Chapter 25: Of Sanctification and Other Benefits of Christ

Q. Sanctification being another of those benefits that come by Christ, and our union with Christ, tell me first of all what Sanctification is?

A. It is a true and real change, wrought by the Spirit of God, in the elect, now believing on Christ: whereby the whole man is changed and altered from the turpitude and filthiness of sin, to the purity of the image of God.

Q. What difference is there between the former benefit — to wit Justification, and this of Sanctification?

A. The material cause of the one is the righteousness of Christ without us, imputed to us: but the material cause of the other is a body of divine graces and qualities infused into the soul, created in us.

Q. How do they differ in respect of their formal causes?

A. The formal cause of justification is the pronouncing of the sentence of absolution, and accepting a man's person for righteous: the formal cause of Sanctification is the restoring of God's image into the soul, by putting off the old man, and putting on the new (Ephesians 4:22, 23, 24).

Q. How else do they differ?

A. Justification makes no real change in the soul, as when the judge acquits a man, but makes him never a whit the more honest than before; but Sanctification makes a great change in the soul from sin and corruption to purity and holiness (Romans 6:17; 1 Timothy 1:13; 1 Corinthians 6:11).

Q. What may be a fourth difference?

A. Justification is perfect at the first, as one individual act; but Sanctification is a gradual work, imperfect at the first, and growing by degrees.

Q. Why do you say that Justification is perfect at the first?

A. Not in respect of the sense and feeling, and assurance of it, for these may increase and grow daily, and are therefore daily to be prayed for (Matthew 6:12; Luke 17:5).

Q. How then is justification perfect at the first?

A. In respect of the matter whereby we are justified, which is the imputed righteousness of Christ, which is so perfect that a man can never have more all the days of his life, though he should live as long as ever any did.

Q. Is not Sanctification also perfect at the first?

A. Far from it; for the honest men upon earth have been sensible of such imperfection in their Sanctification, that they durst not stand to be justified before God thereby.

Q. What proceeds from this imperfection of Sanctification?

A. A continual combat between corruption and grace in the sanctified soul (Galatians 5:17; Romans 7).

Q. And what else?

A. A continual exercise of repentance, and of fleeing to the grace of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 7:24, 25).

Q. Justification, Adoption, and Sanctification are excellent benefits that come to believers through Christ; tell me what other benefits do accompany or flow from these?

A. In this life there does accompany or flow from them assurance of God's love, lively hope, and expectation of glory, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 5:1, 2, 5; Romans 14:17; Titus 2:13).

Q. If these things be vouchsafed to believers in this life, what shall they have in the life to come?

A. Unspeakable glory and happiness in the immediate fruition of communion with God and Christ to all eternity (Colossians 3:4; 1 John 3:2; Hebrews 12:23; 1 Corinthians 15:28).

Q. But may not a true believer lose his faith, and so lose all these benefits that come by faith in this life, and fall short of eternal glory in the life to come?

A. If he should finally lose his faith, it would be so indeed; but God that of his grace has wrought this faith in him, will preserve and perfect the same until the day of Christ (Philippians 1:6; 1 Corinthians 1:8).

Q. Do you mean then that a true believer can never totally nor finally fall away, but shall persevere in grace to the end?

A. Yes, I mean so indeed; this perseverance of believers in the state of grace being plainly and plenteously taught in the holy Scriptures (1 Peter 1:5; Luke 22:31, 32; John 17:20, 21; John 10:28; Matthew 16:18; Jeremiah 3[illegible]:40).