For the causes, the holy Ghost gives us three causes of our spiritual life, which if we find, we may assure our selves that we have life, and so consequently we have the Son.

For the causes, the holy Ghost gives us three causes of our spirituall life, which if we finde, we may assure our selves that we have life, and so consequently we have the Son.

1 Cause of our spiritual life, is Gods own good pleasure. Of his own will hath he begot us▪ Jam. 1.18. This St. John proves by denying all other causes of our begetting to life, John 13 Not of blood: that is, not of parentage, for godly parents may have wicked children; though Gods commandment do much, yet it is not from their good parentage, but from Gods pleasure in the covenant. Nor of flesh, that is not of corrupt nature: nor of the will of men; that is, not of the will of our best friends, that desire it, and pray for it, unless God set in with all those of his good pleasure, he shall not have life, Ezek. 16.6. It was od that said to us when we were in our blood, Live. This is an evident sign of the life of grace. Such a mans heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of Gods good pleasure. Take a natural man, he thinks well of him elf, that he hath always had a good nature, and towardly, and hopeful, and all his friends could say no less But now a regenerate Christian acknowledgeth that he had no heart to goodness by nature, only some outward correspondency towards his friends, to please them; but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth, Gal. 1.15, 16. When it pleased God to call me by his grace, and to reveal Christ in me, then I lived, but not before. A living soul never attributes any thing to his good nature or towardliness, but when it pleaseth God to call him to his grace.

1 Cause of our spirituall life, is Gods own good pleasure. Of his owne will hath he begot us▪ Jam. 1.18. This St. John proves by denying all other causes of our begetting to life, John 13 Not of bloud: that is, not of parentage, for godly parents may have wicked children; though Gods commandement do much, yet it is not from their good parentag•, but from Gods pleasure in the covenant. Nor of flesh, that is not of corrupt nature: nor of the will of men; that is, not of the will of our best friends, that desire it, and pray for it, unlesse God set in with all those of his good pleasure, he shall not have life, Ezek. 16.6. It was od that said to us when we were in our bloud, Live. This is an eviden• signe of the life of grace. Such a mans heart acknowledgeth all the grace he hath to be of Gods good pleasure. Take a naturall man, he thinks well of him elf, that he hath alwayes had a good nature, and towardly, and hopefull, and all his friends could say no lesse But now a regenerate Christian acknowl•dg•th that he had no heart to goodnesse by nature, onely some outward correspondency towards his friends, to please them; but he acknowledgeth what Paul doth, Gal. 1.15, 16. When it pleased God to call me by his grace, and to reveale Christ in me, then I lived, but not before. A living soul never attributes any thing to his good nature or towardlinesse, but when it pleaseth God to call him to his grace.

A second cause of life is a word of promise; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, only the seed of promise, such as are begot of a word of promise, as Isaac was, and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac only, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promise, Gal. 4.28. But yet Isaac had the peculiar, in that even his birth was by promise to Abraham and Sarah: But the Apostle would thereby infer, that all our spiritual birth, is by a word of promise. Here therefore try thy life, thou sayest thou livest, but what word of promise wert thou begot of? Faith comes by hearing, Rom: 10 17. Gal. 3.5. There is some word of promise dispersed in the word preached, which the soul lays hold of, and is thereby knit to Christ by faith: Indeed, many a good soul cannot tell what word of promise he was first begot of, yet sure it was by a word of promise; and though thou dost not know this promise, yet there is no Christian but he sustains himself by some promise, which shows plainly that he was bred of a promise which is fed by a promise. Many times a word of grace and wise admonition sinks so deep into the heart, as that it makes many a one amend his wicked ways, ⟨p. 397⟩and take better courses, and reform his life; but this is no evident sign of spiritual life. So an hypocrite may be so far convinced as to turn the stream of his life, and yet without all power of godliness, and the ground is, we cannot receive life from the words or works of the Law, it's altogether impossible, Gal. 3.21. All true spiritual life is from some word of promise that hath been dispensed to us in the Word. The word of the Law may reclaim us from giving outward offence, but yet without all respect or obedience to God. But when we are quickened by a word of promise, then the love of God constraineth us.

A second cause of life is a word of promise; for, all that are of Abraham are not the Children of Abraham, onely the seed of promise, such as are begot of a word of promise, as Isaac was, and least you should think it belongeth to Isaac onely, he makes it common to all the elect, that they are all children of promise,

Answ. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins, but yet it gives not spiritual life, till we begin to think of, and long after Christ, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the sight of Christ, doth so work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we so receive him, and embrace him, that we are enlightened by him.

Answ. True. Yet this is not that which makes a man a new man, this may reach to the reformation of many outward sins, but yet it gives not spirituall life, till we begin to think of, and long after Christ, and meditate and talk of him, till at length the sight of Christ, doth so work on us, that we do not only long after him, but we so receive him, and imbrace him, that we are inlightned by him.

A third cause of life, is the Spirit of God, John 3.6. There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man, that he hath not the same spirit he had before. Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul. Eph. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds. The soul and the body is the same: But there is another spirit, they see other things they never saw before, judge otherwise then they did before; now they have new thoughts, and judgements, and affections, so that their heart is far off from earthly things, and let on spiritual things. All things are become new. A new heart, new conference, new employment, new company, the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him. He that finds it thus hath life.

A third cause of life, is the Spirit of God, John 3.6. There is a shedding abroad of the Spirit into the heart of every regenerate man, that he hath not the same spirit he had before. Now a mans spirit is the bent and inclination of the soul. Eph. 4.23. Be ye renewed in the spirits of your minds. The soul and the body is the same: But there is another spirit, they see other things they never saw before, judge otherwise then they did before; now they have new thoughts, and judgements, and affections, so that their heart is far off from earthly things, and let on spirituall things. All things are become new. A new heart, new conference, new imployment, new company, the whole man hath another frame of spirit in him. He that finds it thus hath life.

For application.

Consider therefore how you find your hearts speaking concerning your estates. Do you find indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in, but before God was pleased to call you to his grace, nothing did you good. Do you find your life wrought by a spirit of promise. Do you find that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit, then you have life. Your life springs from true causes, if not you have not life.

Consider therefore how you finde your hearts speaking concerning your estates. Do you finde indeed that sometimes you have had good motions cast in, but before God was pleased to call you to his grace, nothing did you good. Doe you finde your life wrought by a spirit of promise. Do you finde that you are renewed to a new inclination and frame of spirit, then you have life. Your life springs from true causes, if not you have not life.

A second sort of signs of life is from the effects of spiritual life; And,

A second sort of signes of life is from the effects of spirituall life; And,

1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principal part of our spiritual life, Psal. 32.2, 3. And this is called justification to life, Rom. 5.18. Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man, so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls. Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin, is,

1 Justification or pardon of sins is a principall part of our spirituall life, Psal. 32.2, 3. And this is called justification to life, Rom. 5.18. Even as a condemned mans pardon is the life of the man, so is the pardon of our sins the life of our souls. Now the first effect flowing from the pardon of our sin, is,

1 Some inward peace of conscience, some inward satisfaction that he never found before. My sin is not pardoned, at least not manifested so to be, till I find some measure of inward peace, Rom. 5.1. What was it that burdened thy conscience, but guilt of sin? If therefore God say to my soul, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee; upon this follows the tranquility of the mind, and sometimes in that unspeakable manner, that passeth all understanding, Phil. 4.7. Though this be not so ordinary, yet they always find a secret peace and ease, as if you had cast off millstones from the heart, Isa. 32.17. The effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance for ever; if sin be pardoned, peace and everlasting assurance follows.

1 Some inward peace of conscience, some inward satisfaction that he never found before. My sin is not pardoned, at least not manifested so to be, till I finde some measure of inward peace, Rom. 5.1. What was it that burthened thy conscience, but guilt of sin? If therefore God say to my soul, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee; upon this follows the tranquility of the mind, and sometimes in that unspeakable manner, that passeth all understanding, Phil. 4.7. Though this be not so ordinary, yet they alwayes finde a secret peace and ease, as if you had cast off milstones from the heart, Isa. 32.17. The effect of righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever; if sin be pardoned, peace and everlasting assurance follows.

A 2. effect of this life of Justification, is, that look as you see in a moral life, no man hath received life, but he strives to maintain it, so that all that he hath will he give for his life; So, if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins, thou shalt find a serious, and constant care of preserving ⟨p. 398⟩that life and peace, so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience. Thy loving kindness is better then life, Psal. 63.4. And therefore if I find a tender care in me to maintain my peace, it's a sign I have received life, seeing I am so careful to maintain it. A man that hath been in a great debt, and lately paid it, he is careful to run on the score no more; so when God hath blotted out the score of our sins, a Christian is very solicitous to sin no more, but that he may live an holy and spotless life all his days. Notable is the example of Joseph, Gen. 39. How shall I commit this great wickedness and sin against God? How shall I break my peace of conscience, and run on a new score? Sometimes indeed Gods children have received pardon of sins, and yet afterwards turned Gods grace into wantonness; but withal observe if they have been overtaken with some grievous lusts, the loss of their peace, and favour of God, hath been more bitter to them then death it self; and if the Lord give us hearts solicitous to maintain our peace, it is a sign that he hath given us peace, those sins are pardoned which we abhor; it's the nature of life to preserve it self, and to expel what may be an enemy to life: And this is a sign our peace is not counterfeit, but sound, if we be careful to preserve it.

A 2. effect of this life of Justification, is, that look as you see in a morall life, no man hath received life, but he strives to maintain it, so that all that he hath will he give for his life; So, if thou hast received the life of the pardon of thy sins, thou shalt finde a serious, and constant care of preserving ⟨p. 398⟩that life and peace, so that you will let all go rather then the peace of your conscience. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life, Psal. 63.4

A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Saviour gives, Luke 7.47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her, because she loves much. He that loves much hath much forgiven him. The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned, is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins. Gods pardons are lively pardons, they leave not a man as he was, but whom he pardons them he heals. This woman was a notorious Harlot, her loving much showed that her many sins were forgiven her; according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned, such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints; And indeed, there is none hath so little forgiven him, but he thinks it a great deal, as indeed well he may, and thinks himself bound to love God abundantly.

A 3. effect of our life of Justification is that which our Saviour gives, Luke 7.47. Her sins which are many are forgiven her, because she loves much. He that loves much hath much forgiven him. The love of God in some measure proportionable to the sin pardoned, is a good evidence of the pardon of our sins. Gods pardons are lively pardons, they leave not a man as he was, but whom he pardons them he heals. This woman was a notorious Harlot, her loving much shewed that her many sins were forgiven her; according to the multitude and measure of sins pardoned, such is the measure of our love to God and his Saints; And indeed, there is none hath so little forgiven him, but he thinks it a great deal, as indeed well he may, and thinks himselfe bound to love God abundantly.

For application.

Consider therefore what peace thou hast. Perhaps thou wilt say, I have had peace all my life long, but such peace is ill rooted, it springs not from a word of God; And,

2 It's fruitless. Thou sayest thou hast peace, but what care hast thou to maintain it, and to expel thy sins which hinder thy peace? And again, if thou hast such peace, where is thy love? If that be wanting, pardon of sin is wanting.

2 It's fruitlesse. Thou sayst thou hast peace, but what care hast thou to maintain it, and to expell thy sins which hinder thy peace? And again, if thou hast such peace, where is thy love? If that be wanting, pardon of sin is wanting.