Sanctification

“It is the Lord’s kindness that He will take the scum off us in the fire.  Who knows how needful winnowing is to us, and what dross we must want ere we enter into the kingdom of God?  So narrow is the entry to heaven, that our knots, our bunches and lumps of pride, and self-love, and idol-love, and world-love must be hammered off us, that we may throng in, stooping low, and creeping through that narrow and thorny entry.”

Samuel Rutherford

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Subsections

Union to Christ
Tie Between Justification & Sanctification
Reformation Origins: 3rd Use of Law
Good Works
Necessity of Good Works
Expositions of 10 Commandments
Self-Denial & Mortification of Sin
Fruits of the Spirit

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Order of Contents

Articles  6+
Books  4
How Sanctification & Justification Differ  2
Indwelling Corruption  1
Quotes  4
Latin  3


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Articles

Anthology of the Post-Reformation

Heppe, Heinrich – ch. 22, ‘Sanctification’  in Reformed Dogmatics  ed. Ernst Bizer, tr. G.T. Thomson  Pre  Buy  (1861; Wipf & Stock, 2007), pp. 565-81

Heppe (1820–1879) was a German reformed theologian.

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1600’s

Ames, William – ch. 29, ‘Sanctification’  in The Marrow of Theology  tr. John D. Eusden  (1623; Baker, 1997), bk. 1, pp. 167-71

Ames (1576-1633) was an English, puritan, congregationalist, minister, philosopher and controversialist.  He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the reformed and the Arminians.  Voet highly commended Ames’s Marrow for learning theology.

Wolleb, Johannes – 31. ‘Sanctification’  in Abridgment of Christian Divinity  (1626) in ed. John Beardslee, Reformed Dogmatics: J. Wollebius, G. Voetius & F. Turretin  (Oxford Univ. Press, 1965), bk. 1, pp. 171-74

Wolleb (1589–1629) was a Swiss reformed theologian.  He was a student of Amandus Polanus.

Leigh, Edward – A System or Body of Divinity…  (London, A.M., 1654)

bk. 4

11. Signs of a Christian in regard of Sin, & that Great Corruptions may be found in True Christians  332-35
12. Two Questions Resolved about Sin  335-36

Q. 1, ‘How can grace and corruption stand together, so that corruption poisons not grace, nor grace works out corruption, when the admitting of one sin by Adam killed him presently?’

Q. 2, ‘Wherein lies the difference between a man sanctified and unsanctified in regard of the body of corruption?’

13. Of the Saints’ Care to Preserve themselves from Sin, & Especially their own Iniquities  336
14. Of the Cause of Forbearing Sin, of Abhorring it, & of Small Sins  338-39

bk. 7

11. Of Sanctification  530-35
12. The Parts of Sanctification are Two: Mortification & Vivification.  I. Mortification  535
13. II. Of Vivification  537-40
14. The Sanctification of the Whole Soul & Body  540
15. Of the Sanctification of the Will  542
16. Of the Sanctification of the Conscience  544
17. Sanctification of the Memory  546
18. Sanctification of the Affections  546
19. Of the Particular Affections  549
20. I. Of the Simple Affections  551-55
28. Of the Sanctification of Man’s Body & All the External Actions  580-84

Rijssen, Leonard – p. 170  in ch. 15, ‘The Decalogue & Good Works’  in A Complete Summary of Elenctic Theology & of as Much Didactic Theology as is Necessary  trans. J. Wesley White  MTh thesis  (Bern, 1676; GPTS, 2009)

Rijssen (1636?-1700?) was a prominent Dutch reformed minister and theologian, active in theological controversies.

Turretin, Francis – Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr.  (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 17th Topic

1. ‘What is sanctification and how is it distinguished from justification, yet inseparable from it?’  689

2. ‘Is sanctification so perfect in this life that believers can fulfill the law absolutely?  We deny against the Romanists and Socinians.’  693

Heidegger, Johann H. – 23. ‘On the Grace of Sanctification’  in The Concise Marrow of Theology  tr. Casey Carmichael  in Classic Reformed Theology, vol. 4  (1697; RHB, 2019), pp. 161-71

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1700’s

à Brakel, Wilhelmus – ‘Sanctification & Holiness’  in The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 3  ed. Joel Beeke, trans. Bartel Elshout  (1700; RHB, 1992/1999), pp. 3-35

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1800’s

Buchanan, James – ‘The Spirit’s Work as the Spirit of Holiness’  in Office & Work of the Holy Spirit, p. 435 ff.  18 pp.

Cunningham, William – ‘The Sinfulness of Works after Regeneration’  in Historical Theology, vol. 1, p. 554  13 pp.

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1900’s

Berkhof, Louis – ‘Sanctification’  in Systematic Theology  (1950)  42 paragraphs

Beeke, Joel – ‘The Puritan View of Holiness’  (1998)  20 paragraphs  a condensed address


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Books

1600’s

Marshall, Walter – The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification opened in sundry Practical Directions, suited especially to the Case of those who Labor under the Guilt & Power of Indwelling Sin…  (London: Parkhurst, 1692)  331 pp.

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1700’s

Fraser, James – A Treatise on Sanctification  ed. John MacPherson  (London: Sands, 1898)  520 pp.  ToC  MacPherson was of the Free Church of Scotland.

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1800’s

Goulburn, Edward Meyrick

Thoughts on Personal Religion: being a Treatise on the Christian Life in its Two Chief Elements, Devotion & Practice  (New York, 1870)  ToC

Goulburn (1818-1897) was an Anglican churchman.  Wikipedia: “A strong Conservative and a churchman of traditional orthodoxy, he was a keen antagonist of higher criticism and of all forms of rationalism…  he wrote the Life (1892) of his friend Dean Burgon, with whose doctrinal views he was substantially in agreement.”

The Pursuit of Holiness, a Sequel to ‘Thoughts on Personal Religion’, intended to carry the Reader somewhat farther onward in the Spiritual Life  (London, 1885)  ToC


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How Sanctification Differs from Justification

1600’s

Turretin, Francis – 1. ‘What is sanctification and how is it distinguished from justification, yet inseparable from it?’  in Institutes of Elenctic Theology, tr. George M. Giger, ed. James Dennison Jr.  (1679–1685; P&R, 1994), vol. 2, 17th Topic, pp. 689-93

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1700’s

Brown of Haddington, John – pp. 449-51 of bk. 5, ch. 4, ‘Of Sanctifiction’  in A Compendious View of Natural and Revealed Religion  (Glasgow, 1782)

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2000’s

Phillips, Rick – ‘Seven Assertions Regarding Justification & Sanctification’  (2015)  9 paragraphs

An excellent, clear and brief Biblical delineation of how Justification is distinguished from Sanctification, and how both flow out of Union to Christ.


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On Remaining Indwelling Corruption & Sin in Believers

1700’s

à Brakel, Wilhelmus – The Christian’s Reasonable Service, vol. 4  ed. Joel Beeke, tr. Bartel Elshout  Buy  (1700; RHB, 1992/1999)

ch. 96, ‘The Power of Indwelling Corruption’, pp. 251-59
ch. 97, ‘Spiritual Darkness [in believers]’, pp. 259-65
ch. 98, ‘Spiritual Deadness [in believers]’, pp. 265-75

a Brakel (1635-1711) was a contemporary of Voet and Witsius and a major representative of the Dutch Further Reformation.


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Quotes

Samuel Rutherford

The Divine Right of Church Government…  (1646), p. 84

“For holiness in saints is a participation of the divine nature, but it is a temporary and a created participation; it is not the same very holiness that is in God, but [rather is] the created effect thereof…”

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John Owen

On the Holy Spirit, p. 575  (Goold edition)

“There is no imagination wherewith man is besotted, more foolish, none so pernicious, as this, — that persons not purified, not sanctified, not made holy in their life, should afterwards be taken into that state of blessedness which consists in the enjoyment of God. Neither can such persons enjoy God, nor would God be a reward to them. — Holiness indeed is perfected in heaven: but the beginning of it is invariably confined to this world.”

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Ralph Erskine

“When once the fiery law of God
Has chas’d me to the gospel road;
Then back unto the holy law
Most kindly gospel-grace will draw.”

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John ‘Rabbi’ Duncan

“God, a Spirit, holy, just and good; God’s Law, spiritual, holy, just and good.”

“Christ’s study was his Father’s Law.”

“The buying time is past; the presenting time is future; the purging time is now.”

Regarding Christ and his Bride:  “If He is careful to purify, she surely should be careful to be purified.”


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Latin

1600’s

Wendelin, Marcus Friedrich – ch. 26, ‘Of Sanctification’  in Christian Theology  (Hanau, 1634; 2nd ed., Amsterdam, 1657), pp. 519-51

Principal Efficient Cause: God, particularly the Holy Spirit, by grace

Impelling Cause: mercy by the merit in Christ

The Grace by which God regenerates is: 1. preventing, 2. preparing, 3. operating, 4. cooperating, 5. perfecting.

Internal Instrumental Cause: Faith

External Instrumental Cause: the Law & Gospel, use of the sacraments and castigations, by which God customarily draws sinners to repentance

Material Cause, or the Subject of: elect man, dead in sin, excited through grace out of spiritual death, being a new creature according to the mind, will and affections

Formal Cause: spiritual renovation to the image of God

Effects of: love of God and neighbor

Adjuncts of: 1. necessity of, 2. imperfection in this life, 3. certainty of this grace in us, 4. continuation of it, or perseverance in it

Voet, Gisbert

Syllabus of Theological Problems  (Utrecht, 1643), pt. 1, section 1, tract 4   Abbr.

Of Reigning Sin
Of the Sin of a Spiritual Person

‘A Diatribe on the Spiritual Man, on 1 Cor. 2:15’  in Select Theological Disputations  (1669), vol. 5, p. 408-19

Wettstein, Gernler & Buxtorf – 17. Sanctification & Good Works  in A Syllabus of Controversies in Religion which come between the Orthodox Churches & whatever other Adversaries, for material for the regular disputations…  customarily held in the theological school of the academy at Basil  (Basil, 1662), pp. 60-64

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Related Pages

Justification

Glorification