Body of Divinity, Book 7 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
II. Of Vivification.
THere are two parts of a Christians duty, Dying to sinne and Living toSpiritual life is that supernatural grace by which the whole man is disposed to live to God. 1. A supernatural grace, because it comes from our union with Christ Joh. 6. 57. 2. By which one is disposed to live to God, Gal. 2. 20. The supream or fundamental principle of spiritual life is the indwelling vertue of the Spirit, Gal. 4. ul…. Rom. 8. the Apostle speaks of being led by the Spirit, living by the Spirit, walking by the Spirit, and following the guidance of the Spirit. God.
It is called living to God, Rom. 14. 8. Gal. 2. 19. to holinesse, the life of righteousnesse, rising to Christ.
It is first Habitual, when the Spirit of God infuseth such principles, where by we are able to live unto God.
Secondly, Practical Vivification is the constant endeavour of a beleever to exercise all those Graces which the Spirit of God hath planted in him. The life of a thing is the acting according to the principle of it, so something daily draws out the exercise of those holy Graces the Spirit of God hath wrought in him, Prov. 4. 23.
Practical Vivification reacheth to all things which concern Christianity, but consists in two things:
1. The active bent and propensenesse of the inward man to the things of Gods Kingdom.
2. Strength and ability to act according to the rule.
The School-Divines make this spiritual bent to stand in five things:
1. In oppugnatione vitiorum, the same with practical Mortification.
2. In contemptu terrenorum.
3. In repulsione tentationum.
4. In tolerantia afflictionum.
5. In aggressione bonorum operum quamvis arduorum.
This strength comes
1. From the principle within, the life of the habits.
2. The Spirit of God dwels in them, and stirs them up to act. This new life is Christs rather then our own. He is the root and author of the life of Grace, Iohn 8. 12. The Gospel is the ministration of life, Col. 3. 4. 1 Iohn 5. 11, 12. 2 Tim. 1. 10.
There is a threefold life:
1. Natural or personal.
2. Politick.
3. Divine or Spiritual.Life in the creature is an ability to perform the acts proper to that life, the ability sentive is the life of a beast, to discourse the life of reason. Spiritual life is the abi…ty which God hath given to the soul to act unto God as his portion and utmost end.
1. The natural life flows from the Union of soul and body.
2. The politick life comprehends all those things which people perform one to another by vertue of their Relations and Associations of people together by Lawes.
Thirdly, Spiritual life which ariseth from the intercourse between God and the soul.
There is a great similitude and dissimilitude between also the natural and spiritual life.
They agree in these things,
1. Natural life supposeth some generation, so doth spiritual life, therefore it is called Regeneration, 1 Iohn 2. 27.
2. What the soul is to the body in the natural life, that is God to the soul in a spiritual life. As the soul is the principle of all the actions and operations in the body, so in the spiritual life Christ works all but by the man.
3. So long as the soul is in the body, one is an amiable creature, when that is gone he is but a carkasse; so, so long as God is with the soul it is in good plight.
4. Where there is life there is sense and feeling; spiritual life is seen by the tendernesse of the heart, Ephes. 4. 18, 19. it is sensible of injuries done to it by sin, Rom. 7. 24. or the decayes of it by Gods absence.
5. Where there is life there is a nutritive appetite, an instinct to preserve life, 1 Pet. 2. 2. This life is nourished by the Ordinances and constant influences of the Spirit.
6. Where there is life there will be growth; Gods people grow more wise, solid.
They differ thus
1. The Union between the soul and body is natural, between God and the soul from free grace.
2. In the natural life there is an indigence till the soul and body be joyned, but there is no want on Gods part though he be not united to the soul.
3. The soul and man united make one person, so do not God and the soul.
4. The natural life comes wholly from corrupt principles, and it is a fading life, Iam. 4. 14. but he that lives this one life once, lives it for ever, Ioh. 6. 5.
This divine spiritual life stands in two things:
First. We by our Apostasie are fallen off from God, when God restores us toThere is 1. A spiritual life imputed when the guilt of sin is removed by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse. 2. Inherent, whereby the soul is inabled to live unto God. Christ is the treasury of the life of the Saints, as life is taken for righteousnesse, holinesse, comfort or glory. life, he restores us to his favour, Ephes. 2. from v. 11. to the end, and so sin and the curse is removed.
Secondly, There is wrought in the soul a sutable frame of Spirit to do the thing… agreeable to the will of God, an inward principle of holinesse, the repairing of Gods Image in us, Ephes. 1. 2 ch. quickned by him.
Christ is our life, and the fountain of this spiritual life three wayes:
1. He is the meritorious cause of it, he hath purchased all this for us by his bloud, he bare the wrath of God for us by his active and passive obedience. He hath merited that all this life should be communicated to us.
2. He is the efficient cause of it, works all this in and to us; he sends his holy Spirit into the souls of all those whom he means to save, applies to them their peace and pardon, and quickens them.
3. As he is the exemplar, rule and copy how our life should be led.
The preaching of the Gospel is the ministration of this life thus:
1. In the letter of it, though delivered by never so faithful Ministers it is able to do nothing, therefore these things are often preacht and men not bettered; when the Spirit accompanies it, it is efficacious: See Rom. 1. 16. Phil. 2. 15.
The preaching of the Gospel is,
1. The only means of the revelation of this life, 2 Tim. 1. 10.
2. It is the divine seed, whereby the Lord conveys this life, and begets it in the soul, 1 Pet. 1. 23, 25.
This work of the Gospel consists in five things;
1. The preaching of the Gospel opens the understanding, makes us see the misery of sinne, and the excellency of Christ, and the things of God, Ephes. 1. 2 Cor. 5.
2. It makes the will and affections to relish Christs sweetnesse, perswades the heart to chuse him, and consent that God and they may be united in a league of friendship, this is the work of faith.
3. Turns the heart from all evil wayes it walkt in; men are said to be pull'd out of the power of Satan.
4. Creates in the soul, and stampes in it all the Graces wherein Gods Image stands.
5. By administration of the promise and instruction fortifieth the soul, and makes one do all things belonging to this life.
Arminians give too much to man, and too little to Christ. Antinomians and Familists give too much to Christ, and too little to man. They give so much to Christ that they abolish the nature and act of the creature, they say, Christ must do all, and we can do nothing. They dream of an insensible motion without us, place Grace in a naked apprehension, there must be not onelyonly a work for us, but in and by us. The work of the Father is in heaven, of Christ on the Crosse, of the Spirit within us, Col. 1. 29. They deny not onelyonly mans work, but the Spirits work in us, Rom. 16. 20.
Secondly, They say, Christ must do all, and we after we have received Grace, nothing, there is not a coordination but subordination of our wils to his grace, though at our first conversion we were meerly passive, yet when Grace is received we may act, motion follows life. Col. 2. 4.
The Familists deny all inherent graces in the Saints, because it is said we do not live, but Christ, he (they say) beleeves, repents, as if we lived not at all, and he is formally all habits and graces; but the Scripture grants habits and graces to be in a man, Iohn 19. 28. Matth. 12. 33. 1 Iohn 3. 9.
2. The sins of our actions then could not be charged on our selves, but on the faint operations of his grace.
Marks and Evidences of spiritual life:
First, Every creature which lives values life, A living dog is better then a dead Lion. If one values his life he will prize,
1. Pabulum vitae, Attend on the Ordinances, the Word, Sacrament, Prayer, Communion of Saints. 1 Peter 2. As new born Babes. Cantic. 4. latter end.
2. He will avoid what is destructive to life; Beware of grieving and quenching the Spirit, Ephes. 4. 30. 1 Thess. 5. 19. by neglecting the motions of it, or noysome lusts.
3. He will endure any evil and part with any good rather then part with life.
Secondly, This new life brings alwayes a great change along with it: when a childe quickens in the mothers womb she findes a great change, so when Paul and Manass…h and the blinde man, Ioh. 9. were converted, unlesse they were religiously trained up, as Timothy from their youth.
Thirdly, Sense, a spiritual sense in the soul, senses exercised, savour the things of God, Rom. 8.
Fourthly, Every life hath some kinde of motions and actions that are sutable to it, as in this spiritual life.
1. That inward work of adhering to Christ as their chief portion, the fountain of all their good, a true faith.
2. Repentance, labouring to cast out corruption, and to turn to God.
3. The Spirit of Prayer, You have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father. Our Law judgeth a childe alive that was heard to cry.
4. The minding of heavenly things, Col. 3. 1, 2.
5. Life hath a sympathy, a fellowship with those that are members of the body, the same quickning Spirit lives in all Christians, weep with them that weep, and rejoyce with them that rejoyce.
6. If we be regenerated we do that to God which children do to their Father.
1. Honour him and stand in awe of him.
2. Rely on him as the fountain of all our good, as children do on their parent… for a supply of all their wants.
3. Are obedient to him.
Motives to live to God:
1. It is a dishonour to God when the creature seeks to exalt self, that which ITo live to God is, 1. To exalt him in our hearts as the chiefest good, whom if we obtain we are happy, Psal. 27. 40. 2. To own God and appear for him here, and at such times, and in such places as it will be prejudicial to us so to do: Noah was righteous when all flesh had corrupted his wayes, when Christ is made a reproach. 3. When we prefer his interest before our own, stand for the truths and ordinances of Christ, Psal. 1…9. 36. 4. When we can be meek and patient in our cause, and zealous in Gods cause, Numb. 12. 3. 5. When we rejoyce that others act for God, though we have no part in it, Jam. 4. 6. 6. When we desire to live to glorifie God, Joh. 12 27, 28. 1 Cor. 10. 31. make my utmost end I make my God, Phil. 3. 10.
2. Consider the self-denial of Christ, he came from heaven to do the will of him that sent him, Rom. 15. 3.
Means of spiritual life:
1. Labour to get thy miserable condition by nature set close upon thy spirit, how thou art dead in sin.
2. Study to get into Christ, 1 Iohn 5. 12. onelyonly he can quicken, he is never got but by Faith, Luke 15. the Prodigal is the pattern of a converted soul. See vers. 31.