98 The firfi Sign PART. III. and make the Creature Partaker of the divine Nature, ( the Spirit of God communicating it felt in its own proper Nature ) This is what I mean by thofe Influences that are divine, when I fay that truly gracious Afellions do arifefrom thole Influences that are fpiritual and di- vine. The trueSaints only have that which is fpiritual ; others have nothing which is divine, in the Senfe that has been fpoken of. They not only have not thefe Communications of the Spirit of God in fo high 'a Degree as the Saints, but have nothing of that Nature or Kind. For the Apoftle James tells us, that natural Men have not the Spirit ; and Chrift teaches the Neceffity of a New-Birth, or a being born of the Spirit, from this, that He that is born of the Flefh, has only FleJh, and no Spirit, John 3. 6. They have not the Spirit of God dwelling in them in any Degree ; for the Apoftle teaches, that all who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them are fome of his, Rom. 8. 9, 10, 1 i. And an having the Spirit of God is fpoken of as a certain Sign that Perfons (hall have the eternal Inheritance ; for 'tis fpoken of as the Earner of it, 2 Cor. T. 22. and 5. 5. Eph. i. 14. and an having any Thing of the Spirit is mentioned as a fure Sign of being in Chriff, 1 John 4. 13. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, becaufe he hath given us of his Spirit. Ungodly Men, not only han't fo much of the divine Nature as the Saints, but they are not Partakers of it ; which implies that they have nothing of it ; for a being Partaker of the di- vine Nature is fpoken ofas the peculiar Priviledge of the true Saints, 2 Pet. 1. 4. Ungodly Men are not Partakers of God's Holinefs, Heb. 12. lo. A natural Man has no Experience of any of thofe Things that are fpiritual : The Apoftle teaches us that he is fo far from it, that he knows nothing about them, he is a perfeht Stranger to them, the Talk about fuch Things is all Foolifhnefs and Nonfenfe to him, he knows not what it means, t Cor. 2. 14. The natural Man receiveth not the Things of the Spirit of God ; for they are Foolifh- nef to him ; neither can he know them ; becaufe they are fpiritually dif- cerned. And to the like Purpofe Chriff teaches us that the World is wholly unacquainted with the Spirit of God, John 14. 17. Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the World cannot receive; becaufe it feeth him not, neither knoweth him. And 'tis further evident, that natural Men have nothing in them of the fame Nature with the true Grace of the Saints, becaufe the Apoftle teaches us that thole ofthem who go fur- theft in Religion, have no Charity, or true chriftian Love, 1 Cor.Chap. 13. So Chrift elfewhere reproves thePharifees, thofe high Pretenders to Religion, that they had not the Love of God in them, John 5. 42. Hence natural Men have no Communion or Fellowfhip with Chriff, isr Participation with him, (as thefe Words fignify) for this is fpoken of as the peculiar Privilege of the Saints, 1 fohn 1. 3. together with Verfe 6, 7. and a Gore 1. 8, g. And the Scripture fpeaks of the a tual
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