Sweet and Soul-Persuading Inducements Leading Unto Christ, Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. The ſecond generall Part. Spirituall Vivification.
THe ſeed firſt dies, and then is quickened, and ſpringeth up into a greene and flouriſhing blade: Man firſt dyes to ſinne, and then lives to God: The Syens is firſt removed out of the old and naturall ſtocke, and then he is grafted into another ſtocke, becomes a living branch in another Tree: Man firſt denyes himſelfe, goes out of himſelfe, ceaſeth from himſelfe, and then he is ingrafted into Chriſt, Chriſt lives in him, and he lives in Chriſt, according to this of the Apoſtle here, I live, yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me.
The ſecond generall thing obſerved in theſe words, is, ſpirituall vivification. Chriſt living in all them that live the life of grace: The life of a Chriſtian is a borrowed life, he hath it not of himſelfe but from another, it is no naturall, but a ſpirituall life, a life not ſpringing originally from man, but derivative and flowing from Chriſt: Every Chriſtian though wondrouſly enriched by Chriſt, yet is very poore of himſelfe, his very ſpirituall life is a borrowed thing; Sinne hath made man extreamely poore, it hath not onelyonly robbed him, but alſo ſlaine him, it hath utterly taken the life of grace from him, and none but Chriſt can quicken him. The Chriſtian hath no cauſe of glorying in himſelfe, but all his glory is in Chriſt; the very whole of true Chriſtians is from Chriſt Jeſus; Chriſt is both the fountaine filling, and the life quickening them; they cannot but acknowledge with Paul, It is Chriſt lives in them.
In the words we have,
1. A terme of oppoſition, But
2. An Agent or Authour, Chriſt he is the Author of this ſpirituall life.
3. An Act, liveth. Chriſtians live not the life of grace by themſelves, it is received from Chriſt.
4. A Sub…ect, in me. True believers are the only ſubject of ſpirituall life.
Firſt of the terme of oppoſition, but, a word ſignifying an oppoſition of things in that ſenſe in which things are oppoſed, Labour not for the meat (ſaith Chriſt) which periſheth, mIoh 6.27.but for that meat which endureth unto everlaſting life, and again, lay not up for your ſelves treaſure on earth, nMat. 6.19, 20. Epheſ 5 17, 18.but lay up for your ſelves treaſures in Heaven: And ſo likewiſe it is the Apoſtles charge; be not unwiſe, but underſtanding what the will of the Lord is: And be not drunke with wine wherein is exceſſe, but be filled with the Spirit: And thus the Apoſtle here, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; I live indeed, but it is not of my ſelfe, but from Chriſt, it is not of nature, but of grace, Chriſt is the root of ſpirituall life in me.
It is plaine and manifeſt to the feeling and experience of Gods children that they have not the life of Grace and holineſſe from themſelves, but from Chriſt Jeſus: Note.they know that Chriſt is the authour and finiſher of their ſalvation; they know that Chriſt is in them: Examine your ſelves, proove your ſelves, know yee not that Chriſt is o… Cor. 13.5.in you, except yee be reprobates, ſaith the Apoſtle:p1 Ioh. 5.20. We know (ſaith S. John) that we are of God, quickning, regenerating, enlightning and ſanctifying us; and we know that the ſonne of God is come, and hath given us an underſtanding to know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his ſonne Jeſus Chriſt, this is the true God and eternall life; they know that Chriſt is in them, as a root enlivening them, as a Sun illuminating them, as a Refiners fire purging them. The woman of Shunem q2 Kin. 4.knew that the Prophet had raiſed her dead ſon to life, the children of God know that Chriſt hath raiſed their ſoules which were dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes; the blind man rIoh. 9. 2 Kin 5.knew that whereas he was blind he did now ſee, and that Chriſt had opened his eyes, Gods children have experience of Chriſts opening the eyes of their underſtanding. Naaman knew that Jordan had waſhed away the leproſie which clave unto him, Gods ſervants s1 Cor. 6.9.know that they are waſhed, ſanctified and juſtified in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of God.
The ground hereof.Gods children know that of themſelves, they are dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, and that Chriſt is the authour of ſpirituall life unto them; they know that of themſelves they are empty of all ſpirituall good, and that Chriſt is the fountaine filling them; they know that in their naturall eſtate they are the ſlaves of Satan, the bond-men of the world, the ſervants of corruption, and that Chriſt alone is the worker of their freedome, the beginning and the end of their ſalvation.
The life of grace and holineſſe is not of man but of Chriſt, no child in the courſe of nature can beget it ſelfe,Mans life of holines of Chriſt. but is begotten of another Parent; no child of God in the way of grace is the authour of his owne regeneration and new birth, but is t1 Pet. 1.3.begotten again by the reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, the Spirit of God perſwading them of the truth, informing them in the virtue, and applying to them the power and efficacy of Chriſts reſurrection, begetteth them againe unto a lively hope; mans receiving of Chriſt is the receiving of ſpirituall life and new-birth; As many (ſaith the Evangeliſt) as received him, to them uIoh. 1.12, 13.gave he power to become the ſonnes of God: which were borne not of blood, not by the Nobility and dignity of their Parents, according to the fleſh; nor of the will of the fleſh, not by the ability and ſtrength of nature, not by any activity, liberty or freedome of their owne; nor of the will of man, not by the art or induſtry education or inſtruction of man, but of God: It is not in the power of man to regenerate man, God uſeth man as his inſtrument, but God himſelfe accompliſheth the worke, as a ſupreme and free agent, when and where he pleaſeth. Man is an alien to the wEph 4.19.life of God, and can no more raiſe himſelfe to a ſpirituall life, then Lazarus could raiſe himſelfe to a naturall life: Mans converſion is a new x2 Cor. 5.17creation, which is as farre beyond the power of man, as the forming of himſelfe of nothing. All the inſtruments of ſpirituall life are y1 Cor. 3.6.dependant, no more able to quicken the ſoule of man, then Gehazi with his Maſters ſtaffe was able to raiſe the woman of Shunems ſonne to life without Eliſha himſelfe; the life of the ſoule is hidden in Chriſt, and he that hath not Chriſt is farre from all ſpirituall life.
Such therefore as have no experience of Chriſts communicating the life of grace and holineſſe unto them are none of Gods children; their life is a naturall, a worldly,No experience of new life no child of God. a carnall, and not a ſpirituall, a heavenly and holy life; they live by a fleſhly and not by a ſpirituall principle, by a corrupt and humane, and not by a divine and heavenly rule, they live unto themſelves and not to Chriſt; they are of themſelves, and they incline and move to themſelves as to their proper Center, they confine themſelves within themſelves, they can nor looke, nor move beyond themſelves. zIoh. 3.6.That which is of the fleſh; of a fleſhly originall, compounded wholy of fleſhly principles, having no other then fleſhly ingredients in it, that is fleſh; diſcerning after a fleſhly and carnall manner, and not perceiving the things of God, which are ſpiritually diſcerned; ſavouring and reliſhing only things carnall and fleſhly; minding only that which is vaine, corrupt and earthly; walking by a fleſhly rule, the imagination of their owne hearts; and propoſing a fleſhly end, the ſatisfaction of their owne corrupt and ſinfull luſts; they are not of God, as a childe is of his Parents, they beare not on them the Image of God, as a child doth beare the image of his Father: they depend not upon God as a child depends upon his Parents; they abide not with God as a child with his Parents; they receive not Gods inſtruction, as a childe receives his fathers inſtruction; they love not God as a child his Parent; they delight not in God as a child rejoyceth in his Parents; the meditation of God is not ſweet, the thought of Gods preſence is not pleaſant to them; they frequent not Gods houſe, they make it not their dwelling, and place of their delight, as children doe their Fathers houſe: He that is without Chriſt is without God, empty of God, a ſtranger to God, an enemy againſt God. Chriſt is the Jacobs ladder by whom God cometh unto man, and man aſcendeth unto God. God is knowne as a Father of love, God is beleeved in as a king of mercies, God is felt and taſted as the fountaine of grace and goodneſſe only in and thorough Chriſt Jeſus. He that knowes not Chriſt working the life of grace and holines in him, is under the death of ſin, and hath no cleare knowledge, no comfortable remembrance, no bleſſed taſte and feeling, no honourable and ſoul-raviſhing apprehenſions of God; no delight in God, no comfortable communion with God; we diſcerne and apprehend God loving, mercifull and gracious, onelyonly in and thorough Chriſt working in us the life of true holineſſe; mans thoughts of God are more or leſſe joyous and delightfull according to the meaſure of Chriſts working within him.