170 LIFE AND DEATH, that is, as in its eternal producing and preserving cause. cottons flood of Pelagianism-into the church. To sa But it is thus also with respect unto all life whatever. God is the livingGod, all other thingsare in themselves but dead things; their life, whatever it be, is in him efficiently and eminently, and in then is purely deriva- tive. Wherefore. Sect. 25.(2.) Our spiritual life, as unto the espe- cial nature of it, is specificated and discerned from a life of any other kind, in that the fulness of it is communi- cated unto the Lord Christ as mediator, Col. i. 19. And from his fulness we do receive it, John i. 16. There is principle of spiritual life communicated unto us from his fulness thereof; whence he quickeneth whom he pleaseth. Hence he is said to be our life, Col. iii. 4. And in our life, it is not so much we who live, as Christ that liveth in us, GaLii. 20. because we act nothing but as we are acted by virtue and power from him, 1 Cor. xv. 10. Sect. 24. (3.) The fountain of this life being in God and the fulness of it being laid up in Christ for us, hè communicates the power and principle of it unto us by the Holy Ghost, Rom. viii. 11. That he is the imme- diate efficient cause hereof; we shall afterwards fully e- vince and declare. But yet he doth it so, as to derive it unto us from Jesus Christ, Eph. iv. 15, 16. For he is the life, and without him, or power communicated from him, we can do nothing, John xv. 5. (4.) This spiritual life is communicated unto us by the Holy Ghost, according unto, and in order for the ends of that new covenant. For this is the promiseof it, that God will first write, his law in our hearts, and then we shall walk in his statutes; that is, the principle of life must precede all vital acts. From this principle of life, than derived and conveyed unto us, are all those vital acts whereby we live to God. Where this is not, as it is not in any that are dead in sin; for, from the want hereof, are they denominated dead, no act of obe- dience unto God can so be performed, as that it should be an act of the life of God; and this is the way where- by the scripture dolt express it. Thesame thing is in- tended, when we say in other words, that without an infused habit of internal inherent grace, received from Christ by an efficacious work of the Spirit, no man can believe or obey God,or perform any duty in a saving manner, so sit4 it should be accepted with him. And if we abide not in this prineiplc, we let in the whole poi- that we have a sufficiency in ourselves, so much as to think a good thought, to do anything as we ought, any power, anyability, that is our own, or in us by nature, however externally excited and guided by motives, di- rections, reasons, encouragements of what sort soever, to believe or 'obey the gospel savingly inanyone instance, is to overthrow the gospel, and the faith of the Catholic church in all ages. Sect. 25. But it may be objected, " that whereas as many unregenerate persons may and do perform many "duties of religious obedience, if there be nothing.of " spiritual life in them; then are they all sins, and so " differ not from the worst things they do i -n this world, ,a which ire but sins; and if so, unto what end should " they take pains about them? Were it not as good for them to indulge unto their lusts add pleasures, seeing '< all comes to one end? It is aul sin, and nothing else; "-why do the dispensers of the gospel press any duties " On such as they know to be in that estate? What ad- <. vantage shall they have by a compliance with them? " 'Were it net better to leave them to themselves, and wait for their conversion, than to spend time and la. " boor about them to no purpose." Ans. (I.) It mustbe granted, that all the duties of such persons are in some sense sins. ' It was the say- ing of Austin, that the virtues of unbelievers are splen,. Sida peccata. This some are now displeased with; but it is easier to censure him than to confute him: Two things attend in every duty that is properly so: (I.) That it is accepted with God. And, (2.) That it is sanctified in them that do it; but neither of these are in the duties of unregenerate men: for they have not faith; and without faith it is impossible to please- God, Heb. ix. 6. And the apostle also assures us, that unto the defiled and unbelieving, that is, all unsatictáflcd persons not purified by the Spirit of grace, all things Menifestissime palet ;n impiorum enimis null= habitare virtntem; sed omnia opera eorum immunda esse alive polkas, habentium septen- uu , spiritualem sed animatcm, non coetestem sed terrenam. Pros. permadCollar. cep. 28. Omne adenine probitatis opus nisi amine very elanifur fdei, peccatum est, ingue erratum vertitúr, et steritiscumulat cibi gioria poinam. nos- per. de Ingretis. cap. 1s. MÍluttolaudibilia fugue miranda possnnt in ho,nlnc reperirl, gnm sine ebaritatis medullis habeas quideinprefabs stmitiludinem, ,ed non haircut ve.ttatem. Idem. ad Ruffin. de lib. Arbil.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=