I may fay, the principle of spiritual life runs into all, and every faculty and affection, and fanctifies, or renews the whole man; whereas the change upon hypocrites is but partial and particular; he may have new light, but no new love; a new tongue, but not a new heart; this or that vice may be reformed, but the whole courfe of his life is not altered.

Fourthly and laftly, This infufion of fpiritual life is done inftantaneously; as all creation-work is: hence it is resembled to that plaftic power, which, in a moment, made the light to fhine out of darknefs; juft fo God fhines into our hearts, 2 Cor. iv. 6.

It is true, a foul may be a long time under the preparatory works of the Spirit, he may be under convictions and humiliations, purposes and refolutions a long time; he may be waiting at the pool of Bethesda, attending the means and ordinances, but when the Spirit comes once to quicken the foul, it is done in a moment; even as it is in the infufion of the rational foul, the body is long ere it be prepared and moulded, but when once the embryo or matter is ready, it is quickened with the fpirit of life in an inftant: fo it is here: but O what a blessed moment is this! Upon which the whole weight of our eternal happiness depends; for it is Chrift in us, (i. e.) Chrift formed in us, who is the hope of glory, Col. i. 27. And our Lord exprefly tells us, John iii. 3. That except we be regenerate and born again, we cannot fee the kingdom of God. And thus of the way, and manner of its infufion.

Thirdly, Let the defign and end of God, in this his quickening work, be next confidered; for what end, and with what defign and aim this work is wrought. And if we confult the fcriptures in this matter, we fhall find this principle of life is infused in order to our glorifying God, in this world, by a life of obedience, and our enjoying of God in the world to come.

First, Spiritual life is infufed in order to a courfe of obedience in this world, whereby God is glorified: So we read in Eph. ii. IO. "Created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God "hath before ordained that we should walk in them:" habits are to actions, as the root is to the fruit, it is for fruit fake that we plant the root, and ingraff the branches. So in Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. ་་ A new fpirit will I alfo put within you, and

ferri lapidis magnetis fpiritu movetur, per multos annulos ferreos extenla: ita etiam qui funt virtute præditi, divino spiritu attracti, cum prima manfione, conjungantur, deinceps autem alii ufque ad poftremam, Clem, Alexand. Strom. lib. 7.

"cause you to walk in my flatutes, and ye fhall keep my judg"ments and do them." This is the next, or immediate defign and end, not only of the first infufion of the principle of life into the foul, but of all the exciting, actuating, and affifting works of the Spirit afterwards. Now this principle of fpiritual life infufed, hath a twofold influence into obedience.

First, This makes it fincere and true obedience, when it flows from an inward vital principle of Grace. The hypocrite is moved by fome thing ab extra, from without, as the applaufe of men, the accommodation of fleshly interefts, the force of education; or if there be any thing from within that moves him, it is but felf-intereft, to quiet a disturbing confcience, and fupport his vain hopes of heaven: but he never acts from a new principle, a new nature, inclining him to holy actions. Since rity mainly lies in the harmony and correfpondency of actions to their principles: from this infufed principle it is, that men hunger and thirst for God, and go to their duties, as men do to their meals, when they find an empty, craving ftomach.

O reader, pause a little upon this ere thou pafs on, ask thy heart whether it be fo with thee: are holy duties connatural to thee? Doth thy foul move and work after God by a kind of fupernatural instinct? This then will be to thee a good evidence of thy integrity.

Secondly, From this infused principle of life, refults the ex cellency of our obedience, as well as the fincerity of it: for by virtue and reafon thereof, it becomes free and voluntary, not forced and conftrained, it drops like honey, and of its own ac cord, out of the comb, Cant. iv. 11. Or as waters from the fountain, without forcing, John iv. 14. An unprincipled profeffor must be preffed hard by fome weight of affliction, ere he will yield one tear, or pour out a prayer, Pfal. lxxviii. 34. "When he flew them, then they fought him."

Now the freedom of obedience is the excellency of it, God's eye is much upon that, 1 Cor. ix. 17. Yea, and the uniformity of our obedience, which is also a special part of the beauty of it, refults from hence: he that acts from a principle, acts fluently and uniformly, and there is a proportion betwixt the parts of his converfation: this is it which makes us holy, ev Taon avaspopne in all manner of converfation, or in every point, and turning of our converfations, as the word imports, 1 Pet. i. 15. Where as he that is moved by this, or that external accidental motive, must needs be very uneven, "like the legs of a lame man," as the expreffion is, Prov. xxvi. 7. "which are not equal:" Now a VOL. II.

word of God and then the difcourfe runs muddy and prophane, or carnal again: all that evennefs, and uniformity that are in the feveral parts of a Chriftian's life, are the effect of this infuled principle of fpiritual life.

66

is

Thirdly, Another aim and defign of God in the infufion of this principle of life, is thereby to prepare and qualify the foul for the enjoyment of himfelf in heaven: "Except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. All that thall poffefs that inheritance must be begotten again to it, as the apoftle speaks, 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. This principle of grace the very feed of that glory; it is eternal life in the root and prin-ciple, John xvii. 3. by this the foul is attempered and qualified for that state and employment. What is the life of glory, but the vifion of God, and the foul's affimilation to God by that vi fion? From both which refults that unfpeakable joy and delight which paffeth understanding: but what vifion of God, affimilation to God, or delight in God, can that foul have, which was ne ver quickened with the fupernatural principle of grace? The temper of fuch fouls is expreffed in that fad character, Zech. xi. 8. My foul loathed them, and their foul alfo abhorred me." For want of this vital principle it is, that the very fame duties and ordinances, which are the delights and highest pleasures of the faints, are no better than a mere drudgery and bondage to o thers, Mal. i. 13. Heaven would be no heaven to a dead foul; this principle of life, in its daily growth and improvement, is our meetnefs, as well as our evidence, for heaven: these are the main ends of its infufion.

Fourthly, In the next place, according to the method prope fed, I am obliged to fhew you, that this quickening work is wholly fupernatural; it is the fole and proper work of the Spirit of God. So Chrift himself exprefly afferts it, in John îii. 6,8. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born "of the Spirit is Spirit: the wind bloweth where it lifteth, and "thou heareft the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it *cometh, nor whither it goeth; fo is every one that is born of "the Spirit."

Believers are the birth or offspring of the Spirit, who pro duceth the new creature in them in an unintelligible manner, even to themselves. So far it is above their own ability to produce, that it is above their capacity to underftand the way of its production: as if you fhould afk, Do you know from whence the wind comes? No: Do you know whither it goes? No: But you hear and feel it when it blows? Yes: Why, fo is eve 1y one that is born of the Spirit: he feels the efficacy, and dif

cerns the effects of the Spirit on his own foul, but cannot underftand, or defcribe the manner of its production: This is not only above the carnal, but above the renewed mind to comprehend; we can contribute nothing, I mean actively, to the production of this principle of life: we may indeed be faid to concur paffively, with the fpirit in it; that is, there is found in us a capacity, aptnefs, or receptiveness of this principle of life: our nature is endowed with fuch faculties and powers as are meet fubjects to receive, and inftruments to act this fpiritual life: God only quickens the rational nature with fpiritual life.

It is true alfo, that in the progrefs of fanctification, a man doth actively concur with the Spirit, but in the first production of this fpiritual principle he can do nothing: he can indeed per. form thofe external duties that have a remote tendency to it, but he cannot by the power of nature perform any faving act or contribute any thing more than a paffive capacity to the im plantation of a new principle: as will appear by the following arguments.

Arg. 1. He that actively concurs to his own regeneration, makes himself to differ; but this is denied to all regenerate men, 1 Cor. iv. 7. "Who maketh thee to differ from another? And "what halt thou that thou didst not receive?")

Arg. 2. That to which the fcripture ascribes both impotency and enmity, with refpect to grace, cannot actively, and of itfelf, concur to the production of it: but the fcripture afcribes both impotency and enmity to nature, with refpect to grace. It denies to it a power to do any thing of itfelf, John xv. 5. And, which is lefs, it denies to it a power to speak a good word, Mat. xii. 34. And, which is leaft of all, it denies it power to think a good thought, 2 Cor. iii. 5. This impotency, if there were no more, cuts off all pretence of our active concurrence; but then if we confider that it afcribes enmity to our natures, as well as impotency, how clear is the cafe! See Rom. viii. 7. "The carnal mind is enmity against God." And Col. i. 21. "And you that were enemies in your minds by "wicked works." So then nature is fo far productive of this principle, as impotency and enmity can enable it to be fo.

Arg. 3. That which is of natural production, must needs be fubject to natural diffolution; that which is born of the flesh is flesh, a perishing thing, for every thing is as its principle is, and there can be no more in the effect, than there is in the caufe: but this principle of fpiritual life is not fubject to diffolution, it is the water that fprings up into everlasting life, John iv. 14;

SERM. V. The feed of God, which remaineth in the regenerate soul, 1 John iii. 9. And all this, because it is "born not of corruptible, but "of incorruptible, feed," 1 Pet. i. 23.

Arg. 4 If our new birth be our refurrection, a new creation, yea, a victory over nature, then we cannot, actively, contribute to its production; but under all thefe notions it is reprefented to us in the fcriptures; it is our refurrection from the dead, Eph. v. 14. And you know the body is wholly paffive in its refurrection: but though it concurs not, yet it gives pre-existent matter: therefore the metaphor is defignedly varied, Eph. iv. 24, where it is called a creation: in which there is neither active concurrence, nor pre-existent matter; but though creation excludes pre-existent matter, yet in producing fomething out of nothing, there is no reluctancy nor oppofition; therefore to fhew how purely fupernatural this principle of life is, it is cloathed and prefented to us in the notion of a victory, 2 Cor. x. 4. And fo leaves all to grace.

Arg. 5. If nature could produce, or but actively concur to the production of this fpiritual life, then the best natures would be foonest quickened with it; and the worft natures not at all, or at laft, and least of all: but contrarily, we find the worst natures often regenerated, and the beft left in the state of spiritual death: with how many sweet homilitical virtues was the young man adorned? Mark x. 21. yet graceless: and what a fink of fin was Mary Magdalen, Luke vii. 37. yet fanctified. Thus beautiful Rachel is barren, while Leah bears children. And there is fcarce any thing that affects and melts the hearts of Chriftians more than this comparative confideration doth, when they confider vessels of gold caft away, and leaden ones chofen for fuch noble ufes. So that it is plain enough to all wife, and humble fouls, that this new life is wholly of fupernatural production.

Fifthly, and lastly, I fhall briefly represent the neceffary anteéedency of this quickening work of the Spirit, to our first clos ing with Chrift, by faith: and this will eafily let itself into your understandings, if you but confider the nature of the vital act of faith; which is the foul's receiving of Chrift, and resting upon him for pardon and falvation: in which two things are neceffarily included, viz.

1. The renouncing of all other hopes and dependencies. 2. The opening of the heart fully to Jesus Christ.

First, The renouncing of all other hopes and dependencies whatfoever. Self in all its acceprations, natural, finful, and moral, is now to be denied, and renounced for ever, elfe Chrift can never be received, Rom. x. 3. not only felf in its vileft pol