A Christian Directory, Part 1: Christian Ethics

by Richard Baxter

96. The true state of sanctification, as different from mere vocation and faith, consisteth in this pure love of God, and holiness; and that more for himself and his infinite goodness, than for ourselves, and as our felicity.

97. Therefore, when we are promised the Spirit, to be given to us if we believe in Christ, and sanctification is promised us, with justification, on this condition of faith, this is part of the meaning of that promise;—that, if we truly take Christ for our Saviour, to bring us to the love of God, though at present we are most moved with the love of ourselves to accept him, he will, by his word, works, and Spirit, bring us to it, initially here, and perfectly in heaven; even to be perfectly pleased in God, for his own perfect goodness, and so to be fully pleasant to him. And thus, (besides the extraordinary gifts to a few,) the Spirit of holiness or love, which is the Spirit of adoption, is promised by covenant to all believers.

98. Accordingly, this promise is so fulfilled, that in the first instant of time we have a relative right to Christ, as our Head and the sender of the Spirit, and to the Holy Spirit himself as our Sanctifier by undertaking, according to the terms of the covenant. But this doth not produce always a sensible or effectual love of God above ourselves in us, at the very first, but by degrees, as we follow the work of faith in our practice.

99. For it is specially to be noted, that the doctrinal or objective means of love, which Christ doth use, and his internal, spiritual influx, do concur. And his way is not to work on us by his Spirit alone, without those objects, nor yet by the objects without the Spirit, nor by both distinctly and dividedly, as producing several effects; but by both conjunctly for the same effect; the Spirit's influx causing us effectually to improve the objects and reasons of our love; as the hand that useth the seal, and the seal itself, make one impression.

100. As Christ began to win our love to God by the excitation of our self-love, multiplying and revealing God's mercies to ourselves, so doth he much carry it on to increase the same way. For while every day addeth fresh experience of the greatness of God's love to us, by this we have a certain taste that God is love, and good in himself; and so by degrees we learn to love him more for himself, and to improve our notional esteem of his essential goodness into practical.

101. Though faith itself is not wrought in us, without the Holy Ghost, nor is it (if sincere) a common gift, yet this operation of the Spirit drawing us to Christ, by such arguments and means as are fitted to the work of believing, is different from the consequent covenant right to Christ and the Spirit, which is given to believers, and from the Spirit of adoption, as recovering us, as aforesaid, to the love of God.

102. In this last sense it is that the Holy Ghost is said to dwell in believers, and to be the new name, the pledge, the earnest, the first-fruits of life eternal, the witness of our right to Christ and life, and Christ's agent and witness in us, to maintain his cause and interest.

103. Even as a man, that by sickness hath lost his appetite to meat, is told that such a physician will cure him, if he will take a certain medicinal food that he will give him; and at first he taketh it without appetite to the food or medicine in itself, but merely for the love of health; but after he is doubly brought to love it for itself, first, because he hath tasted the sweetness of that which he did but see before, and next, because his health and appetite are recovered: so is it with the soul, as to the love of God procured by believing; when we have tasted through the persuasion of self-love, our taste and recovery cause us to love God for himself.

104. When the soul is risen to this habitual, predominant love of God and holiness as such, for their own goodness, above its own felicity as such, (though ever in conjunction with it, and as his felicity itself,) then is the law written in the heart; and this love is the virtual fulfilling of all the law. And for such it is that it is said, that the law is not made; that is, in that measure that they love the good for itself, they need not be moved to it with threats or promises of extrinsic things, which work but by self-love and fear. Not but that divine authority must concur with love to produce obedience, especially while love is but imperfect: but that love is the highest principle, making the commanded good connatural to us.

105. And I think it is this Spirit of adoption and love which is called "The divine nature" in us, as it inclineth us to love God and holiness for themselves, as nature is inclined to self-love, and to food, and other necessaries. Not that the specific, essential nature, that is, substance or form, of the soul is changed, and man deified, and he become a god that was before a man; but his human soul or nature is elevated or more perfected (as a sick man by health, or a blind man by his sight) by the Spirit of God inclining him habitually to God himself, as in and for himself. (And this is all which the publisher of Sir H. Vane's notions of the two covenants and two natures, can soundly mean, and seemeth to grope after.)