kind, the same in kind. Some degrees they have of it now, even of that torment which belongs to the present state, that of an unrenewed soul as such; for, being unreconciled to God, they are not capable of being reconciled to themselves; that is, the power and faculties of their souls with one another; but light prompts them one way, and inclination carries them another way. It is true, there is somewhat of this warring in the regenerate too; but then the prevailing principle in their hearts doth agree with the light in their minds, and is the victorious principle. There is a disposition to contend against light; but the holy gracious principle there doth ordinarily and habitually prevail against the corrupt and sinful principle. But the case is quite otherwise with unregenerate souls; to wit, in the stated course and current of their lives, they run counter to the judg ment of their consciences; as no man's conscience but must condemn an ungodly life, living as "without God in the world; but so they live their lives, and transact the whole course and current of their lives at that ungodly rate, without fear of God, without the love of God, without praying to him, without depending on him, without designing for him in a continued course. Why, here is the self-tormenting principle laid asleep only in such souls; that is, if ever they should reflect, they must consider themselves in a state of war with God, and with their own consciences, which are God's vicegerents, and are to govern over them in his right. If conscience were awake, and would do its office, that self-tormenting principle would presently and repeatedly tell them, Thou art a rebel against God and me; thou dost what thy light condemns thee for; God is cast out of thy soul, thy thoughts, thy affections, thy mind and heart: thy life is continual war and rebellion against heaven. It is true, instead of mortifying their corruptions, they contrive to mortify their consciences, and so they are not clamorous, nor do give them actual torment; but the tormenting principle is there, and needs only awakening, and will awaken sooner or later, too late, if God be not merciful. But because he is merciful, therefore is such a transaction set on foot between him and them. And it is a compassionate influence suited to the sad and forlorn case wherein men are liable to hell, and are a present hell to themselves. It is a merciful influence which is vouchsafed in such a case. But to look back to Ephes. ii., where men are said to be "children of wrath by nature," one as well as another; it is immediately subjoined in the next words, "But God, who is rich in mercy, according to his great love wherewith he loved us, hath quickened us together with Christ; " hath inspired us with a new life, a divine and holy life, which is another expression of the same thing signified by the "divine nature." This is an influence in which grace breathes, in which mercy governs. "God who is rich in mercy," hath saved us by quickening us together in Christ, infusing a new divine life into us, which will be eternal life, as certainly as a vicious, corrupted, depraved nature, continuing unrenewed and what it was, will end in eternal death. So that as they are children of wrath and sinners of hell by that very nature, so, by this divine nature now imparted by God's rich mercy, there is a sacred and sure pledge of life eternal, wherein that will end. And to the same purpose is Titus iii. 3, 4, 5. The apostle speaks of what naturally we all were: "We ourselves were sometimes foolish, disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures; living in malice, hateful, and hating one another but after the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." This, then, is a most merciful influence that is given forth in the regenerating work. It is as if God should have said, I see these poor creatures are perishing, not only tending to hell, but carrying with their own hell into hell. It is a throwing hell into hell, when a wicked man comes to hell; for he was his own hell before. God beholding this forlorn case of wretched creatures, saith, I must either renew them or lose them; I must either transform them, or they must perish; they are in fire of hell already. Such and such we were, but of his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Ghost. O! the compassionate influence that is shed upon a soul in this case! The balmy dews that descend from heaven upon a distempered soul, which quench the flames of lust, and which implant and invigorate, after their implantation, a divine principle, in-create a new life, that leads to God and Christ, and the way of holiness and heaven at last. This "being born of God" must imply, if we consider the productive influence by which this blessed work is effected. DECEMBER 28. J. TAYLOR. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.—Rom. vi. 6. We must not only be strangers here, but we must be crucified too," dead unto the world: " that is, we must not only deny our vices, but our passions; not only contradict the immediate persuasion to sin, but also cross the inclination to it. So long as our appetites are high and full, we shall never have peace or safety, but the dangers and insecurities of a full war and a potent enemy; we are always disputing the question, ever struggling for life but when our passions are crucified, when our desires are little and low, then grace reigns, then "our life is hid with Christ in God." Every degree of mortification endures reproof without murmur; but he that is quite dead to the world, and to his own will, feels no regret against, and hath no secret thoughts of trouble and unwillingness to the suffering, save only that he is sorry that he deserves it. "For so a dead body resists not your violence, changes not its posture you placed it in, strikes not its striker, is not moved by your words, nor provoked by your scorn, nor is troubled when you shrink with horror at the sight of it; only it will hold the head downward in all its situations, unless it be hindered by violence:" and a mortified spirit is such, without indignation and scorn, without revenge against injuries, without murmuring at low offices, nor impatient in troubles, indifferent in all accidents, neither transported with joy, nor depressed with sorrow, and is humble in all his thoughts. And thus "he that is dead," saith the apostle, "is justified from sins." And this is properly a state of life, in which, by the grace of Jesus, we are restored to a condition of order and interior beauty in our faculties; our actions are made moderate and humane, our spirits are even, and our understandings undisturbed. For passions of the sensitive soul are like an exhalation, hot and dry, borne up from the earth upon the wings of a cloud, and detained by violence out of its place, causing thunders, and making eruptions into lightning and sudden fires. There is à tempest in the soul of a passionate man; and though every wind does not shake the earth, nor rend trees up by the roots, yet we call it violent and ill weather, if it only makes a noise and is harmless. And it is an inordination in the spirit of a man, when his passions are tumultuous and mighty; though they do not determine directly upon a sin, they discompose his peace, and disturb his spirit, and make it like troubled waters, in which no man can see his own figure and just proportions; and therefore, by being less a man, he can not be so much as a Christian, in the midst of so great indispositions. For although the cause may hallow the passion, yet the cause can not secure the person from violence, transportation, and inconvenience. When Elisha was consulted by the kings concerning their prospects in their present expedition, he grew so angry against idolatrous Joram, and was carried on to so great degrees of disturbance, that when, for Jehoshaphat's sake, he was content to inquire of the Lord, he called for a minstrel, who, by his harmony, might recompose his disunited and troubled spirit, that so he might be apter for divination. And sometimes this zeal goes besides the intentions of the man, and beyond the degrees of prudent or lawful; and engages in a sin, though at first it was zeal for religion. For so it happened in Moses, " at the waters of Massa and Meribah, he spake foolishly ;" and yet it was when he was zealous for God, and extremely careful of the people's interest. For his passion, he was hindered from entering into the land of promise. And we also, if we be not moderate and well-tempered, even in our passions for God, may, like Moses, break the tables of the law, and throw them out of our hands, with zeal to have them preserved; for passion violently snatches at the conclusion, but is inconsiderate and incurious concerning the premises. The sum and purpose of this discourse, is that saying of our blessed Saviour, "He that will be my disciple must deny himself;" that is, not only desires that are sinful, but desires that are his own, pursuances of his own affections, and violent motions, though to things not evil, or in themselves contagious. "Jesus, my life, thyself apply, Thy Holy Spirit breathe; He also exalteth the horn of his people.-Psalm cxiviii. 14. Now the horn of his people is humble in afflictions, in tribulations, in temptations, in beating of the breast; when will he exalt the horn of his people? When the Lord hath come, and our Sun is risen, not the sun which is seen with the eye, and riseth upon the good and the evil, but that whereof is said, To you that fear God, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise, and healing in his wings; and of whom the proud and wicked shall hereafter say, "The light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us." This shall be our summer. Now, during the winter weather the fruits appear not on the stock; thou observest, so to say, dead trees during the winter. He who can not see truly, thinketh the vine dead; perhaps there is one near it, which is really dead; both are alike during winter; the one is alive, the other is dead, but both the life and death are hidden: summer advanceth; then the life of one shineth brightly, the death of the other is manifested: the splendor of leaves, the abundance of fruit, cometh forth, the vine is clothed in outward appearance from what it hath in its stock. Therefore, brethren, now we are the same as other men just as they are born, eat, drink, are clothed, pass their life, so also do the saints. Sometimes the very truth deceiveth men, and they say, "Lo, he hath begun to be a Christian: hath he lost his headache? or, "because he is a Christian, what gaineth he from me?" O dead vine, thou observest near thee a vine that is bare indeed in winter, yet not dead. Summer will come, the Lord will come, our splendor, that was hidden in the stock, and then He shall exalt the horn of his people, after the captivity wherein we live in this mortal life. Wherefore the apostle saith, Judge nothing before the time, till the Lord come, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and then shall every one have praise of God. But thou sayest unto me, Where is my stock? where is my fruit? If thou believest, thou knowest where thy root is. For it is there, where thy faith is, where thy hope and charity are. Hear the apostle: For ye are dead. In the winter they seemed to be dead; hear that they are alive: and your life is hid with Christ in God. There is where thou |