The principal internal cause of spiritual life is the regenerating spirit of Christ, Rom. 8. 2. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 'Tis the spirit as a regenerating spirit that unites us with Christ in whom all spiritual life originally is, John 5. 25, 26. Verily I say unto you that the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live; for as the father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself. As all the members of the natural body receive animation, sense, and motion by their Union with their natural head; so all believers the members of Christ, receive spiritual life and animation by their Union with Christ their mystical head, Eph. 4. 15, 16. Except we come to him and be united with him in the way of faith, we can have no life in us, John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life. Now the spirit of God hath yet exerted no regenerating, quickening influences, nor begotten any special saving faith in natural unsanctified men; whatever he hath done for them in the way of natural, or spiritual common gifts, yet he hath not quickened them with the life of Christ. And as for the subordinate external means of life, viz. the preaching of the Gospel which is the instrument of the spirit in this glorious work, and is therefore called the word of life, Phil. 2. 16. this word hath not yet been made a regenerating quickening word to their souls. Possibly it hath enlightened them, and convinced them: it hath wrought upon their minds in the way of common illumination, and upon their consciences in the way of conviction; but not upon their hearts and wills by way of effectual conversion: To this day the Lord hath not given them an heart opening it self in the way of faith to receive Jesus Christ.
The principal internal cause of spiritual life is the regenerating spirit of Christ, Rom. 8. 2. The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 'Tis the spirit as a regenerating spirit that unites us with Christ in whom all spiritual life originally is, John 5. 25, 26. Verily I say unto you that the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live; for as the father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the son to have life in himself. As all the members of the natural body receive animation, sense, and motion by their Union with their natural head; so all believers the members of Christ, receive spiritual life and animation by their Union with Christ their mystical head, Eph. 4. 15, 16. Except we come to him and be united with him in the way of faith, we can have no life in us, John 5. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life. Now the spirit of God hath yet exerted no regenerating, quickening influences, nor begotten any special saving faith in natural unsanctified men; whatever he hath done for them in the way of natural, or spiritual common gifts, yet he hath not quickened them with the life of Christ. And as for the subordinate external means of life, viz. the preaching of the Gospel which is the instrument of the spirit in this glorious work, and is therefore called the word of life, Phil. 2. 16. this word hath not yet been made a regenerating quickening word to their souls. Possibly it hath enlightned them, and convinced them: it hath wrought upon their minds in the way of common illumination, and upon their consciences in the way of conviction; but not upon their hearts and wills by way of effectual conversion: To this day the Lord hath not given them an heart opening it self in the way of faith to receive Jesus Christ.
