such a one, and such a one? The word was to them as honey, and as the honey-comb; but to me, it was as dry bread; I found no sweet, I got no good at all." Or, you have been often tossing the Bible, and you have ob served this or that promise; but, O what income hath appeared! surely nothing at all. "I wonder at saints, that tell of so much sweetness, and comfort, and ravishing of heart, that with joy they should draw water out of these wells of salvation, whereas I find therein no joy, no refreshing at all." Ah! poor soul! thou art in a sad case, thou art not yet vivified, thou hast not the life of God in thee. After vivification, thou wilt in the use of ordinances, at least sometimes, if not frequently, feel the saving incomes of God. In prayer, thou wilt feel the Spirit breathing in, and carrying up thy soul above itself, plainly declaring there is another power than thy own, which makes thee not only to exceed others, but thyself also; in hearing of the word, thou wilt see the windows of heaven set wide open, and all manner of spiritual comforts showered down upon thee; thou wilt hear the rich treasury of everlasting glory and immortality unlocked and opened, so that thou mayest tumble thyself amidst the mountains of heavenly pearls, and golden pleasures, joys that no heart can comprehend, but that which is weaned from all worldly pleasures, "As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things?" Rom. 10:15. In the meditation of the promises, or of divine love, thou wilt find meltings, quicken. ings, encouragings, filling thy heart with gladness, and glorying, and thy mouth with praises, and songs of rejoicings: Oh! what fountains of life are the promises to a living man! to a soul that is vivified! What food, what strength, what life is a thought of Christ, of heaven, and of God's love to a spiritual man? Whereas all these glorious things of the gospel, are to the natural man but as a withered flower, a sealed book, a dry and empty cistern, he hath no use of them.

6. It is a life of another kind or manner. Before vivification our life was but death, because we ourselves were but dead in sin, even whilst alive, "She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth," 1 Tim. 5:6. "And ye were dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh,” Col. 2:13. But after vivification we live, How live? a spiritual life, "I live by the faith of the Son of God," Gal. 2:20. an heavenly life, "For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," Phil. 3:20. an immortal life, "Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him;likewise reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord," Rom. 6:9.11. You know the meaning of Christ, "Whosever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die," John 11:26. he shall never die a spiritual death, never come under the dominion of sin, never totally fall away from grace; that incorruptible seed by which he is regenerate shall abide in him for ever. "If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness, Rom. 8:10. the body indeed is subject to corporal death, through the remainders of sin, but the spirit is life, even that little spark of grace, through the most perfect righteousness of Christ imputed, is life here, and shall be life hereafter, even for ever. And herein is our vivification answerable to Christ's resurrection, "Like as Christ was raised up from the dead, by the glory of the Father," raised up to a new life, "even so we also should walk in newness of life," Rom. 6:4.

For the second question, how is this conformity or vivification wrought? I shall answer only to the state, and so our vivification is usually wrought

in us in this manner. will. First, The understanding lets in the verity and truth of what the gospel hath recorded, "in him was life, and the life was the light of men, John 1:4.-I am the bread of life, he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst, John 6:35.-I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live, John 11:25.-I am the way, the truth, and the life, John 14:6.-And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; he that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son, hath not life," 1 John 5:11,12.

As, first, In the understanding. Secondly, in the

2. This light let in, the understanding thence inferreth as to a man's own self, that by the assistance of the Spirit of holiness who raised up Jesus from the dead, it is possible for him to attain this life; others have attained it, and why not he? "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins;" here is a precedent for a sin-sick soul; "in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," Eph. 2:1,2. this was the state of the Ephesians, But were they all? No, no; ye, and we also, " among whom also we had all our conversations in times past.-But God who is rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ,-That in ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus," verse 3,4,5,6,7. Christ's dealings with some are as flags and patterns of mercy hung forth to tell, and to bring others in: whence the understanding infers, "It is possible for a dead soul, yea for my dead soul to live; others have lived, and why may not 1? I discover in those scriptures, even in these precedents, a door of hope to myself," why "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, Matth. 8:2.-yea, if I may but touch thy garments, I shall be whole, Matth 9:21. if thou wouldst but say, O! ye dry bones hear the word of the Lord, then breath would enter into me, and I should live," Ezek. 37:4,5. Surely if Christ be risen again from the dead, there is no impossibility but I may rise, if others have been raised by the virtue of Christ's resurrection, why may not I?" However, this may seem to be little or nothing, yet considering the soul in a mourning, dark, disconsolate frame, under deep apprehensions of sin, guilt and wrath; full of confusions, distractions, despondencies, staggering and sinking terrors; it will find it something; yea, it will look on it as a glorious work to discover but the morning star through so much darkness, any thing of life, in such a valley, and shadow of death.

3. The understanding hath yet some brighter believing beams; it confidently closeth with this truth, that it is the will of the Lord that he should come, and live, and believe, and lay hold on Christ; it apprehends the particular designs of mercy to him, and doth really principle the soul with this, that God doth particularly call, invite, and bid him come to Christ the fountain of life, for life. Now the understanding takes in general gospel calls in particular to himself, "It is my poor languishing soul which the Lord speaks to, when he says, " Come to me all ye that are wea ry, and I will give you rest, Matth 11:28.-Awake, thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Eph. 5:14. Surely this is a great work when set home by the Lord, that the soul acts in its addresses to Christ in the strength of a particular call from God.

2. And now the answer to this call is wrought up in the renewed will; as thus,

1. The will summons all its confidences, and calls them off from every other bottom to bestow them wholly upon Christ; and this consists in our voluntary renouncing of all other helps, excepting Jesus Christ alone; now the soul says to idols, "Get ye hence, Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the works of our hands, ye are our gods," Hos. 14:3. "Ashur shall not save us," not only cannot, but shall not save us; now as the soul is dissatisfied in judgment, as to the resting on any thing but Christ alone, so the heart and will is disaffected to all other helps but Christ alone; now it renounceth its own righteousness, and worthiness, not only because of their inability to save, but mainly because their glory is swallowed up in that unmatchable excellency, which appears in the way of life and salvation by Jesus Christ. It calls home dependence from every other object.

2. Hereupon there is a willing and cheerful receiving of Christ, and resignation of ourselves to his actual disposal, to quicken us, and save us in his own way. A great part of the answer of faith to the call of Christ lies in this; for as faith sees life and salvation in the hands of Christ, so it considers it to be given forth in the methods of Christ; and so believing lies not only in assent, but consent of heart, that Christ shall save us in his own way; this is called "a receiving of Christ; as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God," John 1:12. Many a soul would be saved by Christ, that sticks and boggles at his methods; they will not pass to happiness by holiness, nor set him up as a King and Lord, whom they could consent to set up as a Saviour: oh! but now Christ that "stood at the door and knocked," Rev. 3:10. is received in; consent hath made up the match, and the door is opened that never shall be shut again.

3. Upon this follows the soul's resting and relying; the soul's confidence and dependence upon Jesus Christ for life and for salvation; this closeth up the whole business of believing unto righteousness; those various expressions used in scripture of "committing our way and selves to God; of casting our care upon God, of rolling ourselves on him, of trusting in him and hoping in his mercy," &c. wrapt up in faith in this affiance, dependence, not without some mixture of confidence, and resolved resting upon Jesus Christ; a clear beholding of God in Christ, and of Christ in the promises doth present such variety and fulness of arguments to bear up hope and affiance, that the heart is resolved; and so resolved that we com. mit ourselves, and give our souls in charge to Christ, "I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day," 2 Tim. 1:12. 1 Pet. 4:19.

4. The upshot of all is this, that the same close which the soul makes in believing with Jesus Christ as to justification and righteousness, is not fruitless to this effect of conveying life and virtue from Jesus Christ as to grace and holiness; for that union which then and thereby comes to be enjoined with Christ, is such an union as is fruitful in begetting a quickening power and principle in heart; and this is that which we ordinarily intend by saying, saving faith to be operative; that faith which brings forth nothing of holiness, what is it but a dead faith? "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also," James 2:26. Justification and sanctification are twins of a birth; and hence it is that vivification (which is one part of sanctification) is wrought in the soul after the self same manner; as, 1. The understanding is enlightened. 2. The will is

changed. 3. All the affections are renewed. 4. The internals being quickened, there ensueth the renewing of the body with the outward actions,life, and conversation. And now is fulfilled that saying of Christ in a spiritual sense, "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," John 5:25. Now is the soul vivified, now it begins to live the life of God, now it feels the power of Christ's resurrection, and is made conformable to it: and immediately upon this, joy is made in heaven by the angels, God himself applauding it, "For this my Son was dead, and is alive, he was lost, and is found," Luke 15:24.

Thus is the state of vivification wrought. I know it is not in all men after one manner for every circumstance; the methods of God are exceeding various, and we cannot limit the Holy One of Israel; I have some. times concerning this, desired the communications of other's thoughts, whom I looked upon as such, who had more than ordinary communion with Christ's Spirit; and from one of such I received this answer, “I must profess to you, I have in all my speculations in divinity, found dis. satisfaction in the writings of men in nothing more, than in the work of clear and distinct conceptions concerning regeneration, which yet is of such a cardinal importance, as that the great doors of heaven move upon the hinges of it; the Lord enlighten us more, for we see but in part, and prophecy but in part."

For the third question, What are the means of this conformity or vivification which we must use on our parts? I shall answer herein both to the state and growth of our vivification. As,

1. Wait and attend upon God in the ministry of the word, this is a mean whereby Christ ordinarily effecteth this vivification. By this means it was that those dead bones were quickened in Ezekiel's propecy, viz. By the prophet's prophesying upon them, " And he said unto me, son of man,-prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O! ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord," Ezek. 37:4. And by this means it is that dead souls are quickened, the ministry of the word is the trumpet of Jesus Christ, when that sounds, who knows but he may quicken the dead? Hearken therefore to this word of God.

2. Act faith upon the Lord Jesus Christ as to justification. As is the clearness and fixedness of our souls in bottoming ourselves on Christ for righteousness; so will be our quickness, and successful progress in the work of holiness; because "Mary's sins, which were many, were forgiven her, therefore she loved much; but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little," Luke 7:47. Many a soul loseth much of vivification, for want of clearness in its justification, or for want of settledness and stronger measure of acting faith. Oh! what life would be raised as to holiness? What working, binding, filling the laws of love, 1etribution and thankfulness would there be, when we see ourselves clearly reconciled with God, and wrapt up in the foldings of everlasting love?

3. Trace every ordinance, and every duty for the appearings of the Son of God. Be much in prayer, hearing, reading, and fellowship with the saints, living in the fulness of sacraments; be much in secret conversings with God, in meditation, expostulation, inquiries and searchings; and (which is a precious work) be much in diligent watching, of hearkening and listening to the movings, workings, hints, and intimations of the Spirit of God; be much in observing the methods, and interpreting the meanings and language of God in all his secret dispensations with the soul; certainly there will be abundance of the life of God conveyed to

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him that walks in these paths, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house," might David well say, and one reason is pertinent to this case, because "in your Father's house is bread enough and to spare," Luke 15:17. while the prodigal that goes out from it shall feed upon husks, and with Ephraim swallow up the east wind. Oh for a spirit of prayer, meditation! &c. Oh for a spirit even swallowed up in communion with God! "Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness, and those that remember thee in thy ways." Isa. 64:5.

4. Look much at Christ raised, Christ glorified: Christ's resurrection was the beginning of his glory, and therein is comprehended both the glory that draws desires towards Christ, and the grace and power that establisheth faith in its dependency, "They looked unto him and were lightened," Psal, 34:5. Unto thee I lift mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens; behold as the eyes of the servants look unto the hand of their master, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God," Ps.123:1,2. It is said of Moses, that "he endureth affliction, as seeing him who is invisible," Heb. 11:27. Oh! could we but keep our hearts in a more constant view, and believing med. itation of the glory of Christ, our faces would certainly bring some beams of divinity with them from the mount, "We all with open face, beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory," 2 Cor. 3:18. The very beholding of Christ hath a mighty conforming and assimilating virtue to leave the impressions of glory upon our spirits.

5. See our own personal vivification linked inseparably unto, and bot toned immovably upon the resurrection of Christ: when we can by faith get a sight of this, it is not to speak how courageously and successfully the soul will grapple in the controversies of the Lord against the devil, and our own deceitful hearts; with what strength could Joshua, Gideon, &c. go on, when backed with a promise, and their spirits settled in the persuasion of it? And what use will the promises be in this kind? And (more than all) the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, when we can clearly and steadfastly rest upon this; that there is an inseparable connexion betwixt the resurrection of Christ and our personal holiness, and perseverance to the end? O that I could act my faith more frequently on Christ's resurrection! so that at last I could see it by the light of God to be a destinated principle of my vivification in particular! what a blessed means would this be?

6. Walk as we have Christ Jesus for an example. This example of Christ, though it be not ours, as it is the Socinians totum Christi; yet certainly it yields much to our vivification: who can deny but that acting with the pattern ever in one's eye is very advantageous? Come then, and if we would live the life of God, let us live as Christ lived after his re surrection. But how is that? I answer,

1. See that we return to the grave no more; take heed of ever returning to our former state; you may say, What needs this caveat? Hath not Christ said, He that liveth and believeth in me shall never die, or never fall away?" I answer, It is true, they shall never totally and finally fall away, yet they may fall foully and fearfully; they may lose that strength and vi gor, that sense and feeling which sometimes they had; they may draw so nigh to the grave, as that both by themselves and others, they may be accounted amongst them that go down to the pit, "free among the dead," as Heman saith of himself, Psal. 88:5. The apostle saith something that might even startle Christians; he tells of some, "who have been once en