the greatest good and perfection. And this the Devil knew Job, 2.4. full well, when he faid, Skin for skin, and all that a man bath will he give for bis life. So that life is a perfection. But I fay, this Spiritual life, It is the Supernatural perfection of the foul. And therefore in the 4. chapter of the Ephefians, and the 18.verfe, This life of the Saints, the very life of the Saints is called The life of God. 'Tis a fupernatural perfecti on of the foul therefore.. 3. 2. Quest. 2. Secondly, As it is a fupernatural perfection of Soul: So it rises from our Union with Chrift by the Spirit. A man is uni ted to God by faith, and by the Spirit: and as our outward life does arife from the union between the foul and the bo dy; and though the body be never fo fair or full, yet ifit be not united to the foul, it is but a dead carkafs: So our Spiritual life,it doth arise from our union with Chrift; and though a man have never fo many moral vertues, and bis converfation be never fo fair, yet if not united to Chrift by the Spirit, he is but a dead man, fpiritually a dead man. And therefore faith the Apostle here in the Text, Neverthe less I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me. Thirdly. As it arifes from our union with Chrift, by the Spirit: So (I fay,) It is that Supernatural perfection, whereby a man is able to act, and move, and work towards God his utmost and laft end, And therefore faies the Apoftle in the former verfe, Ithrough the Law, am dead unto the Law, that I may live to God. To God, as my laft and my utmost end. And when a man is able to act,and move, and work towards God, as his laft, and utmost end, then he is faid to live fpiritually. So that when yehave this defcripti on of our fpiritual life; I repeat it again. It is that supernatural perfection of soul,whereby a man being united unto Christ, by the Spirit, it is able to act,and move, and work towards God, bis utmost end. Secondly. Whereby may it appear, That every godly, gracious man, is thus a living man, made partaker of this spiritual life, so as to be able to act, and move, and work towards God as bis ut most end? I will take but the Three ordinary lives that are in the Anfw. world. The Vegetative life, the life of Plants and Herbs. The Senfitive life, the life of Beafts. And the Rational life, the life of Man. And I wil fhew ye, That the Effential properties of all thefe lives, are in a Spiritual way in the godly; and then the Argument will lie thus: If the Effential properties of all these lives be in a fpiritual way in every godly man: then certainly, every godly,gracious man, is a living man, and in the state of life; living another life from the life of the world. Fitft. Take the life of plants and herbs, or of flowers, and what is the Effential property of the Vegetative life? It is to grow; no fooner hath a thing the Vegetative life,but it does grow. All plants,and herbs, and flowers,they grow, and trees they grow, because they have this Vegetative life. And fo the Saints do, they grow in grace, It's faid of them in the 84. Pfalm, They go from ftrength to ftrength. It is an Hebraifme,and it notes Augmentation; From, To, notes Aug. mentation. And the like Hebraismes ye have in the NewTeftament. In Rom. 1. 27. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed, from faith to faith. It notes the augmentation of faith. And fo in 2 Cor. 3. ult. But we all with openface, bebolding as in a glaß the glory of the Lord, are changed into the fame image, from glory to glory. It notes an augmentation of glory. And fo, They go from frength to firength. That is, they grow in ftrength; it notes, an augmentation of their ftrength. But fuppofe they do want the Means, and want the Ordinances; do they grow then? Yes. It is that which is faid in the fame Pfalm; Though they walk thorow the valley of Baca, and be in a drie place, where no water is; yet they go on from ftrength to ftrength. And, we ALL with open face beholding as in a glaß, the mirror of the Lord, are changed from glory to glory. Not fome,but all; all beleevers,and all the godly, they do grow in grace. And this ye know, is the difference between a Painted child,and a Living child, Take a living child,and though he be but little, and very weak, yet he grows bigger. But now, a child that is pain ted 2. 1. 23,24. 2 Cor.12. 10. ted upon a wall, a painted child grows not: and if a man come to ye and fay, What's the reason that this child does not grow? two or three years agone he was as big as now he is? you will eafily anfwer, because he is but a painted child, he is not a living child; if he were a living child he would grow. Now the Sainte and people of God, they grow in grace, and therefore they are living children: they are living children, and therefore they grow in grace. Secondly. What is the Effential property of the Senfitive life, of the life of Beafts, of the life of Birds? (for they live another life than the life of Trees, and the life of Flo wers, and of Herbs) what is the Effential Property of that kind of life? The Effential property of that kind of life, To be fenfible of good or evil fatable unto them. And fo the faints and people of God are: they are fenfible alfo, they are not paft feeling, as cis faid of wicked men, bot chey are fenfi ble of things furable to them. Indeed, they have not the fence and feeling of things as they would,or do defire: but there are Three things which the Saints and people of God are all fenfible of. They are fenfible of their Sins efpecial ly if they be committed against their knowledge. They are fenfible of the Hidings of Gods face from them. And they are fenfible of the Churches miferies. They are very fenfible of their fint: And therefore Paul Rom.7. cries out, O wretched man that I am! I find a law in my mem bers: Owretebed man that I am! Ye reade in other places of his Epiftles, he faies, He will rejoyce concerning his Afili and Infirmities. He rels us how he was ftoned, and how be was imprifoned,fcourged,whipt: & in al ebat he does not cry out, wretched man that I am! But now finding the lav in his members, he is more fenfible of that than of any ani Яion; here now he cries out, Owretched man that I am, wh fball deliver! 2. And as for the Hiding of Gods face: The people of God are the moft fenfible of that too. For ye know what Dr. Pfal. 42. vid faid, As a sword in my bones,while they said unto me, where i now thy God? The Lord had bid his face from bim: Oh (faies he This is a fword in my bones, while men fay un 10. to me, Where is now thy God? And fo our Lord and Savior Chrift, when he was upon the croffe, he cries out, My Mattb.7 God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me? He does not cry 46. our unto his Apoftles, and Disciples, why have you forfaken me? They all left him, and yet he did not fay, Oh! Thoma, Oh! Peter, Oh! Matthew, Oh! al my Disciples, and Apostles, why have you forfaken me? And the Sun had withdrawn his light; and he does not fay, why haft thou forfaken me? He felt many pains, being pierced thorow, nail'd unto the Croffe; and yet He does not cry out and fay, Oh! what pains, and tortures do I feel? But, as fenfible ofthis more than of all his outward torment, He cries out, My God, my God, why baft thou forsaken me ? And as 'tis with the Head, fo 'tis with the Members. -3. And, as unto the Miseries of the Churches. Ye know bow it was with Jeremiah; Othat my head were a fountain of Fer. 9.1. tears, that I could weep day and night for the flain of my people. Thus (fay) a godly man, though he have not the fence and feeling of his fin,and of other things as he would have; yes shefe Three things he is efpecially fenfible of: Senfible of his own Sin, efpecially that committed against knowledg. The Hiding of Gods face from him. And the Miferies of the Churches. Surely therefore, he is alive, he hath this Effential property of this life in a fpiritual way, and therefore he is alive, and in the fate of life. Thirdly. Take now the Third life, the life of Reason, the Rational life, the life of Man: And what is the Effential Property of that life? It is,To understand, to know, so reflect. upon a mans own actions, whether they be Good or Evil. A Beaft does many actions: but a Beast hath not power to reflect upon his own action, to confider whether it be Good or Evil,when he hath done the action. Herein a man is diAlina from a Beaft. A Beaft underftands not, knows not, is not able to reflect upon his own action, and so confider whether it be good or evil when he hath done it. But now a man that hath this Rational life is; and the more of man inaman, the more he is able to reflect upon his own aðti on. 3 19. on. Look I pray into the 45. Chapter of Ifaiab, and there ye fhall find this to be the Effential property of a Man: at the 8. verfe, Remember this, and shew your felves men. Where in? bring it again to mind, O ye tranfgreffors. Reflect upon your own action, and confider what ye have done, and thus ye will fhew your felves to be men, to have the life of men in you. And upon this account, when as the Prodigal bethought himself, then he is said to return unto himTelf. Now every godly, gracious man hath this power, to reflect upon his own action. And therefore converting Jer.31. Ephraim is brought in thus, Smiting himself upon bu thigh, faying, Ob! what bave 1 done? And in that of the Epittie to the Corinthians, it i‹ said, Know ye not, how that Chrift is in you, unless ye be Reprobates. That is, unlafs ye be reprobates, ye may know that Chrift is in you. A Reprobate indeed, does nor reflect upon his own action; but as a bealt ho goes on: he Prayes, (may be) and does not refleЯ upon his Prayer when he hath done: He Hears the Word, and does not reflect upon his Heating when be bath done he Sins against God, and does not refl:& upon his own action, and Sin fmiting himself upon his thigh, faying, Oh! what have I done? But now, every godly, gracious man does thus refle& upon his own action, and s able to do it. So then, take the Argument in the whol, and it lies thus: If a godly, gracious man, have all the Ei fential Properties of thofe three lives, in a fpiritual way and manner; then certainly he is in the ftate of life, and does five a fpiritual life. Now (as ye have beard) Every godly gracious man, hath all the Effential Properties of all thefe three lives, in a fpiritual way and manner; and therefore, certainly he does live a fpiritual life, he is in the ftate of life. Quest. 3 Anfw. But how may it appear, that others are not in this frate of life? that a wicked man is not in the state of life? that a wicked man u a dead man, fpiritually dead? that the godly, and ske godly only, are made partakers of this fpiritual life, and that others are not? Our Lord and Savior Chrift does Ipeak exprefly, Te will not |