VERSE 10
(4.) I add, because we shall experimentally feel the life of Christ manifested to us. It is that that makes a Christian. Experience is the life [of] a Christian. What is all knowledge of Christ without experience, but a bare knowledge, if the power that raised Christ's body raise not our souls? This is to know Christ to purpose, to know the virtue of Christ. We hear that Christ is powerful to quicken his own body. You hear that Christ is gracious, and good, and full of comfort; but what is this unless we feel it in ourselves? It is the experimental knowledge of Christ, and of the life of Christ, that doth us good, and makes us abound in all things. I suffer bonds, saith the apostle, for the gospel, but I am not ashamed, Rom. 1:16. Why? 'I know whom I have believed.' He felt the power of Christ in all his tribulations and afflictions. When we find by experience Christ is a quickening Spirit, hath quickened our souls to grace, comforts, peace, joy in our worst condition, then we know Christ to purpose, and then are fit to be carried through all afflictions of the world, and beyond all, and above all, to bear us through all things we meet with in the world between us and heaven. The life of Christ being a divine life, without a little experience of it, all is to no purpose. And a little of this beareth down all that stands between us and glory.
VERSE 10 Always bearing about in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our bodies
The apostle, as before we have heard, labours to vindicate the credit of the gospel, and the ministry of it, preventing all objections that carnal men might make from the trouble that usually accompanieth both the preaching and profession of the blessed truths of God. And
he setteth it down by way of opposition and contrariety. He grants all that the adversary can say, and then sheweth on the contrary how
God is present graciously in the midst of the troubles of his children.
And this in five particulars.
1. 'We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed.'
2. 'Perplexed, yet not in despair.'
3. 'Persecuted, yet not forsaken.'
4. 'We are cast down, yet not destroyed altogether.' Every [one] of these is worse than [the] other. The waters of trouble do arise, but as the waters of trouble do arise, so comforts arise in every one, especially in the fifth, which is the worst of all.
5. 'Always bearing about in our bodies the dying of our Lord Jesus.' It is true, yet for all that 'the life of Jesus is made manifest in our bodies,' beside these unspeakable comforts that are preserved for religion in the world to come, God doth not desert his children nor his cause even in this. It is a happy condition when they be at the worst; so that the blessed apostle, though he had something in the flesh to discourage him that he had no better in him than nature, yet notwithstanding, he had something whereby he was encouraged, whereby he should be able to retort all upon any that should object anything in religion to his discouragement; a blessed art and skill which we should all learn, not to look altogether upon the grievances, but consider likewise what is in our condition wherein we may be comforted; nay, more comfort if we have spiritual eyes than grounds of discouragement. God is gracious; he never taketh anything from his children but he makes it up in a better kind.
We came the last day to the beginning of the 10th verse. 'We bear about in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus'; the end of it is,
'that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.'
God afflicts not any one of his children but he makes it up by a gracious and blessed recompence; and what he takes away he maketh up; and in what measure the outward man decayeth by mortification, in that measure, in a more excellent kind, he makes it up in the life of Jesus; and what is the decay of the life of nature, or the life of condition, that stands in riches, and pleasures, and honours, suitable to the growth in a life of a higher kind, the life of Jesus?
'We always bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus.'
The words are a yielding to that objection that might be made concerning the affliction of the outward man. It is true, 'we bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus.' We spake of that first part the last day.
That is, such afflictions whereby we are conformed to Christ, not only which Christ permits and suffers, and which are like to the dyings of Christ, and conformable to him, which is called the mortification of Christ and the dying of the Lord Jesus, but also such a dying wherein we have the Lord Jesus to be partners with us, and which is for his sake, and whereby we are framed to be like to him, and conformed to his image.
Obs. Whatsoever we suffer for Christ's sake, we have Christ a partner with us in it. Even as by virtue of communion with him we die with him and rise with him, so by virtue of communion with us he suffers with us and dieth with us. He was stoned in Stephen, he was beheaded in Paul, he was reproached in Moses. Christ suffers in all
those that suffer for him. There is that near communion between Christ and his church. And therefore it is the mortification* of Christ, because he bears part with his children in it, and likewise because we are framed thereby to be like unto him. For, beloved, not to say any more in this argument, there must be a great deal of alteration in the outward man before it will be like Christ. Our flesh and outward man is so tainted with original corruption, that there must be a great deal of change to fashion it to be like to the pure nature of Christ. Ye know the nature that Christ took upon him. It was an afflicted nature, but a human nature, before it was a glorious nature in heaven. And so likewise this nature of ours, this outward man, before it can be a glorious nature, must be a human nature, it must be an afflicted nature. For sin hath eaten so deeply into our natures, that there needs, as it were, a spirit of burning to consume and waste the corruption that is in us; and therefore it is called the mortification* of Jesus, because by it we are conformable to Jesus in our natures and dispositions, by little and little, till at length our bodies and souls be for ever conformable to him in the heavens, death being the accomplishing of mortification.
And then again, the mortification of Jesus is such a mortification whereby we are content our bodies should be like the body of Christ on earth, which is in all hardship, labour, affliction, weariness; and all God's people have such a spirit, all that come to heaven have such a spirit. They are not so dainty that their bodies should be better used than the body of Christ. Christ took upon him our flesh and our miserable condition, he took a nature subject to pain and labour. He took not our nature as in Adam, impassible, that could not suffer, but he took the weakness of our nature, and in our nature went about doing good, hungry, and thirsty and weary, and taking a great deal of pains; and shall any man that is a member of Christ be so dainty and delicate as not to be content to have his body like as Christ's body
was? And therefore, the more that any man by Christ's Spirit is content, his body should take pains in any calling to do good, and the more he is content to suffer ill in doing good, the more he carrieth the mortification and dying of the Lord Jesus in him. And, beloved, so soon as ever a man is become a Christian, his life is no more his own; his health, his liberty is Christ's, not his own. Self-denial is the first lesson. There is a hatred, a not loving of anything in comparison of Christ, even of life itself, and whatsoever stands in the way; and therefore we must be content to be partakers of Christ's sufferings, that our bodies should be so used as Christ was; we must give up life and liberty and all to Christ; and that is 'the dying of the Lord Jesus.'
This we shewed more largely upon the last day; but I will now specially insist on the end and use of all this, 'that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal flesh.'
You see there is nothing lost by the dying of the Lord Jesus. It is made up in a better kind, being for this end, 'that the life of Jesus may be made manifest in our bodies.' This is God's end, and this is
Christ's end, and this is Paul's end. It is both the effect and issue that cometh of the dying of our bodies, and it is the end intended by Christ, who will use our bodies in his service, so that his life may be made manifest in us. St Paul's end is suitable to Christ's in bearing the afflictions of the outward man, that the life of Christ may be made manifest in him; for being once in Christ, Christ's aims and ends are our aims and ends; and therefore saith Paul, we are content to 'bear in our bodies the dyings of the Lord Jesus,' so this be the issue of it, 'that the life of Jesus may be made manifest.' Christ will have this end, and it is his end. He taketh away nothing but he makes it up in a better kind to the better man. It shall be supplied by a life of the Spirit, which shall be perfected in a life of glory in heaven.
Now what is this life of Jesus?
There is a life of Jesus whereby he liveth himself, as God, and as mediator, God-man. There is a life of Jesus whereby Christ was upheld while he lived upon the earth; for that Spirit that quickened the dead body of Jesus in the grave, that Spirit carried Christ along in all his lifetime, freed him from all dangers till he had done his work.
There was a Spirit of life in Jesus that upheld him, and strengthened him to do the great work he took in hand, till at length he did a greater work than all before, that is, raised up his dead body. So that beside the life of Jesus enjoyed in heaven, a glorious life, there was a life that Jesus led on earth, which was carried by the Spirit, and acted by the Spirit of God in all things he did as mediator, God-man. And there is a life that he hath now in heaven, which is either the life that he enjoyeth himself and as our head, which we shall be conformed to when we die; for we shall enjoy the same life in our proportion and measure that he doth in heaven, the glorious life which is the life of Christ our head; that is, that life of Christ which is now hid, as the apostle saith, 'our life is hid with Christ in God,' Col. 3:3; or else the life of Jesus is that quickening power which comes from Christ unto us.
Not to speak of higher matters, how God is life, which be speculations, not to the present purpose, the life of Jesus here, it is not the life of Jesus as it is and was in himself, but the life of Jesus as it is conveyed to us. The life of Jesus is derived to every Christian.
Not to speak of the life of justification, which is a life of sentence, and not here principally intended, though it be the spring of all the rest, for we are dead in law, and we must be quickened by sentence. We are dead in our sins. Guilt is upon us, and the guilt must be removed in justification. We must live in law, and in sentence, and in absolution. God must forgive our sins for Christ's sake, and remove the guilt of all death, before we can have inward grace, which is the
life of sanctification. Though it be not here meant, it is supposed, as that which leadeth to all the rest. But here is meant the life of grace in us which is from the work and function of the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of every Christian. As there is one soul in the head and all the members, so there is one Spirit in Christ and all the members, and one spiritual life in Christ and all the members.
Now this Spirit of Christ conveyeth to us the Spirit of life, and Christ is the life of our life, the soul of our soul, the union with our spirits.
For even as the body liveth by fellowship and communion with the soul—for what is life but the vigour of the soul in the body by reason of union?—so doth our souls and bodies live a spiritual life by union and fellowship with Christ, [which] is the vigour of the Spirit in our souls by virtue of Christ. And therefore that spiritual life by which we live here is the life of Christ, not only exemplary, because it is like
Christ's life, but by way of efficiency. Christ is the head of it, and conveyeth it to us. There is no better comparison than to express it by the life of the body which hath communion from the soul. The soul hath a distinct life of its own. It hath a life when it is out of the body. It hath reason, it hath discourse, it wills, it understandeth, it joyeth, it delighteth, yet notwithstanding, distinct from the body.
That is not a life that it liveth in the body that is severed.* The body's life is that that is communicated by conjunction and communion. So the life of Jesus [is] not the life that he liveth in himself, but in this place specially, the life that we have by communion and friendship with him.
And this life that we have, the life of Jesus, it admitteth of a double consideration.
First of all, it is that habitual life as we may call it, that inward frame of divine nature which is in us Christians, which raiseth us above other men, as other men by a rational life are raised above other
creatures; that temper and composure of soul whereby they mind heavenly things, and have a supernatural end and aim in all things, have enlargements of understanding, enlargements of will and affections, larger souls than others. Narrowspirited men they are that are carried only to the things of this life; and this is a constant life, by reason of the constant dwelling of the Spirit in us, as there is constant life in the body by the constant dwelling of the soul in it.
And it is besides that, a perpetual influence of life from Christ, especially in dangerous and difficult times, as Saint Paul speaks of here. It is a power above nature conveyed to uphold and carry us along through all dangers till we come to heaven; so that it is a life first in us, and then the life of Christ drawing out the life in us to all kind of grace, and addeth a divine strength.
For, beloved, it is not that life that is in us doth all the great matters, but it is the life of Christ as it joineth with the life of grace, supporteth it, strengthens it, draweth it forth, increaseth it. For the life that is in us it is a created thing, it is a new creature, but a creature; but the life that maintaineth a Christian, that upholds him specially in the dangerous matter, ay, in the 'dyings of the Lord
Jesus,' in great difficulty, that is not a thing created in us, but the life of Jesus as it hath influence from him, and is conveyed from him by a perpetual kind of derivation. For if troubles grow, then the quickening power must increase with them, and habitual grace in us must be raised, and strengthened, and quickened; and besides the graces formerly in us, there must be an addition of strength from the spring, still more and more. In natural life we do not only live in God, but move in God: 'In him we live, and move, and have our being,'
Acts 17:28. So in regard of spiritual life, we not only live by Christ, but our motion and the prompting of our power being sanctified to any particular action, it is from the quickening power of Christ, which is a quickening Spirit quickening us. Sometimes this
quickening power must be shewed in way of strength, when the trouble is great that the strength may be suitable; sometimes by way of comfort, when the discouragement is great; sometimes by way of joy and peace, when the discouragement is to assault us with the contrary. So that perpetually there must be quickening power in our lives from Christ our quickening head, besides the habitual, constant grace we carry about with us always. We know, in the body, if there be obstructions that hinder the spirits from the brain, whence motions come, there is an apoplexy or lethargy, causing a cessation of motion. So if there be ceasing of the quickening powers continually derived from Christ our head, there would be an apoplexy or lethargy in our spiritual life, and a kind of death.
Therefore when we speak of the life of Christ, we must not understand the life that he lived; 'because I live, therefore you shall live also;' but to think of the habitual grace wrought in ourselves, whereby we are conformed to Christ, and to think of a quickening power that Christ sheweth continually, he being the Sun of this world. Though the things of this world, as plants and the like [grow], yet let the sun withdraw his vigour and efficacy, and they seem to die presently. The light of the air ceaseth when the sun ceaseth to shine.
So besides that, in us habitually and continually, there must be influence of Christ into us answerable to the exigencies and occasions a Christian hath, either of peace, or joy, or comfort of some portion of spiritual life or other. Now this is called the life of Jesus, because it is radicated in him originally, as the 'second Adam.' We all derive it from him. The grace and quickening power we have continually, it is from him, the glory we look for is from him. He is the 'first-born' to whom we are predestinate to be conformed every way, in grace here, and glory hereafter; and therefore it is called the life of Jesus. That is specially herein meant. Both these lives, the inward frame of spiritual life and grace in us, and likewise a perpetual influence specially discovered and manifested then, when
there is most need of it, in times of trouble, with the accomplishment of it in heaven. The life of Christ is manifested in his children here when they stand in most need of grace and comfort, and it is manifested continually to the day of judgment, when the life of Jesus shall indeed be manifested to the full, as it is manifested in him in heaven; for as Christ is glorious himself in heaven, so his mystical body shall be like himself too.
I need speak no more for the unfolding of the meaning of the words.
The points considerable are these, Obs. 1. That Christ is the foundation of all spiritual life that is in us.
He is the 'second Adam' that conveyeth all that is spiritually good. As the first Adam conveyeth all that is spiritually ill, it was his office so to do, to convey life. 'Because I live, you shall live also,' John 14:19; and he saith, John 10:10, 'I am come that they might have life, and that they might have life abundant.' Christ came that we might have life, and that we might have abundance of life at the length. We have it by degrees here, but there is abundance of life preserved for us, such abundance as he enjoyeth himself in the heavens. So that Christ as the 'second Adam' conveyeth spiritual life to us, as the common root of all believers, as the 'first Adam' was the common root of all mankind, but more peculiarly by virtue of office as an head. As the head conveyeth spirit and life to all parts of the body, so doth Christ convey spiritual life to all his.
It is the end of his coming and incarnation, to procure life of sentence and reconciliation, which is the life of justification and freedom from condemnation, and the life of acceptation to life everlasting. He died that he might expiate* God, and get the lives of men by getting them to be acquitted from sin, and entitled to heaven; and thereupon he came to convey (as head unto all his members) life
like his own, that the Spirit that is in him may quicken all his members. Therefore he hath taken upon him the sweet relation of an head, of a root, the Sun of righteousness, to shew that he is a powerful head, a powerful root, a powerful husband that can alter and change by virtue of the Spirit of God, that he hath in abundance, all that belong to him, and be knit to him; and therefore our spiritual life is in Christ.
He first exercised this life on his own body by quickening that. As he was mightily declared to be the Son of God, by raising his own body,
Eph. 1:19, 20, so he will be mightily declared to be the head of all his, by raising the bodies of his children out of the grave, and by raising them out of troubles, which are partial deaths, little deaths. So that all spiritual life comes from Christ, from union and communion with Christ.
Use. Therefore we must labour to have union and communion with Christ strengthened by all means; by hearing, and by the sacraments, and by all means. For all our life is derived and fetched from Christ, as a 'second Adam,' who by virtue of his office deriveth life to all that be his. The more we know of Christ, the more experimentally we feel the power of Christ, the more we live.
Obs. 2. For the second point: As all life is from Christ, so (which is the main point of the text) this life is most discovered in afflictions and evil times, in the dying of the outward man.
Beloved, both the spiritual lives I speak of, both the inward frame of grace is made more manifest, and likewise the power of Christ in upholding a weak creature in such a condition; for all grace shineth most, and appears most in trouble; as obedience, courage, faith, love to God, love to others, love of the truth. I need not stand to particularise. And therefore the life of Christ is manifested in the
decays of the outward man, whether by outward persecutions, or by sicknesses, and the like, that is the time of the discovery of grace; and likewise it is the time of the discovery of the power that Christ exercised and shewed, the divine power that God declared in raising his body, that is, the time wherein he sheweth that power in all his.
Reason 1. The reason is, things are best known by opposition. The decay of the outward man is a foil as it were to grace, to make it appear more clear and glorious, and the weakness of the outward man is a means to discover more the power of God's Spirit, and the power of the life of Christ in such a weak body; for a weak man, or a weak woman, or a weak child, to be able to stand up for the truth, here is divine power shewed, as the martyrs did not only* shew, but declare it gloriously. And for a sick body to believe, makes the soul glorious and comfortable. Here is divine power shewed more gloriously by reason of the opposition of the outward man.
Reason 2. And then again, in this time the soul itself uniteth itself more unto God, and to divine things; and therefore the life of Christ is more manifested, because there is a near union between Christ and the soul. For the soul gathers itself from the sphere, down to worldly things, as in times of prosperity, ease, and plenty, when the soul scatters and looseth itself in the creature. Now there is a sweetening power in that which is inflictive, to make the soul gather itself to God, to the fountain of life; and so it is a means sanctified by the Spirit of God to procure union with the Spirit of Christ; and therefore the life of Christ is then more manifested in the flesh.
Reason 3. And then these things that befall the outward man, they are as it were removentia prohibentia, they remove the hindrances of the life of Christians; for what hinders the life of Christ from appearing in us, but that our affections are eaten up with the world
and vanity, one way or other? For naturally we are not so vigorous in spirit when we have vigour in the outward man; and that which farthers the life, and strength, and comfort of the outward man, will diminish the strength of the inward. It should not be so. It should be that the more vigorous in the outward man, the more vigorous we should be in the inward; but it is not so. Now suffering takes away that, when these be embittered by the cross, by some suffering that is against the feeling and sense of the outward man. Hereupon cometh a better relish of divine things, other things being embittered to the soul; and hereupon the soul, in times of any great pressure, doth hear with other ears, and doth see with other eyes heavenly things, and doth feel and judge after another manner than it did before.
Take a man when he is under any thing that afflicts the outward man, for his body or condition, which are both called life, the life of body, and the life of condition, we shall fasten a few good things sooner on him than at another time. Speak ten times as much at another time, it shall have no passage, no entrance, but the state of all things without being made less delightful, his soul recovereth a spiritual taste, and relisheth heavenly company, and heavenly truths, as they be suggested by others or us. Experience sheweth this in David and other saints, and in every Christian; and therefore the blessed life of Christ, such a spiritual life as is in Christ, it is his most of all glorious and conspicuous, specially in times of afflictions and crosses.
Reason 4. And then another reason may be, that the point may be clear. God doth delight, and Christ delighteth to shew himself most glorious at such times, not only because his virtue and strength and power is most manifest then, but likewise out of tenderness to the condition of his children; for he sees they more need his presence, and they more need his immediate comforts. Then immediate comforts are specially desired of the soul. When outward comforts
are taken away, there is a sweeter communion with Christ in any trouble than at other times. No communion in prosperity for the most part that is so sweet to a Christian as at that time, for the soul knoweth then it is most acceptable to the soul. The soul stands in need of it. Therefore comforts are immediate to the soul at this time, and immediate comforts that come from the fountain are pure.
When the comforts derived from friends and outward helps be all taken away, there must be immediate comforts, or else the soul will sink. And now Christ, out of love to his children, comes forth to them and joineth with their spirits more than at other times; so that the sweetest communion any man hath with Christ is at the worst times.
The martyrs verified it abundantly, for they never had the comforts before that then they had; for Christ came into the dungeon and supported them with strength above nature; and all this is from the sweet love and mercy of Christ, that applied himself to the necessity of his children. These and the like reasons that the life of grace, the life of comfort, and the life derived immediately from Christ, is the most apparent in afflictions.
I will not press the point any further.
Use of trial. To make use of what is spoken. If it is true that there is a spiritual life, another life, and this is most manifested in affliction; how then shall we know whether we have this life of Christ or no? for Christ conveyeth a spiritual life to all his.
We will speak of the evidence of them both, whether is there a gracious frame of life in us from Christ or no.
If the life of Christ be not in us, beloved, we are stark dead in regard of a better life; and it is woeful to be in a dead condition. And therefore it behoveth us a little to take heed that we have the life of Christ, and if we have it, we may know it familiarly. I do but name
the heads. Because it is a word borrowed from the life of nature, you may know it from proportion to the life of nature. Where spiritual life is, there it is. As in the outward life you know there is sense and motion, appetite, and such like; so where the life of Jesus is, there be spiritual senses, eyes that see spiritual things, a taste that relishes spiritual things, a taste that can relish them above all other things, that can set the highest price upon the best things, that judgeth of things as they be. There is a spiritual taste and judgment suitable to the judgment of Christ. And so I might run through all the senses, if I would affect correspondency in this kind.*
And as there is spiritual sense, so there is sensibleness. A natural life makes us sensible of any injury, of any comfort. So where there is the life of Jesus, it makes us sensible of anything that is suitable to nature, or contrary to it. Where there is life there is sympathy and antipathy; sympathy, agreement with what is suitable to nature, and antipathy to what is contrary. So where there is the life of Jesus, there is a sympathy with all things that are Jesus his stamp upon them, to spiritual things and spiritual persons, and an antipathy to the contrary.
And here is the ground why a godly man may be known by his hatred of sin, because it sheweth an antipathy; and antipathy sheweth the kinds of life. Sin is contrary to union and communion with Christ, for it is a dissolving and divorcing nature.
Now the soul that liveth by Christ, and knoweth sin to be of a divorcing and separating nature, to sever his soul from his head and life, and so to cause apoplexies and death itself, if it be not looked to in time, hereupon comes the soul to hate sin to the death, and to seek the death of sin by all means, because sin seeketh the death of the soul; for what is sin but a separation of the soul from Christ, and a
joining to the creature? Therefore wheresoever there is grace, there is antipathy to sin, not only as bringing damnation with it, but as contrary to the life of Christ; as every creature hath an antipathy to its enemy, as we see in doves and eagles; the dove is the prey. The tamer and wild creatures have an antipathy in them by nature. So the soul that hath the life of Christ hath an antipathy to sin. So far as the life of Christ prevaileth in him it must be so, for every life labours to preserve its being. We are bid to be wise as serpents, that wind and turn themselves about, that cover their heads and will suffer all manglings so the head be safe, because the life is in the head; so the Christian that hath the life of grace will endure anything, so the life of grace be not hurt. There be sympathies and antipathies, an inward joining to that that preserveth, and an inward hatred to that that is destructive; and therefore they that live in sin against conscience, that divideth between God and them, I cannot see how they can think of spiritual life; for the soul liveth, and is swallowed up in base pleasures and in the creature. Now if they had spiritual life, it would preserve itself from breaches and all dangers.
Let us not deceive ourselves. Christ came not to free us from damnation only, but as an head, to infuse spiritual life into us, and to live in us by his Spirit. He came not only to purchase a life of glory for us, but likewise to live in us by his Spirit; and if he overcome for us, he will overcome in us; if he hath a life for us, he will have a life in us. The life of Jesus must be manifested in us. And therefore take heed of joining in affliction, to any sin; for it doth divorce the soul from God, and joins it to the creature. And so the soul becomes fading like the creature, and cometh to nothing; and indeed it is worse than nothing, to be for ever in hell. It comes to that degree in misery that it would otherwise have had in happiness.
Creatures have their instincts. There is a natural instinct in every creature to run to that that feeds it, as lambs and other creatures as soon as ever they are born run; they know whither to go to suck, because that is ordained by nature for its preservation. So there is an instinct in the soul to carry it to that that feedeth and maintains it.
Bees go naturally to the flowers by an instinct; so the spiritual soul that hath the life of Christ runs to whatsoever may feed and maintain that life.
I beseech you, therefore, not to speak of the outward actions that are objected to hypocrites. Look therefore to the sympathy and antipathy of your souls and your instincts. Whither doth the bent of the soul lead you? Wherewith do you preserve the inward man? How is the soul taken up? And this will discover the frame of the soul more than anything else. Every creature that hath life, hath an element wherein it is preserved above another place, as the fish in the sea, the birds in the air. So the element of a Christian is holy, he is piscis in avido,* when he is in other courses and company. He walketh by the Spirit,
He liveth by the Spirit, and he walks in the Spirit. He liveth in the Spirit as in his element. So that spiritual things and good company is his element. Till in heaven, indeed, he is never in his centre, in his proper place till he is in heaven. But in the mean time his element here is in heaven on earth; that is, spiritual actions wherein he walks and solaceth himself, as fish in the sea, wherein he draweth in the breath that is suitable to his disposition. Ill company or evil hearts will not suit with that spiritual life; and by these ordinary resemblances we may judge a little of the frame of our spirits, whether they be living souls or no.
But to go a little higher.
The life of Jesus, as it riseth from Jesus, from as high as heaven, so it leadeth to Jesus. It makes the soul to look to Jesus, to look to Christ.
It subordinateth all things unto Christ. It takes all things in the way as furtherances for Christ, and considers of his hindrances as they hinder the main, and of furtherances as they further the main. It looks on all things below, as they further and do hinder the main. It is a life bred from heaven, and aims at heaven, and cares for no more of these things than can stand with a spiritual and eternal state. It considers of things, and reasoneth of things, how doth this help or hinder the main? And when it doth anything it fetcheth reasons for it from Christ, and from heaven, and from the main end. As a man that hath life of reason, that is adorned with policy and wisdom, it considers of things as they help his state; or if he be a man of narrow apprehension, as the sot with his particular good, and goeth no higher. So a man that hath the life of Christ, hath a larger soul than any of these, for he hath a larger end, and an higher end, because he hath a higher light to discover that end. Light is the first thing in life, and that discovers greater things than any other man can apprehend.
His spirit is too narrow for them. And when by a supernatural light he apprehends a glorious condition in heaven, he makes that his aim.
And as he hath large aims, so he hath large affections, and nothing below can satisfy him, because his soul is enlarged by the life of grace, and by the life of the Spirit to see better into things, and to have better aims. Therefore let every man look what his ordinary aims are, whether he rest in any thing below, whether he maketh things below serviceable to greater things. If he delight in inferior things, he hath but a common life. Many think their conditions good, because they attend religion, but there is falsehood in that; for a man that hath not the life of grace, that makes the practice of religion serviceable to his base ends, he makes heavenly things serviceable to his ends; that is, out of self-love, because he would not be damned, or he would be so reputed, but he hath not the aim of spiritual actions:
he doth not spiritual things from a spiritual life, but from self-love, from a false principle within. Now where the life of Jesus is, it resteth not in anything but in Jesus, and makes all things serviceable to that.
The skill of referring things to the main end is one main property of spiritual life.
Firstly, For a man may do the same thing, and yet from divers principles; one from flesh and blood, and vain-glory, and base ends, and the other from higher considerations, as men and beasts. A man hath a higher life than the other creature hath. Both may refresh themselves, but a man doth it as a man, and directs that strength of his to human actions. If he be a Christian, he directs not only human actions, but refers human actions and all to serve God in his place. So that he works like a man, though for the actions they be the same. So the shallow creatures that be determined to one, and have not latitude of reason to look to many things. Thus you see there is great difference between men and men.
Secondly, Men may do the same things, come to church, receive the sacrament. The one may have base, low ends, the other higher ends; nay, higher ends in civil actions than another in spiritual actions. For he doth holy actions with a carnal end; and the other having spiritual life, by virtue of that life carrieth his calling in the duties of it in a spiritual manner. I beseech you, therefore, let us examine our life of Jesus by the carriage of our souls towards Jesus; he never suffers us to rest in subordinate things. I might be very large on this point, but I will name no more.
Consider what setteth you on work in all things you do. There be things we call ἀυτόματα, 'things that be moved by art.' One would think they moved themselves; but they be moved by a weight, that is not seen presently, as in clocks and such like. In all frames of art that
move, one would think it is from themselves, but there is no principle of life in them; an external thing, a weight without, sets all the wheels a going. But in living creatures that have principles of life within them, something within them guideth their life and sets them agoing. So a Christian and another man, he that hath the life of Christ, from the life within him, he is set on work with his actions. The other man moveth to the same thing, but he moveth from an extrane[ous] principle. There is something or other that swayeth his course and biasseth his actions, which is outward and not spiritual: either freedom from outward troubles, or to hold correspondency with others. I beseech you, look to our motives and to our aims in all our actions, for these will best distinguish.
But that is not the life mainly intended by the apostle, but the life that is with* him, flowing and having influence from Jesus, specially in hard conditions. 'The life of Jesus is manifested then.' That is, both the inward frame it sheweth itself then, and likewise the power that comes from Christ.
Now, how doth it appear that a man is upheld in every condition by a divine virtue, besides his inward frame of soul?
Beloved, when the state of spirit he is in is contrary to the outward condition and above it. When if a man looks to ordinary courses such a man should sink; and when he doth not, and that from supernatural principles and strength, that argueth there is a power in him above nature and above his own. As for a man in restraint, to have his soul at liberty; for a man disgraced in the world, to have a bold spirit to God-ward; for a man weak in outward shew, to have strong courage, forcible courage, that all the enemies of truth cannot daunt; when a man is pining away, and is nothing but skin and bones, yet to have a heavenly soul that is in heaven before its time,
and altogether in heavenly conversation; when the outward man is in great pain, and all confidence is to be cast away in regard of outward hopes, yet he is strong, and assures himself of a better condition afterward, and the very faith and hope, casting anchor in heaven, though they be not seen or felt, yet there is that power in spiritual things, laid hold on by faith, waited on by hope, that it supports a soul in such a condition; so that if it were not for these heavenly supports, by the Spirit of God, it would sink. If thou wouldst have the life of Jesus manifested, compare thy condition and thy strength.
When a man can master all conditions, when a man can master imprisonment, disgrace, restraint, weakness, anything, from considerations above nature, and strength together with consideration; for the Spirit worketh not only by reason, but by an inward strength, it sheweth there is something in a man above nature, that there is in him a life of Jesus. When nothing shall stand between a man and heaven, neither fears of great ones, nor frowns, nor hopes of preferment; when nothing below can stand in a man's way to heaven, but he will break through all by an invincible courage, it argueth he hath a frame of spirit above his own. There is not only a frame of grace, but a spirit of strength, to carry him through all conditions whatsoever. As St Paul, 'I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthens me,' Philip. 4:13. 'I have learned to want and to abound,' to do all things through Christ that strengthens me, that supplieth me with perpetual strength from above.
Beloved, in a Christian, especially in evil times, there is more than a man, there is more than a holy man, there is something that floweth from this head, Christ, that doth administer supplies of comfort, and of peace, and of joy, and of friends, whereby he is carried through all.
By these and such like particularities, we may discern whether there be the life of Jesus manifested in us or no.
Use 2. Of exhortation. Beloved, let us labour by all means therefore to have this spiritual life; to have a frame, to have the divine nature stamped upon our nature, the frame of grace; and let us not rest on that, but labour for a perpetual and continual stream of life from Christ, the fountain and the spring.
I speak of this the rather, because there is a main defect in this, and the cause of many foils.* But our hearts be good, and we trust to the frame of life and grace that is in us, without looking to the supernatural spring and fountain of all grace out of ourselves; and we think to-morrow shall be as to-day, and by the same strength we do to-day, we shall stand against temptations to-morrow. Beloved, it will not be. There must be supplies not only of new strength, but also of greater strength, to new conflicts, to new oppositions, and new temptations. For as that strength will not carry a great burden that carrieth a little, they that carry burdens put forth greater strength to carry more than others. So in Christianity, when we meet with a strong temptation, we must not think to overcome it without setting upon it with spiritual strength. Lord, I need divine strength, else I shall sink under this temptation; this cross is too heavy for me, and so not going about to oppose any extraordinary thing with strength of nature, for nature will do nothing in great matters. It will make us do things comely to the outward eye. Nor common grace will not make us able to set upon great matters, but we must have a supply from grace, from heaven. And therefore a Christian is a depending creature. None is so dependent or independent. Certainly none so independent on the creature as a Christian, especially when he carrieth Christ in his heart by faith; but then he is continually depending upon Christ the head, who is the treasure and spring of all spiritual life, to convey to us on all occasions. 'Without me you can do nothing,' John 15:5, much less suffer without me. And therefore, I beseech you, let it be a rule for us in our ordinary course, when we
set upon any duty, withstand any temptation, conflict with any corruption, when we are to enjoy any prosperity above the common model of grace, to enjoy it without surfeiting of pride, security, or the sins that accompany prosperity. Consider with ourselves, Have I a frame of grace enough to set upon this? No, I have not. Surely that must be, there must be a power from Christ, a perpetual drawing of strength from Christ to master this, to meet with this, to bring it under. As a Christian is lord of all conditions, of prosperity and adversity, but not by an ordinary frame of grace, but that together with a divine strength and power, which is here called the life of Jesus, specially manifested by dependency. So let the life of a Christian be continually dependent. Peter by his ordinary graces could say, 'Though all forsake thee, yet will not I,' Mark 14:31. But that he may see he stands by his own strength, he falls foully. And why do so many fall foully, but because they undertake things with their own strength, with former strength, and not with dependency, or a supply suitable to present necessity, and thereby they learn to stand by falling? God sanctifieth their slips and falls, to teach them better dependency for time to come.
I beseech you, therefore, let this be a direction how to guide our lives; and that we may depend on Christ for strength in all courses, take heed of offending him, and grieving his Spirit, [take heed] that he suspendeth not his divine power. That strength obstructs this life, to call it home to himself, and then to leave us to our own principles, and then we fall presently. The life of a Christian is perpetually watchful, 'to work out faith with fear and trembling,' Philip. 2:12.
How? Not doubting of your salvation, but fear for offending Christ, 'for he giveth the will and the deed;' he giveth will to supply, and the deed to perform. And it is 'according to his good pleasure,' Philip.
2:13. You stand upon your good behaviour. If you work not your salvation with a holy jealousy over your corruptions, and with a holy
trembling, he may suffer you to fall. Therefore consider our dependency is not in ourselves. Now, since the fall, God will not trust us with our own strength, but will lay up all in Christ. Therefore take occasion to go to Christ, and that he may be our friend, and have his
Spirit, as he doth all by his Spirit as the sun doth all by his beams; take heed of grieving the Spirit, and giving it occasion to suspend its influency of grace and influence of comfort. For it is another thing than it is taken, to be lively Christians. We should not only labour to have lives, but to be lively, to have the life of Christ manifested in us, and not only for crosses; in that time God preserveth great comforts; but labour in time of prosperity for the life of Jesus. There is little life of Jesus in times of peace. Security deadeth the life of Jesus. Sins of plenty, and sins of long peace, stick upon us, that there is not that vigour, that liveliness of Jesus in us that ought to be.
Now our endeavour should be to labour after an increase of this inward frame, and together with increase of grace in us, increase of continual dependency by faith, which fetcheth all from Christ. And why should we labour for it? For the credit of Christian profession.
What a glory is it to have a company of lively professors, in whom the life of Jesus is manifested, that are above all conditions, that are thralled with no condition, that can bring under all things, master their desires! 'The spiritual man judgeth all things,' 1 Cor. 2:15, subdueth all things. He orders them so that he maketh them serviceable to his own ends. And what a glorious thing is it to be like a lion, bold in all conditions, to be afraid of nothing but of offending
God! And then fear and tremble because God may suspend his Spirit.
A wicked man may fear everything, but he feareth not God, which is to be feared above all. But a true Christian is a lord, a master above all other things, only he feareth to offend God, whereby this spiritual life may be obstructed. Now in regard it is such an excellent thing to be not only a living Christian but a lively Christian, and that it is for
the honour of religion to be so, let us labour more and more for it, specially considering we know not with what dangers we may encounter, with what temptations and corruptions. Having now the life of Jesus, it will be manifested more and more till it end in glory.
Is it not an excellent thing to have that in us, to have such a conquering principle in us, to have the Spirit of Christ in us, not only a frame of grace, but a Spirit enabling us, and acting us, and carrying us through all conditions?
Then this life of Jesus is a life that sets us in an order above all other lives. There is a great latitude of life from that plant, the powerful life* to God, which is life itself. What a gradation is there of life!
There is life of sense, and life of reason, and the spirit. Now a Christian that hath the life of Jesus, which is a spiritual life here, and will end in a glorious life in heaven, sets him in a glorious rank above all lives under him; for it makes him one with Jesus. The Spirit of Christ acteth in him, loveth in him, joys in him, delights in him, carrieth him through actions, bears him through crosses. Even as the soul acts his body, so the life of Jesus acts him, and sets him in a higher rank. Indeed, a spiritual man is as much above another man, as another man above another creature.
What excellency is there, you will say, of a man that hath the life of Jesus in him? What excellency! Beloved, this life makes him eternal.
All other excellencies are but 'grass, and the flower of grass,' as the apostle speaks, 'but the word of life, begotten by the word, endures for ever,' 1 Pet. 1:25. Spiritual life endures for ever. He that believeth in Christ endures for ever; for it is an everlasting life. All other things perish and fall. Put case they be the flower of grass. The flower perisheth before the grass. They be of shorter continuance. Wit, and greatness, and honour, and the like, they are of shorter continuance than life. Life is but grass, and all the ornaments of life are but
flowers of the grass. These be fading things, and they must all end in death. All honours are determined in death. All excellencies lie in the dust. And we must rise up equally, all kings and subjects, great and small. But this life is a life that endures for ever, and therefore called an everlasting life. Then we live to purpose, and never till then, when we live the life of Jesus, when that is manifested in our souls, that is, vita vitalis; the other is, βίος ἀβιος, a life not worthy the name of life.
The conditions of life, riches and nobility, which is a condition of life, all have their end; but this life of Jesus is begun in Christ, and ends in glory. And therefore it is worth labour to grow in it more and more, to have it more and more manifested in us above all conditions and life whatsoever.
I beseech you, let us not pass the time as careless, but labour to have something in us above nature, to have the life of Jesus to quicken our rational life, to sanctify all. The life of Jesus hinders us not of anything, but ennobles all other excellencies. A man that hath the life of Jesus may be as wise as he will, as learned as he will, he may be noble, this doth make him more noble, it doth dignify all. It is a diamond set in gold; it addeth excellency to all other excellencies. A Christian is truly noble. A man that hath the life of Jesus is truly rich, truly great, truly beautiful; he hath the image of Christ stamped upon the soul, and hath excellencies added to all other excellencies.
It is an unworthy thing that we should pass over this life, which is altogether to get into Christ, and to die before we begin to live. How many live a natural rational life, and live in an outward condition perhaps great in the world, and then all endeth in death; and they be out of the world before they come in. Here they come, here they live, and hence they go, and never do the work for which they came; which is, to get out of nature and to grow in grace; to get into the spirit of the life of Christ, who is the life of a Christian, the sun that
quickens all. Instead of this, they go on from day to day, from year to year, and so die before they begin to live. And thousands do this in the bosom of the church.
This is a fearful condition. Therefore let this be the conclusion of this point.
Never rest till we find ourselves in a condition above nature, till we find ourselves in such a state that none can come to but a child of God. Let us enter into eternal life while we live. For none shall be transported into heaven that is not engrafted into Christ here. This is the entrance of heaven. Therefore begin the life here, get into the church here, else it shall never be obtained hereafter. Labour for more and more experiment,* that Christ is in us, that at the day of judgment Christ may know us, by his own stamp, and by his own life, that the life that raised him up out of the grave, may raise our bodies out of the dust. For this is our comfort we may have from the life of Jesus, efficacy to quicken us to duty. We shall find the life of Jesus to quicken us from troubles, and at the consummation of all, we shall find the Spirit that cometh from him powerfully able to raise our dead bodies. If the Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead be in us, it will raise up our bodies likewise. Indeed, I should never satisfy myself almost in this subject, but that the time is past, and you may in your own meditations work better upon that I have said, than I can by any strength of mine press at this present.