As to the second,1 under such dispositions there may be some stirring of the habit of grace, and of the new creation; the soul either under swooning or sleeping is still acting as the soul one way or other: it's not to be supposed that the life of God in a believer can more intermit all sort of lively and vital actings, then the soul can live of breathing, or to communicate vital heat to the body: the unbroken and intense habit of sin in the unrenewed, is the mother-indisposition that hinders influences of grace; as cast sparkles of fire on cold iron, it makes no flaming, because of the density and coldness of the object: the Lord does not bestow every the same Sun-influences on the thistle or nettle, and on the vintry; nor is it supposed that God more bestows actual influence of saving grace upon a man ⟨p. 247⟩dead in sin, until there be a new heart, and the life of God first infused in him, then the Lord bestows moral or rational influences on a horse or a mule that hath no understanding. Now cast sparkles of fire upon flax or tow (though the sparkles be small) and there is presently flaming: if the Lord but blow upon the smallest measure of the spiritual life of God, though under many ashes, and a huge deal of indisposition, and there is some work flaming, which will beggar more fire. There is much deadness and dullness of life in the affections to act in duties; when there is life, and some quickness of spiritual light, the life and warmness retiring in to the heart the fountain of life, when there is paleness and coldness in the external members: and as fire within creates fire in the nearest dry fuel, there is an act of renewed light consenting Rom. 7. to the good to be done, and yet deadness in the affections to perform, and lively light in the half sleeping Spouse, discerning the knock, voice, and words of the beloved, and assenting that it were just to open to Christ, and give him lodging in his own house; and yet a prevailing drows•esse in the affections, refusing to let him in.
As to the second,1 under such dispositions there may be some stirring of the habit of grace, and of the new creation; the soul either under swooning or sleeping is still acting as the soul one way or other: it's not to be supposed that the life of God in a believer can more intermit all sort of lively and vital actings, then the soul can live of breathing, or to communicate vital heat to the body: the unbroken and intense habit of sin in the unrenewed, is the mother-indisposition that hinders influences of grace; as cast sparkles of fire on cold iron, it makes no flaming, because of the density and coldness of the object: the Lord does not bestow every the same Sun-influences on the thistle or nettle, and on the vintry; nor is it supposed that God more bestowes actual influence of saving grace upon a man ⟨p. 247⟩dead in sinne, until there be a new heart, and the life of God first infused in him, then the Lord bestowes moral or rational influences on a horse or a mule that hath no understanding. Now cast sparkles of fire upon flax or tow (though the sparkles be small) and there is presently flaming: if the Lord but blow upon the smallest measure of the spiritual life of God, though under many ashes, and a huge deal of indisposition, and there is some work flaming, which will beger more fire. There is much deadnesse and dulnesse of life in the affections to act in duties; when there is life, and some quickness of spiritual light, the life and warmness retiring in to the heart the fountain of life, when there is palenesse and coldnesse in the external members: and as fire within creates fire in the nearest dry fewel, there is an act of renewed light consenting Rom. 7. to the good to be done, and yet deadnesse in the affections to perform, and lively light in the half sleeping Spouse, discerning the knock, voice, and words of the beloved, and assenting that it were just to open to Christ, and give him lodging in his own house; and yet a prevailing drows•esse in the affections, refusing to let him in.
- 1There is some acting and life under much deadness in the •egenerate.
