Description of Spiritual Life and Death, Text (1 of 2)

Description of Spiritual Life and Death · Text (1 of 2)

p. 1AN Elegant and lively description, of Spirituall DEATH and LIFE.

IOHN 5.25.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, that the houre is comming and now is, when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and they that heare shall live.

THE Occasion of these words was this: when as Christ had affirmed to the Iewes, That God was his Father, and the Iewes went about to kill him for it: Hee proves what hee had said by this argument: He that is able to give life to the dead is God, or the Sonne of God; But I am able to give life to the dead; (The houre is comming and now is, when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and those that heare it shall live;) Therefore I am the Sonne of God. In briefe, these words shew Christs Divinity by the effects of it, that hee can quicken the dead.

p. 2In these words we may consider these parts.

1First, the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinity, and that is, on dead men; 2The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God, and shall live. Secondly, the instrument by which he doth it, and that is, by his word; which is not meant onelyonly the bare preaching and hearing of the word barely; but such an inward, commanding, powerfull, operative word, that makes men doe that which is commanded them: Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead, Lazarus come forth; and hee did it. This word commands men, and makes them to obey it.

3Thirdly, the time when hee will exercise his divinity; the howre is comming and now is, that is, the time shall come when as it shall be abundantly revealed, the fruite of the Gospel shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter, but yet it is now beginning to appeare; there 4is now some small fruit of it. Lastly, it is affirmed with an asseveration or oath; Verily, Verily, I say unto you: And these are the parts of this Text.

Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things.

1First, what the estate of all men is out of Christ.

2Secondly, what we gaine by Christ.

3Thirdly, what we must doe for Christ.

1First, we will shew you what your estate is p. 3out of Christ, for this will make you to prize him more. And the point for this is,

That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or a dead man; that is,Doct. 1. All men however they are borne living, yet they are still dead men: without the living Spirit the root is dead. Hence are these places of Scripture, Gen. 2.17. The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death. Math. 8.22. Let the dead bury their dead. Ephes. 2.1. You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sinnes. Ephe. 5.14. Awake thou that sleepest, stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. The meaning is, that all men are spiritually dead. This will be of some moment, to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lye together, it affects you much: but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us, that affects us not. The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death, but this spirituall death, is death indeed: As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh, Iohn 6.55. That it i… meate indeed. Now that you may know what this death is, I will shew you,

First, of all, what death is.

Secondly, how many kinds of death there 2are.

Thirdly, the symptomes and signes of this 3death.

Fourthly, the degrees of this death.

For the first; what this death is; it consists p. 41in two things. First, in death there is a privation of life: then a man is dead, when as the Soule is separated from the Body: so a man is spiritually dead, when as the soule is separated from the quickning Spirit of Grace, and righteousnesse: This is all our cases, In us there dwels no good, there is no Spirit of life within us: the Soule is so out of order, that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it. When the Body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use it, then the Soule leaves it. Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune, a man layes it aside; whiles it is in tune he playes on it: So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in, but when it becomes unhabitable he departs: so, as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule, it keepes it; when it becomes unfit, it leaves it. Even so the holy Ghost lives in the Soule of man, as long as it is in good temper, but being distempered by sinne, the holy Ghost removes. You may see it in Adam: as soone as hee eate of the forbidden fruite, the holy Ghost left him, and hee lost his Originall righteousnesse.

Secondly, in this death as there is a privation, so there is also a positive evill quality in the soule, whereby it is not onelyonly voyd of goodnesse, but made ill. In the naturall death when as a man dyes, there is another forme left in the body; so in this spirituall death, there is an evill p. 5habit, left in the soules of men: This you may see Heb. 9.14. where the workes you doe before regeneration, are called, Dead workes: there would be a contradiction in calling them dead Workes, if there were not another positive evill forme in man, beside the absence of the quickning Spirit, which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures.

But it may be objected,Ob. that sinne is a meere privation of good, that it is a Non-ens; therefore flesh cannot be said to be an operative quality and forme of sinne.

To this I answer,Answ. that though all sinne bee a meere privation, yet it is in an operative subject, and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes: as for example: take an horse and put out his eyes, as long as hee stands still there is no error: but if he begins to runne once, he runnes amisse, and the longer hee runnes, the further he is out of the way wherein he should goe, and all this because hee wants his eyes, which should direct him: So it is with sinne, though it in its selfe bee but a meere privation, yet it is seated in the soule, which is alwaies active: Anima nunquam otiosa; The goodnesse that should inlighten us is taken away, and there is a positive evill quality put into it, that leads us on to evill.

Consider farther whence this death proceeds; the originall of it, is the understanding & mind of man, which is primū vivēs, et ultimū moriens. p. 6That which lives first and dies first. The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth; when the affections are right, and the understanding is straight, then wee live; when it is darkned all goes out of order. Iohn 1.4. speaking of Christ, it is said, that in him was life, and the life was the light of men: he was life because he was light, he did inliven men, because he did inlighten them: therefore Ephe. 5.4. Awake thou that sleepest, stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light: because light is the beginning of spirituall life, Iames 1.18. Therefore it is said, Of his owne will begot he them, by the word of truth: that is, the word rectifies the understanding and opinion, which is the first thing in this spirituall birth. Ephe. 4.22.24. Put off the old man which is corrupt, according to the deceitfull lusts thereof; and put on the new man, which after God is created in holinesse, and perfect righteousnesse. The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts: that which is heere called deceitfull lusts, &c. in the originall, signifies, lusts proceeding from error, and holinesse proceeding from truth; lust proceeds from error, in mistaking things; for lust is nothing else but affection misplaced, proceeding from error. That holinesse in which God delighteth, in which his Image consists, comes from truth. When Adam was alive, he judged aright, then the wheele and affections of his soule were right: Being dead p. 7by reason of his fall, he lost his sight, he saw no beauty in the wayes of God; and this is the case of all unregenerate men: but when the Spirit rectifies the judgement, convinceth them of sinne and righteousnesse, then they begin to revive. To be dead is to have the understanding darkned, the judgement erronious: to be alive is to have the understanding inlightened, and the judgement rectified; And thus much for the first, what this death is.

We come now to the kindes of death,The kinds of Spirituall death. which are three.

First, there is a death of guiltinesse: one that 1is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law, is said to be but a dead man. So every one by nature is a dead man, bound over to death though he be not executed.

Secondly, there is a death in sinne that is 2opposite to the life of sanctification, Ephe. 2.1. you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sinnes: & there is a death for sinne that is contrary to the life of Glory.

Thirdly, there is a death that is opposite to 3the life of joy: in hell there is a life, man is not quite extinguished, but yet men in hell are said to be dead, because they have no joy. This death consists in the separating of God from the soule; when God is separated from the soule, then man dyes this death of sorrow. God joynes himselfe to the soules of good and bad: to those who are not sanctified, he joynes p. 8himselfe in a common manner, and thence it is, they have common joy, common comfort, common civility; to the godly he joynes himselfe in an extraordinary manner, by which they have extraordinary joy: now when God is separated from the soule, then comes a perfect death; see it in the separation of God from Christs humanity. God withdrawing himselfe from him but for a time, he cryeth out, My God my God, why hast thou forsaken me; As God withdrawes himselfe more or lesse, so is our joye, our sorrow more or lesse. Thus much for the kinds of this death.

We come now to the Symptomes or signes of this death,The Symptomes of true death. and they are foure.

1The first is this; men are said to be dead when they understand nothing, when as there is no reason extant in them, when they see no more then dead men. The life is nought else but the soule acted: then a man is said to live when the understanding part is acted: man is spiritually dead when as his understanding is darkned, when as he sees or understands nothing of Gods waies, because they are spirituall, and he carnall.

Ob.But it may bee objected: men doe understand things belonging to faith and repentance, carnall men not yet sanctified have some understanding of these.

Answ.I answer, that they may understand the materials belonging to Godlinesse as well as others, p. 9but yet they relish them not, they see them not with a spirituall eye. Tit. 1.16. They are to every good worke reprobate; they cannot judge aright of any good workes, as to like, approve and love them, to see a beauty in them as they are good: Rom. 8.7. the wisedome of the flesh is enmity with God, for it is not subiect to the law of God, the Greeke word is foreign, the meaning is not that they understand it nor, but they like it not, they relish it not, they tast it not; they thinke of Gods wayes, that they are but folly, 1 Cor. 2.14. They are at enmity with them, they count them drosse.

The second symptome of death is, want of 2motion: where there is no motion, there is death. All men naturally want this motion, they cannot judge or doe any thing by nature: they may doe opus operatum, but they cannot doe it in a holy manner; their prayers, their hearing, receiving of the Sacrament, and the like, are dead workes, without faith the principall of life; however they may be faire in other mens eyes.

The third signe of a naturall death is sencelesnesse; 3so men are spiritually dead, when they are not affected with Gods judgements, when they have hard hearts which cannot repent, Rom. 2.5. when they have hearts as hard as a stone, Ezek. 36.26. yet they may be affected with them, as naturall men apprehend evill, not from a quickning Spirit, but from a selfe love.

p. 10Lastly, in a naturall death, there is a losse of that vigor and beauty in the face and countenance which is in living men: So in men that are spiritually dead, there is no beauty, no vigor, they have death in their faces: they may have painted beauty, which may be like the living, (as he said: pictum putavi esse verum, et verum putavi esse pictum:) they may bee much alike, yet they have not that livelinesse and beauty as living men have; Gods beauty (the beauty of holinesse) is not found in them.

Ob.But it may be objected, they have many excellencies in them, they know much, they excell in morall vertues.

Answ.I answer, they may have excellencies, as a dead man may have Iewels and Chaines about him, yet they are dead: they have them, but yet they are as Iewels of Gold in a Swines snoute; they are as Swine, their good things make them not men, they are beautifull yet they are but dead men; as the evill workes of good men make them not bad men: so the good workes of evill men, make them not good. Thus much for the signes of this Death.

We come now to the degrees of this death,The degrees of Spirituall death. in all these deaths there are degrees: First in 1the death of guilt, if you have had more meanes, the guilt is greater, if you make no use of them. The Gentiles they shall onelyonly be condemned for breaking the Law of nature, because they knew no other Law; The Iewes they shall p. 11be condemned for sinning against the Law of nature, and the Law of Moyses, they had a double Law, and shall be condemned for the breach of it; Christians having a treble Law, the Gospel, the Law of nature, the morrall Law, shall be condemned for all three; and among all Christians, such as have had more meanes, and better education, the greater shall their punishment be.

Secondly, in the death opposite to the life 2of sanctification, there are degrees. Now yee must know that there are no degrees in the privative part of death, but they are onelyonly in the positive. The lowest step in this second death is to have enmity to the waies of God, being fighters against God; enemies to the Saints; this is the lowest step. The second degree is, when as men are not so active that way, but yet are dead in pleasures, Ambition, covetousnesse, & the like. There is a generation of men which trouble not themselves to oppose God & the Saints, but give themselves to pleasures, and like those Widowes, 1 Tim. 5.6. are dead in pleasures, while they are alive. The last step in this death, is the death of Civility. Civill men come nearer the Saints of God than others, they come within a step or two of heaven, and yet are shut out; they are not farre from the kingdome of Heaven, as Christ said to the yong man; yet they misse of it as well as others.

Thirdly, for the death that is opposite to the p. 123life of ioy, the degrees of it are more sensible: Some have legall terrors, the beginnings of eternall death; others have peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost, the beginning of eternall life. And thus much for the degrees of these deaths.

Object.Now hearing that all are dead in trespasses and sinnes, yee may obiect; If wee are dead, why doe you preach unto us? If we bee dead, we understand not, wee moove not, wee are not capable of what you say.

Answ. 1.To this I answer, First, there is a great difference betweene this spirituall death, and naturall death.

1For first, those who are naturally dead, understand nothing at all; but in those who are spiritually dead, there is a life of understanding, by which they themselves may know that they are dead; men who are naturally dead, cannot know they are dead.

2Secondly, those who are spiritually dead, may understand the wayes of life: though they relish them not, yet they may heare and receive them, which those who are naturally dead cannot doe.

3Thirdly, those who are spiritually dead, may come to the meanes, to the poole in w^c the Spirit breaths the breath of life; whereas naturally dead men cannot come to the meanes of life.

Answ. 2.Secondly I answer, that though ye are dead, yet hearing may breed life, the word can doe p. 13it. There was an end why Christ spake to Lazarus that was dead, Lazarus come forth, because his word wrought life; therefore though ye are dead, yet because the word can worke life in you, our preaching is not in vaine.

Lastly, this death is a voluntary death. Men 3who are naturally dead cannot put life into themselves; no more can those who are spiritually dead when they have made themselves dead. Men dye this death in a free manner; I cannot better expresse it, than by this similitude. A man that is about to commit the act of murther or treason, his friends perswade him not to doe it, for if hee doth, he is but a dead man, yet notwithstanding he will doe it; we say of such a one that hee is a dead man willingly. So wee tell men, if they doe thus and thus, that they goe downe to the Chambers of death, yet they will doe it; Hence is that Ezek. 18.31. Why will yee dye, O yee house of Israel? implying that this spiritual death in sinne, is a voluntary death.

But yee will obiect,Ob. Men are not quite dead, there are some reliques of Gods Image still left in them; how are they then dead?

To this I answer,Ans. that there is a double Image of God; first a naturall, standing in the natural frame of the soule, as to be immortal; immateriall; So there is understanding, will and reason, and some sparks of life left in us, as p. 14the remainder of a stately building that is ruinated: but yet there are no sparkes of the living Image left in us, the spirituall Image of God consisting in holinesse and true righteousnes, remaines not; The Papists indeed deny it, but how will they answer the rule of the Fathers: that Supernaturalia dona sunt penitus ablata, naturalia quassata; that supernaturall gifts are utterly taken away, no sparkes of them remaine.

Ob.But it will be objected, that though men by nature have nothing left, yet there is now an universall ability and grace, an universall sufficiency given unto them.

Ans.To this I answer, that that which they call 1universall grace, is the same thing that nature is, but they put another tearme upon it; it is found in nature, and is common wherever it is, therefore it cannot bee grace. For in grace there is always someting that is peculiar.

2Secondly, if there should be an universall grace, the Saints would be no more beholding to God, than other men; if God give all alike to all, it should not bee God, but themselves that put the difference.

3Thirdly, if there were that generall sufficiency, it would take away all election: there might then be prescience, but no election, no predestination to death or life.

4Fourthly, if there were a generall grace, what is the reason that Paul made it such matter p. 15of difficulty to answer that question of election, Rom. 9. If Aristotle and other heathen, if every one have such a generall sufficiency, Paul would not have made such a scrupulous answer, and have cryed out of the depth.

Thirdly, there is not that universall ability, 5because that which is borne of the flesh is flesh, and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit; wee are borne of the flesh and cannot therefore have this spirituall sufficiency.

But yet there are some spirituall gifts in men.Ob.

I answer,Answ. that we cannot have these spirituall gifts if we are not borne of the Spirit; that which is borne of the flesh is flesh. Not Bellarmine himselfe, nor no man else will say that all are borne of the Spirit, Iohn 15.2. Every branch in me not bearing fruite, he taketh away, and it is cast out, and withered; that is, as the branch not being in the root, bringeth forth no fruite, so men as long as they are not ingrafted into Christ, bring forth no buds, no fruite; they may heare the word, but they cannot make use of it, they cannot doe it without the Spirit, and that is free: it breatheth where it listeth; compare Iohn 3.8. the Spirit breatheth where it listeth, with Iohn 6.44. No man can come unto mee unlesse the Father draw him; draw him, that is, not as a sheepe is lead with a bough; for Christ doth not say, no man will come, but, no p. 16man can come except the Father draw him; compell him as it were by force, not perswade him by intreaties: that is, unlesse he changeth, and taketh away his wolvish will.

Ob.But it will be objected, that God drawes every man.

Ans.I answer, that the context concludes against this. For Christ doth bring this in, to shew the reason, why many did not receive his Doctrine; and he concludes with this, that men therefore doe not receive it, because God doth not draw them: None can come unto me except my Father draw them.

Ob.I will answer one objection more and so conclude: If wee are dead, to what end is the law given, why are wee commanded to doe thus and thus, if we be dead?

An.To this I answer, that the Law is given to this end, to shew us our weaknesse, and to leade us unto Christ: it is not given us to keepe exactly, for that is impossible: it was impossible to keepe it through the weaknesse of the flesh, Rom. 8.3. the Law was therefore given that wee might know our weaknesse, not that we should keepe it, but that Christs righteousnesse might be fulfilled in us by faith, Gal. 3.24. the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be Iustified through faith; That is, the end of the Law.

Ob.But it will be objected: that in as much as we are commanded to doe things impossible, p. 17mans nature is destroyed, for man is a free creature. Secondly, the command implies an absurdity, and impossibility, to bid a man doe that which he cannot doe; to bid a man that is in a deepe Well, bound hand and foote, to come out himselfe is foolish; yee may blame him for falling in, it is absurd to bid him come out.

To this I answer,Answ. that there is a difference betweene the externall binding, and the bonds wherewith a man is fettered by sinne; There is an externall impediment, which a man cannot remove when hee is fettered in the Well; but there is no externall impediment, when as men are bound in the chaines of sin. When wee command you to doe thus and thus, all the businesse is with the will, we rather say men will not, then they cannot come; There is liberty when as a man hath eligibile or non eligibile; when hee hath a thing in his owne choyse, when there is no impediment, when hee may argue both wayes: If a man out of the perversnesse of his nature doth it not, it is not compulsory, but free; a beasts action is free because he cannot reason on both sides, but man when he considers arguments on both sides, when he can say, doe not doe such a thing, but doe such a thing; when he can conceive arguments, on both sides, he is free, there is no such externall impediment in him, as to bid one in darknesse, to doe a thing of the light, or one p. 18bound hand and foote in a pit, to come out; since the chiefe impediment here, is in the depraved wils of men, which God doth rectify and change by his grace & Spirit, through the use of meanes.

Vse 1.If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death, let every man examine himselfe, and consider whether he be a dead man or no; this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertainety of things. Let us make the life to come sure; our life is uncertaine here; but have wee this spirituall life, are wee living men? then we are happy: but are we dead? then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection, shall not be partaker of the second. It is too late to begin to live, when we are dying; certainly naturall death is a time of spending, not of getting or inquiring after life: If yee deferre this search while yee are in health, when yee lye on your deaths bed, when you shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you, this question will hold you solicitous, and then you shall see that this spirituall life, is the life indeed. The time of this naturall life, is not long; the Candle burnes not long if it burne out; yet it is oftner blowne out, than burnt out; men oftner fall downe than come downe from the tree of life: this Tabernacle is often throwne downe before it fals downe, therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternall life.

p. 19Now there are two things which hinder this search and inquiry after spirituall life.

The first is a false opinion; men thinke themselves in the waies of life, being in the waies of death; they thinke there is a greater latitude in the Gospell than there is.

The second is▪ men are not at leysure; there are millions of businesses in their heads, so that they cannot hearken to the whisperings of conscience; they have no spare time to be wise unto salvation; It will be our wisedome therefore to consider our end, Deut. 32.29. To helpe you therefore in this Quere, whether you are dead or alive? Consider first, if ever you have 1beene dead. Secondly, if ye have beene dead, 2whether yee are made alive.

First I say, consider whether yee have bin 1dead or no; I meane, whether sinne hath bin made alive in you, that you might dye. Rom. 7.9, 10. I was alive without the Law once, but when the Commandement came, sinne revived, and I dyed; that is, the Commandement awakens my sinnes, and they being alive I dyed; sinne when it affrights not a mans conscience, then hee is dead; when it wounds the conscience, then he is alive.

The Law being brought to the soule by the Spirit, yee see the rectitude of the Commandement, and your owne obliquity and crookednesse; sinne is alive and yee dye. Peter preaching to the Iewes, Act. 2. recites to p. 20them their sinnes in crucifying the Lord of glory, which sinne was made alive, and pricked them at their hearts. Sinne was dead in David, till Nathan and the Law came unto him, afterward hee lived and was humbled; Luke 5. Peter seeing Christs divinity by the draught of Fishes, cries out, Depart from mee Lord, for I am a sinfull man; hee had sinnes in him before, but they were dead; then they were made alive. Paul, he had sinnes that were dead in him, but when the outward light which was but a tipe of his light within, did shine about him, then hee dies, and his sinnes were made alive: So Iosephs brethren had sins, but they were not made alive till they were put in prison, then their sinne in selling their brother Ioseph lived, and they dyed. Hath sinne ever bin alive in you by the commandement to slay you? that is, hath it bred such an apprehension in you, as of death; (not a sigh or two for a day (that is no slaying of you, but yee must apprehend sinne as death, as one that is to be executed, forthwith apprehends death, so must you apprehend sinne) then it is a signe, that there is life within you.

2Secondly, are yee made alive againe? Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures, as if yee lived an other life? Where this life is, it works an alteration and a change, gives us another being, makes us to bee no more the same men; whoever is in Christ is, a p. 21new creature, it workes a generall change from death to life; it makes all our actions to be rigorous, like the actions of living men, Old …hings passe away, all things become new, it makes men leade a new life: If old aquaintance …nd lustes would draw us away, we answer …hat we are dead, that we live no moe to these, …hat now we have not our owne wills: Christ …ives in us and workes in us, Gal. 2.20. It is not that live, but Christ lives in me. The same mind …ill be in us that was in Christ Iesus, Phil. 2.5. …ow if ye desire to know whether Christ live …n you or no, or whether you are in an estate …f death; you must see whether you have these …wo things which are in every one in whom …hrist liveth: first see whether you live to him: …e died that we should not live to our selves, but him alone. In morall things the end and prin…ple are all one. Before Christ lived in you, … you did was from your selves, ye were your …wne principle and end: but Christ living in …u, there is another end; ye eye Christ, ye …oke to him, all that ye doe is done in sinceri…, it is done for him and from him.

But how can Christ bee the end of our cal…gs, eating drinking, and recreations?Quest.

I answer,Answ. that of every action Christ must be …e end, yee must doe as a man in a journey; …ough every … trea…es he thinkes not of … journeys end▪ yet the generall ayme of … must be for that …nd, and that causeth p. 221every step: so in all yee doe, the genera… end must be Christ.

2Secondly if Christ live in you, your hear… cleave to him, as to the Principle of life, the child to the dug, or the element to its nat… rall place. What ever our life is, wee cleave it. Some place their life in their credit, take … way it, and they dye: others in riches; take … way them, and they perish. What ever is yo… god, if it be taken away, you perish. Therfor… Iohn. 6.68. when Christ demaunds of the twel… whether they would likewise goe away; Pet… makes this answer, Lord, whither shall we g… thou hast the words of eternall life.

3Thirdly, ye may know, what life ye live, the food that feeds it. Oyle feeds the Lamp fuell the fire: If your life be fed with the duti… of obedience, then ye live. If yee keepe … Commandements, yee shall live in them, sai… Christ: you shall live in them as in your pr… per element, as the Fish in the water; eve… motion out of it, is to death: There are tw… sorts of men to whom this triall doth b… long.

1The first are those, who have a name they l… and yet are dead, like the Church of Sardis. R… 3.1.

2The second to whom this belongeth, are th… who are dead indeed.

1The first of these, are like the Angels t… take bodies, and doe actions; they are not t… p. 23living men, though they appeare to be. Now the signes that Characterise these dead men from those that are truly living, are five, taken from the signes of the fained life, in the Spirits that have true bodies but onelyonly in appearing, whereby they are distinguished from bodies that truly live.

First, Angels that take Assumed bodies,The characters of those that are spiritually dead. eate and drinke, and are not nourished: as the Angels that came to Lot, and Abraham, and had created bodies: So these dead men doe all the 1actions that living men doe; they heare, they pray, they read, but they turne it not into flesh and blood, because there is no life in them: they are not the stronger for hearing, or any thing they doe; they thrive not, as those that have the Boulimia, they eate and drinke not, because there is an Atrophy in their bodies. Wee preach to men, yet they are the same this yeare they were the last: they have a name to live and yet they live not, they turne not the meanes to flesh and nourishment; it is a signe of a living man that he growes. That which is said of a good will, that it makes use of every thing, may be said of grace; It turnes all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment; stormes as well as faire gales, helpe a living man to the haven; Affliction, prosperity, all put him on and helpe him forwards. Take one not having this life, doe what yee will, hee thrives not; as an unthrift, put him p. 24to what trade yee will, he thrives not, hee is still on the losing hand; so these men, prosperity, adversity, helpe them not: put any thing to a dead man to doe, he doth it not; so these men, the Word and Sacrament helpes them not, because they are dead.

2Secondly, the motions of the Spirits that take Assumed bodies, is not from any inward principall, not from the motion of life within: so the actions of men that are not alive, are not from the principles of life, they are not vitall motions, but as in other actions, the Wheeles goe as long as the spring is up that moves them, so the actions of men that are dead, as long as the springs are up & the influence continues, they move. When they are sick and apprehend death, then they will doe many things; but these being gone their goodnesse is ended: whilst they deepely apprehend some accident, they will be good, that being gone and forgotten, their goodnesse ends: Many whiles they have good acquaintance, and are in good company, will be good, but when they are gone, their goodnesse ceaseth. These men have golden outsides, they seeme to have the Kings stamp upon their actions, yet they are but counterfaite; they pay God in counterfaite Coyne, not in currant mony; their actions have a forme of religion, but yet the power is wanting; all they doe is but a meere formality; their Prayers, their Sabath keeping are but in p. 25shew, those actions and duties that have most power and life in them, they doe least of all relish, they tast them not because they have no life in them. In generall, all the actions that men wanting life doe, they are but dead works, they may bee deceived with them for a time, but when death comes, they shall finde them to be but dead. Remigius a judge of Laurence tels this story, that the Divell in those parts did use to give money to Witches, which did appeare to bee good coyne, seemed to be currant money at first; but being laid up a while, it then appeared to be nothing but dryed leaves: so the Divell deceives men now, hee makes them to do outward actions, which have a faire shew, but when they need them, they thē appeare as they are, to be nothing but dead leaves, becaus… the Principle of life is wanting.

A third property of Assumed bodies is this, 3that they are taken up onelyonly for a time, and then are laid downe againe, as the Spirits that take them listed; so in these men which seeme to live, there is an inconstancy and mutability in their lives, they lay downe their religion as occasion serves. If that they did was done in respect to God, it would be alwaies the same, the company and occasions would not alter it; but because it is not done in respect to God, therefore as their company and occasions are mutable, so is their religion. p. 26They are as inconstant as Clouds without raine, that are quickly scattered; like wandring Stars, or like the morning dew, that is soone dryed up. The Saints have an inequality in their lives, yet they never dye againe; they may be sickly, but these men are twice dead, Trees plucked up by the rootes, that never grow againe: The Saints may bee as sheepe soyled with a fall, but they can never become Wolves againe, but these men they turne Wolves againe, so did Pharoah and Saul. The Saints have their Turbida intervalla, their ebbing and flowing, their full and their waine; but yet all these cloudings doe but obscure their graces, not extinguish them: the darkenesse of the night extinguisheth not the light of the Stars, but covers it; so doe these cloudings but onelyonly cover the graces of the Saints. All the goodnesse of other men that seeme to live, are but Lucida intervalla, they are good but by fits, when as those that live are bad but by fits, Nullum fictum est diuturnū, their goodnes is but counterfeit, therefore it lasts not, it holds not out.

4Another distinguisher of those walking Ghosts from living, is this: the actions they do, they do them not as living men doe, they make apparitions onelyonly and vanish. Those men that have nothing but civility, it quickly vanisheth, they are like the Church of Sardis, Reve. 3.1. that had a name shee lived, and yet p. 27wa… dead: Their workes are not perfect throughout, they were but linsey-wolsey, they were not thorow paced in the waies of God, but shuffel; they graspe at both, & comprehend neither; they doe many things, but not all. As the young man that came to Christ, Christ looked on him, and loved him; what distinguished him? One thing was wanting, his workes were not perfect, his heart was set upon his wealth, he would doe any thing else, his heart was not weaned or divorced from it. Saul had a name to live, but yet his workes were not perfect, when Samuel came not, then hee was discovered, that was but his triall, hee would not rest in God. Herod did many things, yet he was not perfect, he would not leave his incest; so all that have but a forme of religion they are Wolves though they have a sheepish outside, they are not perfect, yee shall know them by their workes.

But what workes are those that we cannot see them doe?Quest.

I answer,Ans. they may be exact in the first, yet faile in the second Table, and those that practise the duties of the 2 Table, faile in the duties of the first. If men be exact in the duties of both Tables, their religion is pure and undefiled, Iam. 1.27. If they faile in the duties of one table, to make their religion pure, is to mend in the other. These civill men wrong no man, yet they content themselves with a p. 28bare formality; this is not pure religion: wee say this is a pure religion, if yee be fervent in prayer, and content not your selves with formality of Religion without the power.

5Lastly, these walking Ghosts, do but shew themselves to men, they company not with them; ye see them and heare no more of them. Ye shall know living men, by their companying and loving of the Saints; as sheepe and Doves they are never out of company, and keepe no other company but their owne. Yee shall finde in others those differences.

1First, eyther they delight not in all the Saints; Wee must love all the Saints, this particle all, is put in all Pauls Epistles; these love not all the Saints.

2Secondly, if they love all the Saints, yet they love not the Saints onelyonly, yee must love none but the Saints. If yee love the Saints because they are Saints, then those who are not Saints, yee doe not love; that is, yee love none, with the love of friendship, and intimate familiarity but the Saints; yet love them with a love of pitty, and we all faile in this love.

3Thirdly, they doe not love those that excell in vertue. If your hearts be not right, yee dislike all those that goe beyond you in holinesse, and practise.

4Lastly, though they make a shew, they love p. 29them, yet they doe not shew the effects of their loves to them. And thus much for the helpes and discovery of the first sort of men, that have a name they live, and yet are dead.

The second sort of men to whom this use 2is directed, are those who are quite dead;The markes and signes of those who are spiritually dead. yee shall know them by these markes or Symptomes.

First, yee shall finde coldnesse in them; in 1death there is no heate: so their prayers and performances are cold, they are dead, wanting fervency.

But the Saints want heate as well as others,Object. they also are cold.

I answer,Answ. though sometimes they want it, yet they are quickly made hot againe, because there is life in them; as Charcole is quickly kindled, because it hath beene in the fire; so the Saints are soone kindled, because they had fire in them before. Others are as greene wood, or rather as matter that is not Combustible, as the Adamant, that will not be made hot with fire; living men, admonitions and the fire of good company will heate againe, so will it not the others.

Secondly, yee shall know them by their stifnesse 2and hardnesse. It is a signe of death to be inflectible: Wicked men are as hard as flint to Gods commandes, but as soft as waxe to that which humors them. Are yee tractable? p. 30doe you delight in your owne wayes, and yet continue the same men, keepe the same company? Doe yee abide still in the same place, or go on in the same tract? then yee are dead: In many things you may be tractable, but the maine is, whether yee are flexible in those things that are connaturall unto you: these deale with us as Iohanan did with Ieremiah, Ier. 42. he said he would goe downe into Egypt, he would doe any thing, that God should bid him, whether it were good or bad; but when Ieremy had told them that they must not goe downe into Egypt, then they say that he spake false, God did not send him: If Gods will had suted with his, hee would have done what hee would have had him to doe: your triall is when you must offer up your Isaack, when you must part with those things that are most sweetest unto you.

3Thirdly, dead men are sencelesse, like Idols that the Psalmist speakes of: they have eyes and see not, eares and heare not, mouthes and speake not, feet and walke not, they have sences to discerne, but there is yet an inward eye, they want; they see no beauty in the wayes of God; therefore they thinke there is no such matter, because they have eyes & see it not, they have mouthes and tast it not, they relish it not, they smell no sweet savour, from the graces of the Saints, when as the graces of the Saints have a sweet savour, like an oyntment powred out, Cant. p. 311.2. So for feeling, they feele not, they are not sencible of the judgements or threatnings; the Law nor the Gospell move them not, they have hard and insensible harts; the more insensible they are, it is a signe, they are ever dead: the more sensible we are of the threatnings or promises, the more life is in us.

Lastly, dead men are speechlesse; there is 4no breath in them. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The dry and empty channell drives not the Mill, but a full streame sets it on worke. If the heart bee full of life, the tongue is full of good speeches. Prov. 10. The words of the righteous are as fined silver, because there is a treasure within them; but the words of the wicked are nothing worth, because their hearts are evill. As it is said of evill men, that their tongues are set on fire of hell; so the tongues of the righteous are set on fire by heaven. Esay. 19.18. they speake the language of Canaan. In hypocrites there is loquacity as blasing meteors, and in Saints there is sometimes an indisposition by reason of some sinnes, which make them like to springs which are dammed up with stones and mudde. Yet judge not of them by such fits, but take them as they are in their ordinary course; the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the heart. Every man is delighted in some genious operations, in things that are sutable to him; if there be aboundance of life, aboundance of p. 32grace within a man, he delights to speake of it: as all men are severally disposed, such are their speeches. Now all these are privative signes of death; I will adde one more that is positive.

Fiftly, looke what life a man lives, he drawes to him the things that nourish it, and expelleth that which hinders it. If a man bee alive to sinne, he drawes that which is sinfull, but holinesse and the meanes of grace, hee expels as contrary to him: What doth satisfy his lusts, that he doth; he may doe good for a time, but he is quickly sicke of it.

Objest.But I doe much good, I abstaine from much evill, may some say.

To this I answer,Answ. that if one member lives, it is a signe that the whole body lives; so if one mortall sinne live in you, it is a signe you are dead. Truth of grace cannot stand with one mortall sinne unrepented, unsubdued: one disease kils a man as well as an hundred; so one living lust kils you: Doth any lust live and reigne in them, it kils them.

But what is it to live and to reigne?

Object.I answer,Ans. when a man ceaseth to maintaine warre with his lust, and resists it not; when a man layes downe the weapons, when he seeth his lust is naturall to him, and therefore yeelds unto it, then sinne reignes in him. There is no man that lives the life of grace, but hee hath this property, that hee strives against all sinne to the utmost, not in shew, but in sincerity; p. 33he strives against the occasions of sinne though they foyle him; hee still maintaines warre against them, and so they live, and reigne not in him.

2 If every man out of Christ be in an estate of death, let us not deferre repentance,Vse 2. but doe it whilst wee may. Repentance makes a dead man to be a living man: What is it that makes you deferre repentance? yee thinke yee can change your courses, & sorrow when you list, therefore ye deferre it. If men be dead, and repentance puts as it were a new soule into thē, makes them to passe from death to life, then is it not so easy a thing. Suppose yee had Ezekiahs warning, is it in your power to make your selves live? no, it is beyond your power; God onelyonly can doe it. Every man lyes before God, as that clod of earth, out of which Adam was made. God must breathe life into him, else hee continues dead. God doth not breathe life into all, He quickens whom he will. It is your wisedome therefore to waite on him in his Ordinances: if you have good motions begun in you, presse them forwards, they are ofsprings of life. Thinke seriously, am I dead, or alive? If dead, why then say, its not in my power to quicken me, its onelyonly in God to doe it, and he doth this, but in few, those whom he quickneth are but as Grapes after the Vintage, or as the Olives after the beating; how then shall I bee in the number? Give your p. 34selves no rest; know that it is God that breatheth, and then depend on him. Make that use of the doctrine of election, with care and more solicitude to looke to your selves. Phil. 2. God workes both the will and the deed of his good pleasure, worke out therefore your salvation with feare and Trembling. If repentance be a passage from death to life, if it bee such a change, then labour for to get it. The Spirit doth not alwayes strive with men; yee are not alwayes the same, yee will sticke in the sand, grow worse and worse, if yee grow not better and better. No more power have you to change your selves, than the Blackamore hath to change his skinne, or the Leopard his spots; the time will come, when you shall say as Spira did: O how doe I desire faith, would God I had but one drop of it; and for ought we know he had it not.

Vse 3.Thirdly, learne hence to judge of naturall men; for all the excellency they have, yet they are but dead men; If a man be dead, we doe not regard his beauty, all excellencies in naturall men, are but dead. It is a hinderance in the wayes of God, to over-valew outward excellencies, and to despise others that want these trappings: let us say for all these excellencies, yet he is but a dead man, we knowe none after the flesh any more, 2. Cor. 5.16. Againe for your delight in them, know that this death doth differ from naturall death; for these p. 35dead men are active, & ready to corrupt others, they have an influence, that doth dead those, who are conversant with them, sinne communicates as well as grace. Nothing so great a quench-cole, as the company of bad men: there is an operative vertue in them to quench mens zeale, as the dropping of water will quench the fire, though they cannot wholly extinguish it being once kindled.

Fourthly, if all out of Christ are dead,Vse 4. learne to judge of the Ordinances of God, and the meanes of salvation, let us not undervalue nor overvalue them; the Ordinances cannot bring life, not the Word, nor Sacraments; If yee are sicke and send for the Minister, hee cannot quicken you; the Ordinance is but a creature, and cannot give life. If we speake to the eare, and Christ speake not to the heart, it is nothing: Let your eyes bee fixed on Christ, beseech him to put life into you, pray to God for a blessing: the Ordinances are but dead Trunkes, as Pens without Inke, Conduit pipes without water. Learne then that God doth convay life by the Ordinances, that they themselves cannot give life, therefore doe not overvalew them. Yet know withall, that God doth worke but by his Ordinances; the Spirit breathes not in Taverns nor Playhouses, but in the Church assemblies. Act. 10. whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius, and his family, the Spirit fell upon them: so the p. 36Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them, the Ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit; give what is just to them, and no more; give them neither too little nor too much. Neglect not the Sacrament, ye know not what yee doe when yee neglect it; yee thinke that yee eate and drinke your owne damnation, if yee receive it unreverently; Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it. Sickenesse and death yee feare, why then doe you neglect the Sacrament, why doe you receive it unworthily? Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us? the cause of them is from hence, that yee neglect the Sacrament, that yee receive it unworthily. 1. Cor. 11.30. For this cause many are weake and sicke among you, and many sleepe: Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament, he that came not to the Passeover, must be cut off from the children of Israel; the same Equity remaines still in the Sacrament; the cause of that was, because he was to come up with the rest, to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt, and the redemption from their bondage, hee being passed over thereby: It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament, the Equity still remaines. Are yee to strong in faith as yee need it not? To bee absent from the word, yee thinke it a sinne: so is it to bee absent from the Sacrament; nothing can excuse you. If a p. 37master bid his servant doe a thing, and he goes and is drunken, so that he cannot doe it, will it excuse him? If you have made your selves unfit to receive the Sacrament by committing any grosse sinnes; the unfitnesse will not excuse you. If a man hath occasion to ride a journey, if he misse one day, he will take the next: so ye if yee misse the Sacrament once, be sure to take it the next time: It is**The Sacrament is administred twice every Terme, and sometimes thrice.devided here, that so if yee misse once, yee may receive it the next time; take heed therefore how yee neglect it. The end of the Sacrament is to worship God, to set forth Christs death, it is the cheifest part of Gods worship; therefore give it the cheifest respect. Now from hence see the necessity of this life of grace: how can yee come to the Sacrament, if yee are dead men? Labour therefore for this life of grace. And thus much for the first poynt, that all men out of Christ are in a state of death.

We come now to the second, and that is this,

That all in Christ, are in a state of life. Doct. 2.Our scope is, to shew you what you are out of Christ, and what benefits yee receive by being in Christ; we cannot goe throughout all particulars, but wee will take the greatest, life and death; the one the greatest good, the other the greatest evill. All in Christ are living men; this is the great benefit, because death is the greatest evill: therefore by the rule of p. 38contraries, life must be the greatest good. Farther, men prize nothing so much as life; this experience sheweth, and Sathan himselfe could tell, that skinne for skinne, and all that a man hath, he will give for his life, Iob. 1. Beyond experience, God himselfe threatens death to Adam, as the greatest evill; The day that thou eatest of it, thou shalt dye the death, Gen. 3. Now all that live this life are living men, and have all things pertaining to life, 2. Pet. 1.2. they have all that pertaines to life and godlinesse, that is, all things necessary for the nourishment and cherishing of them, life were else unhappy; take beasts and plants, they having all belonging to their life, are happy, and they are said to live: take any naturall life, when as a man hath food, and rayment, and recreation, hee is said to live. A man lives when he hath life, and all that appertaines unto it. I will divide this Doctrine into two parts, and I will shew you two things.

1First, that there is such a life as this.

2Secondly, what this life is.

1First, that there is such a life, as this; It is needfull to shew you, that there is such a life, because it is a hidden life. God hides these spirituall things, as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne: so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament, under the base elements of Bread and Wine; he hides the wisedome of God, under the foolishnesse of preaching, he hides p. 39those whom the world is not worthy of, under sheepes Skinnes, and Goates Skinnes, Heb. 11. Col. 3.3. Our lives are hid with Christ in God.

But from whom is this hidden?Quest.

I answer,Ans. that it is hidden from naturall men as Colours from a blind man; they are there, and he sees them not.

But with what is this hidden?Quest.

I answer,Answ. that it is hidden: First, with this naturall life, wee see it not because wee have this life; it is hid, as the Sap in the roote, or water in the spring.

Secondly, it is hidden with a base outside, 22. Cor. 6. The Saints are as poore, as despised, as having nothing; Christ had a base outside (there was no forme or beauty in him that wee should desire him: Esay 53.Isa 53) and so have the Saints being conformable to him; they are like other men for their outsides.

Thirdly, it is hidden with mis-reports; thus 3Christ himselfe was hidden; he was counted a wine-bibber, a friend of Publicans and sinners; one casting out divels by Belzebub: and therefore hee became a stumbling blocke unto many. The Saints are likewise misrepresented, they are evill spoken of, they are presented to mens understanding otherwise than they are. There are a generation of men, that pervert the strait waies of God, Act. 13.10. that is, they make them seeme crooked: though they are straight, notwithstanding, they pervert them, p. 40as a crooked, as a false glasse, doth pervert a face that is beautifull, representing it in another shape; or as a sticke that is halfe in the water, and halfe out, seemes to be crooked, yet it is straight in it selfe.

Quest.But in what is it hidden?

Answ.I answer, that it is hidden in Christ, as in the fountaine, as in the heart and soule, as in the subject wherein it dwels. Men what ever they professe, beleeve not this, because it is a hidden life; what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it? The Scriptures you will not deny, yet you will bee as hard to beleeve them, as you will be to beleeve there is such a life; We will therefore say something, without the Scriptures, to perswade you that there is such a life as this.

1First, there is a life of the soule that it lives; as the Angels they move, act, and understand; though they eate not; there is therefore a life, besides this common life.

2Secondly, consider the matter of the soule, then yee shall see, that the soule lives such a life, as Angels doe; The soules of good men, leade such a life as good Angels doe; the soules of bad men, such a life as bad Angels. The life of beasts depends on the compacture, and Temperature of the substance, as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string. With the soule of man it is otherwise; the soule lives first, and then causeth the body to p. 41live; it is otherwise in beasts, their soules and bodies live together. Besides it is certaine, that the soule shall live, when as the body is laid aside; then it lives another life from the body: therefore it lives another life in the body. The higher faculties of the soule, the Vnderstanding and Will, are not placed and seated in the body, as other faculties are: the visive faculty must have an eye to see, the hearing faculty must have an eare to heare, and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs; but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ, it onelyonly useth those things that are presented to it by the phansy. Our sight, feeling, and hearing, perish, when their organs perish; but the superior faculties of the soule, weare not away, but the elder the body is, the younger they are. The soule lives now in the object, now in the subject: it lives in the things it is occupied about; as the Angels are said to be, where they worke, because they have no bodies as we have, to make them be locally there: so the soule it also lives, where it is occupied; as if it be occupied about heavenly things, then wee are said, to have our conversation in heaven. Take the understanding and faculties of reason, they sway not men, but the Ideaes, truthes and opinions that dwell in this understanding, sway men: There are three lives in man, there is the life of plants, of Beasts or sence, and the life of reason; p. 42I may adde a fourth, and that is this spirituall life, which is an higher life of the soule; Where there is an evill life, there is death, but where there is a good life, there is this spirituall life: See it in the effects, for these are but speculations.

1First, ye see by experience, that there is a generation of men, that live not a common life, delight not in vaine pleasures, sports and honors, (there is no life without some delights:) their delights and life is not in outward things abroad; they have a retired and inward life at home.

2Secondly, there are no Acts, but for some end, there are men who make not themselves their end; if they did, they might then take other courses, going with the streame. If then they make not themselves their end, then they make God their end, they live not to themselves, but to the Lord, 1. Thessalo. 3.8.

3Thirdly, they care not what they lose to get advantage to God; they are content to be despised, contemned to suffer Torments, imprisonments and death; they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives, which they would not doe, had they not a more speciall life within them. 2 Cor. 4.11. Wee which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake, that the life also of Iesus, might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh: That is, for this cause God suffered his Children, to be in p. 43danger, that men might know, that they live an other life, and have other comforts: this appeares by their readinesse to be exposed to death; all which shewes, that there are some that leade an other life.

But it will be objected,Object. that the superstitious, and those of another religion, will suffer death as well as the Saints: and morrall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints: and those who have but common graces, live this life as well as the Saints: therefore these experiences prove not the poynt sufficiently.

I answer,Ans. that it is true, that superstition doth worke much like religion, morrall vertue doth many things, like true holinesse; and Common grace, doth much like true grace; yet it is no good Argument to say, that because a dreaming man dreames that hee sees, therefore a living man that doth see, doth but as he. A picture is like a living man, yet it followes not that a living man is dead, because the picture is dead; it is no Argument to say, that because morrall vertue, doth many things like true holinesse, therefore true holinesse doth them not: They may bee like in many things, yet not in all things; the cause of all deceit is, because we cannot discerne of things alike, therefore I will shew you how these differ.

First, superstition makes men suffer much, as p. 441well as true religion, yet they doe it out of a false opinion, the other from faith: the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost, the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his speare; the one doth it from grace, the other from delusion: the outward acts are alike, but the inward principles differ.

2Secondly, morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working, the last is done of a suddaine. A man is made a living man suddainely; though there are some previous dispositions, yet the soule is suddenly infused; after this manner the Saints passe from death to life. Others have their actions by frequent acts and education, they are moulded to it by little and little.

3Thirdly, in morrall men the change is never generall, there is no new birth in them; but in the Saints, all things are new.

4Fourthly, morallity doth never change nature, but grace doth: the most wilde man in a countrey, the unlikeliest man of all others, religion makes him a Lambe of a Lyon, though it were unprobable.

5Fiftly, what did morrall men? they went by divers wayes, to the same center; themselves were their end; Epicures thought one way the best, the Stoicks another; but the Saints seeke a happinesse, in denying themselves, which helpes to perfect them.

p. 45Lastly, common and true grace, have many 6things alike, yet they differ in this; true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions; as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensnesse, connaturally, and readily; so doth not the other. Those who have onelyonly common grace, doe all from respects and by-ends, their holinesse is but by flashes and fits, it continues not; they are like violent motions, quicke in the beginning, and slower in the end; the higher they goe the weaker they are; But the motions and actions of the godly, are as a stone falling downwards, which moves faster, and faster, till it falles to the Center, where it would bee.

Now we have done all this, there is not yet sufficient said, to make it sufficiently appeare, that there is such a life of grace; these and an hundred other Arguments and reasons, will not make naturall men beleeve, that many men live other lives than they. But when they see the life of holinesse blase in their eyes, they say it is but guilded over, it is but hypocrisy. These reasons may prepare and confirme, but they cannot perswade; we must therefore beleeve that there is such a life. Iohn 3. Christ treats of this, that there is such a life; he tels Nicodemus, that he must live it, and be borne againe; He wonders at it, how it can be; Christ therefore concludes in the 12. verse: If I have p. 46told you earthly things and yee beleeve not, how shall yee beleeve if I tell you of heavenly things? that is, it must bee beleeved, that there is such a life: sense beleeves it not, yet it is easier to beleeve it, because it is wrought on earth; other things are harder than this to beleeve, because they are wrought in heaven; though this be wrought on earth, yet it is hard to beleeve, and must bee beleeved. And thus much for the first part of the doctrine; that there is such a life.

2For the second, what this life is; yee may know one Contrary by another; wee have shewed already what death, that is contrary to it, is, by which yee may partly perceive, what this life is; yet we will give you some other signes how to know it. This life is a reall life, as reall as the other; though this life doth not consist in eating and drinking, as the other doth; it is a life of faith, it is not seene, yet it is as reall as the common life, as it appeares by comparing it with the cōmon life.

First, in this common life of nature there 1must be temper of body, disposition of instruments: so in this life of grace, there is a frame of heart, and a composition of soule, on which it doth depend; there are humors and ingredients of this life, and they are the things yee know: there is a reality in this life as well as in the naturall life.

Secondly, as the naturall life hath a temper of body, hath divers mixtures, so it abhorrs p. 47things that are hurtfull to it, and desires things 2that cherish it: so in this life of grace, there is an appetite; those that live, they are carried to the things that helpe them, they doe hunger after the word, and that that builds them up; they abhorre sinne and lust that would destroy them.

Thirdly, as in the naturall life, so in this, there is a taste, and palate, that helps this appetite. Rom. 12.2. Bee yee changed by the renewing 3of your minde, that yee may prove what is that good, and perfect, and acceptable will of God; that is, that yee may be able to discerne of it, as the touchstone discernes of Gold, or the taste and palate of meates.

Fourthly, as in the other life there is hunger and thirst, so is there in this; men are sensible of paines, and refreshings, they are sensible 4of sinne, judgement and threatnings, which others are not, being hard and dead.

Fiftly, as the other life is fed with food, so is this: the food which a man eates is not presently turned into flesh and bloud that nourisheth; 5but there is a nutritive faculty, that nourisheth and turnes all wee eate into nourishment: So the Saints, they turne all the passages of Gods providence into nourishment; they assimulate, and turne all things to a good use, there is a living and vitall faculty, in them that sets them forwards. Ephe 4.16. They being knit to Christ, according to the effectuall power, p. 48working in every part increase, and edifye themselves in love.

Lastly, as this common life hath beside other things that maintaine it, some other indowments to helpe it out, as company, recreation, riches, and the like: so hath this spirituall life, it hath riches, and friends, it hath its heritage, company, habitation, (God is our habitation from everlasting) with the same reality, though not with the same visibility, and so exposed to sence as the other. The cause of this life is the holy Ghost who is to the soule, as the soule is to the body; he is the cause of it: the end of all of it, is the Lord; all is done to God; No other life is so, this life is of God, through God, and for God: when you finde such a reality in your actions tending to God, when he is your ayme, then yee live this life.Vse.

If this bee the condition of all that are in Christ, to live and be quickned, see what is expected from you to whom this talent is cōmitted, every excellency is a talent, it must not lye dead, but be improved for our masters use: the sinne is great if yee doe it not: the neglect being of a greater thing, the sinne is greater. God sets a proportionable account on his benefits, and expects a severe account from us, if wee use them not. Be exhorted then to live this life: some live much in a short time; Some never live this p. 49life; one man may live more in one day, than another man in a hundred: for to live is nothing, but to be stirring and doing. 1 Tim. 5.6. those who live in pleasures are dead whilst they live; so he that is occupied about riches or honors, is dead: all that time that men are occupied about riches, and their estates, about credit, honors, and the like, making them their end; that is, a time of death: yee have lived no longer than yee have acted duties of new obedience. If you sommon up your lives according to this computation, to how short a reckoning will they come? A wise man speakes more in a few words, than a foole doth in a multitude: one peece of Gold hath more worth than a hundred peeces of Brasse; as we say of an empty oration, that there is a flood of words, but a drop of water; so if you consider your lives, and see how long yee have lived in death bungling out the time, you will see that yee have lived but little in a long time, therefore now bee doing something; redeeme the time; be busy in doing or receiving good, be still devising to doe something for God, and to put it in execution: spend your fat and sweetnesse for God and man; weare out, not rust out; flame out, not smother out; burne out, be not blowne out. So did Christ, so did Moses, so did Paul, making the Gospel to abound from Ierusalem to Illyricum: so did David, the text saith, that he served his p. 50time; he did not idle it out, that is, hee lived not as his owne master, but he did doe it all to God, as to a master: All the worthyes of the Church have lived thus: and not onelyonly they, but poore Christians they are still doing, they serve God and men, they are usefull, these are the men that live. Those who spend their time in sports, in gaming, in businesse, in serving wealth and honour, those who spend their time in morrall discourses, in histories, in hearing and telling of newes, as the Athenians did: these are dead they doe not live: as we say of Trees, that if they bring not forth fruit, they are dead; whatever men doe if they bring not forth fruite they are dead, if they glorifie not God, they are dead. See what a price is in your hands, see what yee have done, and mend whiles yee may; bestow not your price amisse. There are many Talents, yet none like this of life: take therefore the exhortation, Gal. 6. while yee have time doe good: life is but an acting, yee then live when yee are doing good: see how many men fall from the Tree of life, as leaves in Autumne; the candle of the life is quickly blowne out: have therefore a better life in store, bee not alwayes beginning, alwaies building, never inhabiting, alwayes beginning, never finishing; Stultitia semper incipit vivere: folly alwayes beginns to live, men are alwayes beginning, and never goe on. 1 Pet. 4.3. Thinke it p. 51sufficient that you have walked formerly, as yee have done; the time which remaines, let us reckon it precious, and bestow it to better purpose.

If every one in Christ,Vse 2. be in an happy estate of life; then let men from hence know their state and condition, often reflect on their priviledges, behaving themselves as men prising them, bestowing their time as well as may be; let as few riuulets runne out of this streame as you can. Wee pray, that we may doe Gods will on earth, as perfect as the Angels doe it in heaven; we should therefore practise this as we pray for: their life is without interruption, they are in communion with God; let us then b… doing, having our thoughts above, let us still be doing, let not cares and businesse call us off; but let us comfort our selves in God, acting that which is for his glory: prize this life, esteeme it much, know what yee have by Christ, and consider the excellency of this life. That yee may know the excellency of this life, consider it comparatively with this other life, that we live: It hath three properties wherein it differs from, and excells this common life which we all live.

First, it is an eternall life, Ioh 6. Your fathers 1did eate manna and dyed, but he that eateth of this bread, shall dye no more, but he shall live for ever: that is, this is the advantage that yee have, by the life that I shall give you: those p. 52that did eate Manna, the food of Angels, died, and Iohn 4. those that drinke of this water shall thirst againe; that is, those that live another life than this, shall dye and thirst; but those that live this life, never dye. To live this life is when the soule lives in the object; there is a living in the subject, yet this spirituall life is when the soule lives in the object, when as it is set on God. Take men that live other lives, yee shall see that their lives are short; A man living in honour, that being the thing he minds and intends, it is in potestate honorantis, there is no constancy in it, it is brickle. If a man lives in wealth, sets his mind on it: Why riches take their wings and fly away, Pro. 23. and then their life is ended. So if a man lives in pleasures and musicke, they passe away, and then he is dead; those who live in these things suffer many sicknesses and many deaths, as his heart is more intent upon them.Quest. But may we may not minde them?Answer. Yes, as if we minded them not, as a man may heare a tale, and have his minde elsewhere, or as a man that baits at an Inne, his mind is somewhere else; If yee minde them, yee dye in them; hee that minds the best things, there is no change in them. God is alwayes the same; so his favour and love is constant; see therefore that yee prize them. As a long time that is infinitely long, exceeds one that is a span long in quantity, so doth this life exceed the naturall life, in p. 53perpetuity, and excelles all other lives in excellencie.

Secondly, this life is a life indeed; as that 2that feeds it is meate indeed; the other is not so: see all the comforts of this life, they are not so indeed; take wealth, pleasures, honours and the like; wealth is but a false treasure: Luk. 16.11. it is called the unrighteous mammon, the false treasure: (Falsus Hector non est Hector:) in comparison of the true treasure it is nothing. Therefore Salomon, Pro. 23.5. speaking of riches saith; Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? these riches are nothing: So for honours, all praise among men is nothing, it is but vaine glory, and vaine because it is empty and hath nothing in it: so the pleasures of this life are but sad pleasures, the heart is sad at the bottome: the comforts of this life, and onelyonly these are comforts indeed: the actions of this life, are actions indeed. In eating and drinking there is sweetnesse, but when we feed on the promises by faith, then we tast sweetnesse indeed in them. One that is weary, being refreshed with sleepe finds sweetnesse and ease; but it is another refreshing, that these finde who have bin weary and heavy laden with sinne, and are now refreshed, this brings comfort to the soule. So to thinke of houses, wife, children, and lands; to consider all the actions that wee have done under the Sunne, and all that we have passed thorow, is p. 54pleasant: but to thinke of the priviledges wee have in Christ, that we are heires of Heaven, Sonnes of God, this is comfort indeed: especially to thinke of the good workes wee have done; what good prayers wee have made, what good duties wee have performed, these are actions indeed, and bring comfort indeed. All the actions of this life are actions indeed, this life is a life indeed; in death you shall finde it so, that Christs body and blood are meate and drinke indeed; that remission of sinnes, peace of conscience, are comforts indeed, peace indeed; they are such though now yee thinke not so; yee shall then know, that this life is a life indeed.

3Thirdly, this life of grace is a prevailing life, swallowing up the other, 2 Cor. 4.4. the Apostle desired death: not to be uncloathed, but to be cloathed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life; that is, desiring death, I doe not desire to be deprived of the comforts of this life; then I were unwise: I would not put off my cloathes, but to be cloathed with a better suite; I desire a life to swallow up this life; not as a Gulfe swallowes that which is cast into it, or as fire swallowes up the wood, by consuming it, but a life that swallowes it up, as perfection swallowes up imperfection, as the perfecting of a picture swallowes up the rude draught, as perfect skill swallowes up bungling, or as a manhood swallowes up childhood, p. 55not extinguishing it, but drowning it that it is not seene. The life of grace being perfect, swallowes up imperfection; he that lives this life of grace, hath the imperfections of this life swallowed up: For example; before wee live this life, wee magnifie riches honours, and Gugaes; but the life of grace comming, wee have other kinds of comforts then: as a man that is to bee made a Prince, contemnes the things hee before admired. The weakenesses we are subject to, are swallowed up in this life: all sicknesse and trouble are swallowed up in this: so are weaknesses, and imperfections. This should teach us to set a high prize upon this life of grace; that wee dye no more if wee live it; that it is a life indeed, that it swallowes up this other life, compare it with other lives, it farre excels them.

Secondly, this life of grace must needs bee 2more excellent than the common life, because it makes a man a better man, much better than he was, this puts man into a better condition: elevates him, puts him into a condition equall to the Angels, and beyond in some respects. That yee may understand this, yee must know that every thing is made better, by mingling it with things that are better then it selfe, as Silver mixed with Gold, Water with Wine, are made better: There are two things required to make a thing better. First, that that thing with which it is mixed, be of a better nature p. 56than the thing it selfe. Secondly, that there be a good union. Nothing puts so high a degree of excellency into us as this, that wee are united unto God; this unity to God is the cheefest good. Secondly, this union betwixt God and us is a perfect union. There are many unions; as first there is a relative union, such as is betweene man & wife. Secondly there are artificiall & naturall unions, as when two peeces of bords are put together, so that one touch the other: so when graine, and graine of another sort are mixed together; there is a nearer union than this, when as water and water are mixed together: nearer than this, is the union that is betweene the soule and the body. Such a union as this, is there betweene us and Christ: we are in him, as the branches in the vine, wee are knit to him, this puts us into an higher degree of excellencie: silver mixed with gold is better; yet if we could take the spirits out of gold, & make silver take the nature and quality of it; it would be much better. Wee put on the spirit and quality of Christ, when as wee live this life. Lusts which are most contrary to this life, puts us below men, makes us worse than Beasts; this life puts us beyond men, and makes us equall with Angels. All men desire some excellency which is done by adding something to them; some desire wealth, some learning, some honour. Consider then if yee live this life yee goe beyond all p. 57others: nothing beyond Gods Image; nothing better to be united to than God: let this set the life of grace at a high rate in your affections; men do it not, & therefore they despise religion in its selfe, & in those in whom it appeares.

Thirdly, yee have this advantage in this 3life of grace, it addes liberty to you, it makes you to doe those things that otherwise yee could not doe: it makes yee to pray, to repent, to beleeve, and to doe those things without which there is no salvation: Looke on Christ, there are but few that can doe this: there are few that can delight in God, relish the word in its purity, take pleasure in the company of the Saints: comfort themselves in the Lord their God; this life gives liberty, which is an addition of some perfection: it makes us to do things, that we could not doe before, and to doe them in another manner. A man having gotten an Art, hath liberty to doe those things which before he could not: as one that hath gotten the Art of logicke or geometry can doe that which before he could not doe: as one in health hath liberty to doe that which he could not doe being sicke: water being hot, hath liberty to heate, which it could not before: There is no liberty to doe holy actions, but this liberty of the life of grace: the Spirit of life addes liberty to doe the actions of life. 2 Cor. 3.17. where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty, to doe things which before we could p. 58not doe; as one having an Art can doe things that he could not doe before: This, though you prise it not, while your mountaine is strong, yet the time will come when yee will need liberty to pray, repent, and trust in God; and then yee will finde the pretiousnesse of it: this then sets a price upon this life of Grace, and should make you to desire it.

Thirdly, if it be a happy condition, and that bee the priviledge of those who are in Christ,Vse 3. that there is such a life for them; let this teach men to seeke it, to live this life of grace, to get it if they have it not: to confirme it if they have it; to abstaine from lust, the sicknesse of the soule, and the meanes to quench this life: take heed of estranging your selves from God, who is the principle of this life: take heed of dejections of mind, the cloudings that damp this life. This life is to be active, to act much in the wayes of God; when a man is cheerefull and vigorous hee lives a life of nature; so in this life of grace, he that hath a quicke and nimble sence, and is forward and busy in good workes, lives most; hath most life: he that rejoyceth most in God, hath most comforts, hath most life; Take heed of the contraries. Idlenesse, sencelesnesse, and barrennesse are contrary to life, take heed of them: take heed of sadnesse that rusts the wheeles of the soule, whereas joy doth oyle them. Doe all to further this life: avoyd all p. 59that hinders it. Labour now to be translated from death to life: that which hinders us, is, that we thinke we are in a state of life, when we are not. Now yee may know whether yee are alive or no, by seeing whether yee are dead or no: But because yee may be certaine whether yee are alive or not; I will give you some positive signes of life to know it.

First, yee are translated from death to life, yee are living men if ye love the Brethren, 11 Ioh. 3.14. If a man be a living man,Signes of spirituall life. he lives in another element then he did before; Every living man converseth with those of the same kind, as every creature doth; Sheepe with Sheepe, Lyons with Lyons, Doves with Doves; so living men will converse with living men. Not loving the brethren, wee are in a state of death: every creature must have an element to live in; a new life must have a new element: evill men out of their companies, are as Fish out of the water: every life hath a tast & appetite, a new life hath a new tast and judgement, Pro. 29.27. an unjust man is an abomination. to the just: & he that is upright in the way, is an abomination to the wicked: that is, one hates the things that the other loves: he that is alive, the things which before he loved, he now hates: he abhors the things, that evill men delight in. That which is a dogs meate, is a sheepes poyson, as the proverb it: so that which wicked men delight in, is as odious as poyson to the p. 60just. To judge this life by; see what your company and delights are, nothing can bee lesse dissembled than company. In his company man doth speake out of the abundance of the heart, he then bewrayes himselfe what he is: there is no dead man, nor living man but hee is inward with the like: no signe so much poynted at in the Scripture, as this, yee are translated from death to life, if yee love the brethren, 1 Ioh. 3.14. and Ioh. 13.35. By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples, if yee love one another: this rule will not deceive you.

2Secondly, yee may know whether yee live this life, if yee contend for it: that life which a man lives, for it he will contend; he will let any thing goe rather than it. If yee live this life of grace, yee will maintaine it: and yee can doe no otherwise. 1 Iohn 3.9. Hee that is borne of God cannot sinne: to be borne of God, is to leade a new life; he that lives a new life, admits not the things which tend to the destruction of it: Compare this with the 1. Pet. 2.11. abstaine from fleshly lusts, which fight against the soule: hee that is borne of God sinnes not; that is, hee yeelds not to sinne with his good will, but struggles against it; as one in health strives against sickenesse; resistes the disease, and maintaines a warre against it.

Object.But yet the best are foyled.

p. 61Tis true, yet they strive, they never yeeld;Answ. they maintaine a warre: and this they doe not onelyonly by discourse, but there is a naturall instinct that puts them forwards: they may be cast backe, yet they returne againe: they may have a sicknesse, that takes away sence▪ they may swound and be astonished for a time, yet after they contend for life: every evill man contends for his life: he leads his life in some lust, from which if he be drawne hee returnes againe: as a thing that is lifted from the earth, will fall downe to it againe: hee reckons the wayes of God hard, and opposite to him: the wisedome of the Spirit is enmity to the flesh: neyther can it be subject to the Law of God, Rom. 8. it cannot but resists it. Every creature labours to maintaine its being: so evill men continuing in sinne, strive naturally against all that would bring them out of this life of sinne: so the Saints they live a life of grace, and labour to maintaine it. Iohn 6.68. Christ asking his Disciples whether they also would goe away? Peter made this answer, Lord whither shall we goe, thou hast the words of eternall life; that is, whiles we conceive thee to be the principle and fountaine of this life, wee cannot depart from thee. The Saints wil let go friends and life, and all for this life. Count therefore of others and judge of your selves, by contesting for this life: strive to maintaine it, let all goe rather than it.

p. 62Thirdly, yee may know whether yee have this life in you or not, by the fruits of it, as the tree is knowne by its fruites. If the word turne the stocke into its owne nature, ye know it by the fruites. Gal. 5.25. If yee live in the Spirit yee will also walke in the Spirit; that is, if yee professe your selves holy men, shew it by walking in the Spirit: holy men will bee doing that which is good. This is the surest triall, our workes will not deceive us: other things which consist in imagination may. 1 Ioh. 3.10. In this the children of God are manifest and the children of the Divill: who doth not righteousnesse is not of God, he that is of God doth not unrighteousnesse. Consider then what your walke and your actions are, and by them yee shall know this life.

Object.But how shall wee know whether we walke in the Spirit or no?

Answ.I answer first, that there are many by-walkes, and if yee walke but in one of them, yee walke in the flesh, and not in the Spirit. Iam. 1.26. If any man seeme to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his owne heart, this mans religion is vaine: that is, hee that makes this sinne his trade, and walkes ordinarily in it, his religion is vaine. Secondly, yee may know it by the guides yee follow. Evill men they follow three guides. Ephe. 2.3. they follow first the world, secondly, the Divill, thirdly, the flesh. Holy men have three p. 63contrary guides, first, the renewed part within; secondly, the holy Ghost; thirdly, the course of the Saints. Go yee the broad way? oportet Sanctos vadere per diverticula, the Saints doe not so: follow yee the streame? fulfill yee the will of the flesh, or of the Spirit, what are your actions? Ephe. 4.17. I charge you that you hence forth walke not as the Gentiles do in the vanity of their minds: that is, holy men may have vanity in their minds, yet they walke not in it as others doe: evill men may have holy thoughts; yet they walke in the vanity of their minds; and albeit that evill men walke not in all the wayes of sin, yet they are dead: there is but one way to hit the marke, but there are a thousand by-wayes: a holy man may stumble in the wayes of God, and have some foyles, but he leads not his life in sinne, he strives against it: hee that leades his life in any knowne sinne, not resisting it, and will doe it, and not crosse himselfe in it, is dead; his religion is vaine.

But what actions are there,Object. that holy men doe, but that wicked men and others doe them?

I answer,Answ. that there is no good actions wee doe but they may bee dead workes: as men may pray, keepe the Sabbaths, and yet they may bee but dead workes: they may doe them for a shew, yet they are dead. A shaddow hath all the liniaments of a body, yet it wants life; p. 64so the workes of hypocrites, they want life, consider therefore, whether your workes are living workes; you may know it by these three signes.

First, if they proceed from the fountaine of life, they are not dead workes: compare Gal. 5.6. In Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love, with Gal. 6.15. In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availes any thing, neither uncircumcision, but a new creature: all not proceeding from a new heart, and from faith which worketh by love, is nothing: this is the roote of all, when all our actions come from faith, which workes by love: else, though they are never so pretious, they are but dead works. It is no matter whether yee pray or not, whether yee recive the Sacrament, keepe the Sabbaths or not, they helpe not a jot unlesse they come from the principle of life, a new creature.

Secondly, consider the manner of their working: they will bee done with quicknesse and vivacity: Men do them as living actions, with all propensnesse and readinesse; with much connaturalnesse, with much fervency and zeale; when they are done in a perfunctory manner, they are dead workes.

3Thirdly, yee may know them by their end; looke yee to Christ? doe yee all in sincerity to him or no, or to your selves? if yee doe, p. 65then they are gracious workes, and proceed from grace; they are living actions, and not dead: they issue from a right principle ayming at God, and not at your selves. Hosea. 10.1. Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruite to himselfe. If you bring forth …ruits to your selves and not to God, yee are but empty Vines, God accepts you not.

Fourthly, this life is discovered by your 4behaviour to the meanes of life, when they are brought unto you: when there is no sound or no voyce, there is no distinction twixt a deafe, and a hearing man: so where there is no light, there is no difference twixt a seeing man, & a blind: but the light differs them. So when as the light of the Gospel shines, then men are tryed: In times of ignorance, God regards not men so much, but now in time of the Gospel, see if it be powerfull, and whether you set your selves about holy duties. Matth. 3.10. Now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree: that is, since Iohns comming there is a distinguishment twixt living and dead trees: A tree is not discovered to bee dead, till it wither; no man will cut downe a tree in winter, because he knowes not then whether it be dead or no; the Spring distinguisheth the dead and living trees, in the winter they are all alike. The Spring is the powerfull preaching of the word; if men spring not then, if they come not in, they are dead. Those whose education p. 66hath beene good; those who live under a powerfull Ministry, now is the Axe laid to the roote of the tree with them; it is a signe they are dead, if they profit not by it.

5Fiftly, yee may know whether yee have this life by the food it is fed with; severall lives are fed with severall foode. Now the food of this new life of grace is double, first, 1the word, secondly, good workes. First, the word, 1 Pet. 2.25. As new borne babes, desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby, if so bee that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious: that is, if yee are alive as you professe your selves to bee, you shall know it by your behaviour to that which doth nourish your life. First yee will long after the word, as the child doth after the Teate. If the child be hungry, neyther apples, nor rattles, nor any thing else can quiet him but the Teate: So nothing can quiet these but the word. Others may have excuses; they will have none; Eyther they will live where the word is, or they will bring it home to them; they 2will bring themselves to it, or it to them. Secondly, they desire the sincere milke of the word; many things may be mingled with the word, that doe please the wit, yet those who live the life of grace, desire the sincere word, the 3pure word, without any mixture. Thirdly, they desire it, that they may grow thereby: many p. 67desire it to know it onelyonly: if ye desire it as new borne babes, it will make you better & better; many heare, but as men having an Atrophy in their bodies, they grow not, no fruite comes thereby. Fourthly, they taste a sweetnesse in 4the word above others: the second ground received the word with joy; and Herod heard Iohn Baptist with gladnesse; but where there is true grace, they goe farther: they delight in the word, it is sweeter to them than the hony: few can say so in good earnest, that the pure word is sweeter to them than Hony or the Hony Combe. Iob hee esteemed the word more than his appointed food, Iob. 23.12. The second food 2of this life is good workes. Ioh. 4.32.33.34. is the place out of which I collect this, where Christ being asked of his Disciples to eate: said that hee had other meate that they knew not of; then said they, hath any man brought him ought to eate? Hee saith unto them, My meate is to doe the will of him that sent me, and to finish his worke. Doe you good workes with such a desire as men eate and drinke? doe you hunger and thirst after them, desiring for to doe them? Then yee are alive. Hypocrites may doe much, but it is not their meate and drinke to doe it; examine therefore your selves by these signes, whether you are alive or dead. This is the preaching of the law, to shew you the narrow differences of life and death. The first step to life is to know, that yee are in a p. 68state of death: the Law must goe before the Gospel, Iohn Baptest before Christ: yee must bee brought to their case in the 2 Act. 37. who were pricked at the hearts, yee must bee brought unto the case of the Iaylor, and of Paul: to the case of the Prodigall, that you may know your estate: then yee come home. Our end is to preach life and comfort to you, not damnation. Rom. 15.4. All Scripture is written for our comfort: now there are many things in the Scripture that tend to discomfort and terrors, yet their end is comfort: as Physicke is sharpe for the time, yet the end is health. Wee desire not to exclude any, but to bring you in whilst you have time: the market is then hard to make, when yee lye on your death beds, labour to know it in time: your death is a time of spending not of getting; it was too late for the foolish Virgins to buy oyle, when they were to attend the bride-groome. We desire not to affright you with false feares, but to admonish you, that you be not deceived. I finde this sentence, Be not deceived, prefixed before many places of Scripture, where Gods judgement are denounced, as 1 Cor. 6.9. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, Idolaters, Adulterers, &c. shall inherit the kingdome of God; and Eph. 5.6. Be not deceived with vaine words, for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience; to shew, that men are apt to deceive themselves, in such p. 69cases as these, thinking themselves to bee in better estate then they are. Consider your sinnes and apply them. Consider your particular sinnes, actio est singularium. Consider your particular sinnes, your particular actions, these will worke upon you. This course Peter tooke with the Iewes, Act. 2. yee have crucified the Lord of life; so Christ told Paul, that he was a persecutor, Act. 9. so Iohn 4. he told the woman of Samaria her particular sinnes: he that shee now lived with, was not her husband; so God told Adam, thou hast eaten of the forbidden fruit, Gen. 3. If yee have committed any grosse sinnes, as drunkennesse, covetousnesse pride, ambition, and the like, consider them. Consider your other sinnes, minoris infamiae, not minoris culpae; as neglecting of holy duties, mispending the time, gaming, overly performing of holy duties, unprofitable hearing, keeping of bad company, profaning of the Sabbath, and the like. Consider then the terrors of God and hell, know with what a God you have to deale, and what a burthen sin is, if God charge those on the consciences yee cannot beare them. I desire not by this to burthen you, but to unburthen you of your corruptions. Now seeing this life is so excellent, I will adde certaine motives to make you to desire it.