felf-gratification than of obedience to the divine authority; and the person would incline to them, if they were not commanded at all. They are duties materially, in themselves, but not formally, as performed by him: a regard to the authority of God, which is the conftitutive form of obedience, is left out. A generous temper may incline to give alms; for the Lord's fake, is omitted. (2.) Spiritual life difpofes to all duties of religion and acts of holiness univerfally. It delights in holiness as fuch, and regards the authority of the law for itself; and confequently, whatever has the nature of holiness, whatever has the fanction of divine authority, it cannot but affect and relish, even though it fhould be very contrary to a man's natural inclinations and temporal advantage. But a natural propenfion is always partial and limited, inclines to fome duties only, neglecting others of equal or greater importance, which thwart the man's corrupt propenfions. În a word, fuch a one's religion proceeds from the very fame difpofition that his fins proceed from, namely, a difpofition to please himself. Hence it is always a maimed, imperfect, half-formed thing; it has not that amiable fymmetry and uniformity, that congruous proportion and connection of parts, which are the ornament and diftinguishing characteristic of that religion which flows from a heart univerfally disposed to holinefs.

3. Spiritual life implies a power of holy operation. A heavenly vigour, a divine activity animates the whole foul. It implies more than an inefficacious difpofition, a dull, lazy velleity, productive of nothing but languid wishes. So every kind of life implies a power of operation fuitable to its nature. Animal life (e. g.) has not only an innate propensity, but also a natural power to move, to receive, and digeft food, &c. They that wait on the Lord fball renew their strength, Ifa. xl. 31. that is, they have ftrength given them; renewed and increased by repeated acts, in the progrefs of fanctification. They are strengthened with might,

by

by the Spirit, in the inner man. Eph. iii. 16. I do not mean that spiritual life is always fenfible and equally vigorous; alas! it is fubject to many languifhments and indifpofitions; but I mean there is habitually in a spiritual man a power, an ability for ferving God, which, when all pre-requifites concur, and hindrances are removed, is capable of putting forth acts of holinefs, and which does actually exert itself frequently. So animal life is fubject to many disorders, which weaken its powers of operation, but yet ftill it retains those powers; and they are in fome measure active, even under the greateft indifpofition, at least in refifting the disorder, though perhaps with faint ftruggles. Again, I do not mean an independent power, which is fo felf-active as to need no quickening energy from the divine Spirit to bring it into act, but a power capable of acting under the animating influences of grace, which, as to their reality, are common to all believers, though they are communicated in different degrees to different perfons. There is no need of the infufion of a new power, which the Spirit might actuate; but they have a power already, which needs nothing but the suitable concurrence of other causes to educe it into act. So the power of reafon is not independent, fo as to be capable of operation without the concurrence of divine providence, common to mankind, to quicken it into act; yet it is a power of reason ftill, because it is capable of rational acts, under common providential influence. But fhould we fuppofe a beaft the object of that influence, it would ftill continue incapable of rational acts, till a rational power be implanted in it. The illuftration itself directs us to the application of it.

Thus I have briefly fhewn you wherein spiritual life confifts; but I am afraid it may be ftill wrapt in obfcurity from the eyes of fome. And indeed it would require longer time, larger extent, and greater abilities to reflect fufficient light on fo myfterious a point. Before we lofe fight of this head, let us improve it to these purposes.

Let

Let us improve it as a caution against this common mistake, viz. That our mere natural powers, under the common aids of divine grace, polifhed and refined by the inftitutions of the gofpel, are a fufficient principle of holiness, without the addition of any new principle. You fee a principle of spiritual life is fupernatural; it is a divine, heaven-born thing; it is the feed of God; a plant planted by our heavenly Father. But alas! how many content themselves with a felf-begotten holinefs! They have formed to themselves a fyftem of natural felf-sprung religion (I mean that it is natural originally and fubjectively, though it be pretended to be divine objectively, becaufe its patrons acknowledge objective revelation) in this they acquiefce as fufficient, as though they knew not that that which is born of the flesh is flesh. The cogitativeness of matter appears to me a notion very like this; for I think it might be demonftrated as clearly, that our mere natural powers, in our present lapfed ftate, without the infufion of any divine, fupernatural principle, are incapable of living, evangelical holinefs; as it can, that mere matter, without the fuper-addition of a principle intirely diftinct from it, is capable of thinking, however much it be polished, or however differently it be modified.

Let us alfo improve what has been said, to remove another equally common and pernicious error, namely, That gofpel-holinefs confifts merely in a series of acts materially good. Some imagine that all the actions they do, which are materially lawful and a part of religion, have juft fo much of holiness in them; and as they multiply fuch actions, their fanctification increafes in their imagination. But alas! do they not know, that a principle, a difpofition, a power of holy acting muft precede, and be the fource of all holy acts! That a new heart muft be given us, and a new fpirit put within us, before we can walk in God's ftatutes and keep his judgments, and do them! Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. That we must be created in Jefus Chrift unto good works, Eph. ii. 10. before we can walk in them! That

the

the love of God must be fhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghoft, Rom. v. 5. before we can love Him! I do not fay, that they that are void of fpiritual life fhould not attempt to perform religious duties in the best manner they can, by virtue of their natural powers; for this is undoubtedly their duty, both because their fin is lefs when only the manner of their actions is finful, than when the matter and manner too are sinful ; and because God, who has a right to appoint what methods he pleases, for the collation of his own favours, has conftituted this as the way for them to obtain fpiritual life.. But I fay, religious and moral duties, however frequently and perfeveringly performed, are not evangelical holinefs, when they are not done from a gracious fupernatural principle: they are but fpurious fruits growing from the wild root of depraved nature; and we had beft not please ourselves with the view of them, as though they were the fruits of holiness, left we be confumed at laft as fruitless and noxious briars and thorns.

Further, Let us improve our account of fpiritual life, to inform us of a very confiderable difference betwixt a mere moral, and a spiritual life; or evangelical holiness and morality. Spiritual life is of a divine original; evangelical holinefs flows from a fupernatural principle: but mere morality is natural; it is but the refinement of our natural principles, under the aids of common grace, in the ufe of proper means; and confequently it is obtainable by unregenerate men. Hence the fame act may be differently denominated, according to the principles from which it proceeds: that may be a piece of mere morality in one, who acts from natural principles only, which is an act of holiness in another, who acts from a principle of fpiritual life. So an alms, when given from a gracious principle, and for Christ's fake, is a gracious act; but when given from a principle of natural generosity only, it deferves no higher name than that of mere morality. -A mistake in this is a rock we may tremble to look

at,

at, and ought anxioufly to avoid; for alas! how many have been dafhed to pieces upon it!

Again, We may improve what has been faid, to convince us, that a life of formality, liftleffnefs, and inactivity, is far from being a spiritual life. Where these things are habitual and predominant, they are infallible fymptoms of fpiritual death. It is true (as has been already obferved) believers are fubject to many fickly qualms and frequent indifpofitions; yea, at times, their languishments are fuch, that the operations of the vital principle within them are hardly dif cernible to themselves or others; and the vigour of their devotion, in their most sprightly hours, is checked and borne down by the body of death under which they groan. Yet ftill, there is an inextinguishable fpark of life within, which scatters a glimmering light in the thickeft darkness, and fometimes fhines with illuftrious brightnefs. The pulfe of the fpirit, though weak and irregular, ftill beats. There is an active power that reluctates and struggles against the counterftrivings of the flesh; that, under the greateft languor, puts forth fome weak efforts, fome faint effays, and, under the actuating influence of the divine Spirit, invigorates the foul to mount up with wings like an eagle, to run without wearying, and walk without fainting. And O! the joy, the pleasure of fuch heavenly activity! We therefore may write Tekel on the dull, inoperative religion of many; it ferves for no end, but to prove them dead in trefpaffes and fins. The defign of the whole difpenfation of God's grace towards fallen finners, is their vivification to holiness, that they may bring forth fruit unto God, Rom. vii. 4. and fure, where that defign is not obtained, there can be no true religion. Let us therefore beware left we should have a name to live, while we are dead.

SERMON