The fourth main benefit which every godly man hath, by being one with Christ, is sanctification; which is a wonderful and supernatural work of God's Holy Spirit, whereby every godly man, that is a true and lively member of Jesus Christ, is freed both in mind, will, and affection from the bondage and slavery of sin and Satan, and is by little and little enabled and strengthened by the Spirit of God, to will, desire, and approve that which is good and holy, and to walk in it.
And this sanctification hath two parts, mortification and vivification; by the former, sin is every day more and more mortified, weakened and consumed. By the latter, inherent righteousness is put into them, whereby they walk with God in newness of life.
Now both these parts of sanctification are wrought after this manner. First, after the Christian man is united to Christ, planted into him as into a stock, and become a living member of his mystical body, Christ Jesus then by his Spirit works in him two blessed works.
First, the godly man engrafted into Jesus Christ, receives power and strength from the death of Christ to die to all sin. So as the power of Christ's death and passion doth kill sin, and mortify their corruptions, ‘For as many as are baptized into Jesus Christ, are baptized into the similitude of his death,’ Romans 6:4. So as the death of Christ is as a corrosive to eat up and to consume all rotten flesh and corruptions of our hearts, it eats our sin and frets it away by little and little, till it be utterly abolished by death, when our sanctification shall be perfected.
Secondly, every godly man receives power and strength from Christ's resurrection to rise out of the grave of sin to newness of life, to walk with God in holiness and righteousness. Even as we see all the parts of the body, being joined to the head, receive life and motion from it. Even so every Christian, as so many parts and members of Christ Jesus the head, receive from him spiritual life and motion, whereby they walk with God in new obedience.
This magnifies the free grace of God above man’s freewill or merit; for whereas we do fail to plant ourselves, yet, as it appears by the text, we are planted. It is the Lord that must work in us both the will and the deed; he must turn himself unto us, before we can turn unto him. This is acknowledged by the prophet Daniel in that worthy prayer of his when he says, ‘Compassion and forgiveness is in the Lord our God, albeit we have sinned against him,’ Daniel 9:9. This is taught by the apostle when he says, that ‘Eternal life is the free gift of God,’ Romans 6:23. Yea, our Savior Jesus Christ himself doth confirm the truth of this when he says, ‘Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.’ Yea it is worth our best observation, that the whole work of man's salvation is called by the name of the work of grace or of mercy. And therefore on what part soever we cast our eyes, we shall see the free grace and mercy of God. Begin we at the foundation of all, God’s eternal election, and come from thence to the period of all, man's glorification, and still ask the question from what root each part springs; the answer must be, from the free grace and mercy of God. It was the free grace and mercy of God that he should elect us. It was the free grace and mercy of God, that he should send Christ to redeem us. It was the free grace and mercy of God that he should call us, that he should justify us, that he should sanctify us; and what can it be but the free grace and mercy of God, that we shall be admitted to ‘an inheritance immortal and undefiled’? 1 Peter 1:4. So that we see here in the whole work of man’s redemption by Christ, there is no footing left for human merit; for the free grace and mercy of God and man’s righteousness cannot possibly stand together, they will never admit any composition, and therefore we must conclude for the whole work of man’s redemption, and say, ‘Not unto us. Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory.’
