Tropes and Figures, Treatise 1 · Head 8 · Part 31 · Part – Subpart 14
Wicked Men dead in Sin.
John 5.25. The Hour is coming, and now is, when the Dead ſhall hear the Voice of the Son of God, and they that hear ſhall live.
Eph. 2.1. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in Treſpaſſes and Sins, &c.
UNconverted Men are dead, ſpiritually dead, they are as dead Men. Life is oppoſed to Death, which is either the Privation of natural Life, becauſe of the Separation of the Soul from the Body; or the Privation of ſpiritual and heavenly Life, becauſe of the Separation of the Soul from God through Sin. And this is really true in both reſpects, in a proper Sence; yet we ſhall open the State of Men dead in Sin, by comparing this Death with natural Death, between which in ſome things there is a good Parallel, and to which (in the Judgment of divers worthy Men) the Spirit of God doth allude, &c.
Parallels.
A Dead Man, one that is really dead, is under a total Privation of Life; there is no Life in him: So Man by Sin is totally under the Privation of the ſpiritual Life of God. Now the Life of God conſiſteth in a Principle of Grace, which is called a Seed; The Seed (ſpeaking of a Man quickned) remains in him. This Seed,1 Joh 3.9. or divine Principle, is unto the Soul, as the Soul is to the Body: but there is no Soul, or Seed of Grace, no Principle of ſpiritual Life in an unregenerate Man; and therefore really and truly dead in a ſpiritual Sence, as the Body is dead when the Soul is ſeparated from it. If there be any true and real ſpiritual Life in an unconverted Man, how can he be ſaid to be dead? for where there is not a total Privation of natural Life, a Man cannot be ſaid to be dead naturally.
II. Dead, the Dead ſhall hear, &c. This imports, Man was once alive, ſpiritually alive, conſidering the Subject of whom our Saviour ſpeaks. Man before his Fall, or the Entrance of Sin, was alive; Death was threatned upon Adam's eating of the forbidden Fruit: In the Day thou eateſt thereof thou ſhalt ſurely die: The Deprivation of the ſpiritual Life of the Soul, as well as the Life of the Body, was in the Sanction of that Law, Thou ſhalt die the Death. What Life ſoever Adam had before he fell, he loſt it by his Tranſgreſſion; and in that very Day he eat, he ſuffered a Deprivation of the Light of God's Countenance, and ſpiritual Life of God in his Soul. He loſt that ſupernatural Power of acting towards God ſpiritually, or Image of God that was in him; ſo that it was impoſſible for him to live any more to God, until quickned by a new Principle of ſpiritual Life. And hence unregenerate Men are ſaid to be dead, &c.
III. A Man that is dead cannot move, act, or ſpeak; all natural Motions utterly ceaſe; that is the Effect of Death: So unconverted Men have loſt all ſpiritual vital Acts, that is, all Acts and Duties of holy Obedience, acceptable unto God. There is in them a total Defect and Want of Power for any ſuch Acts whatſoever, or elſe they are not dead, cannot be ſaid to be dead; for when the Soul departs, it leaves the Body uncapable of any kind of Activity. All the natural Power the Body had, by means of the Soul's Union with it, is gone, upon the Separation of the one from the other: So Death falling upon the Soul, or ſuffering a Privation of the Image of God, or ſpiritual Life it had, all its internal Power to act or live to God is gone, the the carnal Mind being expreſly ſaid to be Enmity againſt God:Rom. 8 7. An evil Tree cannot bring forth good Fruit. In ſhort, there is in all wicked Men, a Diſability or Impotency unto all ſpiritual Things, to be performed in a ſpiritual manner; and that it is impoſſible for them to act and do in a way acceptable to God, till quickned by the Holy-Ghoſt.
IV. A dead Man is an unlovely Object to look on; for it is Life that puts a Beauty and Glory upon the Body: So an unregenerate Man is an unlovely Object. 'Tis Grace only, or that ſupernatural Principle of ſpiritual Life, that confers Beauty upon the inward Man, or renders the Soul amiable in God's ſight.
V. A dead Man is void of all Senſe, he ſees not, feels not, hears not: If you caſt Fire in his Face, 'tis all one to him; or if you run a Sword into his Heart, he will not complain; lay Mountains of Lead upon him, he feels them not, &c. So thoſe who are dead in Sin, are ſenſleſs Souls. Tho the Anger of God is kindled againſt them, and his Wrath burns never ſo hot, they regard it not; nay tho you throw as it were Hell-Fire into their very Faces, yet they fear it not: Tho there are upon them great Mountains of Sin, and horrid Guilt, yet they feel them not, &c.
VI. A dead Man cannot be raiſed to Life again, without the mighty Power of God: So the Dead in Sin cannot be raiſed to Life, without the mighty Power of God's Spirit. Chriſt, who raiſed dead Lazarus out of the Grave, muſt quicken ſuch who are dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes. The Epheſians are ſaid to believe according to the Working of God's mighty Power, Eph. 1 19, 20.which he wrought in Chriſt, when he raiſed him from the Dead.
VII. A dead Man is loathſom, and fit for nothing but to be put under Ground, or buried out of ſight: So the Wicked are loathſom in God's ſight, and unleſs the ſooner quickned, they will be good for nothing but to be caſt into Hell; ſome wicked Men are fit to be buried, or thrown into that Grave.
Object. It is by ſome objected, That there is a wide Difference between Death natural and ſpiritual: In Death natural, the Soul it ſelf is utterly removed and taken away from the Body, but in Death ſpiritual it continues: a Man is ſtill, notwithſtanding this ſpiritual Death, endowed with an Underſtanding, Will, and Affections, by which theſe Men are enabled to perform their Duties to God.
Anſw. 1. In Life ſpiritual, the Soul is unto the Principle of it, as the Body is unto the Soul in Life natural:Dr. Owen. For in Life natural, the Soul is the quickning Principle, and the Body is the Principle quickned; when the Soul departs, it leaves the Body with all its own natural Properties, but utterly deprived of them which it had by virtue of its Union with the Soul: So in Life ſpiritual, the Soul is not, in and by its eſſential Properties, the quickning Principle of it, but it is the Principle that is quickned: and when the quickning Principle of ſpiritual Life departs, it leaves the Soul with all its natural Properties entire as to their Eſſence, tho mortally corrupted, (which is equivalent with Death natural); but of all the Power and Abilities, which it had by virtue of its Union with a quickning Principle of ſpiritual Life, it is deprived. And to deny there is ſuch a quickning Principle of Life ſpiritual, ſuperadded unto us by the Grace of God, diſtinct and ſeparate from the natural Faculties of the Soul, is upon the matter to renounce the whole Goſpel; it is all one as to deny, that Adam was created in the Image of God, which he loſt; or that Sinners are ſpiritually dead in Sins and Treſpaſſes; and that we are renewed into the Image of God by Jeſus Chriſt.
2. Whatſoever the Soul acts in ſpiritual Things by its Underſtanding, Will, Affections, &c. as deprived of, or not quickned by this Principle of ſpiritual Life; it doth it naturally, not ſpiritually, &c.
Diſparity.
A Man naturally dead is altogether uncapable to make any oppoſition againſt the ſupernatural Power of God, put forth in order to quicken him, or raiſe him to Life, he can no way, directly or indirectly oppoſe it. But a Man who is dead, ſpiritually dead in Sin, when God in a gracious way comes to uſe Means to quicken him, or raiſe him to a State of Life, he makes oppoſition, nay; and doth greatly reſiſt and ſtrive againſt the good Motions of the Spirit, and Workings of God, in order to his Vivification. So that the Power of God is more manifeſtly ſeen in the quickning of one ſpiritually dead, than in quickning one dead naturally.
Inferences.
FRom hence we may perceive the evil and deſtructive Nature of Sin: It is ſpiritually the Death and Ruine of the Soul, and will, without the infinite Mercy of God, deſtroy it for ever.
II. It ſhews alſo particularly, what the Nature of Adam's Sin was, and what it did incur upon his Poſterity, viz. not only natural Death, but ſpiritual Death likewiſe.
III. It ſets forth the Riches of God's Grace in the ſecond Adam, that quickning Spirit, in raiſing poor dead Souls to Life again.
IV. Here is much Comfort for all ſincere Chriſtians, who are raiſed from Death to Life by Chriſt, in that there is ſo great a difference between the State of Adam in Innocency, and our ſtanding in Chriſt, viz. The Principle of Life in Adam was wholly and entirely in himſelf. It was the Effect of God's good Will and Power, 'tis true, but it was left to grow on no other Root but what was in Man himſelf; it was wholly implanted in his Nature, and therein did its Spring lie: But in the Life whereinto we are renewed by Chriſt Jeſus, the Fountain and Principle of it is not in our ſelves, but in him, as a common Root of Head: He is our Life. Becauſe I live, ye ſhall live alſo. He is the Spring and Fountain of it. He by Covenant alſo hath undertook to maintain Life in us; he doth renew and encreaſe this Life in us, ſo that it is impoſſible that we ſhould ſpiritually die for ever.
V. A Man alſo from hence may eaſily perceive, whether he be made alive, or quickned by the Spirit, or no. (1.) A Man that hath Life in him, breaths: So he that is ſpiritually alive, breaths forth his Soul in fervent Deſires to God; Prayer (as ſome have obſerved) being the Breath of the new Creature. Hence God, when he would convince Ananias that Saul was regenerated, ſaid, Behold, he prayeth. (2.) There is in him Heat, ſpiritual Heat and Zeal God-ward. (3.) He hath his ſpiritual Senſes; he can ſee, feel, hear, &c. (4.) 'Tis a full Evidence a Man is alive, when he riſes up, and walks: So a ſpiritual Man riſes up, and walks in neweneſs of Life. (5.) A Man quickned hath his Beauty reſtored again: So a Man ſpiritually quickned, hath the Image of God reſtored; he is holy, heavenly, &c.
Wicked Men blind.
Luk. 6.39. Can the Blind lead the Blind? &c.
Mat. 23.26. Thou blind Phariſee, &c,
Rev. 3.17. Miſerable, poor, and blind, &c.
An unconverted Man, or Man in his natural State, is blind.
Parallels.
SOme Men are born blind. All Mankind ſpiritually may be ſaid to be born blind; for as they are under a Privation of Life, it follows they are blind, that is, their Underſtanding is darkned.
II. Some Men are blind caſually, either by Age, or ſome Accident. Adam before his Fall, could ſee; originally Man's Eye-ſight was good, but Sin hath put his Eyes out.
III. Blind Men have not the comfortable Benefit of the Sun: So wicked Men receive not the heavenly and ſweet Benefit of the Sun of Righteouſneſs.
Tho the Sun ſhines never ſo bright, a blind Man is never the better for it, unleſs his Eyes were opened: So tho the Goſpel be preached never ſo powerfully, yet wicked Men ſee not, nor can they, till the Eyes of their Underſtanding are enlightned.
IV. Blind Men ſtumble, and know not many times at what they ſtumble; they alſo are in great Danger, without a ſure Guide: So wicked Men know not what they ſtumble at; they ſtumble at God himſelf, and at Chriſt, when they ſtumble at his Truth, and his People: They know not whither they go, nor the dreadful Danger they are in; they think they are in the right Way to Heaven, and yet are in the broad Way to Hell; they are led oft-times by thoſe who are as blind as themſelves; And if the Blind lead the Blind, they will both fall into the Ditch.
V. Some Mens natural Blindneſs hath been by the juſt Judgment of God upon them for their Sin: So God in a way of Judgment blinds the Eyes of ſome Men, after common Illuminations.Job 12.40 Iſa. 44.18. Rom. 11.8. He is ſaid to blind their Eyes, and harden their Hearts, that is, he denies them his Grace, and withdraws thoſe common Influences of it from them, ſuffering Satan to take full Power of them, leaving them to their own Hearts Luſts, and ſo conſequently to final Impenitency.
Diſparity.
MEn who are naturally blind, would gladly ſee; they lament nothing more than the Loſs of their Eye-ſight: But wicked Men are willingly blind, they love Darkneſs rather than Light, and refuſe the Means God is pleaſed to afford them, in order to the opening their Eyes.
II. Men who are naturally blind, do gladly accept of a faithful and ſure Guide: But wicked Men, who are ſpiritually blind, refuſe that Guide God directs them to, viz. his holy Word; they are neither thankful to God, nor good Men, for any Help afforded them; nay, they vilify ſuch as would take them by the hand to ſave them out of the Pit of eternal Miſery. There is no Blindneſs like ſpiritual Blindneſs. Call upon wicked Men, and entreat them never ſo often and earneſtly, Pray do not go that Way, take heed, Man, O take heed! there is a Pit before you; alas! you are going into the Lion's Den, nay, worſe, into everlaſting Fire, to Death and Hell: Yet theſe blind Wretches will go on, live or die, ſink or ſwim, all is one; no Advice or Warning will be received.
Wicked Men compared to Mad Men.
Eccleſ. 9.3. Yea alſo the Heart of the Sons of Men is full of Evil, and and Madneſs is in their Hearts whilst they live, &c.
Luke 15.17. When he came to himſelf, he ſaid, How many hired Servants of my Father have Bread enough, and to ſpare? &c.
WIcked Men are ſet forth in the Scripture as Men out of their Wits, Men diſtracted, mad Men: And truly the Choice they make, their Actions; and Behaviour ſhew, as if they were indeed beſides themſelves; they are really void of right Reaſon, or Men that have loſt their ſpiritual Underſtanding.
Parallels.
A Mad Man is one that is deprived of his natural Reaſon, a Beaſt (as it were) in the ſhape of a Man: So all the Ungodly of the Earth have loſt their ſpiritual Reaſon, they are Men of no Underſtanding, and more fitly may be ſaid to be Beaſts in the form or ſhape of Men, than ſuch as have loſt their humane Reaſon.
II. Some mad Men are deſperate, and very miſchievous, care not what hurt they do: O how deſperate are wicked Men! how will they ſwear, curſe, and blaſpheme the holy Name of God, and dare God to damn them; and for Miſchief, they delight in nothing more, ſpoiling and utterly deſtroying their innocent Neighbours.
III. Mad Men are uſually bound, leſt they ſhould proceed too far in their miſchievous Ways: So God chains up, or puts wicked Men into Bonds, limits their Power, leſt they ſhould go too far in their cruel and miſchievous Deſigns againſt his People.
IV. Mad Men are uſually committed to Priſon: So wicked Men are under the curſed Bondage and Slavery of Satan, who takes them captive at his Will.
V. A mad Man will even ſpit in the Face of his deareſt Friend, who with much Affection ſeeks his Good: So wicked Men do as it were ſpit in the very Faces of God's faithful Miniſters, who in Bowels of tender Love and Compaſſion ſeek their Good; and is this any marvel, when they in a baſe manner ſpit in the Face of Chriſt himſelf?
VI. Mad Men refuſe Clothes, and will go naked: So wicked Men refuſe ſpiritually to be cloathed with the Robe of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs; they will go naked in God's ſight, or have nothing to cover them but the Rags of their own Righteouſneſs.
There are many other Properties in mad People, which may aptly be applied to ungodly Men; but becauſe divers of them agree likewiſe with the Characters of Fools or Idiots, we ſhall refer you to that concerning Fools, &c.
Inferences.
NO marvel if God's People meet with ſo much Trouble in this World, and are expoſed to ſo many Dangers by the Wicked: alas! they are mad: Let us take the leſs Notice of what they do to us; they are out of their right Minds, diſtracted, &c. What a mad World is this! how few are there that are come to themſelves! Moſt Men and Women are mad.