostle Paul speaks of sin dwelling in him, Rom. vii. 18; and John says, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 1 John i. 8; and the experience of the saints in all ages testifies the same: this is clear from their ingenuous confessions of sin, such as made by Jacob, David, Isaiah, Daniel, and others; from their groans and complaints under the weight of sin, as a heavy burden, too heavy to bear; from the continual war in them between flesh and the spirit, the law in their members and the law in their minds; from their prayers for the manifestation of the pardon of their sins, and for cleansing from them, and to be kept from the commission of them; from the many slips and falls which the best are subject to in one way or another; and from backwardness to duty, remissness in it, and that coldness and lukewarmness which too often attend it.-4. This is also evident from the several parts of sanctification, and the several graces of which it consists, being imperfect. Faith is imperfect; there are deficiencies in faith to be made up; the best of saints have had them, and their failings in the exercise of that grace have been manifest, as in Abraham, Peter, and others; and they have been sensible of their imperfection in it, as the apostles of Christ were when they said, Lord increase our faith, or add to it, Luke xvii. 5; hope sometimes is so low as that it seems to be perished from the Lord, and only the mouth is put in the dust with an if so be there may be hope, Lam. iii. 18. Love, however warm and fervent at first, remits and abates; its ardour is left, though that is not lost; the love of many waxes cold. Spiritual, experimental, sanctified knowledge is but in part, and will remain so until that which is perfect is come.

II. Though sanctification is imperfect, it is progressive, it is going on gradually till it comes to perfection; this is clear from the characters of the saints, who are first as little children, infants new-born; are in a state of childhood, and by degrees come to be young men, strong and robust, and overcome the evil one, and at length are fathers in Christ, 1 John ii. 13, 14; and from the similes by which the work of grace is illustrated; as that in general by seed sown in the earth, which springs up first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear; and faith in particular by a grain of mustard-seed, which when first sown is small, the least of all seeds, but when it grows up, it becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so spiritual light and knowledge at first is very dim and obscure, like the sight that the man had whose eyes Christ opened; first he saw men like trees walking, and after that all things clearly; so the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day, Prov. iv. 18; there is such a thing as growing in grace, in the grace of faith, and abounding in hope and love, and increasing in the knowledge of divine things; which there would be no room for, if sanctification was perfect. Yet,

III. Though it is imperfect, it will certainly be perfected; grace in the soul is a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life: it

is always running to, and will issue in eternal life: it is certain, from election and redemption, the ends whereof would not be answered, if this was not completed; and from its being the work of the holy Spirit, who having begun it, will finish it; he is a rock, and his work is perfect having undertaken it, he will not leave it till it is done; and when he works, none can let; he will perfect that which concerneth his saints, and will fulfil the good pleasure of his will in them, and the work of faith, with power.

IV. Sanctification is absolutely necessary to salvation. It is necessary to the saints, as an evidence of their election and redemption; this is the closing work of grace, and is the evidence of all that goes before. It is necessary to church-fellowship, to the communion of saints in a social manner. Members of churches are described as holy brethren, saints, and faithful in Christ Jesus, and none are meet to be admitted among them but such who are so; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? &c., 2 Cor. vi. 14-16. Sanctification is necessary as a meetness for heaven; for the inheritance of the saints in light; without regeneration, in which sanctification is begun, no man shall see, nor enter, into the kingdom of God. It is absolutely necessary for the beatific vision of God in a future state; Without holiness no man shall see the Lord; but being possessed of that, they shall see him, and enjoy uninterrupted communion with him for ever. To say no more, it is necessary for the work of heaven, which is singing songs of praise; songs of electing, redeeming, regenerating, calling, and persevering grace; how can unholy persons join with the saints in such work and service as this? yea, it would be irksome and disagreeable to themselves, could they be admitted to it, and were capable of it; neither of which can be allowed.

OF THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS.

THE doctrine of the saints' final perseverance in grace to glory, is next to be considered; which is, that those who are truly regenerated, effectually called, and really converted, and internally sanctified by the Spirit and grace of God, shall persevere in grace to the end, and shall be everlastingly saved; or shall never finally and totally fall, so as to perish everlastingly. This truth may be confirmed.

I. From various passages of scripture, which clearly hold it forth and assert it; it is written as with a sunbeam in the sacred writings; and to give the whole compass of the proof of it, which they will admit, would be to transcribe great part of the Bible. I shall only therefore select some passages, both out of the Old and New Testament, which fully express it.

1. Job. chap. xvii. 9; The righteous also shall hold on his way; and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger! By the righteous man is meant one that is made truly righteous, by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him, and which he receives by faith; in consequence of which he lives soberly and righteously and by his way is meant,

Christ the way; in whom he walks as he has received him, as the Lord his righteousness. And it is promised, he shall hold on in this his way; which is opposed to going back, turning aside, and standing still; if he went back, or apostatized, or turned either to the right hand or the left, or was at a full stop, he could not be said to go on; and if he goes on, he must persevere; and though he meets with discouragements in the way, from sin, and Satan, and the world, yet he goes on; and though he may slip and slide, and stumble, and even fall; yet as the traveller, when this is his case, gets up again and pursues his journey; so the believer rises again in the strength of Christ in whom he walks, and in the exercise of faith and repentance; and still goes on his way, rejoicing in Christ his righteousness and strength; to which his going on is owing, and not to his own conduct, power, and strength. As hands are an emblem of action, by clean hands are meant a holy, upright walk and conversation, arising from an inward principle of grace in the heart; as appears by comparing Psalm xv. 1, 2, with Psalm xxiv. 3, 4; and such a man who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, though he may have but little strength, yet he has some, which is here supposed; and as he wants more, to resist temptations, oppose corruptions, exercise grace, and perform duty, he shall have more, be stronger and stronger, as here promised: God will, and does, give power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength, and renews their strength, so that they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint, and consequently persevere to the end; yea, the way of the Lord itself is strength unto them; as they walk in it, they become stronger and stronger, and go from strength to strength, till they appear before God in Zion above, Psalm lxxxiv. 5-7. Now if the righteous shall hold on his way, he must persevere; and if the good man shall be stronger and stronger, he must endure to the end, and be saved; or otherwise, he would become weaker and weaker, until he had no strength at all; and then how would this promise be fulfilled?

11. Another passage of scripture proving the saints' final perseverance, is Psalm xciv. 14, For the Lord will not cast off his people, &c., the Lord's people are his special and peculiar people, whom he has loved, chosen, redeemed, and called, his fore-known people; these he never casts off, casts out, nor casts away, Rom. xi. 2, though he may seem to do so; and they may think he has, when he does not immediately arise for their help in distress; and when he withdraws his presence, or afflicts them, or suffers them to be afflicted by others, which seems to be their case in this Psalm; and for their comfort these words are said, God does not cast off, at least for ever, as unbelief sometimes suggests; he never casts them off, nor casts them out from being in his sight; for they are engraven on the palms of his hands ; nor from being on his heart, for they are set as a seal there; nor from a place in his house, for being sons they always abide there; and whoever casts them off, or casts out their names as evil, he never will; so far from it, that he takes the utmost delight and complacency in them; grants them nearness to himself, and expresses the strongest affection