not like the fulness of a veffel, which only retains what is poured into it; but it is the fulness of a fountain for diffufion aod communication, which is always fending forth its water, and yet is always full. The Spirit of Chrift, that spiritual fap which is in the flock, and from thence is communicate to the branches, is the Spirit of grace, Zech xii 10. And where the Spirit of grace dwells, there will be found a complication of all graces. Holiness is no one grace only, but all the graces of the spirit: it is a conftellation of graces; it is all the graces in their feed and root. And as the fap conveyed from the stock into the branch, goes thro' it, and thro' every part of it; fo the spirit of God fanctifies the whole man. The poison of fin was diffufed through the whole fpirit, foul and body of the man; and fanctifying grace purfues it into every corner, 1 Theff. v. 23. Every part of the man is fanctified, though no part is perfectly fo. The truth we are fanctified by, is not held in the head, as in a prifon: but runs, with its fanctifying influences, through heart and life. There are indeed fome graces in every believer, which appear as top branches above the reft: as meekness, in Mofes, patience in Job: but feeing there is in every child of God, a holy principle going along with the holy law, in all the parts thereof, loving, liking, and approving of it; as appears from their univerfal refpect to the commands of God: it is evedient they are endued with all the graces of the Spirit; because there can be no more in the effect, than there was in the cause.

Now, this fanctifying Spirit, whereof believers partake, is unto them, (1.) A Spirit of mortification. Through the Spirit they mortify the deeds of the body, Rom viii 13. Sin is crucified in them, Gal.v 24. They are planted together) namely, with Chrift) in the likeness of his death, which was a lingering death, Rom. vi. 5 Sin in the faint, tho' not quite dead, yet is dying. If it were dead, it would be taken down from the crofes and buried out of his fight. but, it hangs there as yet, working and ftruggling under its mortal wounds. Lock, as when a tree is got fuch a stroke as reaches the heaart of it, all the leaves and branches thereof beng to fade and decay: fo, when the fanctifying Spirit comes, and breaks the power of fin, there is a gradual cea hing from it, and dying to it, in the whole man; so that he

no longer lives in the flesh to the lufts of men. He does not make fin his trade and bufinefs; it is not his great defign to feek himfelf, and to fatisfy his corrupt inclinations: but he is for Immanuel's land: and is walking in the high way to it, the way, which is called, The way of holiness: though the wind from hell, that was on his back before, blows now full in his face, makes his travelling uneafy, and often drives him off the high way (2) This Spirit is a fpirit of vivifi cation to them, for he is the Spirit of life, and makes them live unto righteousness, Ezek. xxxvi 27.' And I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe you to walk in my ftatutes.' Thefe that have been planted together, with Chrift, in the ⚫ likeness of his death, shall also be in the likeness of his refurrection,' Rom. vi. 5. At Chrift's refurrection, when his foul was re-united with his body, every member of that bleffed body was enabled again to perform all the actions of life: fo, the foul being influenced by the fanctifying Spirit of Chrift, is enabled more and more to perform all the actions of fpiritual life. And as the whole of the law, and not fome fcraps of it only, is written on the holy heart; fo be lievers are enabled to tranfcribe that law in their converfation. And although they cannot write one line of it without blots: yet God, for Chrift's fake, accepts of the performances, in point of fanctification: they being difciples to his own Son, and led by his own Spirit.

The fanctifying Spirit, communicated by the Lord Jefus to his members, is the fpiritual nourishment the branches have from the Stock into which they are ingrafted: whereby the life of grace, given them in regeneration, is preferved, continued and actuated. It is the nourishment whereby the new creature liveth, and is nourished up towards perfection. Spiritual life needs to be fed, and must have supply of nourishment: and believers derive the fame from Chrift their head, whom the Father has conftituted the head of influences to all his members, Col. ii. 19. · And not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and hands haying nourishment miniftred, or fupplied, &c. Now, this fupply is the fupply of the Spirit of Jefus Chrilt,' Phil. i. 19. The faints feed richly,' eating Chrift's flesh, and drinking his blood, for their spiritual nourishmont: yet our Lord himself teacheth us, that it is the Spirit that quickneth,' even that

Spirit

Spirit who dwells in that bleffed body, John vi. 63. The human nature is united to the divine nature, in the perfon of the Son, and fo (like the bowl in Zechariah's candlestick, Zech iv.) lies at the fountain head, as the glorious means of Conveyance of influences, from the fountain of the Deity; and receives not the Spirit by measure, but ever hath a fulnefs of the Spirit by reafon of that perfonal union Hence, believers being united to the man Chrift, (as the feven lamps to the bowl, by their seven pipes, Zech. iv. 2.) his flesh is to them meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed: for, feeding on that bleffed body (i. e. effectually applying Chrift to theic fouls by faith) they partake more and more of that Spirit, who dwelleth therein, to the fpiritual nourishment. The holiness of God could never admit of an immediate union with the finful creature, nor (confequently) an immediate communion with it: yet, the creature could not live the life of grace, without communion with the fountain of life: Therefore, that the honour of God's holiness, and the falvation of finners, might jointly be provided for; the second perfon of the glorious Trinity, took, into a perfonal union with himself, a finless human oature; that fo this holy harmlefs and undefiled humanity, might immediately receive a fulnels of the Spirit, of which he might communicate to his members by his divine power and efficacy. And like as, branches reaching to heaven: the vast distance betwixt the root and the branches would not interrupt the communication betwixt the root and the top-branch; even fo, the dillance betwixt the man Chrift, who is in heaven, and his members, who are on earth, cannot hinder the communication betwixt them. What though the parts of mystical Christ (viz. the head and the members) are not contiguous, as joined together in the way of a corporal union? The union is not therefore the lefs real and effectual. Yea, our Lord himself fhews us, that albeit we should eat his flesh, in a corporal and carnal manner, yet, it would profit nothing, John vi. 63. we would not be one whit holier thereby. But the members of Chrift on earth, are united to their head in heaven, by the invifible bond of the felf fame Spirit dwelling in both in him as the head, and in him as the members, even, as the wheels, in Ezekiel's vifion, were not con

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tiguous

State III: tiguous to the living creatures, yet were united to them, by an invifible bond of one spirit in both; so that when the fiving creatures went, the wheels went by that, and when the living creatures were lift up from the earth, the wheels were lift up' Ezek i. 19. For,' fays the Prophet, 'the fpirit of the living creature was in the wheels,' ver. 20. Hence, we may fee the difference betwixt true Sanctifi. cation, and that Madow of it, which is to be found amongst fome ftrict profeffors of Christianity, who yet are not true Chriftians, are not regenerate by the Spirit of Chrift, and is of the fame kind with wha: has appeared in many fober heathens. True fanctification is the result of the foul's union with the holy Jefus, the firft and immediate receptacle of the fanctifying Spirit; out of whofe fulness his members do, by virtue of their union with him, receive fanctifying infiuences. The other is the mere product of the man's own fpirit, which, whatever it has, or feems to have of the matter of true holiness, yet does not arise from the fupernatural principles, nor to the high aims and ends thereof: for, as it comes from felf, so it runs out into the dead fea of felf again; and lies as wide of true holiness, as nature doth of grace. They who have this bastard holiness, are like com⚫ mon boat-men, who serve themselves with their own oars: whereas, the fhip bound for Immanuel's land, fails by the blowings of the divine Spirit. How is it poffible there fhould be true fanctification without Chrift? Can there be true fanctification, without partaking of the Spirit of holiRefs? Can we partake of that Spirit, but by Jefus Chrift, the way, the truth, and the life? The falling dew shall as foon make its way through the flinty rock, as influencss of grace fhall come from God to finners, any other way, but through him whom the Father has conftituted the head of influences, Col. i. 19. For it pleafed the Father, that in

him fhould all fulaefs dwell:' and chap. ii. 19. And not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and • bands having nourishment miniftred, and knit together, in⚫ creafeth with the increase of God.' Hence fee how it comes to pass, that many fall away, from their feeming fanctification, and never recover: it is because they are not branches truly knit to the true vine. Mean while, others recover from their decays; because of their union with the life giving stock,

by

by the quickening Spirit, 1 John ii. 19' They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us.'

A Fifth benefit is growth in grace. Having nourishment miniftred, they increafe with the increase of God,' Gol. ii. 19. The righteous fhall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon,' Pfal. xcii. 12. Grace is of a growing nature: in the way to Zion they go from strength to ftrength. Though the holy man be at firit a little child in grace, yet at length he becomes a young man, a father. 1 John ii 13. Though he does but creep in the way to heaven fometimes; yet afterwards he walks, he runs, he mounts up with wings as eagles, Ifa. xl 31. If a branch grafted into a frock never grows, it is a plain evidence of its not having knit with the stock.

But fome may perhaps fay, 'If all true Chriftians be growing ones, what fhall be said of these, who instead of grow'ing, are going back?' I answer, Firft, There is a great difference between the Chriftian's growing fimply, and his growing at all times. All true Chriftians do grow, but I do not fay, they grow at all times A tree that has life and nourishment, grows to its perfection, yet it is not always growing; it grows not in the winter. Chriftians alfo have

their winters, wherein the influences of grace, neceffary for growth, are ceased, Cant v. 2. I fleep. It is by faith the believer derives gracious influence from Jefus Chrift; likeas each lamp in the candlestick, received oil from the bow, by the pipe going betwixt them, Zech. iv. 2. Now, if that pipe be ftopt, if the faints faith ly dormant and unactive; then all the rest of the graces will become dim, and feem ready to be extinguifhed. In confequence whereof, depraved nature will gather ftrength, and become active What then will become of the foul? Why, there is ftill one fure ground of hope. The faint's faith is not as the hypocrite's like a pipe laid fhort of the fountain, whereby there can be no conveyance: it ftill remains a bond of union betwixt Chrift and the foul; and therefore, because Chrift lives, the believer fall live alfo, John xiv 19. The Lord Jefus puts in his hand by the hole of the door, and clears the means, of conveyance: and then influences for growth flow, and the believer's graces look fresh and green again, Hof. xiv. 7. Q2 • They

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