*Man, by his fall, had broke off from his true center, his proper place in God, and therefore the life and operation of God was no more in him. He was fallen from a life in God, into an animal life of self-love, self-esteem, and self-seeking in the poor, perishing enjoyments of this world. This was the _natural state_ of man by the fall. He was an apostate from God, and his natural life was all idolatry, where _self_ was the great idol, that was worshipped instead of God. All sin is nothing else but the various operations of self-love, self-esteem, and self-seeking which separate the soul from God, and end in eternal death.
*On the other hand, all _grace_, _redemption_, _salvation_, _sanctification_, _spiritual life_, is nothing else but so much of the life, and operation of God found again in the soul. It is man come back again into his center or place in God, from whence he had broke off. The beginning of the life of God in the soul, was then first made, when the mercy of God promised a seed which should bruise the head of the serpent. Then was given a degree of the divine life, which if rightly cultivated, would make of every fallen man, a new-born Son of God.
All the sacrifices and institutions of the antient patriarchs, the law of _Moses_, with all its types and rites, and ceremonies, had this only end; they were the methods of divine wisdom for a time, to keep the hearts of men from the wanderings of idolatry, in a state of holy expectation: they were to make way for the farther operation of God upon the soul; or, as the apostle speaks, to be as a schoolmaster unto Christ. That is, till the birth, the death, the resurrection and ascension of Christ, should conquer death, and hell, open a new dispensation of God, and baptize mankind afresh with the Holy Ghost, and fire of heaven. Then, that is, on the day of _Pentecost_, a _new dispensation_ of God came forth; which on God’s part, was the operation of the Holy Spirit in gifts and graces upon the whole church. And on man’s part, it was the adoration of God in _spirit_ and _in truth_. Thus all that was done by God, from the promise given to _Adam_, to Christ’s sitting down on the right hand of God, was for this end, to remove all that stood between God and man, and to make way for the immediate and continual operation of God upon the soul: and that man, baptized with the Holy Spirit, and born again, should wholly give up his soul to the operation of God’s Spirit, to know, to love, to will, to pray, to worship, to preach, to exhort, to use all the faculties of his mind, and all the outward things of this world, as enlightened, inspired, moved and guided by the Holy Ghost: who by this last dispensation of God, was given to be a comforter, a teacher, and guide to the church, to abide with it for ever.
This is Christianity, a spiritual society, not because it has no worldly concerns, but because all its members, as such are born of the Spirit, animated and governed by the Spirit of God. It is constantly called by our Lord the kingdom of God, or heaven, because all its ministry and service, all that is done in it, is done in obedience and subjection to _that spirit_ by which angels live, and are governed in heaven. Hence our blessed Lord taught his disciples to pray, that this kingdom might come, that so God’s will might be done on earth, as it is in heaven; which could not be, but by that same spirit by which it is done in heaven. The short is this: The kingdom of self, is the great apostasy from the life of God in the soul, and every one wherever he be, that liveth unto himself, is still under the fall and apostasy from God. The kingdom of Christ is the Spirit and power of God, dwelling and manifesting itself in the inward man; and no one is a member of this kingdom, but so far as the Spirit reigns in him. These two kingdoms take in all mankind, he that is not of one, is certainly in the other; dying to one, is living to the other.
Hence we may gather the following truths: _First_, That when the call of God to repentance first ariseth in thy soul, thou art wholly to disregard the workings of thy own will, reason and judgment. It is because all these are false counsellors, the sworn servants, bribed slaves of thy fallen nature; and therefore, if the operation of God is to have its effect in thee, all these are to be silenced, till they have learned obedience and subjection to the Spirit of God. Now this is not requiring thee to become a fool, or to give up thy sense and reason; but is the shortest way to have thy sense and reason delivered from folly, and guided by that light which is wisdom itself.
A child that denies his own will and reason, to be guided by the will and reason of a truly wise and understanding tutor, cannot be said to make himself a fool, and give up the benefit of his rational nature, but to take the shortest way to have his own will and reason made truly a blessing to him.