it as a very great stain to their profession, whatever else it be: and by this rule would I have my own ways examined.

2. Truth is another grace, another part of holiness, of the same import and nature. Truth is used in the Scripture for uprightness and integrity,-"Thou requirest truth in the inward parts," Ps. li. 6, -and frequently for the doctrine of truth, as of God revealed and by us believed. But that which I intend is only what is enjoined us by the apostle, namely, in all things to "speak the truth in love," Eph. iv. 15. Our apostasy from God was eminently from him as the God of truth; by an opposition to which attribute we sought to dethrone him from his glory. We would not believe that his word was truth. And sin entered into the world by and with a long train of lies; and ever since, the whole world, and every thing in it, is filled with them; which represents him and his nature who is the father of lies and liars. Hereby doth it visibly and openly continue in its apostasy from the God of truth. I could willingly stay to manifest how the whole world is corrupted, depraved, and sullied by lies of all sorts, but I must not divert thereunto. Wherefore, truth and sincerity in words,--for that at present I must confine myself unto,-is an effect of the renovation of the image of God in us, and a representation of him to the world. No duty is more frequently pressed upon us: "Put away false speaking;" "Lie not one to another;" "Speak the truth in love." And the consideration hereof is exceeding necessary unto all those who by their course of life are engaged in trading; and that both because of the disreputation which by the evil practices of some, of many (that I say not of the most), is cast upon that course of life, and also because failures in truth are apt a thousand ways to insinuate themselves into the practices of such persons, yea, when they are not aware thereof. "It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer, but when he goeth away he boasteth;" and "It is good, it is good, saith the seller, but when he hath sold it he boasteth," or is well pleased with the advantage which he hath made by his words. But these things have the image of Satan upon them, and are most opposite to the God of truth. Another occasion must be taken farther to press this necessary duty; only at present, I do but intimate that where truth is not universally observed, according to the utmost watchfulness of sincerity and love, there all other marks and tokens of the image of God in any persons are not only sullied but defaced, and the representation of Satan is most prevalent. And these things I could not but add, as naturally consequential unto that first principal argument for the necessity of holiness which we have proposed and insisted on.

Having despatched this first argument, and added unto it some especial improvements with respect unto its influence into our prac

tice, it remains only that we free it from one objection, which it seems exposed unto. Now, this ariseth from the consideration of the infinite grace, mercy, and love of God, as they are proposed in the dispensation of the word; for it may be said unto us, and like enough it will, considering the frame of men's minds in the days wherein we live, "Do not you yourselves, who thus press unto holiness, and the necessity of it, from the consideration of the nature of God, preach unto us every day the greatness of his mercy towards all sorts of sinners, his readiness to receive them, his willingness to pardon them, and that freely in Christ, without the consideration of any worth, merit, or righteousness of their own? And do you not herein invite all sorts of sinners, the worst and the greatest, to come unto him by Christ, that they may be pardoned and accepted? Whence, then, can arise any argument for the necessity of holiness from the consideration of the nature of this God, whose inestimable treasures of grace, and the freedom of whose love and mercy towards sinners, no tongue, as you say, can express?"

Ans. 1. This objection is very natural unto carnal and unbelieving minds, and therefore we shall meet with it at every turn. There is nothing seems more reasonable unto them than that we may live in sin because grace hath abounded. If men must yet be holy, they can see no need nor use of grace; and they cannot see that God is gracious to any purpose, if notwithstanding men may perish because they are not holy. But this objection is raised, rejected, and condemned by our apostle, in whose judgment we may acquiesce, Rom. vi. 1; and in the same place he subjoins the reasons why, notwithstanding the superabounding grace of God in Christ, there is an indispensable necessity that all believers should be holy.

2. God himself hath obviated this objection. He proclaims his name, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7, "The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Had he stood here, and neither in this nor in any other place of Scripture farther declared his nature and unchangeable purposes concerning sinners, some colour might have been laid on this objection. But he adds immediately, "and that will by no means clear the guilty,”that is, as it is explained in places of Scripture innumerable, such as go on in their sins, without regard unto obedience and holiness springing from the atonement made for their guilty souls in the blood of Christ.

3. We do, we ought to declare the rich and free love, grace, mercy, and bounty of God unto sinners in and by Jesus Christ. And woe unto us if we should not be found in that work all our days, and thereby encourage all sorts of sinners to come unto him for the free pardon of their sins, "without money or price," without merit

or desert on their part! for this is the gospel. But notwithstanding all this grace and condescension, we declare that he doth not dethrone himself, nor deny himself, nor change his nature, nor become unholy, that we may be saved. He is God still, naturally and essentially holy,-holy as he is in Christ, reconciling the sinful world unto himself, and therefore indispensably requires that those whom he pardons, receives, accepts into his love and communion with himself, should be holy also. And these things are not only consistent but inseparable. Without the consideration of this grace in God, we can have no encouragement to be holy; and without the necessity of holiness in us, that grace can neither be glorified nor useful.

CHAPTER II.

ETERNAL ELECTION A CAUSE OF AND MOTIVE UNTO HOLINESS.

Other arguments for the necessity of holiness, from God's eternal election-The argument from thence explained, improved, vindicated.

WE have seen, upon the whole matter, what conclusions (as unto our own duty) we ought to draw from that revelation of the nature of God in Christ which is made unto us, and our relation unto him. If we are not thereby prevailed on always, in all instances of obedience, to endeavour to be holy universally, in all manner of holy conversation, we neither can enjoy his favour here nor be brought unto the enjoyment of him in glory hereafter.

That consideration which usually we take of God next after his nature and the properties of it, is of the eternal free acts of his will, or his decrees and purposes; and we shall now inquire what respect they have unto holiness in us, what arguments and motives may be taken from them to evince the necessity of it unto us and to press us thereunto, especially from the decree of election, which in an especial manner is by some traduced as no friend to this design. I say, then, that,

II. It is the eternal and immutable purpose of God, that all who are his in a peculiar manner, all whom he designs to bring unto blessedness in the everlasting enjoyment of himself, shall antecedently thereunto be made holy. This purpose of his God hath declared unto us, that we may take no wrong measures of our estate and condition, nor build hopes or expectations of future glory on sandy foundations that will fail us. Whatever we are else, in parts, abilities, profession, moral honesty, usefulness unto others, reputation in the church, if we are not personally, spiritually, evangelically

holy, we have no interest in that purpose or decree of God whereby any persons are designed unto salvation and glory. And this we shall briefly confirm:

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Eph. i. 4, "He hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." But is this that which firstly and principally we are ordained unto, and that for its own sake,-namely, holiness and unblamableness in the obedience of love? No; we are firstly "ordained to eternal life," Acts xiii. 48; we are "from the beginning chosen to salvation," 2 Thess. ii. 13. That which God, in the first place, intends as his end in the decree of election is our eternal salvation, to the praise of the glory of his grace," Eph. i. 5, 6, 11. How, then, is he said to "choose us that we should be holy?" in what sense is our holiness proposed as the design of God in election? It is as the indispensable means for the attaining of the end of salvation and glory. "I do," saith God, "choose these poor lost sinners to be mine in an especial manner, to save them by my Son, and bring them, through his mediation, unto eternal glory. But in order hereunto, I do purpose and decree that they shall be holy and unblamable in the obedience of love; without which, as a means, none shall ever attain that end." Wherefore, the expectation and hope of any man for life and immortality and glory, without previous holiness, can be built on no other foundation but this, that God will rescind his eternal decrees and change his purposes,—that is, cease to be God,―merely to comply with them in their sins! And who knows not what will be the end of such a cursed hope and expectation? The contrary is seconded by that of the apostle, Rom. viii. 30, “Whom he did predestinate, them he also called." Wherever predestination unto glory goes before concerning any person, there effectual vocation unto faith and holiness infallibly ensues; and where these never were, the other never was. So 2 Thess. ii. 13, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit." Chosen we are unto salvation by the free, sovereign grace of God. this salvation be actually obtained? how may we be brought into the actual possession of it? Through the sanctification of the Spirit, and no otherwise. Whom God doth not sanctify and make holy by his Spirit, he never chose unto salvation from the beginning. The counsels of God, therefore, concerning us do not depend on our holiness; but upon our holiness our future happiness depends in the counsels of God.

But how may

Hence we may see wherein lies the force of the argument for the necessity of holiness from God's decree of election; and it consists in these two things:

First, That such is the nature of the unalterable decree of God in

this matter, that no person living can ever attain the end of glory and happiness without the means of grace and holiness; the same eternal purpose respecteth both. I shall afterward show how the infallible and indissolvable connection of these things is established by the law of God. Our present argument is from hence, that it is fixed by God's eternal decree. He hath ordained none to salvation, but he hath ordained them antecedently to be holy. Not the least infant that goes out of this world shall come to eternal rest unless it be sanctified, and so made habitually and radically holy. He chooseth none to salvation but through the sanctification of the Spirit. As, therefore, whatever else we have or may seem to have, it is contrary to the nature of God that we should come to the enjoyment of him if we are not holy, so it is contrary to his eternal and unchangeable decree also.

Secondly, It ariseth from hence, that we can have no evidence of our interest in God's decree of election, whereby we are designed unto life and glory, without holiness effectually wrought in us. Wherefore, as our life depends upon it, so do all our comforts. To this purpose speaks our apostle, 2 Tim. ii. 19, "The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his." It is the decree of election which he intends, and he proposeth it as that alone which will give security against apostasy in a time of great temptations and trials; as our Saviour doth likewise, Matt. xxiv. 24. Every thing else will fail but what is an especial fruit and effect of this decree. What, therefore, is incumbent on us with respect thereunto, that we may know we have an interest in this single security against final apostasy? Saith the apostle, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." There is no other way to come unto an evidence thereof but by a departure from all iniquity, by universal holiness. So the apostle Peter directs us to "give all diligence to make our election sure," 2 Pet. i. 10. Sure it is in itself from all eternity,-"The foundation of God standeth sure,"--but our duty it is to make it sure and certain unto ourselves; and this is a thing of the highest importance and concernment unto us, whence we are required to give all diligence unto that end. How, then, may this be done or effected? This he declares in the foregoing verses, and it is only by finding in ourselves and duly exercising that train of gospel grace and duties which he there enumerates, verses 5-9.

It is evident, therefore, and necessary from God's decree of election, that if we intend either eternal glory hereafter or any consolation or assurance here, we must endeavour to be "holy and without blame before him in love;" for whomsoever God purposeth to save, he purposeth first to sanctify. Neither have we any ground to

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