Page images
PDF
EPUB

to us for ever, only for the fake of what Jefus Chrift has done and fuffered for us on earth, and is doing for us in heaven. Let us then, having clofed with Chrift by faith and come unto God by him, continue, in the way of well-doing, to place our entire dependance on the meritorious righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, wrought out for us on earth, and pleaded for us by him in hea ven, for our being brought to the vifion and fruition of God in glory. Thus doing we fhall find experimentally the truth of that fcripture, Heb. vii. 25. He is able to fave them to the uttermoft, that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for us.

DOCT. III. The fouls of men, while in the ftate of nature, are dead.---This is a truth implied in the promife of life, here made to the fouls of them, who hearken to the call of God.---Hear, and your foul fhall live. This plainly intimates to us, that the fouls of finners. while at a diftance from God, are deftitute of life. For a promife of life, fuppofes them not as yet to be poffelfed of life; but to be in a state of death. Thus it is faid of the Prodigal fon, that while he was gone from his father, he was dead. Luk. xv. 24. Here, the only thing that may be enquired into is this, viz.

Queft. In what fenfe are the fouls of men dead, while

in the ftate of nature ?

Anfw. 1. Negatively, in two words.

It cannot mean,

1. That they are dead, fo as to be without natural life. When the body is dead, it is deftitute of all life. But it is not fo, nor can it be fo, as to the fouls of men. They are of an immortal nature, and therefore their life will be eternal. They are fpiritual, immaterial beings, and therefore have nothing in their nature or effence, that can be fubject to death. The fouls of men, are not like the fouls of beafts, mortal and perishable. Eccl. iii. 21. Who knoweth the fpirit of man that goeth upward, and the fpirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? The fpirit of the beaft falls and dies, and perishes with the body. But the fpirit of man after death, lives and

goes

goes up to God, to be fentenced to an eternal life of happiness or mifery. In refpect therefore of natural life, the fouls of finners are alive, and fhall be fo everlaftingly. The death then of the fouls of finners which the text fpeaks of, is confiftent with the exiftence and natural life of their fouls.

2. Nor can it mean that they are dead, so as to be without rational actings. When the body is dead, its operations cease. It puts forth no bodily acts. But it is not thus with the fouls of men in their fallen estate. They are not fo dead, as to be under a privation of power, to perform fuch acts, as are proper to rational beings. Reafon is effential to the foul of man, and infeparable from it. So that the reafoning powers and faculties of the foul, do remain while in a state of fin. Nor does the finfulness of the foul, prevent the actings and exercises of thofe rational powers in it. Hence men in a state of fin, are fometimes men of excellent parts, of great wisdom, and large understanding both in things natural and divine. Herein they many times outfhine thofe that are brought out of a state of fin, into a state of grace. That death of the foul therefore which the text fpeaks of, does not deny the foul's capacity to exert its rational powers, and that in a very eminent degree. Thus for the negative answer,

Anfw. 2. Affirmatively, in two words alfo.

[ocr errors]

1. The fouls of men while in the ftate of nature, are legally dead. They are under a fentence of death. The holy law of God condemns them to a death of mifery and punishment.. That's the righteous fentence of God, Ezek. xviii. 4. The foul that finneth, it shall die. The wages affign'd to them by the law of God, is death. Rom. vi. 23. The wages of fin, is death. And judgment is come upon them unto condemnation, Rom. v. 18. They are in a ftate of condemnation, and lie open to the curfe of the law of God. Gal. iii. 10. Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. So that as men when under a fentence of condemnation to die, are

[ocr errors][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

faid to be dead in law; in like manner the fouls of finners being under a fentence of death, may be faid to be legally dead. And unlefs the grace of God prevent it, by bringing the finner to repentance and faith in Chrift, this fentence of death will affuredly be executed upon them in the fulness thereof for ever.

2. The fouls of men while in the ftate of nature, are Spiritually dead. They are under a fpiritual death, as it is taken in oppofition to that life, which the foul of Adam had before the fall; and which the fouls of believers have by and after regeneration. Wherein the fpiritual death of the foul confifts, we may more clearly apprehend, by confidering its refemblance to bodily death, which is more obvious to us.

1. The fouls of men while in the ftate of nature, are deftitute of that fpiritual principle, which thould animate and enliven them, namely, the holy image of GOD. The body of Adam, before the infufion of the foul, was a lifeless lump: So is the body after the foul's departure from it. The foul is the life of the body, that which animates it. When therefore the body is deprived of the foul, then it is dead. Even fo when the foul is under a privation of the holy image of God, it is fpiritually dead. Though it be rationally alive, as to a principle of reafon; yet it is fpiritually dead, as to a principle of grace and holiness. The holy image of God was at firft imprinted upon the foul of man; and thereby he was fitted and capacitated to live unto God. But by the fall, man loft this holy image of God upon his foul, and fo it became a dead foul. Now all men abiding in the fallen ftate, are under this lofs and want of the holy image of God, and ío are fpiritually dead. They are deftitute of the holy Spirit in his fan&tifying gifts and graces, and fo are dead. Hence the apostle Jude fpeaking of fome feducers, declares them to be twice dead. Jud. y. 12. and then gives this evidence of it, y. 19. baving not the fpirit. They were dead, because deftitute of the quickning fpirit of grace. Souls that have not a principle of grace wrought in

them

them by the holy fpirit, are fpiritually dead fouls. When therefore finners are renewed and fanctified by the holy fpirit, then they are alive unto God. Thus it is faid of the converted Prodigal, that he was dead, but is alive again. Luk. xv. 24.

2. The fouls of men while in the ftate of nature, are under an impotency to acts of spiritual life. A dead body cannot move or work; though when living it was ever fo active, it cannot now put forth one vital act. So the fouls of finners cannot perform actions of fpiritual life. They are dead to every thing that is fpiritually good. Indeed, they may do works materially good, fuch as are agreable to the letter of the law; but they cannot do works fpiritually good, fuch as are conformed to the law in its fpiritual intent and meaning. The law of God is fpiritual, Rom. vii. 14. And it requires duties to be done from a fpiritual principle of grace, after a fpiritual and gracious manner, for a fpiritual and divine end. Now thus the foul in the ftate of nature. cannot discharge duties of obedience. Hence natural men cannot do any thing that is truly good and acceptable to God. Rom. viii. 8. So then they that are in the flesh, i. e. the carnal, corrupt ftate, cannot pleafe God. While in that ftate, they not only do not, but cannot please God. They are under a total inability of doing things well pleafing to God; fuch as God fhould approve of, accept, and reward with eternal life.

3. The fouls of men while in the ftate of nature, have no fpiritual fenfes. The body, when it is dead, is altogether fenfelefs. The fenfes which it once enjoyed, and which were very quick, while living, are now utterly loft fo the fouls of unregenerated men, are deftitute of their fpiritual fenfes. Particularly,

1. They have no fpiritual Sight. The bodily eye when dead fees nothing. Though the fun fhine upon it in its full brightnefs, yet the eye difcerns nothing of it. Its vifive faculty is wholly loft, fo that it cannot fee any object of fenfe prefented to it. Thus the fouls of finners in their natural eftate difcern not fpiritual objects.

I 3

[ocr errors]

objects. The understanding, which is the eye of the foul, is fpiritually blind. A woful death is come upon it, whereby it is darkned and blinded. Yea, and that in men that have a great measure of natural reason, and this heightned by exercife. The apoftle fpeaking of the wife, the scribe, the difputer of this world, says of them all, while in their natural eftate, that they receive not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness. unto them, neither can they know them, because they are fpiritually difcerned, Cor. i. 20. compared with chap. ii. 10. Though they were men of wisdom, learning, and great argumentative skill, yet they had not ability to understand spiritual things fpiritually, and to form right. notions of them. And therefore oftentimes men of the greatest parts, are the greateft oppofers of the fpiritual myfteries of the gofpel. The Pharifees, who were a mong the chief enemies of Chrift and the gofpel, were men of great natural and acquired abilities, yet were stark blind as to fpiritual things. And though they could not bear the charge of blindness, yet our Lord fastned it upon them, Job. ix. 40, 41. Such is the blindness of men's minds naturally, that they do misjudge of fpiritual things, and pafs a wrong judgment upon them. Thus they do in matters intellectual or doctrinal. They judge that to be true, which is falfe, and that to be falfe, which is true. Hence it is that they embracedamnable errors and herefies, and disbelieve the great truths of the gospel. And as they pass a wrong judgment in matters doctrinal, fo likewife in matters prac tical. They call good, evil; and evil, good. Ifai. v. 20. The ways of God, they judge to be hard, unpleasant and unprofitable. The ways of fin, they judge to be fweet, defirable and gainful. And hence they forfake the ways of the Lord, and walk in the ways of fin. This proceeds from the blindnefs of their minds; as the apoftle fays, Eph. v. 17, 18. This I fay therefore and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkned, being alienated from the life of God,

through

« PreviousContinue »