Life of' race. 42,5 enough that a manbe called a Chriftian : it is not enough that a manprofen that he hopes to be faced by Chrift ; It is not enough that a mango onin fomeexternal a&tions as other Ghriftiarrs do, unlels that he doth,and that he is in any fpiritualafti- on, it be by vertue ofhis union with Chrift, that it beby life received from him,by a quickning vertue flowing from himto every member, that is expreff, fob. is. 9. by thebranchesin the rine,theyare quicknedby union in the Vine; curdle branches from the Vine,and they die,and wither. So it is withWien; let them be in the Lords Vineyard, yet if they be not united with this Vine Chrift, they are but deadmen, dead in treefaffcs and fins, Ephef. a. t. that isthe firft. ISecondly,this change is cepreft by life in anotherrcfpeft : for look asin life there a- The a tionst isnot only aùunion with the principle of life, but betides that, thereare thofe living ofhfe a&ions,and operations that naturally flow from that unionin every living creature : fo in fpiritual life, there are fpiritual a&ions, and operations that flowfrom every man thatis thus united to Chrift. As every thing is in being, fo it is in working : take a naturalman,he doth natu- ral a&ions, by vertueof a natural life. Take a worldly man, hedoth live, (as aman may fay) in worldly aertions, by vertueof that worldly principle that is inhim. So take a fpiritual man ; what is the reafon he delights in ipiritual, things ? His delight ie in the Lam ofthe Lord, as David faith, and in that Lam he meditates dayBind noght. What isthe reafonhis delight isin theSaints ; and the more fpiritual any one is, the more hedelights inthem ? the reafon isthis, becaufehe lives a fpieituailife,therefore he Both a&ions agreable to that principle with which he is united ; therefore by this you (hall know it. Thirdly, there are certain propertiesin life thathold in thistoo, andwe will in- The proper. fiance but in two. des of life. Firft,wherefoever there is life,there is a natural appetitc,and delire afterall means APPeutee that maypreferve that life. Wherefoevet God gives life to any creature, he gives alto a delire to that creaturetopreferve that life it bath which is the bell frate ofbe- ing. Now, it is fo with aChriftian, all his defires are to prcfervt fpiritual life, and to increafe it : he refis not in what he bath, but labours to bemore yet,and to do more yet,to know God n-iore,to loveGod more,to ferve God better ; to livemore fruit- fully, more profitably among men. He delights in the aâions of fpiritual life : therefore hewould ftrengthenthofe habitsbyallaftions,and induffry,and indeavout. As nero-born babes, faith the Apoftle, deftre thehncere mi&ofthe srord,thatyemay glop thereby. No fooner is there life in a new-born babe, but there is a dcfire to nourilh that life. You fee there is a natural appetite even in the very trees, that thrufi,their roots downinto the ground, to drawmoifture below from the earth,by an inftinftto preferve that life they have in the flock, and in the branches. So it is in every man that hath a fpiritual life, he pits forth with all indufiry for all fpiritual helps, according to that ftrength he kath for theprefervation of his fpiritual life. That is the reafon whytheyare not content, in the abnndanceofall outward things, when they want fpiritual helps : and that is the reafon that they are not fatished, norfolace themfelvcs in dead, worldly company ; that is the reafon their hearts reft not in things below; becaufe thefeare not the food oftheir fpiritual life; thefe are not the things that preferve that life that is in them. Secondly, asthere is a delireof the prefervationof life, fo there is adelire ofpropa_ 2. Ptopagati- gation, and transaction of it to others, as much as may be. So youfee thofethings on that have but a metaphorical life ( as we may fay ) that are Paid to live by wayof allulion, andmetaphor, as the fire in the coal, when it is laid to live in the coal, it is for this reafon, becaufeit is apt tokindle another. It isfo in aChriftian,wherefbtver there is fpiritual life,there is a delire tocommunicate it withas many as it can. And this you fee in allthe fervants ofGod, 'Philip calls Nathaniel, ?ob.t.44. when he had gainedthe knowledge of Chrifl. And the womanofSamaria goes to call in the City when thehadgained the knowledge ofChrift. When atnanhimfelf is united with theprinciple of life, when he lives in Chrift, hedefires that others may live in Chrifl too; and this delire, and endeavour to gain many to Chrift, it appears in their place, and relation. A Chriftian matter thatlives a fpiritual life, will labour I i i z that
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=