fbould be found finners, and Chrift would be made the Minifier of fin, which God for bid: (verle 17.) yea, and I fcould build again the things which I bave destroyed and make my felf a tranfgreffor (verfe 18.) But Ithrough the law, am dead unto the law, bet I might live unto God. (verle the 19)

But if a man be juftified by faith alone, and fo by the death of Chrift; then a man is crucified with Cheift: and if a man be crucified,or if you be crucified with Chrift,how then do you live? Yes, (fajes he at the 20. ver.) I am crucified with Chrift, Nevertheless I live, yet not 1, but Chrift livab

in me.

Nevertheless or now I live. [I live] sbat is, a fpiritual life. There is a Natural life, and there is a Spiritual life. He does not here fpeak of the Natural life, when he faies, Nevertheleß I live; because he adds, yet not I, but Chrift livetb in me: that is, Spiritually. And when he fajes, I live: he fpeaks it in the Perfon of every Belcever: nacin his Own Perfon, but he Perfonates a beleever all along. I through the Law, am dead to the Law, that I might live to God; Ia Be leever. And, I am crucified with Chrift Ia beleever. And, Nevertheleß I live. All along he does perfonate a beleever, and does not fpeak in his own Perfon, but in the Perfon of a beleever. And he laies here, Nevertheless I live. He had faid before, That we are justified by faith alone, and not by the works of the Law: and that a beleever was crucified with Cbrift. Now (faies he) this Do&rine that I have preach'd uneo you, is no way oppofite unto our Spiritual life,or an to our Holinels ; yet, now I live, or,nevertheless I live., From whence then you may obferve thefe Two things,

Firft. That every true beleever, every Godly, Graci ous man, is a living man, lives a fpiritual life, is in the ftare of life.

Secondly. That our Juftification by faith alone, and

our being crucified with Chrift; is no enemy, but a friend unto this Spiritual life. Nevertheles I live.

First of all. Every godly Gracious man, is a living man, is | Do&t.1. in the ftate of life; lives a Spiritual life.

And this ye have moft exprefly, in that 6. Chap.of John, at the 40. verf. This is the will of him that fent me, That every one which feab the Son,and believeth on bim,may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day. But though he fhall have everlafting life hereafter, it may be he hath not this life for the prefent: Look therefore what he saics at the 47. verf. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, He that beleeverb on me barb everlasting life. 'Tis not faid, He shall have everlasting life, but he bath everlafting life; everlafting life is began in him already. And that ye may be the more fure of it, he gives you a double Verily, Verily, verily I say unto je,He that beleveth on me, bath everlasting life. But how can this be? Nay, how fhould it be otherwile? for a mans life is, as his meat is: and faies our Saviour, I am the bread of life, at the 48.verf. Them at the 5 4, verf.Wbofoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, bath eternal life: For my flesh (at the 55. verf.)is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed; be that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him: As the living father bath fent me, and I live by the Faiber; fa be that eateth me, even be shall live by me. So that ye fee, this Chapter Is full of it,here is a cloud of witneffes: I lay therefore, That every godly, gracious man,is a living man, and lives another life from the life of the world, a spiritual life, and is in the state of (piritual life.

For the opening of this Truth unto ye, We muft first of all enquire, What this Spiritual life is. Take therefore this defcription of it: It is that fupernatural perfection of soul, whereby a man being united unto Chrift, by the Spirit, is able to alt move, and work towards God as bis utmost end.

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Firft (Ifay [It is a fupernatural perfection] There is fome perfe&ion in every life: Life is the greatest good and perfection: Death is the greatest evil. Therefore when the Lord threatned Adam, to punish him for eating the forbid. den-fruit, hefaies, The day thou eatetft thereof, thou shalt die Gen. 2.17 the DEATH. Death is the greateft evil, and fo Life in

D 2

the

the greatest good and perfection. And this the Devil knew Job, 3.4. 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..

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Quest. 2.

Secondly, As it is a fupernatural perfection of Soul: So it rifes from our Union with Chrift by the Spirit. A man is ani 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 Apoftle 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 (Ifay,) It is that Supernatural perfection, whereby a man is able to act, and move, and work towards God a his utmost and last end, And therefore faies the Apoftle in the former verfe, I through 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 a&,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 fuper natural perfection of foul,whereby a man being united unto Chrift, 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, fo as to be able to act, and move, and work towards God as bis utmost 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 thefe 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 firength 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 Godrevealed, 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 firength to firength. That is, they grow in ftrength; it notes, an augmentation of their frength. 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 itrength. 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

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Rom.7.

23,24.

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red upon a wall, a painted child grows not: and if a man come to ye and fay, What's the reason that this child doe not grow? two or three yeaɩs agone he was as big na now he is? you will easily anfwer, because he is but arpainted 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 Senfi 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 lifti, To be fenfible of good or evil futable unto them. And fo the faint and people of God are: they are fenfible alfo, they are not paft feeling, as cis said of wicked men, bot they are fenf 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 God's face from them. And they are fenfible of the Churches miferies.

They are very fenfible of their fint: And therefore Pas cries out, O wretched man that I'am ! I find a law in my mem bers: O wretebed man that I am! Ye reade in other places of 2Cor.12. his Epiffles, he faies, He will rejoyce concerning bis Affili and Infirmities. He rels us how he was ftoned, and how be was imprifoned,fcourged,whipt: & in al ebat he does no cry out, wretched man that I am! But now finding the Law in his members, he is more fenfible of that than of any afi Яion; here now he cries out, O wretched man that I am, fball deliver! Lov

2.

And as for the Hiding of Gods face: The people of God are the moft fenfible of that too. For ye know what D Pfal. 42. vid faid, As a sword in my bones,wobile they said unto me, what is now thy God? The Lord had bid his face from him: Oh (faies he This is a word in my bones, while men fay_us.

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