CHRIST INVITING SINNERS TO COME TO HIM. › Chapter 36 › Sanctification the Rest from Corruption., Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest by Jeremiah Burroughs (1659) | AskReformation

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:912p. 295–296¶4

4. Sanctification it must needs be rest unto the heart because that is a principle that raiseth the soul, above the region of all kind of trouble and molestation. As the Philosophers tell us, that here, in the inferior region, there are storms, tempests, changes, and alterations, but in the region on high, the third region, that is above storms, tempests, winds and blusterings, there is nothing but quiet, nothing but peace there. It is true, while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world ⟨p. 296⟩as all are till God raiseth them by Grace, their spirits are full of trouble, vexation and molestation. There is no peace to the wicked, saith my God, but he is like the troubled sea which casts forth mire and dirt. As you heard in the opening of that scripture. But now when God gives grace, and sanctifies the heart, the Lord raiseth the heart above these regions of trouble, raiseth it on high, gets it up in the highest region, there is nothing but quiet, calm peace, ease, and rest unto the soul.

4. Sanctification it must needs be rest unto the heart because that is a principle that raiseth the soul, above the region of al kind of trouble and molestation. As the Philosophers tel us, that here, in the inferior region, there are stormes, tempests, changes, and alterations, but in the region on high, the third region, that is above stormes, tempests, winds and blusterings, there is nothing but quiet, nothing but peace there. It is true, while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world ⟨p. 296⟩as al are til God raiseth them by Grace, their spirits are ful of trouble, vexation and molestation. There is no peace to the wicked, saith my God, but he is like the troubled sea which casts forth mire and dirt. As you heard in the opening of that scripture. But now when God gives grace, and sanctifies the heart, the Lord raiseth the heart above these regions of trouble, raiseth it on high, gets it up in the highest region, there is nothing but quiet, calme peace, ease, and rest unto the soul.

:913p. 296–297¶5

5. Sanctification is rest unto the soul, because it is such a principle, as turns every thing to Good, and that must needs bring rest when God sanctifies the heart, works grace in the soul, it is of that excellency, that it hath a virtue and efficacy in it to turn every thing to good. Now that were indeed a precious stone, that could turn every thing into gold that it toucheth. A great deal of labour there is about the Philosophers stone, that they say turneth other metals into gold, now grace in the heart turns every thing into gold, as it were, ever thing into good, it hath that excellency in it, that whatsoever befalls such a man or woman, grace can turn it to the good of them. Al the works of Gods providence, all things that seem to go never so contrary unto the good of a man or woman that hath grace, if such a one do but act his grace, or her grace, this will turn things that seem to be most contrary, to the good of them, it will turn it unto good; Those things that others vex at, and fret at, and, think themselves undone by, a gracious heart, one that hath grace can turn them to advantage, and get good by them, such a one that is in such a condition, they have got such a virtue from God, God hath given them such a principle within, as whatsoever befalls them, he can by the acting of that principle turn it to Good. What need then such a man or woman have any trouble in this world? no trouble, will you say, do not such and such things fall cross to them, such and such afflictions fall as cross to such men as ⟨p. 297⟩any others? That is true, things may fall as cross to them as any, I but, they have a principle within them, that turns all those crosses and afflictions to good, that we shall speak more unto in answering to the fifth burden of outward afflictions, but only to show it now, in the rest that the soul hath in sanctification, because it turns all things to good.

5. Sanctification is rest unto the soul, because it is such a principle, as turns every thing to Good, and that must needs bring rest when God sanctifies the heart, works grace in the soul, it is of that excellency, that it hath a virtue and efficacie in it to turne every thing to good. Now that were indeed a precious stone, that could turne every thing into gold that it toucheth. A great deal of labor there is about the Philosophers stone, that they say turneth other mettals into gold, now grace in the heart turnes every thing into gold, as it were, ever thing into good, it hath that excellency in it, that whatsoever befals such a man or woman, grace can turne it to the good of them. Al the workes of Gods providence, al things that seem to goe never so contrary unto the good of a man or woman that hath grace, if such a one do but act his grace, or her grace, this wil turne things that seem to be most contrary, to the good of them, it wil turne it unto good; Those things that others vex at, and fret at, and, think themselves undone by, a gracious heart, one that hath grace can turne them to advantage, and get good by them, such a one that is in such a condition, they have got such a virtue from God, God hath given them such a principle within, as whatsoever befals them, he can by the acting of that principle turne it to Good. What need then such a man or woman have any trouble in this world? no trouble, wil you say, do not such and such things fal cross to them, such and such afflictions fal as cross to such men as ⟨p. 297⟩any others? That is true, things may fall as cross to them as any, I but, they have a principle within them, that turnes al those crosses and afflictions to good, that we shal speake more unto in answering to the fifth burden of outward afflictions, but only to shew it now, in the rest that the soul hath in sanctification, because it turnes al things to good.

:917p. 297–298

Secondly, That this sanctification it is in Christ, all the sanctification of a Christian it is in Christ, there are some common gifts that God gives unto other men, there are gifts of nature, & there are gifts of common grace, gifts of the spirit of God that are beyond the gifts of nature, & yet they are such as are given in a common way to those that are strangers to Christ. The heathen had many common gifts, and so others now may have many common gifts, but sanctification is the proper gift of Christ, it is only to be had in Christ. Al the strength of nature, natural abilities, education, morality, natural parts, can never raise the heart to the least degree of sanctification, I mean, of the sanctification that is saving. In a large ⟨p. 298⟩sense it may be called a sanctification, as the scripture sometime doth, a setting some kind of men apart for such ends: but sanctification that is true holiness, that is the image of God, and the beginning of glory, that is only in Christ, and all the strength of nature, and parts, can never raise the soul unto the least degree of it.

SEcondly, That this sanctification it is in Christ, al the sanctification of a Christian it is in Christ, there are some common gifts that God gives unto other men, there are gifts of nature, & there are gifts of common grace, gifts of the spirit of God that are beyond the gifts of nature, & yet they are such as are given in a common way to those that are strangers to Christ. The heathen had many cōmon gifts, and so others now may have many common gifts, but sanctification is the proper gift of Christ, it is only to be had in Christ. Al the strength of nature, natural abilities, education, morality, natural parts, can never raise the heart to the least degree of sanctification, I mean, of the sanctification that is saving. In a large ⟨p. 298⟩sense it may be called a sanctification, as the scripture sometime doth, a setting some kind of men apart for such ends: but sanctification that is true holiness, that is the image of God, and the beginning of glory, that is only in Christ, and al the streng•h of nature, and parts, can never raise the soul unto the least degree of it.

:918p. 298–299

And that it is only in Christ, I shall give you some scriptures to show it, and it will further appear, when we come to the third thing, in showing you how it comes from Christ, which is the principle. That text is very full for it, which we have in 1. Cor. 1.30. if there were no other; But of him are ye in Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and Sanctification and Redemption. Christ is made unto us of God; wisdom, to enlighten our blindness; and righteousness, for our justification, and sanctification, and redemption; that is, to deliver us from all kind of evil, to deliver us from the power of sin, and to renew the image of God in us, that is sanctification, and redemption, that is to deliver us from all kind of evil, and to bring us to the redemption of the sons of God, to the perfect liberty that is appointed to sons. Christ is made to us sanctification; sanctification, that is, not only that Christ hath merited our sanctification, but in a further degree, efficiently, so as our sanctification is from him, and it is he that works it in us, and upholds it in us, the beginning and the progress of our sanctification, it is from him, as well as merited, by him. For we are to know, that Christ hath laid down his life to merit of God the father, as well sanctification, as justification, or glorification. Christ hath not only laid down his life for to merit the pardon of our sins, to purchase that from God, to save us from hell, but it was a special end of Christs laying down his life, to merit our being set at liberty from the bondage of our sins, our deliverance from corruption the renewing of the image of God in our souls for the ⟨p. 299⟩present, which is that indeed may cause us to prize holiness somewhat more then we have done. We must not look upon holiness as a duty, that we must be holy, and as a necessary means to heaven, but we must look at holiness as the purchase of the blood of Christ, he hath purchased holiness for all those that he hath laid down his life for. And therefore (as we shall see afterwards) it is impossible for any to be holy, but those that have part in Christ, so that Christ is made sanctification by his merit, and by the efficiency that is in him;

And that it is only in Christ, I shal give you some scriptures to shew it, and it wil further appeare, when we come to the third thing, in shewing you how it comes from Christ, which is the principle. That text is very ful for it, which we have in 1. Cor. 1.30. if there were no other; But of him are ye in Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us wisdome, and righteousness, and Sanctification and Redemption. Christ is made unto us of God; wisdome, to enlighten our blindness; and righteousness, for our justification, and sanctification, and redemption; that is, to deliver us from al kind of evil, to deliver us from the power of sin, and to renew the image of God in us, that is sanctification, and redemption, that is to deliver us from al kind of evil, and to bring us to the redemption of the sons of God, to the perfect liberty that is appointed to sons. Christ is made to us sanctification; sanctification, that is, not only that Christ hath merited our sanctification, but in a further degree, efficiently, so as our sanctification is from him, and it is he that workes it in us, and upholds it in us, the beginning and the progress of our sanctification, it is from him, as wel as merrited, by him. For we are to know, that Christ hath laid down his life to merit of God the father, as wel sanctification, as justification, or glorification. Christ hath not only laid down his life for to merrit the pardon of our sins, to purchase that from God, to save us from hell, but it was a special end of Christs laying down his life, to merit our being set at liberty from the bondage of our sins, our deliverance from corruption the renewing of the image of God in our soules for the ⟨p. 299⟩present, which is that indeed may cause us to prize holiness somewhat more then we have done. We must not look upon holiness as a duty, that we must be holy, and as a necessary meanes to heaven, but we must look at holines as the purchase of the blood of Christ, he hath purchased holiness for al those that he hath layed down his life for. And therefore (as we shal see afterwards) it is impossible for any to be holy, but those that have part in Christ, so that Christ is made sanctification by his merit, and by the efficiency that is in him;

:920p. 299–300

And then, that it is in Christ appears further, in that notable place in Rom. 7. that was quoted in the former point about the load of corruption, Where saint Paul cries out in the 24. verse, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death, that is the remaining corruption that was in his heart. Mark the very next words that follow. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say, the deliverance that I must have from this body of death, it is from God, but how? through Jesus Christ our Lord, The Apostle doth not only thank God for it, and say, all grace must come from God, but he thanks God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus we must understand how grace comes unto us, indeed, God is the fountain of all, but it ⟨p. 300⟩must come from God through Jesus Christ our Lord, as all mercies that we have for the pardon of our sins. Now it is not from God immediately, as the first person, or as Creator of heaven and earth, but it is from God through Jesus Christ. So all the holiness that we have now, it is from God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And then, that it is in Christ appeares further, in that notable place in Rom. 7. that was quoted in the former point about the load of corruption, Where saint Paul cries out in the 24. verse, O wretched man that I am, who shal deliver me from this body of death, that is the remaining corruption that was in his heart. Marke the very next words that follow. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say, the deliverance that I must have from this body of death, it is from God, but how? through Jesus Christ our Lord, The Apostle doth not only thank God for it, and say, al grace must come from God, but he thanks God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus we must understand how grace comes unto us, indeed, God is the fountain of al, but it ⟨p. 300⟩must come from God through Jesus Christ our Lord, as al mercies that we have for the pardon of our sins. Now it is not from God immediately, as the first person, or as Creator of heaven and earth, but it is from God through Jesus Christ. So al the holiness that we have now, it is from God through Jesus Christ our Lord.