2. In this state of separation from God, man is impotent to every good work, and liable to eternal death and condemnation,
[1.] Impotent to every good and saving work : Eph. ii. 1, ' We were sometimes dead in trepasses and sins.' We are all deprived of original righteousness, or any principle of grace which might incline us to God. The life of God consisted in his image impressed on man or bestowed on man, that by Adam's fall was lost to us all from our very concep- tion and birth : Eccles. vii. 29, ' God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.' It must needs be so, for redemption, reconciliation, and salvation do all imply it. Redemption implieth a man in thraldom ; and reconciliation an enemy, a man fallen and lapsed into the displeasure of God ; and sah^'ation the saving of that which is lost: so that w^e were all sinners by nature, or else we needed no redeemer, nor reconciler, nor saviour. If our salvation be now by a redeemer, it implieth a recovery and restoration ; and sinful, miserable mankind is the object of it. Infants from their very conception and birth cannot be excused nor exempted, for all that are saved by a redeemer were once lost, and need a recovery ; we all need to be reconciled and sanctified. The necessity of a redeemer proveth the guilt, and of a sanctifier the corruption of mankind. Actual sin will easily be granted, but the earlinessand commonness of evil inclinations do as sensibly prove original sin, even before actual sin had time to breed evil habits in us. It is true, that the longer men live in their
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unregenerate state, the more they are estranged from God, and contract a further impotency by their ignorance and hardness of heart ; but at first, ' That which is born of flesh is flesh,' John iii. 6 ; and their operatijons can rise no higher than a fleshly inclination moveth them, and therefore carnal men are dead while they live : Luke xv. 24, ' This my son was dead, but is alive ; was lost, but is found.'
[2.] Man is obnoxious to eternal death and condemnation by reason of sin, and if he continue so, will certainly for ever perish : Eph. ii. 3, ' And were by nature children of wrath, even as others ; ' and John iii. 36, * Whosoever believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him ; ' and therefore he can expect nothing but everlasting death and destruc- tion. This is the condition of man by nature. Now every man would desire to be freed from death, and to be made a partaker of eternal life.
3. The Lord Jesus, out of his wonderful mercy, came to restore life to mankind thus dead and lost ; he died that we might live, therefore called the prince or giver of life, Acts iii. 15, because this was the great benefit which he procured for us. And this life which we have by Christ answereth to the death which we incurred by Adam. Instead of death spiritual, he hath procured for us the life of grace, and also the life of glory, to take off death eternal merited by sin, that the sentence of death might be reversed by justification, and the penitent and believ- ing sinner put into a living condition by sanctification, and finally admitted to glory. All this is purchased by Chi-ist : 1 John iv. 9, ' God sent his Son into the world, that we might live through him ; ' live spiri- tually, live eternally. All this is inferred in the covenant of Christ, to those that will submit to his healing dispensations : John v. 24, ' Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemna- tion, but hath passed from death to life.' All this is ai)plied by Christ to those that really submit to his covenant ; but in a different manner they all pass from death to life. First, Partly as their hearts are changed, which is sometimes called a quickening of the dead, a new begetting, a new creating. Sometimes it is called a quickening, a making men that were dead alive : Eph. ii. 5, 'Yet now hath he quickened us together with Christ.' Therefore when they are converted or regen- erated, they are said to be alive from the dead, Kom. vi. 13. It is also called a new begetting, or a new birth, without which none can enter into heaven : John iii. 5, ' Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.' Making us new creatures : Eph. iv. 24, 'And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and trueholiness;' 2 Cor. v, 17, ' He that is in Christ is a new creature : old things are passed away, and all things are become new.' From all which itfoUoweth, that conversion is a brin^rinsr us into a new state of life. Life is a power to move itself in its own place. Tins new power and new Jile is therefore a great privilege. Secondly, Partly as their slates are changed, and so sometimes the privative part is expressed, ' shall not come into condemnation,' John v. 24, and Ptom. viii. 1. The sentence of eternal death is taken off. But tliat is not all, but they have a cove- nant right unto eternal life : Rom. v, 18, ' The free gift came upon all men, to the justification of life.' But this is done in a different manner,