The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
In Justification there is a State of life.
HAving premised these three particulars, not unworthy of our consideration, & serving to prepare the way unto what followeth to be spoken unto; we come more particularly to handle the words, & to see what may be drawn out of them for our Information & Edification, that we may be instructed concerning the nature of this noble Privilege, & concerning the way, how it is brought about, & persons may be made partakers thereof, as also stirred up unto a right Improvement of the truth herein, whether we be already made partakers thereof, or are yet strangers thereunto.
We Intend not (as we hinted at the beginning) to touch upon, far less to discuss at lenghth, all the many & perplexed controversies, that are moved, both of old & of late, by men of different Principles & perswasions. Nor do we intend to handle the several Arguments, which the Apostle adduceth for confirmation of the Truth, in this matter, But our purpose only being to touch upon, &, at least, to endeavoure the clearing of some of the Principal Questions, moved in this matter, in reference to the forementioned ends, we shall satisfie our selves, at present, with speaking to such particulars, as the Text will give ground for.
The words having been cleared, & the Scope of the Apostle declared, which cannot be hid from the eyes of any, who will read the purpose, there are only two things, which call for our Consideration; First The Conclusion, which the Apostle is disproving & confuting with a manifesto; to wit, That no man is justified in the sight of God by the Law, or by the works of the Law. Next The argument, which the Apostle maketh use of, to this end; for the just shall live by faith.
The Apostles way of argueing here, & elsewhere, with the same, or the like Argument, whereby he stateth an Inconsistency, yea an Opposition, betwixt justification by the Law, & justification by faith, saith, that it will not be very necessary to speak much to that, which is here the Apostles Conclusion; that is, to cleare, that justification is not by the works of the Law: for the clearing of justification by faith will enforce that of it self. We shall not therefore insist upon that, howbeit we may in end, consider, what is said by some for justification by works, & what way such think to shun the odium, of manifestly contradicting the Apostle, & of maintaining that Errour, which he setteth himself so peremp…orily against, as acted by the Spirit of God.
The Principal thing then, which we have here to do, is to consider the Import of the Apostles argument, for the just shall live by faith, yet we are not to consider these words, in their just length & breadth, nor particularly, in reference to the use, which the Prophet Habbakuk maketh of them. Hab. 2: 4. & this same Apostle Heb. 10: 38. (of this we have spoken elsewhere) But only in reference to the use, which the Apostle here maketh of them, in clearing up the way, how justification is brought about. And considering them in this respect, we will have two things only to take notice of; First The assertion of justification by faith. Next The Influence, that this assertion hath into the Apostles Conclusion; to wit, That therefore justification is not by the Law, nor by the works of the Law.
In speaking to the First, we will have occasion to speak both to the beginning, the nature & ground of this change, made in justification, as also to the continuance of that state of justification. And then we will have occasion to show, how both the beginning & Continuance of justification is by faith: for as the sinner at first becometh just, or is brought into a justified state by faith, so is he carried on & continueth in that state of life, to the end: this being alwayes true, that first & last, the just liveth by faith; faith beginneth, & faith carrieth on this life, untill the justified man be glorified.
The Apostle (that we may come to speak something to cleare the nature of this State of justification) is asserting justification by faith, to cry down justification by the Law, or by the works of the Law, which some false Teachers were perswading those Galatians to beleeve; & he adduceth a passage of Scripture, which saith, the just shall live by faith, thereby giving us to understand, that the just man, or the justified man, is a living man; for the just liveth. And it is too narrow, to interprete this life, of eternal life; & this would make the Apostles argument very obscure; we must therefore unde…stand it of a life begun here, which shall certainely end in glory: & this is most consonant both to the Prophet's scope, & to the scope of the Apostle here.
Whence we may gather, That in justification by faith, there is a real life obtained: by justification the soul… is brought into a new state of life; & by it, such, as were really dead, are really made alive. This may be further cleared from these particulars following.
I. Such are said to be born again Iob. 3: 5. not only by the Spirit, which may import Sanctification, but also by Water, which may import Iustification, wherein iniquities are pardoned, & the Soul is washen from its guilt, through the bloud of Jesus Christ, represented by the Water in Baptisme. Thus are they also put into a new state, being delivered from the Power of darkness, and translated into the Kingdome of His dear Son, Col. 1: 13. Christ now owneth them, as His, & Satan hath no more power and jurisdiction over them, their guilt being removed, and their sinnes being pardoned: for, because of sin hath Satan, as a jailour, had power over them, as so many prisoners, but sin being taken away, in their justification, they are loosed from his bondes, and delivered from his prison and power. We see Paul was sent Act. 26: 18. To open eyes, and to turn from darkness to light, & from power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sinnes, &c.
2. Hereby they are brought into a State of Salvation, and being out of harmes way, they are said to be saved, being now in a State of life and Salvation, through Jesus Christ, Ephes. 2: 5, 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith: and how was this? It was by Christ, together with whom they were quickened; when before they were dead in sins & trespasses, v. 5. So Tit. 3: 5. Not by works of rigteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. But how was this work of Salvation begun? See vers 7. That being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hop of eternal life. So that as justification maketh way for Adoption; so it bringeth Souls into a saife state, a state of Salvation; so as they, in a sense, are already denominated, saved; that is, brought out of the state of death, and put into a state of Salvation: Thus are they also said, to be quickened together with Him, (i. e. Christ) having forgiveness of all their sinnes, Col. 2: 13. This will be further clear, if we consider how
3. Those, who are justified, shall certainly be saved, not only in respect of the Decree and purpose of God; but in respect also of the Gospel constitution, and the declared will of God. Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 8: 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are in Christ Iesus. And all such, as are in Christ Jesus, are justified; as the Gospel cleareth. And againe more clearly, vers 30. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. The connexion betwixt these two is indissoluble. So doth the Apostle not only assert, but he confirmeth this, Rom. 5: 9. Much more being now justified by his bloud, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. And againe, vers 17. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one, much more they, which receive aboundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness. (That is, who welcome, embrace and receive the rich offer of grace, and the rigteousness of Christ, freely and graciously presented in the Gospel to all that will accept thereof) shall reigne in the life by one Iesus Christ. So likewise, vers last. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reigne through righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ, our Lord.
4. They who are justified, are brought into a state of blessedness, and therefore may well be said to live, or to be made partakers of a life, Rom. 4: 6, 7, 8. Even as David also describeth the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness, without works; saying, blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sinnes are covered. Blessed is the man, to whom the Lord will not impute sin. See Psal. 32: 1, 2. If then they be brought into a state of blessedness, they must be a in a state of life; for death and blessedness are inconsistent.
5. They are said to be redeemed; and consequently brought out of the state of death, wherein they were, Ephes. 1: 7. In whom we have redemption, through his bloud, the forg…veness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. In & by justification is this forgiveness of sinnes, whereby they are made partakers of a redemption. See Col. 1. 14. Where the same is asserted by the Apo…le.
For further clearing of this, let us see wherein this life consisteth; and then we shall not only see, that it is really a life, but also, that it is a special and excellent life. To this end therefore, let us consider these following particulars.
1. Hereby they have Remission and pardon of their Iniquities, as was now cleared, and is manifest from Rom. 3: 24, 25. Being justified freely by this grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for the remission of sins, that are past, &c. And by this Remission and pardon of sins, they have a freedom and exemption from the Curse and wrath of God, that was lying upon them, and to which they were obnoxious by sin and guilt, Orginal and Actual, which they were to be charged with, that being the penalty threatned in the Law, even death and the Curse of God; for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the Law, to do them, Gal. 3: 10. Deut. 27: 26. O how excellent a life is this, to be delivered from the wrath of the Almighty, sinrevenging God, and from the Curse and malediction of the great Legislator, and dreadful Judge? How rightly may they be said to live, who are freed from the sentence of death, to which they were liable; from the penalty of the broken Law of the great God of Heaven and Earth; and from that doom, that all, who shall not share of this rich privilege of Remission, shall be made to hear at length, depart from me, ye Cursed, &c. A person guilty of death, and lying in chaines, looking for nothing but the sentence & doom to be given out against him, would think himself a living man, if in stead of that sentence, which he was every houre looking for, he should hear of a free and gracious pardon. Much more may this state of Remission be looked upon as a state of life. (2) They are hereby freed from that death, Slavery and Tyranny, which the Law did exercise over them before, and doth exerce over all such, as are not yet justified, for as the Law discovereth sin, Rom. 3: 20. So it worketh wrath Rom. 4. 15. And thereby hath dominion over a man, binding him over in chains, as it were, unto the wrath & Curse of God. But Christ hath now delivered them from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for them, Gal. 3: 13. And they by faith having fled to him, are pardoned, and the Law hath no more to say, especially seing it is satisfied by the Cautioners being made a Curse, and having fulfilled it in our Nature and place, Rom. 8: 3, 4. Thus are they freed from and dead to the Law by the body of Christ, Rom. 7: 4. O what a noble, sweet and refreshing life is this, to be free of this Slavery and Bondage, whereby the Law is alwayes lying about the neck of the poor sinner, the Curse and wrath of God, as oft as he sinneth. And adde to this (3.) That they are freed from the just and well grounded managment of the Law against them by Sa…an, or a wakened Conscience. I say, just and well grounded managment; for I grant, the Devil and a mis-informed Conscience can bring forth the Law, and terrifie therewith a true beleever, by charging, him with the transgressions thereof, even after these transgressions are pardoned; but this is unjust and illegal; and the beleever is under no obligation to acknowledge these Charges, or to admit them, but, on the contrary, to reject them, as being groundless, & contrary to the tenor of the Gospel. But the unbeleever and unjustified Soul is laid open to all these fearful charges and dreadful challenges, to all those summons, that are as so many poisoned darts, shot into his very heart, every one of which is a death to him, which he seeth not how to evite. Must not then this be a considerable and noble heavenly life, to have sin pardoned and thereby be freed from these Soul-affrighting, Heart-pierceing, Conscience-burning and Mind-tormenting Acculations, Charges, Libels, and Dittayes, brought home and delivered by the wicked Accuser of the Brethren, and a wakened enligtened Conscience? Must there not be many lives in this one?
2. Hereby they have peace and Reconciliation with God, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, Rom. 5: 1. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5: 18, 19. They are now reconciled, Rom. 5: 10. So Col. 1: 20. And, (having made peace, through the blood of His cross) by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself. Herein also they have received the Atonement, Rom. 5: 11. And the Enmity is abolished, Ephes. 2: 15. And slaine v. 16. So that the enmity on both hands is taken away; they are reconciled unto the Lord, who before were alienated and enemies in their mindes by wicked works, Col. 1: 21. And the Atonement being made, the wrath of God is apaced towards them, and that Law-wrath, under which they did formerly lye, is quite removed, and they are no more looked upon, nor dealt with as Enemies, but owned and regarded, as reconciled friends. And who can express the good and sweet of this life? or who can conceive what an heaven lyeth wrapped up here? How justly may he be accounted a dead man, who is an Out lawer and a Rebel to God, who tasteth nothing of the Kindness and Friendship of God, getteth nothing from Him, as from a Friend, but all as from an Enemie, even all the outward favoures he enjoyeth in the World; how great and glorious so-ever they be, in the eyes of men? And, on the other hand, how happy is he, and how justly and deservedly may he be called a living man, who can call God his Friend; go to Him as to a Friend; receive all from Him as from a Friend, how inconsiderable so-ever in the eyes of the World the things be, which he getteth. This is a life, the Good, the Advantage, the Joy, the Comfort, the Peace of which, who can express?
3. Hereby they are absolved and acquitted from all, that could be justly laid unto their charge: for justification in Scripture, is expressive of a juridical Act of a just Judge, absolving a person from the guilt laid to his charge, and from the sentence of the Law, due upon the account of that, where with he was charged; and never doth denote a making of righteous by infusing of tigteousness, or by making any real physical change within, whatever Papists say, as wee see, Deut. 25: 1. 2 Sam. 15: 4. Prov. 17: 15. Esai. 50: 8. 1 King. 8: 31, 32. Ex…d. 23: 7. Mat. 12: 37. Luk. 7: 29. & 16: 15. And in multitudes of moe places. O! what a life is here, when a poor self-condemned sinner standeth before the Judge, the righteous Lord, & hath his sinnes charged upon him, and the Law brought forth, cursing every transgressour, for every transgression, and justice appearing against him, calling for the execution of the sentence, according to Law, and for death & vengeance due by Law; and upon all this can look for nothing but doom and present execution of the dreadful sentence: what a life, I say, is it for such a sinner; standing in this posture, to have a sentence of absolution pronounced, and be openly declared righteous, and not worthy of death, or free of the charge given in against him: and thus is it with Beleevers, according to the Gospel constitution; for though they have sinned, & come short of the glory of God, in themselves; yet now they are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, and that by faith, Rom. 3: 22, 23, 28. Gal. 2: 16. Though they were Unrighteous, Fornicators, Idolaters, Adulterers, Effeminat, Abusers of themselves with mankind, Theeves, Covetous, Drunkards, Revilers, and Extortioners; yet now they are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 6: 9, 10, 11. God justified the Ungodly, Rom. 4: 5. The Circumcision by faith and the Uncircumcision through faith, Rom. 3: 30.
4. The ground of this sentence of Absolution, passed upon them, or in their favours, will more manifest both the Reality and Excellency of this life. Though they in themselves have been, and are sinners and ungodly, & cannot plead not guilty, nor adduce any ground in themselve where upon they can plead Exemption from the penalty of the Law; but as they stand guilty in Law, so they stand convicted in their own Consciences, their mouthes are stopped, and they are become guilty, Rom. 3: 19. They know and acknowlege that they have sinned, and come short of the glory of God vers 23. & so can expect nothing, but death & destruction, if the Lord should enter with them in jugdment, and mark iniquity, Psal. 130: 3. & 143. 2. Yet, the judgment of the Lord being alwayes according to truth, Rom. 2: 2. Such as He pronunceth Righteous, and absolveth from the sententence of the Law, as such, must be Righteous; for to justifie the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, Prov. 17: 15. And seing they are not, neither can be Righteous, in themselves, nor have a Righteousness of their own, which they can present to justice, and in which they can appear before God, who is a righteous Judge, they must needs have a righteousness from some other; and this is a Surety-righteousness, the righteousness of the Mediator and Cautioner, Jesus Christ, Imputed to them, and received by faith: and being clothed with this noble rob of Rigteousness, with Christ, who is the Lord our Righteousness, and beareth this Name and Title, Ier. 23: 6. And who is made of God unto us Righteousness. 1. Cor. 1: 30. They may be looked upon as living indeed. In the Lord have they righteousness, and upon this account, in the Lord are they justified, and shall glory, Esai. 45: 24, 25. This is the Righteousness of God, without the Law, which is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Iesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that beleeve. Rom. 3: 21, 22. This is that faith, or object of faith, that was imputed to Abraham for righteousness, Rom. 4: 3, 5, 9. And the righteousness, that God imputeth without works vers 6, 11. This is the righteousness of faith, through which the promise is, vers 13. This is the righteousness, that shall be imputed to all, who beleeve on Him, that raised up Iesus our Lord from the deed. vers 24. This is the free gift by grace, which is by one man, Iesus Christ, that hath abounded unto many, Rom. 5: 15. This is that aboundance of grace, and gift of righteousness, which beleevers receive, whereby they reigne in life, by one Iesus Christ, vers 17. And that righteousness of one; by which the free gift come upon all beleevers, unto justification of life. vers 18. And the obedience of one, by which many are made righteous, vers 19. And that righteousness, through which grace reigneth unto eternal life by Iesus Christ, our Lord, vers 21. This is the righteousness of the Law, fulfilled in us, by Gods own Son, whom He sent in the likeness of sinful flesh, Rom. 8: 2, 3. This is Gods righteousness, to which the Jewes would not submit, but went about to establish their own righteousness: for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that beleeveth, Rom. 10: 3, 4. It is that righteousness, which is of faith, which the Gentiles have attained, who followed not after righteousness; & which Israel did not attaine to, though they followed after the Law of righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law, for they stumbled at that stumbling stone, Rom. 9: 30, 31, 32. By this are Believers made the righteousness of God in Him, who, though He knew no sin, yet was made sin for us. 2 Cor. 5: 21. This is that righteousness, which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of God by faith, Phil. 3: 7, 8, 9. which Paul desired only to be found in, and that in opposition to his own righteousness, which is of the Law; and for which he did account all things, which formerly were gaine to him, to be loss & dung. Now, what a noble life of faisty and Security is this, for a poor naked sinner, void of all righteousness, and thereby exposed to the lash of the Law, to the Curse and wrath of God, to be covered with a compleet and perfect righteousness, consisting in full satisfaction to all the demandes of the Law, both for doing and suffering; with which the Self condemned sinner may now, with boldness and confidence, think of approaching unto, and appearing before the Tribunal of God? who can express the Serenity of Soul, the inward peace calmness, and Quietness of mind, the Joy, Cheerfulness and Exulting of heart, that followeth here upon? How is the Drooping, Sincking, Dead and discouraged Soul, that hath any sense or feeling of this, revived & quickened? And how beit the sense of it be away (as oft it happeneth) yet the change, that is hereby made, when the Lord imputeth this righteousness of Christ, & causeth the Soul by faith to embrace it, and accept of it, is as a Resurrection from the dead.
5. They have, as a benefite, necessarily following upon, and inseparably accompanying this justification, the noble and rich privilege of Adoption: For to as many, as received Him, to them gave He power to become the Sones of God, Joh. 1: 12. And all those, that are justified, receive Him and His righteousness, and rest upon it. Being thus redeemed from under the Law, they receive the Adoption of Sones, Gal. 4: 5. And being justified by His grace, they are made heirs, according to the hop of eternal life, Tit. 3: 7. And by this as their State is demonstrated to be a State of life; so the many and exceeding great and rich, yea incomprehensibly glorius and excellent favours, Advantages, and Privileges, that lye in the womb of this comprehensive Privilege, shew their life to be an excellent life: for (1) Being thus adopted, they have a new Relation unto God, as their Father, and they are His Children, taken into His Family: they have His name put upon them, they are called by His name, or His name is called upon them, Ier. 14: 9. Then is that word make good, 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. Then is He their God in a peculiar manner, and they are His People, Ier. 31. 1. Then have they written upon them the name of Christs God, and the name of the City of His God, and His own new name, in its earnest and beginnings, Revel. 3: 12. O! what a life is here, to stand thus related unto the great God? what an honourable life and Privilege is this, for such, who were by Nature Children of the Devil! (2) Being thus Adopted, they have a Relation to all the Children of the Family, and are united unto them, as members of the same Familie, as Brethren or Sisters of the chosen Family. They are then among those, whom Christ hath gathered together in one, Ephes. 1: 10. And belong to that Church, which is His Body, the fulness of Him, that filleth all in all, vers 22, 23. They have a relation now unto the Church Triumphant, as well as to the Church Militant; whence that is in part verified. Heb. 12: 22, 23. But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the living God, the heavenly Ierusalem, & to an innumerable company of Angels; to the General Assembly & Church of the first born, which are written in Heaven. They are no more Strangers and Forreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the houshold of God, Ephes. 2: 19. (3) Being by Adoption Children, they are heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, Rom. 8: 17. Gal. 4: 7. They are now begotten to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for them. 1. Pet. 1: 4. Hence they are heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1: 14. Being Abrahams seed, they are heirs according to the promise, Gal. 3: 29. & these promises they do inherite, Heb. 6. 12. What a life hath the Son and heire of a great King, when he may look upon the many great Dominions & Kingdomes of his Father, as his own? But what a greater life is it, when a poor sinner, that is now adopted through faith, may look thorow all the great and precious promises, contained in the Book of God, and say all these are mine; and may look up to Heaven, & to that glory, which eye hath never seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, & say, all that is mine, through Jesus Christ I am served heire thereunto, & have the begun possion thereof, in mine Head & Elder Brother Jesus Christ? (4.) Being adopted, they have the earnest of the Spirit, sealing them to the day of Redemption: for in Christ they have obtained an inheritance, & are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession Ephes. 1: 11, 13, 14. & 4: 30. And who can express what a life this is? (5) Being adopted, they have free access to the throne of Grace with boldness, God being their Father, the door standeth open, & they may approach with liberty, freedom, & filial Boldness; for through Christ, they have an access by the Spirit unto the Father Ephes. 2: 18. And in Him, they have boldness & access with Confidence, by the faith of Him Ephes. 3: 12. They may now come boldly unto the throne of Grace, that they may obtaine mercy, & finde grace for help in time of need Heb. 4: 16. By Him they have access by faith into the grace, wherein they stand Rom. 5: 2. And here certainely is a life, the riches of the joy & Comfort whereof cannot be expressed. (6) Being adopted, they receive the Spirit of adoption, whereby they are delivered from that Spirit of Bondage, under which they were formerly; & are now Principled, Spirited & …mboldened to cry Abba, Father Rom. 8. 15, That slavish fear, under which they some time were, is away, & they have now the reverential fear of Children, which doth not hinder, but encourage them to approach, with freedom & Enlargment of Spirit & now they have the Spirit of prayer & Supplication, whereby they can call on God, as their Father in Christ; because they are Sones, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son, into there hearts crying Abba, Father Gal. 4: 6. What a resurrection from Death unto life is this, to have heart & tongue loosed, & to be in case to speak unto the Father, in the language of the Spirit through Jesus Christ? (7.) Being adopted, they have a right to all the Privileges of the Sones of God, & are under the Fatherly Care, Inspection, Provision, Protection, Leading, Teaching & Chastisement of their kind God & Father Psal. 103: 13: Prov. 3: 11, 12. & 14: 26. Mat. 6: 30, 32. 1 Pet. 5: 7. Heb. 12: 6. And o! what a bundle of Mercies of life is here? The beleever may welcome all the Dispensations of God, & receive them, as out of the hand of a tender-hearted Father; & say, Thus & thus doth my Father unto me; this is the hand & working of a Father about me: This how sharpe so ever it seem to be, yet is the effect of tender love, & floweth from the heart & bowels of a kinde & compassionat Father to me.
6. Their justification saith, They are translated out of nature, & delivered from that death, under which they did lye formerly, unable to performe any, even the least, vital act of life: for before justification, they are united unto Christ by faith, life is begun in their soul, the seed of life is beginning to bud in them, & to bring forth fruit, when they are enabled to beleeve, & to act faith upon, & to receive Jesus Christ, as He is offered in the Gospel. The spiritual life is in them, & is working, when it moveth them Christ-ward, & powerfully draweth & inclineth their Soul, to close with Christ. This faith is the work of the Spirit of God alone; It is not of our selves, but the gift of God Ephes. 2: 8. This beleeving is according to the working of his mighty Power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead Ephes. 1: 19, 20. Therefore is the Spirit called, the Spirit of faith, which all beleevers have 2 Cor. 4: 13. for now, in order to the effectual producing of this grace of faith in the Soul, their mindes are enlightened to understand Spiritually & Savingly, the things of God Act. 26: 18. For God revealeth them unto them by His Spirit, who only knoweth the things of God; which Spirit they have received, that they might know the things, that are freely given them of God 1 Cor. 2: 10, 11, 12. Now they have received the Spirit of Wisdom & Revelation, in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of their understandings being enlightened Ephes. 1: 17, 18. And as their mindes are changed, so is their heart; for the heart of stone is taken away, & the heart of flesh is given, according as was promised Ezek. 36: 26. & their wills are renewed & inclined unto good: They have gotten the one heart, & the New Spirit, Ezek. 11: 19. The Lord hath wrought in them both to will & to do Phil. 2: 13. Their heart is circumcised to love the Lord, according as was promised Deut. 30: 6. And the Lord hath put His Spirit in them Ezek. 26: 27. & thereby hath drawn them unto Christ Ioh. 6: 44, 45. all which saith, that the life of God & of Grace is begun in their souls; & the Spirit of life hath taken possession of them, & abideth there & worketh.
These things cleare, how justly the justified soul may be said to live; & in what respects, the justified state is a real state of life.