3. Deal with Clnist about it. Come to him, he purchased it by his death : John vi. 51, ' This is my flesh, which I have given for the life of the world ' — to God in sacrifice, to us for food. Look upon him as one that is possessed of the fulness of the Spirit, to work it in all those that come to God by him : Heb. vii. 25, ' He is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him, for he livetli for ever to make intercession for them ; ' that is, penitent believers, for by faith and repentance we come to God by Christ. He is angry that we will not come to him for this benefit : John v. 40, ' Ye will not come to me, that ye may have life.' If you have a pressing need, why should you keep away from him ? That is his quarrel against us, that we will not make use of him for this benefit. He is best pleased when we have most of it : John x. 10, ' I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.' He would have us not only living christians, but lively. He hath appointed ordinances to convey it to us. The word : Isa. Iv. 3, ' Hear, and your souls shall live.' The sacraments : Ps. xxii. 26, ' The meek shall eat and be satisfied : they shall praise the Lord that seek him : your heart shall live for ever.' Prayer : that we cry earnestly, and express our desires of this benefit : Ps. xxxvi. 9, ' For with thee is the fountain of life : in thy light shall we see light.' David often called u])on God as the God of his life. Well, when we go to God, he remitteth us to Christ, Christ to the Spirit, and the Spirit to the ordinances ; there we should observe his drawings, and obey his sanctifying motions, when he saith, 'Arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,' Eph. v, 14. When more awakened than at another time.
4. When we have this life, let us improve it, and act grace in all holy obedience unto God : Eph. v. 25, ' If we live in the Spirit, let us
YeR. 15.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 209
walk in the Spirit/ If jiartakers of the new life of grace, we must sliow it in our conversations, for newness of heart is seen in newness of life.
Use 3 is to put us upon self-reflection and self-examination. Have we a new life communicated to us ?
1. If it be so, then there is a great change wrought in us. It is said of Christ, ' he was dead, and is alive,' Kev. i. 18. To him we are conformed : Luke xv. 24, ' This my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was lost, and is found ; ' so Eph. ii. 1, ' You that were sometimes dead in trespasses and sins, yet now hath he quickened/ Surely when a man is translated from death to life, that should be a sensible change, as if another soul dwelt in the same body ; he is another man to God, hath holy breathings after him, delights frequently to converse with him in 2')rayer : Acts ix. 11, 'Arise, and go into the street called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one Saul of Tarsus, for beiiold he prayeth ; ' and Zech. xii. 10, ' I will pour upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and supplication/ He hath a childlike love to God as a father : Gal. iv. 6, ' And because ye are sons, he hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your heart, crying, Abba, Father.' Have a childlike reverence to him : Eph. v. 1, ' Be ye followers of God, as dear children.' Illustrate it by that, Jer. XXXV. 6, when they set pots of wine before them to drink, ' We dare not ; Jonadab, our father, commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine/ And a childlike dependence upon him : Mat. vi. 32, ' Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.' A childlike hope from him : 1 Peter i. 3, ' Who hath begotten us to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.' Zeal for him : 2 Cor. v. 10, ' Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.' He is another man to his neighbour ; he carrieth it justly and righteously to all, both as to person, name, and estate ; and this not by compulsion of conscience, but inclination of heart, which the scripture expresseth by loving our neighbour as ourselves, seeking their good as our own, rejoicing in their good as our own, mourning for their evil as our own. Such a justice as groweth out of love : Kom. xiii. 8, ' Owe no man anything, but to love one another ; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.' But to our fellow-saints and everlasting companions a Christ-like love : 2 Pet. i. 7, ' Add to godliness brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness charity.' Another man in his special relations : Philem. 11, ' Which in times past was unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and me.' That is the sphere of our activity. In the government of himself he doth exercise a greater command over his passions and afiections : Gal. v. 24, ' They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the aft'ections and lusts thereof ; ' alloweth no bosom sin : Ps. xviii. 23, ' I was upright before thee, and kept myself from mine iniquity ; ' and still a constant carefulness to please God : Heb. xiii. 18, 'For we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.'