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SERMON L.

THE DIVINE LIFE IN THE SOULS OF MEN CONSIDERED.

GAL. ii. 20. I am crucified with Chrift, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Chrift that liveth in me: and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.

II.

We proceed to inquire,

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HEN fpiritual life is communicated?To this the fcriptures direct us to answer, That it is communicated in that change which is generally called Regeneration, or Effectual Calling. This is more than intimated by the expreffions used to fignify the firft communication of it. When fpiritual life is infufed, then it is that God is faid to beget us again to a lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. to beget us of his own will, James i. 18. to quicken us, who were dead in fin, Eph. ii. 5. to give us a new heart, and put a new spirit within us; to take away the ftony heart, and give an heart of flesh, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. and we are faid to be created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, Eph. ii. 10. born again, John iii. 3. born or begotten of God, John i. 13. 1 John iii. 9. Now it is evident that these metaphorical expreffions fignify what is commonly called Regencration, and that they exprefs the firft implantation of fpiritual life. Several of them contain a direct allufion to the firft communication of animal and human life, as generation or begetting, regeneration or being begotten again, creation, &c. And fince these, taken literally, fignify the first communication of natural life, they muft, when used metaphorically and fpiritually, fig nify the first communication of fpiritual life. Life

before

before generation, creation, &c. is an abfurdity; and generation, creation, &c. without the communication of life fuitable to the nature of the being generated, created, &c. is also an abfurdity. The other expreffions, as quickening us while dead in trefpaffes and fins, giving a new heart, and the like, even literally fignify this.

Hence, by way of improvement, we may be inftructed to avoid a common mistake; namely, "That a power of living to God is univerfally conferred upon mankind in creation; and therefore that there is no need of a new fupernatural principle to be infused, but only of the concurrence of common providence, and the inftitutes of the gofpel, to polish and refine our natural principles. And fome fay, "That God in creation infufes fpiritual life into all, on account of Chrift's dying for them; and that if it be given without the merit of the recipient, it may as properly be afcribed to divine grace when it is a natural endowment bestowed in creation, as it would be if it were a fupernatural gift communicated by an act diftinct from and pofterior to that of creation."

In order effectually to fubvert this notion, confider, 1. If fpiritual life were communicated in creation, there would be no propriety or fignificancy in the expreffions used to denote the communication of it. There would be no need of a new, a fecond birth, if we were fpiritually alive by virtue of our first birth. Were we holy by virtue of our firft creation, what neceffity of being created in Christ Jefus, or of being made new creatures? 2 Cor. v. 17. Gal. vi. 15. There could be no oppofition between the old man and the new. Rom. vi. 6. Eph. iv. 22, 24. Col. iii. 9, 10. The difpofitions concreated with us cannot be called a new man.-2. The implantation of spiritual life is not only pofterior to creation, but also to corrupt principles, which are innate. We are first dead in fin before we are quickened, Eph. ii. 5. we have a stony heart, which must be taken away before a heart of Alch is given, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. Such expreffions undoubt

edly

edly fignify and act pofterior to, and confequently dif tinct from creation.-3. The implantation of a principle of fpiritual life is eminently an act of special grace, which the concreation of our natural endowments is never faid to be. The washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, is an act of mercy, and the effect of the kindness and love of God our Saviour. Tit. iii. 5. God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in fins, bath quickened us together with Chrift (by grace ye are faved.) Eph. ii. 4, 5. It is according to God's abundant mercy, that we are begotten again unto a lively hope. I Pet. i. 3. But what need I multiply inftances? The entire tenor of the gofpel directs us to afcribe the regeneration and fanctification of finners to distinguishing and peculiar grace. But though our natural powers are the free communications of divine goodness, yet we are never faid to be "created according to the grace and mercy of God." It is not agreeable to the facred dialect to call the powers of reafon, vision, &c. the gifts of grace," in the same sense that spiritual life is fo called: nay, I cannot find that our natural powers are ascribed to mercy, grace, free grace, at all; and it feems more congruous to afcribe them to other perfections of the Deity, as creative wisdom, power and goodness. To this I may add, that spiritual life is always reprefented as communicated " thro" Chrift as Mediator, and for his fake;" but our natural endowments are not faid to be given through him. The Holy Ghost is fhed on us abundantly through Jefus Chrift our Saviour. Tit. iii. 5, 6. We are fanctified through the offering up of the body of Christ once for all. Heb. x. 10. It is in Chrift Jefus that we are blessed with all fpiritual bleffings. Eph. i. 3. He is made fatisfaction to us, 1 Cor. i. 30. and of his fulness we all receive. John i. 16. But we are never faid to be created for Chrift's fake, or to be made rational creatures on the account of his righteousness. And, when we are faid to be VOL. III. created

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created by him, it fignifies by him as an efficient, not as a meritorious caufe.

From all which it appears, that fpiritual life in a fallen creature is wholly fupernatural: it is of a divine extract,and heaven-born in a peculiar fenfe. The fons of God are born of God, and not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. nor of the will of man. If therefore any of us continue in our natural eftate, we are dead in fin, however ftrict formalifts, or refined moralifts we may be. Let us inquire,

III. "Whether fpiritual life be inftantaneously communicated? Or, whether (as fome alledge) it be gradually acquired by repeated acts?"

Here let it be obferved, that we are not inquiring, how fpiritual life is nourished and confirmed? for that is undoubtedly done gradually, by repeated acts, correfpondent to the nature of fpiritual life, and perfective of it in the progrefs of fanctification, as the power of reason is improved by a series of fuitable exercifes; but our inquiry is, How it is firft obtained? Whether it be communicated in the inftant of regeneration, as the power of understanding is in creation? And to this I anfwer affirmatively, for the following reafons.

I. 1. It is a contradiction that it should be originally acquired by acting, or a series of acts;" for that fuppofes that it exifts, and does not exift, at the fame time as it acts, it exifts; and as it is acquired by acting, it does not exift. It will perhaps be objected, "That it may be acquired by the repeated acts of another kind of life, namely, rational; or the exercises of our rational powers about fpiritual objects." But this may be answered from what was obferved under the first head, namely, That a principle of spiritual life is fomething diftinct from and fuperadded to our natural powers. Now the acts of one kind of life, however often repeated, will never acquire a life of a quite different kind: e. g. The longest courfe, and the most frequent repetition of animal acts, will never acquire

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a principle of reafon. Let a blind man hear ever fo well, and ever so frequently, that will not acquire a vifive faculty. So let our natural principles be exercised about fpiritual objects with ever fo much frequency and permanency, that will never acquire fpiritual life. They are fo depraved, that there remains nothing in them out of which it can be educed, without the communication of fomething fupernatural. Be they ever fo ftrong and active, they can contribute no more to our vivification, than the quick fenfation of the auditory nerve can contribute to the acquifition of fight. Principles of action may be confirmed, and rendered more prompt to act, by frequent exercife; but can never be originally obtained that way.

2. The terms whereby the communication of fpiritual life is fignified, as begetting, creating, quickening, or raifing the dead, &c. denote an inftantaneous communication.

3. Spiritual life is reprefented as prior to and the fource and principle of all acts of evangelical holiness; and confequently it cannot be gradually acquired by fuch acts, but must be implanted previously to the putting forth of any fuch acts; as reafon is not acquired by reafoning, but is a pre-requifite and principle of all the acts of reafon. We are created in Chrift Jefus, to make us capable of good works. Eph. ii. 10. We must have a new heart and a new fpirit, and the fpirit of God be put within us, that we may walk in God's Statutes, and keep his judgments, and do them. Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. We must be drawn of the Father, muft hear and learn of him, before we can come to Chrift. John iv. 44, 45. God gives his people one heart, and one way, that they may fear Him for ever. He puts his fear in their hearts, before they ceafe to depart from Him. Jer. xxxii. 39, 40. Now if all acts of holinefs be the effects of a vital principle of holiness previously infused, then this principle is not acquired by a courfe of actions, and confequently it is not gradually acquired, but inftantaneously infufed; for that which is not acquired

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