CJ'he Promife afthe. Spirit~ 141 again, thflough the fpirit of.life communicated unto, it ,from he~ven. This is the beginning, the ver'y fidl: of the eternal rlife itfelf promifed _ in the covenant. 1t, is the lighting- of the facred lamp of fpiritual life in the foul, which can never be extinguifhed again, but· burns for evermore thereafter. ·This promife we have, Ifa. xxvi. ·r9. 'Thy dead man fhallli\;e :' and it be– longs ' to the promife of the Spiri,t, .as appears from Ezek. xxxvii. 14. ' And D1all put my Spirit in you, and ye ihalllive.' · The effect of it is, the quicki1ing of the dead ' foul, by the Spirit of Chrifi paffively received, Eph. ii. 5· ' When we were dead ·in fins, - (God, ver. 4·) hath quickned us.' This is the fame with tbe renewing in ejfeflual calli11g, -whereby we are ena~1ed to em9race· Jefus Chrifi, mentioned in otlr Shorter C'atechifm on that que!Hon. And it is fitly called by fome divines, the firji regeneration, agreeable to the fijJ.e of the ho'!" , ly Scripture, John i. 12.• ' But as ma~ as received him~ to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name. ver. 13. Which were 'born, not of blood, nor of the will of the fielh, nor of the will of man, but of God.' Si11· n.ers, in their natural fiate, ly deadJ lifelefs., and ·' movelefs; they can no more believe in Chrifi, nor · repent, than a dead man can fpeak or walk ; but in ,· . virt~ie of the promife, the Spirit of life from Jefus , ChriH, at , the t,ime appointed, enters into the ·dead ! foul, and quickens it ; fo that it is no more .morally , dead, but alive, having new fpiritual powers -put into , it, that were loft by' Adam's fall. · · · , Secondly, The other chief branch of the · promif~ - of the Spirit, is the pro,mife offaith ' ; to wit, That Chrifi 's fpir itual feed fuall believe in him, come un– to him, flnd receive him, by faith . Pfal. ex. 3· ' Thy · people ihall be willing in the day of thy power,' ,And · Pfal. xxii. 3 r. They foal/ come. God hath promifed, that UlJOl1 the .lhed9ing;of the blood ofhis Son for the '; · f£lnCl:in~
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