An Expojition of the cpifl.le ------ ~X the Notion of Life. For Brei)Jr.en; all in Chrifl:ians, as they are confl:ituted Chri• S<:>»l. IV. fTlaqs, is Life, Life'Clcai'ly; it<jhtdmetb, he bath mai:le us alive, all is Life. ~~ •• 0 Btii you will,G~y, IS n9t the :Wo~~ ofGracc·called Mortiflca\ion,a dying to Sin? ~ Ii is true,. but'!e't ine tell yoU, tllls MortlflcaHdr\ it fclf, Clyl'rlg ~ Sin ; that that' 1 s true Mortrficatron, lt anfcth from aSprntofL1fe, 1f.1s a confequetlt ofSpiritual Lrfc. The mcanmg IS not, that firfl: God k1lls a Ma~sSm, and ,then puts a prin– ciple ofLtfe tn hrm; brtt by a pnnc1ple ofL1fe he krlls Sin. 'A Nran may have a gre~tdeal ofd~ading to the World, (as much as another. Man)from terror ofCon– ference or the hke. But here IS no L1fe, tl\e whole ofGrace is Life take it in it fclf, and deadnefs to Sin is but the confequem. Therefore at thei; firfl: Cdnver– fion, when Men's Lufl:s have a blow, they are more dead to the World and to Sin; they find more of Mortification, than of Q\!ickning and Life th;y think · why ? becaufe there is an additional kind of deading Mens Hearts t~ the World' from Terror of Confcience, that yet bath an impreflion upon Mens S irit•. bu~ f<•ith the Apome; Wall{_ i1l the Spfri~? . &c. and ye fha/1 not .fit!jill the .L,!fls ~~the Flejh, Gal. 5· 16. So the not fulfillmg the Lufis of the Flefh 1s a frUit of living and walking in the Spirit, it is tne fruit of this Life. ' . Therefore when he fpeaks of' <!ll 'the Grace a Man bath,. how doth he exprefs It? 2 Pet. L 3· He bathgz~en u: all thmgs belo!;gmg to .Lift and Godlinefr. So that all the L1fe a Man bath 1s Godllnefs, and Godhnefs IS Life, the one is put for the other. And Brethren, hence now what !hould you learn? Put not your Grace to lie in Humiliation, in thofe Works, Grace cloth net lie in that, your Grace lies in Life and Q\!ickning, therefore you fee, He quici{_ned M, n>hm we were dead in Sim and TreJPaf[es, together with _C~rift. Humilia.tien goes. not to the mortifying of Lulls, no, but you may be JOmed to a Prmc1ple of L1fe, that mortifies I,ufl:s, therefore look bow much Grace you have, fo much Life ; fo much Grace, fo much Q!!ickning. When you come to the Ordinances, fa much Grace and Good you get, as your Hearts are quickned, not as you perform Duties ; and value Q 1 ick;:ling more than Ordinances: Ln~ 12. 23. Chrifl: faith, Life is better than Meat : So Q\!ickning is better than Sermons, and than all tbings in the World. I [peak it, that you may know what to put Religion and Grace in. Food is the means of Life, yet Life is better than Meat: So this Life is better than all Ordi– nances and Duties ; as £1r as you are quickned, you have fpiritual Life, and your Affections are flitring, and all the Sacrifices you offer to God are. acceptable, as far as they are living , Therefore quic~n me in thy w•y, faith David, Pfal. I I 9· 137. If he went in the way of God, and was not quickned, his Spirit was troubled, P[al. 8o. 19. but he prays that he might be quickned. I (peak it for this, that you are to look upon that to be Grace in you ; fo much Grace, fo much Life ; fpiritual Life it lies in quickuing. Notwithfl:anding, on the other fide, confider it is quickning. The truth is, he ufeth the lowefl expreflion that can be, ifthere be but a Spirit of Life; fuppofe thou hafl: not attained Strength, yet ifthou bafl Life, he calls all that we receive in this Life but quickning, ifyou take it in the ordinary way ofPhrafe. We are but as Children in the Womb quickned, all the flirrings ofGrace are but fuch as ofan Infant at befl:. Sailh he, Col.~+ Your Life is hid in Chl'ijl with God, where (as it were) he compares God and Jefus Chrift to the Root in which the Sap is; and it is Winter with us, as it were, in comparifon ofwhat it !hall be, when we !hall be railed together with Chrifi, and fit in heavenly places perfonally with Chrifl. Now we are in Chrifl:, when we !hall fit together with Chrifl. A• now we are in Chrifl,what !hall this Life be? But in the mean time, ifwe be but quick· ned, ifthere be but the leaf\ degree ofSpiritual Life, that thy Heart is raifed to God and fpiritually fuited, for a Spiritual Mind is Life, ifthere be the !call: Spi– ritual Life, though there be not that flrength, nay though it cannot be called .• Birth, though thou canfl: not fay, thou hafl: all the parts of the new Btrt.h, yet 1f there be guickning, there is a new Life, the Apo('de defcends low, th1s 1s a Seed that will rife to Eternity.
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