Christ inviting sinners to come to him for rest

Quest. I but you will say, How doth this help our sanctification.

Quest. I but you wil say, How doth this help our sanctification.

Answ. I answer, exceeding much, there is nothing helps the sanctification of the soul of a believer, more then the promises of the Gospel, those that are exercised in the promises of the Gospel, they grow more abundantly in sanctification then others. The promises of the Gospel are channels, not only of mercy for our salvation, but of holiness for our sanctification, and for that you have a most excellent scripture, 2. Cor. 7.1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. It is as full a scripture as I know any, here you may see, what use the holy Ghost would have you make of the promises of the Gospel, and of mercy. It may be you think that seeing there is such promises of mercy you may take more liberty to the flesh, but that is not the reasoning of the spirit, he would not take more liberty thereby, but seeing we have such promises, saith he, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness, filthiness cannot stand with believing of promises. And mark, he saith, from all filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit. So that it is not enough for you to say, you have as good a heart towards God as any others, I thank God my heart is right, my spirit is right, I but you must cleanse from all filthiness of the flesh, as well as of the spirit, and these promises if you have the right use of them, they will be mighty cleansing. And mark, from all filthiness, it is not enough to cleanse from some gross filthiness, that is, that you do not live in the gross ⟨p. 323⟩sins that others of the world live in, and that your neighbours live in, that you are not whoremongers, drunkards cheaters, profaners of the sabbath, and the like, but these promises will cleanse from all filthiness, that is, there shall be no filthiness that shall stick to you as to the wicked and ungodly, but it will cleanse gradually, by degrees from all Filthiness of the flesh. And spirit, or of spirit, not to make you make conscience of wicked actions, but cleanse you from your very thoughts, these promises will cleanse from the filthiness of the flesh. I perhaps they may a little serve the turn for them, I but from the filthiness of the spirit, the filthiness of the thoughts, the Filthiness of the affections, those inward spiritual wickednesses. Of pride, malice, and the like.