ther in the state, practice, rule, end or manner of it; nay, they who thus live, are without Chrift, being aliens from the common-wealth of Ifrael, and ftrangers to the covenant of promife, having no hope, and without God, or atheists, in the world, Eph. ii. 12. (2.) It is not a legal life, either of Jewish conformity to the ceremonial law, or of perfect conformity to the moral law: It is not that legal life of Jewish conformity to the ceremonial law, or according to the old teftament difpenfation; for that ceremonial law is abrogated in Chrift the fubftance of all the old fhadows; and fo that Jewish life is unprofitable and vain, yea it is damnable, and prohibited under the highest penalties, Col. ii. 20, 21. And therefore, fays the apoftle, Gal. v. 2. If ye be circumcifed, or live according to the ceremonial law, or any other law of works, fo as to expect juftification thereby, Chrift shall profit you nothing. Neither is this living to God that perfect life of conformity to the moral law, according to the old covenant of works, which required perfect, perfonal, and perpetual obedience, as the condition of life; and threatned death upon the leaft failure: I fay, it is not this life neither; for man hath become guilty, and forfeited life, and incurred death by Adam's firft tranfgreffion, Rom. v. 18. By one man fin entered into the world, and death by fin, &c. Thus we are for ever incapable of that life, which Adam was capable of before the fall. It is alfo impracticable, because man is by nature without ftrength, Rom. v. 6. We have no strength to give that obedience which the covenant of works requires, because we must be redeemed from the curfe thereof, and reftored to the righteousness thereof, before we can be capable to do what it requires. And tho' Adam's fin and tranfgreffion were not imputed to us, as indeed it is, yet feeing every

adult

adult perfon at least hath finned after the fimilitude of Adam's tranfgreffion, for no man liveth and finneth not; therefore he can never perform the perfect obedience therein required, and by the deeds of the law no flesh can be juftified. Besides, there is no article of that covenant of works, which provided for a remedy in cafe of a breach; but all that the covenant of works does, is, to promise life to perfect obedience in man's own ftrength, and threatens death in cafe of failure, and fo leaves the tranfgreffor thereof under its curfe. In a word, the life according to that covenant, cannot be the life here meant, because that covenant fpeaks nothing of Chrift, or of his gofpel, by whom, and by which only we can now come to this living unto God; and because this living unto God prefuppofes a being dead to the law, or dead to that covenant, otherwife we can never live unto God. 3. It is not a pharifaical life of external, legal, imperfect conformity to the law, whereby we endeavour to establish a righteousness of our own, as the Jews, Rom. ix. 31, 32. and Rom. x. 3. Many reckon an outward moral converfation to be this living unto God, whether in performing the natural duties of civility and moral honefty, or in an external performance of religious duties, such as prayer, praise, reading and hearing, waiting upon divine worship. The church of Laodicea was felfconceited; they thought they were rich and increased with goods: But behold the testimony that Chrift gave them, that they were neither cold nor hot, fuch as God would fpue out of his mouth ; yea, that they were wretched, miferable, blind and naked: That is all the teftimony that he gave them, who look'd upon themselves as rich in legal. righteousness and good works. This pharifaical life may be accompanied with a glorious profeffion; L 2

they

they may profefs foundness in the faith, and difown all these legal and unfound principles, which others may have as their ftated opinion; they may profefs, that righteoufnefs and juftification is not by the works of the law, but by the faith of Chrift, or by the works of Chrift received by faith alone e; they may have a found head, but no found heart, nor a good confcience, nor faith unfeigned; for the end of the commandment is love preceeding from thefe, 1 Tim. i. 5. Perfons may be like the toad, that hath a precious ftone in his head, but his belly is full of poifon; they may have a head full of knowledge, and a heart full of enmity; a filthy mud-wall may be garnished with fine tapeftry; a rotten fepulchre may be whitened: They may have much of the matter and external form of godlinefs, and yet want the power and internal form thereof; a name to live, and be dead. Yea, this pharifaical life may be accompanied with many excellent gifts and common graces, and high attainments (as well as all vifible church-privileges) as we find fome apoftates may have, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. Their understanding may be fo far enlightened that they may attain to great difcoveries of Chrift. Balaam was called a man whofe eyes were opened, and that faw the visions of the Almighty, Numb. xxiv. Their wills may be fo far renewed, as to have a great many good purposes, like these who refolved to ferve the Lord with all their heart, Deut. v. 27, 29. Job. xxiv. 18, 21. They may be almoft perfuaded to be Chriftians; their affections may be greatly raised and enlarged; they may be raised to fome forrow for fin, like Judas, and like Efau, who fought the blefling with tears; to fome joy, like the ftony-ground hearers, who received the

word

word with joy and pleasure, yet had no root; to fome delight, like the Jews, of whom it is faid, Ifai. Iviii. 2. That they fought him daily, and delighted to know his ways; yea, to fome fear and reverence, like these enemies that are faid to fubmit themselves, Pfal. lxvi. 3. and even to fome extraordinary raptures, like these who are faid to taste of the heavenly gift, and to be partakers of the Holy Ghost; hereupon their life and converfation may be changed in part. Thus many, through the knowledge of God, and of Chrift, have efcaped the pollutions of the world, 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21, 22. The common gifts and graces of the Spirit may warm, fmooth, and wash their outward converfation; all this will not amount to this living unto God in the text. What kind of

life then is this? I answer, 4. It is a fpiritual life, being the action, motion, and gracious faving operation of the Spirit of God in us, and caufing us to walk in his ftatutes, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. It is the life of a fpiritual man. It is impoffible for one to have a godly life, whatever to the world he may seem to have, till he be a godly perfon, or in a fpiritual ftate. A man must have a state of union to Chrift by the faith of God's operation, fo as, being married with this husband, he may bring forth fruit unto God. The branch of the old Adam cannot bear good fruit; it is only the true branch, planted in Chrift by the Spirit of faith, that bears good fruit, John xv. 4, 5. A man must be in a ftate of reconciliation with God, juftified, pardoned, and indemnified, before God accept of any fervice off his hand; for two cannot walk together, or live together, unless they be agreed. God accepts no action from an enemy, but his returning to him by faith in Christ, and then begins all perfonal acceptance.

L 3

Men

Men must be in a state of adoption, before it is poffible that they can be followers of God, as dear children; in a state of renovation, renewed by the Holy Ghost in the fpirit of our mind. The godly man, who is in cafe for a godly life, is juft a new creation, even the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jefus unto good works, which God before ordained that he fhould walk in them. If the heart be not right with God, a man cannot have a right life, or live unto God.

But I fhall go on to inquire, 2dly, Into the fcriptural defignations of this life. To give all the names that it comes under in fcripture, were too large a task: I fhall only fingle out fome of the most notable names it gets in fcripture. It is fometimes defigned from God, fometimes from Chrift, fometimes from the Spirit, and fometimes from these names that import the other fpecial qualities and properties of it. 1. Sometimes defigned from God, and it is called the life of God, Eph. iv. 18. from which all natural men are alienated: This is a wonderful name that it gets, the life of God. Who can tell what this life of God is? God lives in himself, and the believer lives in God; his life is hid with Chrift in God, Col. iii. 3. The best we can fay of it, is, that it begins in grace, and ends in glory, and is wholly of God, and in him. 2. Sometimes it is defigned from Chrift, and fo it is called a living by faith on the Son of God, Gal. ii. 20. immediately following our text; where, when the apoftle would explain what he understands by his being dead to the law, he fays, I am crucified with Chrift; and when he would explain what he underftands by his living unto God, he fays, Nevertheless. I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me.

Chrift