Sermon 10

1 John 5:12. He that has the Son, has life, and he that has not the Son, has not life.

We are now in the next place to see how we may discern life by the properties, and adjuncts of it; you heard before of the effects of life, now of the properties and qualities of this life, by discerning of which we may know that we have life.

There be three properties or qualities of life.

First, wherever there is life, there is some warmth (2 Kings 9:34). When the Prophet had lain upon the child, and had done so seven times, at length the breath of the child began to wax warm, a sign that life was a restoring, and thereby the Prophet discerned that life began to return into the body of the child, because warmth returned; and so is the presence of the Spirit of grace, and the union of it with the soul and body of a man, it makes a man fervent, and warm; fervent in spirit (Romans 12:11), and therefore it is that it is resembled to fire (Matthew 3:11). The Holy Ghost shall come down upon you, as it were with fiery tongues, and shall warm and heat you, with whatever duties God shall call you to (1 Thessalonians 5:19). Quench not the Spirit; now quenching belongs to fire, a sign therefore that the spirit is of a fervent nature, so far forth as it is capable of any quenching and destroying by the sons of men, and (2 Timothy 1:6) stir up the gifts of grace in you; as if you stirred up the embers of the fire, so stir up, and kindle the gifts of God which is in you, blow them up into a kindling flame, so that all these things express thus much: that since the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus and from him, communicated to his members is a spirit of heat, therefore wherever there is warmth there is life, if no warmth, nor heat, there is no life; and as our spirits begin to wax warm, so we grow to life in Christianity. Notable is that expression in Luke 24:22: Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us of the Scriptures? To show you, that there is a power in the Word, to convey such a measure of the Spirit of grace to the hearers, as that their hearts begin to glow within them, and to convey some heat and warmth into them, when the Word is powerfully applied to the soul.

For the further opening of this point, you shall see it in some things principally, which are ever found in some measure in the spirits of Christian men that have any life in Christ.

First, that which is wonderful, and is indeed nowhere found but in them, their very knowledge is warm, which in all other men is cold; knowledge is but an empty speculation, brings forth no great matter of heat; but in a Christian, his knowledge is full of heat, zeal must be according to knowledge, knowledge is no knowledge without zeal, and zeal is but a wildfire without knowledge (Romans 10:2). So if Christians have a knowledge of God, but no zeal, there is no saving life in that knowledge, it is not the knowledge of God's people. Notable is that speech of our Savior (John 5:35, speaking of John): He was a burning and a shining light, not only a shining light to give clear instruction in the knowledge of the Messiah, and the true meaning of the Law, but withal a burning light; so as that he had a notable power when hypocrites came before him to burn them up (Matthew 3:12). And so wherever he came he did not only show them what they should do, what shall we publicans do, and what shall we soldiers do? (Luke 3:3 to 15) but he did burn up not only those who were professed enemies to the ways of grace, but all those that he found in hypocrisy he burnt them all up wherever he came, and if he did not find out their lusts, he would kindle a fire in them; he warmed Herod in such sort, as that he was constrained to do many things, according to John's ministry (Mark 6), and so shall you find it in all the servants of God, that according to their life, if there be true life, there is true burning, though sometimes their burning is not so strong as their life, yet there is heat and fervency of spirit mixed with their knowledge, that if they know the Will of God they are inflamed, and their knowledge of Christ will not suffer them to be barren and unfruitful (2 Peter 3:18). So that the knowledge which a Christian man has is such, as by which he will do what he ought to do; if he see sin in his brother he will not suffer it to lie there (Leviticus 19:17). If he see anything amiss in his brother that he sees not in himself, he will be helpful to him; where the Spirit of grace is lively, they will not suffer their brothers to rest in sin, much less themselves; and therefore this is the warmth of this knowledge, it both burns up their own lusts like chaff, and all the sinful distempers that we see in the lives and ways of our brothers; this is one part of the heat of a Christian soul, that his knowledge is a warm knowledge; look what he knows he thinks he must do, whereas another man knows many things, but he does them not; but a Christian, if he know it to be the Will of God he must do it. And that is the reason why God's servants are many times counted very busy, as indeed the fire is ever very busily working, no creature in the house so busy as the fire is; and so the knowledge of God's people makes them to be so busy in doing, and therein they express the life of Christ.

Secondly, wherever is true life there is this warmth, a warmth in their breath, both in the natural and spiritual body; in this natural body, while we live it is warm, and so long as we live we breath more or less, it is but for a little time, if at all, breath be intercepted, it may be in some sudden fits, but ordinarily if it tarry long it is a sign of death; but if there be life there is breathing, and that breathing is warm, some warm breath comes from him that is alive. And truly so shall you find it in your spiritual life.

If there be any true life in the heart of a Christian soul, there is always some kind of warm breathing, there is some measures of warmth in his prayers; the prayers of a hypocrite is always but lip-labor, and accordingly just labor, the words vanish away in the air, but there is ever more or less some kind of warmth in the prayers of God's servants, according to what the Apostle speaks (Romans 8:26). Even then when we know not what to pray for, nor how to pray as we ought, then the Spirit helps our infirmities, that when we sometimes cannot bring out a word to God, the heart is full sometimes of anguish, and discouragement in respect of inward desertions, or temptations, and outward afflictions, but yet though in such a case we be not able to tell what to pray for, yet there is ever in a Christian soul something that makes him seek to God, and the very sighs of such a soul come from some warmth of spirit within him. The scalding sighs and deep groans of the soul, they come from a spirit of life, and warmth in Christ Jesus: therefore though it be true, there be many cold prayers, that God's servants do put up, yet there is some kind of sighs and groans that springs from them, which argues some heat and life in them.

And so is it, as they breathe thus to God-ward, so do they breathe one to another; so that if they speak of the things of God, they speak not of God, and his Word lightly, and wantonly, or loosely, as those that have no affection to them; but if they speak of the Word of God, of his threatenings, promises, or of any of his commandments, or any of the works of his providence, they speak not of them coldly, as those that took no pleasure in them, but if they speak of any of the things of God, they speak with some reverence, and desire after them, and settling a confirmation in them: they have love to the word, and rejoice in it, and stand in awe, and in fear of it, and they exercise their hearts and wits about it, when at any time they speak of the things of God, so that there is some kind of warmth in the expression of a Christian in some savory affection, whereby he esteems of the things of God, above what is found in a hypocrite.

Thirdly, there is a certain kind of warmth, by which the soul does not only affect the ordinances of God, but by which it does in some measure digest them; there is no living man wanting some such measure of heat as makes him able to digest some kind of diet, though not always strong meat, especially, if he be in any measure of health, and that is no small measure of heat (Psalm 119:20). The very longing desire, it always has to God's judgments, was it that even made his soul to break within him, and so to pant after God's Word, and his presence in his ordinances (Psalm 42:1). There was a kind of panting, and longing, and eager desire after God, by which it comes to pass that the soul of a Christian closes with God in his ordinances, and turns them into nourishment within himself, and so is more strongly, and inwardly bent towards God in the ways of his grace, whereas a dead spirit is flat, and has no affection to the word, no affection to God's presence, no list to the things of this nature.

Fourthly, things that are warm put them together and they are the more warm, but put cold clogs, and pieces of wood together, and they are never a whit the warmer, but if you take but two or three of those things that are well kindled, and they will set all afire that comes near them, though ready before to go out for want of supply, if you lay two or three warm brands together, they will kindle one another. And truly so it is among Christians, take you a Christian, that has this spiritual warmth in him, though almost benumbed for want of good company, and good conference, and breathing forth of God's spirit and grace in the soul. Yet if he meet with two or three like himself, they presently begin to kindle one another; and the breath of such Christians, is like bellows, to blow up sparks — savory and sweet expressions of their hearts, and edify themselves by their mutual fellowship one with another.

Indeed, and sometimes they grow so warm by this means, as that they are fit to admonish one another, to exhort, and to comfort, and if need require, to rebuke one another, as occasion serves (1 Peter 4:8). Have fervent love one to another, above all things have fervent love among yourselves, this is a special thing: love among Christians, by which love they so kindle one another, to such deep respects to God, and the ways of his grace, and so burn one out of another, much sinful folly and frailty which will be in them, that are so loose one to another, and raises them up to that power of godliness, which sometimes they had grown up to, and now almost lost for want of often joining together, for by so doing, they do what they can to put out the fire; when Satan means to put out the light and life of religion, out of both church and commonwealth, he lays one Christian in one corner, and another in another, that they shall, when they will, go to bed, and sleep, and then a lazy spirit shall come upon them, and so they lie, till they be dead in trespasses and sins: but above all things, have fervent love among yourselves, forsake not the fellowship you have one with another, as the manner of some is (Hebrews 10:25-26). Love covers a multitude of sins, so as that though there was much evil in Christians before, yet their very lying together, does burn out all that superfluity of naughty stuff that hangs about the servants of God (1 Peter 1:22). See that you love one another with a pure heart, and fervency of spirit.

This warmth in Christians, it is found in these four things. And thus you see the properties of this life.

Question: You say, but if this were always found in Christian men, how comes it to pass then, that the servants of God do many times find their hearts so cold in their prayers, and appetite so little to the word, and so unprofitable under it? How should a man hear so much and profit so little, if a man [reconstructed: did] digest the word? And is it not a common complaint of Christians — how much they hear and how little they profit? Indeed, will not some Christians say, he profits nothing at all, not anything? And is it so many times, that Christians come together, and they are little edification one to another, very little profit? Sit together, and talk of matters, that little edify, but rather corrupt the spirits one of another? How is it then that you say, where ever there is life there is heat — so such as makes them more lively in Christian duties?

And it might be objected, that (Luke 24:32) Did not our hearts burn within us, etc. A sign that till he came to them, and came into conference with them, and did rub them up, they were very cold hearted, and dull spirited, and went on their way with much darkness of soul, without life and strength of soul, until he came to put life into their spirits?

Answer: It is true, many times, God's servants are very cold and benumbed, and a cold spirit grows upon them exceedingly, so as that they scarce feel any life breathing in their knowledge, or prayers, or appetites to the Word, or love to their brethren, little warmth in any of these, partly through want of supplying the life of God's grace, with fit nourishment, whereby the heart should grow warm. As natural fire, if it be not supplied with new fuel it will go out, and partly sometimes, by pouring cold water upon it; which is as much as in us lies to damp the fire. And we do pour cold water upon this life of grace, when we admit of any sinful lusts in our souls, those do marvelously eat out all that life, and heat of spirit that sometimes we had in our hearts, and sometimes by an excessive use of worldly things, which without a very spiritual mind does clog the soul, as much as if you should throw cold water upon a fire, it will damp it very much. So is this case, men sometimes walk in worldly businesses, with worldly affections; and sometimes give leave to distempered lusts, and sometimes neglect to put any fuel to the fire of grace, but as soon as ever they find the heart well warmed with some good sermon, or a good prayer, or conference, or the like, they think this fire will never go out, and so they begin to neglect it, and so either the fire goes quite out, or else is so damped, as that you can discern no life, no savor or power of religion there. And therefore such a thing may befall God's servants, they may grow dull hearted one way or other, as you have heard. But yet this much let me say, though this sometimes does befall the spirits of God's people, yet even then, when they want burning and chafing, and stirring up, there is something in them, that argues some life, and where there is some life, there is some heat, so much life as there is, so much heat is there, so much as you take away of your Christian heat, so much life you take away. And therefore for these two disciples, that went to Emmaus — it is said, when they were talking one with another, they were talking of Jesus Christ, and upon all the things that befell him in his passion. And said Christ to them (verse 17): What manner of communication is this, and what is the matter that you are thus sad? What was it, that made them sad? Was it not an affection of grief for all the evils done to their Savior, that was life of grace, and some heat there was in them that their spirits should be so troubled, to see their elders and princes, and all the people to cry out so bitterly against the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to leave him till they had crucified him, there was some sad expression came from them, upon that occasion. And so, though it left the outward man sad, yet there was something in the heart; though full of doubting through unbelief, what this Christ was, and what this would come to, we hoped this was he that should redeem Israel, etc. Then Christ began to put a little warmth into them, by saying, ought not Christ to suffer these things? (verse 24-25). And so he opens to them the Scriptures spoken of himself, and these words put new life into them, and did blow up the spirit and heat of that decaying life, which was overwhelmed with grief and care, their hearts were heated yet. So that take you a Christian man when he is even in the most disordered frame — look how much he has lost of his spiritual heat, so much of his true life; if he has ceased to be warm, so much life has he lost, and if his warmth be smothered, his life is smothered for the present.

And even as life will show itself, in the very sad face of the heart, and dejection of spirit that they fall into, and sometimes in the deep sighs and groans of the heart, which in such a case it sometimes will break forth into. So a Christian soul when his heat is most damped, there is a sad face in his spirit, that he discerns all is not well with him, his spirit is benumbed, and his heart in his own thoughts is frozen within him. It is a burden to him, and a matter of sadness to his spirit, and therefore he does express himself sometimes with many sad and deep sighs and groans, about his forlorn and lost estate, and yet sometimes you shall have his heart, even then when his heart is most cold (which is worse than the former) for you shall sometimes have a Christian soul, not only not affected with sadness, when his life is smothered within him, but vanish away in much empty carnal delights, and contentments, and rejoicing in those comforts which have no life at all in them. A Christian man that has his life so deaded, may come not only to have nothing left, but sadness of heart to behold it, but he may lose his sadness too, and even that vanish away in outward rejoicing, so as no life in his heart, in a manner, is left. Peter when he had denied his Master, his heart was much oppressed within him, he was pricked and wounded with anguish in his soul, but there was some life in that. But what was it with David after his committing of uncleanness nine or ten months together? He pleases himself in his pleasures, and delights, and contentments which his royalty put upon him, and made Uriah drunk, and did eat and drink himself liberally with him: and in the end put him to death, and that very slightly, and when he hears of it, makes no matter of it, but the sword devours one, as well as another: and had not his pulse beating in him, no warm breath comes from him, but an empty flourish, and outward joviality as if he had sung all care away, and all fear of God out of his heart. As if there was no spiritual affection left in his heart of the estate of the whole Church of God, whereas his poor servant could say to him, shall I go home and solace myself with my wife and children, the case standing with the Church so as it does, he would not do so, a word that one would have thought, would have warmed a good man's heart, but he was not warmed with it, nor with any lively affection, not any beating of his pulse to Christianity, nothing stirring, but a swooning of the whole man, that he that had seen David in such a case, and had never known him before, he might have written in his forehead, a man forsaken of God and void of all fear of his name, had he seen him in this case. Where was then David's life all this while? It was a fearful condition, and of all we read in the Scripture, none so far forsaken, whose whole spirit was so far benumbed as David's then was? And yet truly life there was still in him; I doubt not though all this while you shall see that either David did not pray all this while, and that has been the case sometimes of right godly men, that have sometimes not of three years together made a private prayer in their closets, have been content to come to duties in the family, and cause others to perform duties, but for their own parts further than a form of religion, or shame, or satisfying of conscience forces them, they let all rest, no affection at all to the duty; they know God took no pleasure in such a soul while they lived in such a course, and so would they lie many months, and years, and all that while not so much as lift up a private prayer to God; and this is a far worse case than the other, and yet even this sometimes befalls them, when as sinful lusts have so distempered the life of Christ in them; there is still a habit of grace in the soul, but yet scarce any life of religion putting forth itself, but still where warmth is removed, so much life from holy duties is taken away.

And another answer to this point is, that even as you see it is by the Almighty power of God that there may be fire, and not heat, as you see in the fiery furnace, into which the three children was cast, though it was made exceedingly hot, yet it had not power to hurt a hair of their heads, nor to singe a lap of their garments, the power of the [reconstructed: fire] was [reconstructed: suspended] by the mighty power of God; as there is this power in God concerning material fire, so is there a marvelous hellish and devilish power in sin, though not an Almighty power, yet very like to an Almighty power, that [illegible].

There is such a venomous power in sin as that it will suspend all acts of grace, not so much as show any act of grace in a Christian soul, but the soul and all the graces in it shall lie as the body of a man in a swoon, not any breathing, or sight, or hearing, or motion, nothing to show of any spiritual life; that if he should continue so, you would conclude he were dead, only this kind of life of grace is there, you shall have thus much life in him: There is a kind of listlessness and heaviness of soul, to act wickedness with all that strength and power, which sometimes a godly man, while he was carnal, did reach forth his heart and hand to, a kind of frame of spirit in a Christian when it is at the worst, though it can solace itself very far in sin, and goes on hardening its heart in its own way, most desperately, and stubbornly, yet notwithstanding there was always something in his heart, that will not suffer his soul to break out, with all that strength of the spirit of wickedness, as it did when it was carnal, and the reason of that is because of that speech (Galatians 5:17), there is flesh and spirit in that soul, so as neither can the spirit do what it would, nor the flesh what it would; take a Christian when he is most strong, and he cannot so glorify God, nor so edify his brethren as he would, by reason of the body of sin; there is always in the best of a Christian, something like the spots in the Moon, some darkness in it, not a Christian man; but when he is most lively in grace, but he has some darkness in his best performances; so when corruption is most strong, and grace most feeble and weak; as in the former, corruption will weaken the best performances, so here corruption cannot carry a Christian man to do all that wickedness, which else he would break forth into; nor with that strength and vigor which else he would put forth in it though he does rejoice in his wickedness, and bear it out; indeed out-face his very conscience, and out-stare the very light of the graces of God within him, and go on pleasing himself in the hardness of his own heart, yet there is something in the bottom that keeps possession for God, and makes him go about it bunglingly, it becomes him not, he cannot set it forth with a grace; David in his worst, comes not off with full power of wickedness, which else his corrupt heart would willingly break forth into, were it not for the Spirit of grace that moves slowly in such cases as these be, so that still the case stands clear; how much life, so much warmth, and that warmth will express itself if any life be there at all.

So that take a survey of your own estates, by this means you would know whether you have Christ or no, whether you have life, or no? If you have the life of grace, there is some spiritual warmth in your soul, some heat in your soul; do but consider then the knowledge that is within you: Is your knowledge such as lets you alone, and only puffs you up, and makes you to think well of yourself, if that be all the work of your knowledge, you are a dead-hearted Christian; if it cause you to vanish away in empty contemplation, and you therefore talk, that you may let others see you have knowledge as well as others; and if it be dead, and cold, and empty, and vanish away in empty notion, and speculation, and dead conference, then your knowledge is barren in goodness, and that is an argument of no life in your soul; but if there be any truth of life in your soul, your knowledge is warm and lively, your knowledge that is in you has some zeal, and that sets an edge upon it, and makes it serviceable to God and your brethren. I know not better how to express it, than from (Revelation 1:14-15), in the description of our blessed Savior, His eyes were as a flame of fire. It is true, the eye is lightsome, but it does not burn, they are not hot, but the eyes of Christ is as a flaming heat; and the meaning is, Christ is described just according to the state of the Church, to whom John was to write, as he had feet of brass; when he writes to a Church, that though burned in the fire, yet the more you burn it, the less it wastes, and the more pure it is, and by degrees the more bright; so where he speaks to a Church in persecution, and it is not consumed, then Christ has feet like brass; but if he write to a Church of Thyatira, a Church of a warm spirit, then, thus says he that has eyes like a flame of fire (Revelation 2:9), meaning the knowledge that that Church had, which was full of zeal as well as of light, and according to the measure of its knowledge, so it grew more in grace, and therefore the works were more at the last than at the first. As their knowledge grows, so grows their zeal; so that if you have that life in Christ which accompanies salvation, your eyes are like a flame of fire, full of burning light, as well as bright knowledge. Is your knowledge such as suffers you to sit down barren, and though you know that you ought to do this and that, yet you do not do it, then there is no heat and warmth in your knowledge; but if there be true life and warmth in your spirit, your knowledge stirs you up to be doing, and stirs up others to be doing also, and your knowledge will not suffer you to let them alone; just as Peter and John sometimes said to the high priests, We cannot but speak that which we know, and have seen, and heard (Acts 4:18-20). And therefore though they threatened them in peril of life, to speak no more in Christ's name, yet say they, that which we know to be the truth of God, that we must needs speak; as Jeremiah speaks, chapter 20, I could not forbear: The light that was in him was a glowing, and warm heat, and the Word of God in him, was as a mighty fire; and it will not suffer him to rest, and he must also stir up others. So then, examine whether there be any heat in your knowledge, if your knowledge be not according to zeal, it will but aggravate your condemnation.

Again, examine your breath, whether do you breathe or not? Do you smell a good savor in God's Word, when you read, or hear it? And do you smell a sweet savor in the conference of Christian men? or does it stink in your nostrils? if it be sweet to you it is well: Do you pray to God with some kind of panting after him, and your spirit is fit to faint within you, and you can sit down and bemoan yourself to God, that you have so lost yourself, then there is breath in you; or can you bring out a word to edify your brethren, it is well; but if there be no breath in you it is an evident sign you are dead, or at least in a deep sleep, if you have no ability to pray, and can relish no ordinance of God, and have no kind of aptness to edify another, then either there is no life in you, or else it is much benumbed, and therefore either no life, or none that is extant in you; And so how do you find your warm affections stand to the Word? do you have a stomach to the Word? And do you not have so much profit by it, as to see you do not profit and are ashamed of it; but if not, there is no life in you. And if you love to be disjoined from your brethren, & you are never better than when you are falling off, and sitting loose from your brethren, if you love to be asunder, there is no life in you, no life of Religion there, for Religion desires to preserve itself, and love is a principal work of Religion, above all things have fervent love among yourselves. A man had rather cover a multitude of wicked practices, than lose the fervency of his love one towards another. And if therefore the Devil throw brands among you, and you fall asunder; one Christian hangs here and another there, in the end while you lie so asunder the fire goes out; and men may bid one another good night, and then may you all take your pleasure in sin, the truth is, then all the life of Religion goes out, and every business in the Family draws away, and so rests till all the life be lost. And therefore if you see men are willing to sit loose, and fall off one from another, then there is an end of the life and power of godliness; a bidding of Religion good night. And no more profit to be had while such distempers of soul does last. But if you see that men come together, as in that ancient famous Vision (Ezekiel 37), every bone finds out his fellow and joins with him, and then there was a noise and a shaking, if you see bones gather, bone to his bone, then at the next prophesying flesh will come, and sinews, and the next prophecy, will breathe life into them, so if men begin to annex themselves one to another, as living brands; If one begin to seek out another, and to draw together, and to lie close together, if bone begin to gather to his bone, then there is hope of an Host of armed men to stand up for God, in good ways; then there will be life, and strength, and power of godliness; else make account of it, that in very truth there is no life; no power of Religion, where there is no relishing, no closing one with another, if therefore you see men closing together, and warming one another, in the ways of God's grace, and there is some sense of your own unprofitableness under the Word, and if you can digest it, turn it into edification of yourself and others, then there is true life in you, and having life you have Christ, and in him you have life in abundance.

There are two properties more of life,

Where there is any life, there is some kind of pliableness, whereas dead carcasses are cold and stiff, and unsavory though never so sweet before, this is a certain truth, the more you keep a dead corpse above ground, the more it stinks and is unsavory; It shoots out at length, and you may sooner break him than bend him any way, but while he is alive you may bend him which way you will; now therefore consider thus much, if there be any truth of grace in you, you are gentle and easy to be entreated (James 3:17). but if not, then you are of a stiff spirit, inflexible and implacable, for to be gentle, and easy, is the true nature of life; but if not, then have you lost your life; then either you never had life, or else it is a swoon, and so evaporated that there is no bending or bowing of it, but they are fit to be buried as a dead carcass.

What is this pliableness, and easiness to be entreated, and on the contrary this stiffness?

There are four things in easiness to be entreated.

First, easy to be pleased (1 Peter 3:18), anything that you do about them, is pleasing to them, that is a point of gentleness; and a gracious man in whom is the life and power of godliness, he is easy to be pleased. If you go about anything, with any tolerable endeavor to give him content, he is not hard to be pleased; and if not easy to please, there is little grace; or dangerous to be none at all, if you have much ado to bow or bend them to comply with them that asks anything of them, there is a dead heart in such a spirit.

Secondly, a man that is easy to be entreated and gentle, if he be offended he is easy to be entreated (Romans 1:31). It is a sign a man is of a reprobate sense, when he is implacable and stiff; when life is gone, a man is stiff, not easy to be entreated.

Thirdly, if it be that he has offended another man, he is easy to yield, and to acknowledge that he is in a wrong (Ecclesiastes 10:4). There is in a living Christian an aptness to yield when he is in a wrong. If a man be in a wrong, and will not see his error, will not see the evil he has done in God's sight, his stiffness is a sign of his dead-heartedness; so much stiffness here, so much deadness in his heart, and so much nearness to the chambers of death: For a living Christian if he has offended he is willing to yield, and will acknowledge himself a failure, and promise amendment.

Fourthly, he is willing to deny himself of his own right, even upon equal easy terms, to prevent an offense that may grow, and he stands upon equal terms, lest an offense should arise — he yields and denies himself (1 Thessalonians 2:6-7). So Abraham yielded to Lot, though he had not offended him, yet he condescended to his inferior, and if any, Lot shall be the chooser (Genesis 13:8). This gentleness of spirit argues life of Christ in the holy servants of God. Abraham was not stiff, but gentle and easy to be pleased, when he was offended. Now therefore are you easy to be pleased, easily entreated to pass by a wrong? And if you have offended another, you will acknowledge it, and are easily willing to deny yourself to prevent offense, then you are not stiff; but are a living Christian. But if men be stiff in spirit, hard to be pleased, and stubborn, no man can give him content — as Nabal's servants said of him. And [reconstructed: if] we have offended, hard to be entreated, and will by no means see it, or acknowledge it; and by no means yield, but turn ourselves to endless devices, and if we stand upon our own ends, and we will have our own to the utmost farthing, and why should we bend; then truly we are cold, and little power and life breathing in us.

The last property of life is this. The body while it is alive is sweet and savory, but as soon as ever it begins to smell, it must be buried — it cannot be kept above ground. Every living Christian is a sweet savor to God ([reconstructed: 2 Corinthians 2:13], and Colossians 4:4-6). Let your speech be savory, seasoned as with salt; and the Apostle says, let no unsavory or corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths. How then do you find your own spirits? Do you breathe savory and sweet? And does your conversation yield edification? And is it all well-pleasing to God, whatever you do? Does it savor well in the nostrils of God, and your brethren? If the duties you perform be so, it is a sign you are living in God's sight. But if your speeches be profane, conversation unsavory, and carnal, so much as we lose our sweetness so much we lose our life. When a Christian carries himself serviceably, and amiably, then we live, and in having life we have Christ.