of no value, if this don't run through it, and is only the body and carcass of it, but not the soul and spirit. This is not understood, that in reference to every part of duty which is enjoined, there is a disaffection in the spirits of men, and they are to every good work reprobate: i. e. they don't know how to make proof of themselves, or approve themselves in any work they undertake which is truly good; and cannot accordingly be approved of God in what they do or go about. tures lost in darkness and death; that we rather content | be in that regard an act of religion; and that religion is ourselves to be desolate, and seem careless whether we live or die for the present; or are happy or miserable to all eternity. It is upon such accounts as these that the blessed Spirit, though the Author and Fountain of all love, and goodness, and benignity, and sweetness, retires; and that resolution seems taken up, "My Spirit shall no longer strive." It is no wonder if it don't, when there is so little apprehension of our need of him, so little dependance upon him; so little craving, and seeking, and solicitude, whether it be an indweller in our souls, or no: as if the doctrine of the Holy Ghost were a strange and new thing to our ears; or we had not yet heard whether there was a Holy Ghost or no. SERMON VIII.* SEVERAL inferences have been recommended to you already, and others remain to be added. As, 5. Inference, That the depravation of a man's nature in the state of apostacy is total.-Being born denotes a total production, and the thing produced is only somewhat substituted in the room of the nature depraved: and what was corrupted and what is substituted instead of it, must necessarily be commensurate and proportionable to one another. If a man should have a leg or arm perish, he would not say, the production of that arm was a being born; for being born is the production of all the parts together, not of this or that single part alone. And hence it is that that which is corrupted, and that which is anew produced, are in Scripture spoken of under the name of a man; an old man, and a new man. The frame of graces, that impress of holiness, wherein the new creature doth consist, must be understood to be a whole entire body of graces; as the sins which meet together originally in the nature of man, are called by the name of the body of the sins of the flesh, which is to be destroyed; and elsewhere, the body of sin. It is therefore a forlorn miserable state that men are antecedently in to their being born spirit of spirit. And it is of no small consequence, that it be distinctly understood, and sink into our hearts, that this depravation is total, and that we need to be made new throughout. As we have it in 2 Cor. v. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things are become new. Where this is not understood, it is of most unhappy consequence in these two respects-1. Men take not up right thoughts of the distressedness of their own case; and, 2. By consequence they never apply themselves to the proper business of the redress of it. 1. They never take up right thoughts of the wretchedness of their own case. They understand neither the extent of it, nor wherein it doth especially consist. They understand not how extensive it is in a twofold respect, that is, to the subject disaffected, and the object whereunto they are disaffected. There is a twofold totality to be considered in this matter, both subjective and objective. The subject is disaffected universally in every faculty; the mind, and judgment, and will, and conscience, and affections, and executive powers; and by a kind of participation, the whole outward man. The apostle applying passages out of the Old Testament, runs over the several parts; Their throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under their lips, their feet make haste to shed blood, &c. Rom. iii. This is little apprehended by them who consider not the work to be wrought under the notion of a birth, which supposes the antecedent corruption, which always leads the way to generation, to have been universal and total. And it is as little considered, that this disaffection, as it hath spread itself through the whole subject; so it refers to the whole object, which they ought to be otherwise affected to: that is, the whole law of God, or the entire sum of their duty. They make nothing of it, considered as a duty and enjoined by God, and whereby they pay a respect and homage to him; and indeed every act of duty should • Preached Feb. 6th, 1677, at Cordwainer's Hall. But besides that the extent of this wretched case is not understood by such as don't consider, that a total depravation is now befallen the nature of man; so that is waived and overlooked which is the special thing in respect both of the object and subject, wherein the misery of their case doth more principally lie: that is, in respect of the suoject, the principal depravation is in the heart; in respes: of the object, the principal is towards God himself. True it is indeed that by the corruption which hath spread itself through the world, men are become hateful to God, and haters of one another; very ill-tempered towards one another; but we may observe that men are a great deal more easily brought to civility, than religion; and are with much less ado, whatever their tempers and dispositions are, brought to be kind one to another, than to take up loyal and dutiful affections towards God, and deport themselves suitably towards him. Nothing is more plain than that this depravedness which is in the spirits of men, ami which this begetting them of the Spirit is to cure, hath for its principal subject and seat, the heart; and for the principal object, the blessed God. That is, the heart, as that doth contain within the compass of it, the judgment, will, and affections of the soul, will by no means endure to be exercised about God. Notional thoughts men can tell how to employ about him, without any great trouble to themselves; they regret it not; but deeply to consider, and with a design to choose him as their God; to desire after him, to love him, and delight in him, and fear before him as such; therein the great disaffection of the spirit of a man towards God doth especially discover itself. This men will not understand, while they apprehend not that the thing to be effected by regeneration, is to make them new at the heart; and to renew the heart principally towards God: "Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me." When once that work is done, then this becomes the sense and posture of the soul; "As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my sou! after thee, O God." A renewed soul presently turns itself to God, and hath a bias put upon it, which inclines it towards him: "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth I desire in comparison of thee." He is singled out as the one Good, in which the soul doth centre and rest; "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord for ever:" i. e. dwell in the Divine presence, and be always nigh to God. But this great disaffection of the heart towards God, is still overlooked by the generality of men, as if they did not need to be cured in this respect. And herein they are very much confirmed, because it is become so customary a thing never to make such kind of reflections upon themselves which may naturally and probably lead to the discovery of their case, in this regard. Men don't compare themselves with the rule, and what it requires the dispo sitions of men's spirits to God should be. It summarily saith, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and af thy strength, and all thy mind." And they don't compare themselves with the examples of holy men; for such they can't but read of, if they consult their Bibles; and such they may possibly sometimes converse with, who can say somewhat of the disposition of their spirits towards God; how pleasant it is to be conversant with him; how they can entertain themselves in solitude, and what a so- ; lace it is to a vacant and leisure hour, wherein they can be entirely taken up in conversing with God. They don't compare themselves with the rule, or with other holy men; but they compare themselves, as the apostle speaks, with themselves, (2 Cor. x. 12.) and so they are not wise, or never come to understand themselves. They only compare themselves with themselves; and they find they agree with themselves well enough; that is, they are such to-day | gion; they can't tell how to inspirit it, and it will upon no as they were yesterday; and this week, as last; and this terms do, but hang and waver this way and that. And year, as the year before, and for many years past. They hence therefore, agree with themselves very well, and so only comparing themselves with themselves, they never come to understand the case. And this is very natural for men to do, and not to compare themselves with any thing which will be a reproof to them, or look ill upon them. And indeed if they took measure of their own spirits by the rule, or by another good and holy man, they would say, "Things are not so with me as they should be, and as with such and such it is." When I put myself upon a trial, I find I have no disposition of heart to love God; good thoughts of him are not at all delightful to me. But when they compare themselves with themselves, they can say, "I don't vary from myself; just such a temper of spirit as I had, I have." And so they think all is well, and never grow wise, or come to be instructed concerning the truth of their case. But if this great principle of truth could once obtain to be fixed in the minds of men, that there hath been a total depravation, and their whole souls are disaffected to the whole of their duty; and especially towards God, and all that duty which more immediately terminates on him; they would have quite other thoughts concerning the distressedness of their case, than is common with them. And 'tis of ill consequence that so plain and great a truth as this is overlooked. 2dly, Hence also they apprehend not wherein their redress must lie. They are apt either to think that some partial reformation is sufficient, and if they are reformed a little in this or that particular thing, then matters will be right and good, and will be well with them. If the drunkard take up and become sober, he thinks concerning himself, that he is a new man. If an unjust person admit a conviction, or it may be, is taught a little prudence by observing how much any thing of that kind reflects upon his reputation, and so he orders his affairs with more exactness, he is ready to look upon himself as regenerate. But if it were considered that there must be a being born, and that I am in a total corruption; surely another cure would be thought of than that, and it would appear no more proportionable to the case, than a man whose body was all over leprous, and full of sores, would acquiesce in the cure of a slight scratch in his little finger. And as they apprehend such a partial reformation sufficient, so they apprehend too from hence, that a vital principle is unnecessary. It is very true indeed, that with only some partial maim a principle of life may consist, but a universal corruption imports death. If the case were therefore understood aright, men would see it necessary in order to their cure, that they should be made alive, and a principle of life put into them; which a total depravation speaks to be absent. They would never think themselves well till then, and would find that as they are alienated from the life of God; so their business was to be made alive to God, and to Jesus Christ, as those who have been dead. But again, 6. Inference. Since in order to any one's partaking of God's kingdom, he must be born spirit of spirit, we infer further, that whosoever becomes truly and sincerely religious, a new creature is transmitted and communicated to him. This being not understood, it is all a man's business, to contrive and form for himself an artificial religion; and there are several sad consequences ensue thereupon. As, 1. Men attempt to perform what is proper to the Divine life without it. The actions of the Divine life which are visible to men, carry a kind of amiableness in them, in the common consciences of men; and they attempt those actions which are done from a principle of life, without considering, that to be sincerely religious, is to have a new nature. They think to do these actions without that life; just as he who is observed in story, to have attempted the setting up of a carcass of one newly dead: he would fain have it stand in the posture of a living body, but how to make it stand so he knew not. The head falls one way, and the hands another, and the legs tremble under it: at last he cries out, "Deest aliquid intus, There wants something within." Just so do men busy themselves to make an artificial frame, which is indeed a dead carcass of reli 2. All the actions of religion become exceeding grievous and irksome, and no pleasure is taken in them. You know it is a very easy thing for a man to move to and fro his own living body, where he will; pass into a speedy or slower motion, as he sees cause, without any considerable pain or difficulty; but it would be a very tedious thing to move to and fro a dead carcass; that would put him to greater pain. Here lies the difference between these two sorts of men; a man truly religious, and who therefore hath a new creature communicated to him, (as there is where any are begotten,) and other men. When any don't consider this, their business is to make up an external frame of religion, and to act and move and carry it to and fro with them; and that is alike burdensome as for a living man to move to and fro a dead carcass. But to one who is truly and spiritually alive, his new nature which is communicated to him, doth in a natural way animate the frame of religion, in which he is to act; so that the actions of it are easy and light, as all the acts of nature are. 3. Hence it is, that they are so manifestly defective imitations of religion. Their attempts and essays to do like religious men, have notorious and observable flaws in them, because they do not consider, there must be given a new nature, before I become truly religious. Some think it is only to do as men are taught, or only as a piece of art. And when we go to imitate only a natural action, there will be some very observable flaw and defect, some visible disparity in the attempt; as if you should make a puppet act just like a living child, the difference would be soon discovered. And hence, 4. Religion comes to be given over. Whereas where it ever comes to be taken up as an artificial thing, it is taken up on design of some present advantage and convenience; therefore if the inconveniences which shall come to you thereby be greater by continuing it than laying it aside, the reason why it was taken up being vanished, itself must needs cease. If the conveniences are not greater in a course of religion, than the inconveniences they sought to avoid, the religion itself must needs cease of course; and so it commonly doth. But where religion is in a man as a nature, it can't do so. I can easily lay aside my cloak, but not my flesh, which is vitally united with me, and is one thing with me, by a principle of life which runs through me. It is therefore of great concernment truly and thoroughly to understand this, that wherever any become truly religious, a new nature is communicated. Being taught only signifies the acquisitions of art; but being born, and principled, and constituted of such a complexion, signifies a stayed invariable principle of those actions which proceed from it. 7. Inference-That the constitution of God's kingdom must needs be spiritual; for men are born into it spirit of spirit.-It hath been a great modern controversy, as well as an ancient one, among philosophers, whether the constitution of the universe is of primordia, which are mechanical, or spermetical and vital. It is a dangerous thing when this comes to be a matter of doubt in religion, whether the constitution of this divine kingdom is mechanical or vital. According as the greater part of men practise, and as their habitual temper is, it seems as if it were thought that Christianity is nothing else but a piece of mechanism. But certainly if you are born into this kingdom, as they who come truly into it spirit of spirit; then the constitution of this kingdom is not mechanical, or an artificial contexture of things; but a frame of things which doth in a spiritually-natural way grow up towards that pitch it is designed to; and is that spirit of life which doth diffuse itself through all the mystical body of Christ; which makes the connexion between part and part, and keeps the body entire and firm to itself, and makes it a consistent and stable thing. And hereupon it must needs be consequent, 1. That whatever there is of disagreement among Christians, who are the living members of this kingdom and body, it must needs be unnatural. The reason is, that all who are of this kingdom, and truly belonging to it, are born into it, and in that birth partake of one and the same nature, by which they are connaturalized to one another, the difference can't be so great as many times it is thought; and to their common Lord and Head: He who sanctifieth, but then consider the difference between those who are and they who are sanctified, are all of one, (Heb. ii. 11.) Christians in truth, and those who are only so by profesor make one entire piece. Wherefore now what there is sion; and there the difference, for the same reason, inust of disagreement among Christians, must needs be preter-be greater than it is commonly thought to be; for there natural, and beside nature. And hence it is consequent, the difference is between a living thing and a dead; as that it must needs proceed from ill designs: that is, from much as between a piece of nature and art, a man and a the devil and his instruments, who make it their business, statue. So that it is a very vain kind of confidence which what they can, to act persons diversely; when if these such pretend to, who because they have made a shift to things be left to their natural course, and the new nature imitate and resemble a Christian, they think the case is in men is permitted to act undisturbedly, and according well with them, when as yet they may as much differ from to its genuine tendency, it would all run one way. It is them whose case is truly good, as a living man doth from needful to be well aware of this, whatever there is of dis- a dead carcass. agreement is accidental to it, and certainly proceeds from a foreign enemy, and somewhat without it, which sets such things on foot, and keeps them on foot, with an ill design towards this kingdom. If the new nature did run its course, and were not accidentally disturbed, by what is not of the constitution of this kingdom, it would certainly run the same way. It is one thing to say what is the constitution of the persons; and another, what is the constitution of them as members of this kingdom and born into it. The corruption of their own hearts, is extrinsical to the constitution of this kingdom; for 'tis only so far as they are new born that they are members of this kingdom. The sphere and verge of this kingdom doth properly and directly take in only the spiritual part. It is a sphere of spirituality; and what there is in it opposite thereunto, is alien to the constitution of it, and doth not belong to it. It is a great thing to be well possessed with this apprehension, that the great enemy of this kingdom does certainly foment whatever there is of disagreement among them who are born the vital members of it; and it must be under-deal more descend from God to them who are born of him, stood to proceed from an ill design. And, 8. Inference. That love to God cannot but be characteristical to every regenerate person-For every such a one is a child of God, and born of him; and certainly it ought to be looked upon, as the property of a child, to love the Father. If you love him who begat; that is supposed and taken for granted, as a thing not to be doubted, 1 John v. 1. And therefore to have a heart destitute of the love of God, and having no love to him, is a most unreasonable and unnatural thing; and a certain argument, that one is not his child, and hath not been born spirit of spirit. 'Tis very true there may be so great a degeneration in the old decayed nature of man; but in the new nature, there can never be such a degeneration, as that a person born of God should not love him. It would be the greatest inconsistency imaginable; and therefore a certain argument, that such were none of God's children. For though it is very true indeed, as it is commonly observed, that love doth descend, more than ascend; from him who begets, to them who are begotten; so love in this case more especially doth a great 2. It must argue an evil state, and the prevalency of a contrary principle. If there be divisions among you, are you not carnal 1 Cor. iii. 3. They who are of this kingdom are spiritual; they are born into it spirit of spirit; so they come into it. Therefore so far as there is a prevail-marily, and therein lies the end of the new creation, to ing disagreement and dividedness in the state of things in the church of Christ; so far the persons who are of that state are in a decay, and lapsed into carnality, and things grow worse and worse, as the church grows more divided. That spiritual principle which agrees to every member of this kingdom, as he is born into it, drives all to oneness. It proceeds from God, and tends to him; all are children of the same Father, and they are all begotten to one and the same great and lively hope of an eternal and undefiled inheritance. The primordia of the new creature necessarily leads to unity, among all who are of this kingdom. 3. Where there is any departure from this said oneness, there is so much of the decay of the spiritual nature, by the communication whereof men are said to be born into this kingdom. So much disunion as there is, so much carnality; and the church is then in a languishing state spiritually, when it is in a divided state. The not considering this is attended with a double mischief very obvious; that is, that in different respects, the differences and disagreements among Christians, are thought greater and less than indeed they are. They are thought greater than they are, because it is not considered how the nature which is every where communicated among the true members of this kingdom, doth make them substantially one, in the great and main and more principal things. There is a greater stress put upon the differences of those who are Christians indeed, than there ought, or can be, in comparison of the small things wherein they differ. And they very much mistake who think them to be great; for they necessarily agree in one common, new, spiritual, divine nature and principle of life: and it is impossible they should disagree in any one thing, comparatively to so great a thing as this. Whatsoever other differences there are, they are comparatively little, in respect of their agreement in this. They cannot differ so but they are all one in Christ Jesus; whoever is in Christ is a new creature, they all come in him under one mould and stamp by their new creation. But then, in another respect, the difference is thought a great deal less than indeed it is among Christians. Consider Christians who are truly and sincerely such, and so than ascend from them to him. But though it descends a 10. Inference.-We further infer, that the reason is evi- new-born. It is a violence to the new nature of the child- | modern philosophy itself, that creation and conservation ren of God, to withhold from them the word of the Gospel, and the ministry of it, which hath been instrumental to their new birth; and can't but infer pain and anguish, to be abridged and deprived of what was so conducive to their spiritual beings. Last inference, we collect,-That this same kingdom and church of God, which is truly and really so, must needs be a growing thing. All who are of it are born into it, and so become as it were naturally subjects; there is a new nature communicated to all who are in it; and therefore, it being made up of the spiritual nature and life, will grow, till it comes to its maturity. Never fear but it will grow, behold it never so languishing, never so assaulted struck at, and contested against. For all who are born into it consist of spirit and life; and therefore it is impossible, but it must become a mature thing, worthy both of the great Author and Founder of it, and of the great design for which he formed it; namely, that he might have a people to be eternally governed by a placid, gentle empire, and a delightful, easy sway; who should be ruled by a beck and a nod; and to whom every intimation of his will should have the force of a perfect command, without any the least regret; and that all the subjects of this kingdom should partake in the glory of it. And so it will be a living kingdom, and will be a growing thing, till it come to that glorious maturity, which will answer both the greatness of the Undertaker, and the excellency of the design, for which this new nature and life was given to it. SERMON IX.* Gal. v. 25. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. are not diverse acts, but the latter only the former continued; and that God doth by the continual communication of the same influence, by which he created and made this world, keep it in the state wherein it is, that it doth not relapse back into its old nothing; that there would not need a positive act of God to destroy the world, if he would turn all things to nothing again, but only to suspend and withaold the influence by which every thing comes to be what it is: so it is in the new creation, or in the new creature, too. The very suspension of that influence by which it began to be, or to live, (which is all one,) must certainly infer the failure and extinction of the whole. Think therefore what it would be if all vital influence were suspended and withheld on a sudden from this material and sensible world in which we converse. You might hereupon frame the apprehension within yourselves, of the face of the earth all on a sudden bestrewed with the dead carcasses of men and beasts, the beauty and pleasant verdure of it all vanished and gone, and nothing left in time but a great clod of dirt! This great temple of the Deity, which he inhabits by a vital presence, that diffuses life up and down every where, all turned into a ruinous heap. If, I say, there were a suspension of vital influence, supposing an influence continued by which this material world should still be. Why, so it must be, proportionably, in reference unto the new creature too. There is the substratum to be considered, which is a part of the natural creation, the soul or the man himself; but, that vital influence being suspended by which the new creature was made to be what it was, there is nothing left but a dead man, a dead soul! The temple of the Holy Ghost (as we must sup pose it to have been, beautified and adorned with the Divine image on every side, in every part) laid waste and desolate! Nothing now but darkness and confusion, and misery and death, there where God dwelt! So the case would be, if we could suppose such a thing as the suspension of that influence, by which the life of the new creature first began to spring up. And there is not only a parity in the cases, but in some IN asserting the office of the Holy Ghost, or that work respects a sameness. For we must know that all Divine which it hath undertaken in reference to the spirits of influence is in one respect, that is, ex parte principii, one men, we have already spoken of one great act of that and the same, and only differs, or is diversified, ex parte office; i. e. the regenerating and begetting anew of souls termini, according as it doth terminate. We can't coninto God's kingdom, spirit of spirit. We have now two ceive the Divine influences to be distinguished in their other acts before us in these words; i. e. its maintaining Fountain, that is, in the Divine Being itself, the Almighty the life, and causing all the right motion, of regenerate Spirit, whence all proceeds and flows out. That Almighty souls. The former of these are contained in the supposi- Spirit, if you consider the operations of it, produces dition; "If we live in the Spirit:" the latter is intimated vers, but by an influence that is radically and in the Founin the inferred precept; "Let us walk in the Spirit." Both tain one and the same. As in reference to those diversiare alike imputed to the Spirit of God here, and it is re-ties of its operations that were performed to the church, as presented as the very element of life, and the spring of all divers as they were, they were all wrought by one and the holy motion to renewed souls; which fills the whole region, same spirit. The spirit of prophecy was not one spirit, as it were, with vitality, in which they converse, and draw and of healing another, and of tongues another; but one their continual breath. The case is, in this respect, much and the same Spirit did thus diversify its operations, acike in the new creation as in the old, and in the sphere cording as the products were divers which were caused by of grace as in that of nature. It is said concerning the it, and which it was afterwards to continue in that being natural world, that it doth, as it were, subsist in God; and which it gave. To suppose a difference or diversity of init is spoken of the new creation here; and both in one fluence in the Fountain itself, the Divine Being, were to form of expression: In him we live, and move, and have suppose God to differ from himself, and to put somewhat our being, Acts xvii. 28. And here we read of living in in God that were not God; a thing most repugnant to the the Spirit; and walking or moving in the spirit. There simplicity of the Divine Being. But the Divine influences is only this difference in the form of expression: that may be diversified terminatively, according to the subwhereas we have three distinct phrases used to set forth jects in which it is received. Nature is various in this, the dependence of the natural creation upon God;-living, and that, and the other creature; (speaking of the natura and moving, and having being in him;-there are only the naturata, as, for distinction's sake, it is wont to be called ;) two former used here in reference to the new creation, and the influences are diversified according to those divers living and moving; living in the Spirit and walking in natures in which they terminate, and according to the the Spirit. The reason of the difference is obvious, that different purposes which the exigency of those natures doth we have in reference to the former, that superadded ex- require should be served and complied with. And so that pression, "and have our being;" because in this natural, influence, which originally and in the Fountain is one and material, sensible world, there are many things which are, the same, according as it goes forth to beget and continue that do not live: but with the new creation it is not so; a variety of productions of this, or that, or another kind, here, to live and to be, are one and the same thing; and is an influence that gives and that preserves being to 'tis entirely and wholly a being of life. A collection of all things concerning which it can only be said, they are: it vital principles compose and make it up what it is; and is a vital influence to things that live; it is a motive inthere is nothing in the new creation concerning which it fluence to things that move; it is an intellectual influence can be said, it is, but lives not; for it is all life through- to things that are capable of understanding; it is a holy out. And as philosophy has been wont to teach, even influence unto what is holy, to what it hath made holy, and is to continue and keep so; it is light, as it terminates | dle sense between these two, viz, the first reception of the in light; and love, as it terminates in love; and power, as it terminates in power; and holy gracious action, as it doth terminate in such actions. But it is the principle of such actions, the subordinate principle, here signified by the name of life, or included in living, that we are now to speak of: and we shall speak of the action which proceeds from that life, and show how that hath rise also from the Spirit, when we come to the latter part of the text. From the former part the truth that we have to observe you may take thus-The blessed Spirit of God doth continue and maintain that life, whereof it hath been the Author, in every renewed soul. We shall, in speaking to this,-1. Very briefly open the words to you, that we may clear the ground which the truth recommended to you hath in the text, and-Shall next give you some account of the thing which is asserted therein. I. As to the former, you must take notice, 1. That the if in the beginning of the text is not an if of dubitation, but of argumentation-" If ye live in the Spirit."-The apostle does not say so as doubting, nor was his design to signify that he had a doubt, whether they did so, yea or no; but supposing or taking that for granted, it is only a form used by him (as it is common in arguing hypothetically) thereupon to reason with them from such a supposed principle. The if therefore signifies as much as whereas, or since; since or inasmuch as ye live in the Spirit, therefore walk in the Spirit. As in Col. iii. 1. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above: If ye be, that is, "Since ye are; it is the appearance which as professing Christians ye make, the aspect which ye visibly hold forth to men, viz. that of persons united with Christ, and made alive by him; since ye are risen with Christ, therefore set your affections on things above; act and do accordingly." So we are to take it here, and it affords us a clear ground for a positive assertion, those who are Christians indeed do live in the Spirit. 2. We must note, that to live cannot reasonably be understood as intending the first reception of the principle of life, but the continuation of that principle. This form of expression, viz. by the present tense, is commonly used to hold forth to us the continuedness of any thing; when we don't say such a thing was, or such a thing will be, but such a thing is, it notes, I say, the continuedness of the thing spoken of; inasmuch as the present time is that which doth connect and continue the two parts of time, viz. the past and the future. And the continued state of this life is after the same manner expressed by the apostle in the 2nd chapter of this epistle to the Galatians, verse 20. The life which I live in the flesh is by the faith of the Son of God. He means not, that he only first began to live that life by an influence received from the Son of God, but that he lived from day to day that life which he did live, that spiritual, divine life, by faith in the Son of God, who had loved him and given himself for him. Nor again must we understand this living to signify the series of actions only proper to that life; for they are afterwards signified by the name of walking in the other part of the text. It is true indeed, that living, in a very common notion of it, does denote the continued series of the actions of one's life, whether good or bad, both in Scripture and in ordinary language: If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, (Rom. viii. 13.) that is, if ye continue to act, or walk, or converse after the flesh, according as that corrupt principle doth incline and dictate, ye shall die. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; that is, act, and walk, and converse so, Titus ii. 11, 12. And in common speech we use to say such a man lives a good or a bad life, intending by living, the course of his actions whether good or bad. But this cannot be the meaning of living here, for the reason before mentioned; and should we so understand it, there would neither be argument, nor indeed congruity, in the apostle's way of expressing himself; for it would amount to no more than this; If ye continue to live in the Spirit, continue to live in the Spirit; or if ye continue to walk in the Spirit, continue to walk in the Spirit. Wherefore it is necessary that we conceive a mid principle of life, and the continued series of the actions of that life; and that middle sense is, (as hath been already intimated,) the continuation of the vital principle itself. If ye live, that is, if ye have the principle of a new and divine life continued and maintained in you, walk in the Spirit, as those principles would direct and guide you to do. Again, 3. We must note that by Spirit, or the Spirit, is manifestly meant the blessed eternal Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. It can't be meant of our natural spirit, as is most evident; nor can it be meant of the new creature itself, which is in the Scripture called spirit; (as we have had occasion lately to take notice again and again;) for of the same Spirit which is here spoken of you have an enumeration of the fruits in the verses immediately foregoing; The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, meekness, temperance, &c. These, we are sure, are not the fruits of our own natural spirit; neither can they be said to be the fruits of the new creature, for they are the new creature itself, those very principles whereof the new creature is composed and doth consist. It is therefore manifest that by the Spirit we must understand the divine eternal Spirit, the blessed Spirit of God itself. And for that form of expression," in the Spirit," that particle commonly denotes à causative influence, and signifies as much as by; q. d. If ye live by the Spirit. Many instances might be given, and have upon some other occasion been given, to show that the particle in doth sometimes signify by, and denotes the influence of an efficient cause. But then it must be noted too, that it denotes the part of an efficient cause, or a casual influence, with a great deal more emphasis than if another form of expression had been used. "If ye live in the Spirit." Why it imports the continual, vital, immediate presence of the Spirit for this purpose, to maintain this life. "If ye live in the Spirit;" as if the soul had its very situs, its situation, in a region of life which the Spirit did create and make unto it. As sometimes the continual present power, and dominion, and influence of wickedness, or some wicked principle, is expressed the same way, by being in the flesh. When we were in the flesh, under the power and regnancy of any corrupt, fleshly principle, the motions of sin which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death, Rom. vii. 5. And, Thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity, as it is said to Simon Magus, Acts viii. 23. And, The world lies in wickedness; so as to be continually receiving in and imbibing wickedness, as it were on every hand, I John v. 19. In like manner the soul is represented as imbibing life and vital influence on every part; agreeably unto which notion, some (and those I may reckon the best of) philosophers have been wont to say, that it is a great deal more proper to speak of the body of a man as being in his soul, than of the soul as in the body; that the body is in the soul, as being continually clothed with vital influence on every part, and which it diffuses throughout; the soul being as an element of life unto the body all the while they do converse, life extending even unto all the extremities, unto the most extreme part of the body that you can suppose. So is the soul spoken of here in reference to the Spirit of God; though that very intimate union is frequently held forth to us in Scripture by a kind of reciprocal and mutual in-being of one in the other, and the other in that. "He that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him;" they do, as it were, inhabit one another. So it is with the Spirit of God, and the soul that spiritually lives by it; it is in the Spirit, and the Spirit is in it. It is not so in the Spirit, as it there were any thing of itself more intimate to it than the Spirit is; but the Spirit doth as it were clothe it with life, fill it with life, and is all in all of life to it. So much therefore is now clear to you, that the truth which we have observed hath a very adequate ground in the text. "If ye live in the Spirit," since ye do so. It is a thing to be concluded, that the life of those who are Christians indeed, who have ever come to be spiritually alive, is to be maintained and continued by a constant influence of the blessed Spirit. II. Now that we may open the truth of the thing that is asserted and contained in these words, it will be requisite to speak distinctly,-1. Concerning the life that is to be |