DISCOURSE XXX. Ro M. XV. 16. 16. latter I Being fanctify'd by the Holy Ghost. Shew'd in my laft, the Nature and End of the great Work of our Redemption, which is peculiarly afcrib'd to God the Son, the Second Perfon in the Holy Trinity I come now, In the third place, to what the Creed teaches us to believe concerning God the Holy Ghoft, the Third Perfon in the ever-bleffed Trinity; and that is, That he fanctified me, and all the Elect People of God. Where, as Creation was before particularly attributed to God the Father, and Redemption to God the Son; fo is Sanctification made the proper Work and Office of the Holy Ghoft: And this is Confirm'd to us by the Words of our Text, in which we are exprefly faid to be fanctify'd by the Holy Ghost. In treating whereof, 'twill be requifite to fhew, First, The Nature of Sanctification, or what it is to be fanctified. Secondly, That 'tis the peculiar Office of the Holy Ghoft thus to fanctify. Thirdly, The Perfons whom he is faid to fanctify, and they are, Me, and all the Elect People of God. I begin, First, With the Nature of Sanctification, or what it is to fanctify. In answer to which, we must know, that to fanctify, in general, is to make holy: And according to the divers kinds of Holinefs, there are different Notions and Degrees of Sanctification. For the clearing whereof, we muit obferve and diftinguish a twofold Holinels: The one Eternal and Relative: and this is apply'd to Times, Places, Perfons and Things, all which are in Scripture fometimes term'd Holy. The other is Internal and Inherent; and this relates only to Perfons inwardly renew'd in their Minds, as we fhall fee after. 1. I fay, There is an External and Relative Holiness, which confifts in the relation that things bear to God and their dedication to him; for whatfover any way appertains or refers to God, who is the Fountain of all Holiness, may, and is for that reafon term'd Holy. Thus Times may be faid to be Holy, by being confecrated to his Service: So we are bid to fanctify the Sabbath, and remember to keep it Holy. Thus Places are call'd Holy, by being fet apart to Holy Ufes; for which Reason the Temple, the Church or House of God, is in Scripture often call'd the Sanctuary or the Holy Place. Perfons likewife are call'd Holy for their Relation to God and Attendance upon his Service. So the Priests or Minifters of God are ftyl'd Holy for waiting at his Altar; yea, the Veffels and Utenfils of the Temple are fo ftyl'd for being us'd in his Service, and confecrated for that end. But this Sanctification adding no inward or real Holiness to the things themselves, which are ftyld Holy, merely by External Denomination, by being separated from common Ufes, and devoted to Divine and Religious Purposes; falls not under our prefent Confideration. There is therefore, 2. An Internal and Inherent Holiness, and that confifts in the renewing our Natures, by enlightning our Minds, and rectifying our Wills and Affections, and purging the whole Man from all inordinate and corrupt Inclinations. To fanctify in this fenfe, is to purify our Hearts by Faith, to work Grace in us, and to renew us throughout in Body, Soul and Spirit; and this is the Sanctification here meant, both in our Text and Catechifm: 'tis what St. Paul pray'd for in the behalf of the Theffalonians, That the God of Peace would fanctify them wholly, and preferve them blameless to the coming of the Lord Jesus; 1 Theff. 5. 23. This is the Holinefs fo often commanded and prefs'd upon us in Holy Scripture, where we are bid to follow Peace and Holiness, without which no Man fhall fee the Lord; Heb. 12. 14. and to be holy, as he that hath called us is holy, in all manner of Converfation and Godliness; 1 Pet. 1. 15. The working of which Grace and Holinefs within us is that which is here exprefs'd by Sanctification. And this is here attributed to the Third Perfon in the Bleffed Trinity, and made the proper Work and Office of the Holy Ghoft; for our Text and Catechifm tellus, that we are fanctified by the Holy Ghost. And indeed, the Scripture every where afcribes the renewing of our Natures, and working Grace in our A a 2 Hearts, Hearts, to the Influence and Operation of the Holy Ghost, call'd therefore the Holy Spirit: not only for his own effential Holinefs, which he hath in common with the other Perfons of the Trinity but becaufe his Office is to infuse Holiness into us, and fanctify thofe that come unto God by Chrift. "Tis true, God the Father is fometimes faid to fanctify us, 1 Theff. 5. 25. And God the Son is faid to be made unto us Sanctification, as well as Redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30. But both thefe work and act by the Holy Spirit, who alone gives Grace and Holinefs to us, and fanctifies our whole Spirit, Soul and Bedy, with all the Powers and Faculties of each; enlightning our Minds with the knowledge of God, and renewing our Wills and Affections, by turning them from all Evil, and inclining them to that which is Good: all which are owing to the gracious and efficacious Motions of the Holy Spirit, Hence we are faid to be fealed by the Spirit to the day of Redemption, Eph. 4. 30. And by this Seal of Divine Grace, the Lord knoweth who are bis ; 2 Tim. 2. 19. But Secondly, How is the Holy Ghoft faid to fanctify us? Why, this he is in Scripture faid to do by the Word and Sacraments. As, 1. By the Waters of Baptifm he wafhes away the Pollution and Defilement of our corrupt Nature, and prefents us pure as the Children of God. This our Saviour ftyles a being born again of Water and the Holy Ghost; and tells us, That without it we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, John 3. 5. St. Peter tells us, that as Noah and his Family were faved by Water (that is, by its bearing up the Ark that preferv'd them) fo Baptifm now also faveth us, by bringing us into the Ark of Chrift's Church, as the means of our Salvation: And this it doth not by putting away the Filth of the Flef, but by the inward wafhing and cleanfing of the Soul reprefented by it, ftyl'd by St. Peter, the answer of a good Confcience towards God, by the Refurrection of Fefus Christ, 1 Pet. 3, 21. To the fame purpofe fpeaks St. Paul; By his Mercy be faveth us by the wafbing of Regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit. 3. 5. where Baptifm is made the Laver of Regenerarion, by the renewing of the Holy Spirit that accompanies it. The fame Apoftle fpeaking to the Corinthians of the Miseries of the Heathen State and the happy Change that was made in them, them, fuch were fome of you, but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified, tells EXPOSITION OF THE SECOND PART OF THE Church-Catechism: CONTAINING The DECALOGUE, OR TEN COMMANDMENTS, Matth. 19. 17. If thou wilt enter into Life, keep the Commandments. Printed in the Year M.DCC,XXXI. Bb 2 THE PREFACE. G OD Almighty that made the World, hath the fole Right to command and govern it: to which end, it was expedient for him to give Laws to bis Greatures, to direct them in their Duty, and to fet them their bounds, which they should not pass. And because there is no doing our Mafter's Will without knowing it, 'twas likewife neceffary that he should publish bis Mind to the World, and give Mankind the Knowledge of bis Laws. Accordingly our great Creator hath given us a Law, engraven at first upon the Tables of the Heart, and after, upon two Tables of Stone, as a lafting Monument of his Care, and a standing Rule of our Lives and Actions: this Law is Sum'd up for us in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, which contain the whole of our Duty both to God and Man; and coming from him, who is Wisdom and Truth itself, must needs be (as the Apostle Styles it) Holy, Juft and Good. 'Twas first given by Mofes to the Jews only, who were a peculiar People, to whom alone pertain'd the Adoption, the giving of the Law, and the Promises: But was fince enlargd and given to all Chriftians by our Blessed Saviour, who refin'd it from all corrupt Interpretations, and explain'd it to a stricter and more fpiritual Senfe than was everknown before. But tho the knowledge of the Law be highly useful and necessary, yet that alone is not fufficient to Salvation without the |