A Lifeless Life, Title page

A Lifeless Life · Title page

A LIVELES LIFE: OR, Mans Spirituall death in Sinne. Wherein is both learnedly and profitably handled these foure Doctrines

The Spirituall Death in Sinne.

The Doctrine of Humiliation.

Mercy to be found in Christ.

Continuance in sinne, dangerous.

Being the substance of severall Sermons upon EPHES. 2. 1, 2, 3. And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sins, &c. Whereunto is annexed a profitable Sermon at LINCOLNES INNE, On GEN. XXII. XIV. Delivered by that late faithful Preacher, and worthy Instrument of Gods glory, IOHN PRESTON, Dr. in Divinity, Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns-Inne.

ROM. 7. 9. For I was alive without the Law once, but when the Commandement came, sinne revived, and I dyed.

LONDON: Printed by I. Beale, for Andrew Crooke, at the Blacke Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1633.

p. 1AN EXCELLENT TREATISE OF THE SPIRITVALL DEATH IN SINNE.

EPHES. 2. 1, 2, 3.

And you hath he quickned, who were dead in trespasses and sinnes.

Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the ayre, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

Among whom also wee all had our conuersation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the minde, and were by nature the children of wrath, euen as others.

THe scope of the Apostle in the former part of this Chapter,The scope of the Chapter. is, to stirre vp the Ephesians to a high estimation of their redemption by Christ; and that hee might the better doe this, hee sheweth …hem their estate without Christ; That they were p. 2children of wrath, and dead in sinnes and trespasses: and that they were dead in sinne, hee proueth, Because they walked in sinne: That they walked in sinne, he proveth, Because they had amongst them some false guides,Three false guides among the Ephesians. which here hee reckons up, and declares them to be these three:

First, the World; (They walked according to the course of the world.)

Secondly, the Devill; (According to the prince of the power of the aire.)

Thirdly, the lusts of the flesh; (Among whom also we all had our conuersation, in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, &c.)

The first point that we will observe as naturally arising out of the words,Doct. is this,

That all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sinnes.

This point is to be considered of all men, both those which are alive, and quickened out of this Lethargie; and those which are yet dead in their trespasses and sinnes. That wee are thus dead in sinne,The Doctrine proved first by Reason, it plainly appeares by this reason; All mankinde were represented in our first parent Adam, of whose fall this death of sinne, and of nature, was made a part of the punishment; now he being the root of us all, and that being dead, all the branches must needs be dead also.Secondly, by Scriptures. It is also plaine by places of Scripture: as, Ioh 5. 25. The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God, and they that heare shall live: so againe, Ephes. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest, and stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall give p. 3thee light. Also in the Gospell, our Saviour Christ saith, Let the dead goe burie the dead: that is, let such as are dead in trespasses and sinnes, goe burie those that are dead through sinne. By all which places it plainly appears, that all men by nature are dead in sinne. This men consider not: You would thinke it a gashly sight to see Churches, streets, and houses for to lye full of dead corpes: but for to see places full of men spiritually dead, which is farre the worse, is a more gashly sight; and yet who amongst us is there, almost, that doth consider it?

In this death in trespasses and sinnes, for our fuller understanding of it, I will shew you these five things:

1. What this death is.

2. The kinds of this death.

3. The signes of this death.

4. The degrees of this death.

5. The use to be made of it.1▪ What this death is.

First, What this death is.

To know this, we must understand that as a corporall death,Two things, a naturall and a spiritual death so a spirituall death hath two things in it:

First, As in the naturall death there is a privation of life when the soule is seperated from the bodie; so in the spirituall death there is a privation of the life of the soule; namely, the extinction of originall righteousnesse; by reason of which, a man can neither set hand nor foot forward in the waies of goodnesse; as Paul confesseth of himselfe: p. 4for as the seperation of the soule makes the body to dye; so the extinction of originall righteousnesse makes the soule to dye.

Secondly, As in the death of the bodie there is a stinking carkasse left, when the soule is departed thence; so in the death of the soule there is a positive corrupted qualitie left, called the flesh, whereby a man is prone to doe all evill: And therefore they are called dead workes: Dead workes why so called.Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us goe on unto perfection; not laying againe the foundation of repentance from dead workes, &c. Heb. 6. 1. And so againe in the 9. chapter of the same Epistle,, and 15. verse; where it is said, How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workes, to serve the living God. Now it seemes a contradiction that they should be workes, and yet dead; but yet it is so, because besides the privation of good, there is a positive evill, and stirring qualitie, which is active, and bringeth forth these evill and dead workes.

Now for the chiefe seat of this death:The seat of this death. It is chiefly seated in the minde and understanding, and not in the will. The Understanding is primum vivens, & moriens primum; the first living, and first dead: for although the will bee corrupted, yet whatsoever is in it, is carried through the understanding. And this death of the understanding is such a darkenesse of judgement, as thereby a man esteemes not, but dislikes the p. 7wayes of God and goodnesse, and approves the wayes of sinne and wickednesse. And in this facultie of man, the understanding, is this death of sinne chiefly seated; therefore it it is said, Ioh. 1. 4, 5. In him was light, and that light was the life of men. So also, Ephes. 5. 14. the place before mentioned, Awake thou that sleepest, and stand vp from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light: Ephes. 5. 1….Eph 5:1where hee sayes, not life, but light; for if there be light, life will certainly follow: So againe, Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes, that they may turne from darknesse to light. One would thinke, that in these places it should bee life, and not light; but it is so put to shew that the chiefest seat of this death is in the understanding. Therefore also is it said, Be renewed in the spirit of your mindes, Rom. 12. 2. And to the same purpose also saith Iames, Iam. 1. 18. The word of Truth begat you: now Truth hath a reference to the understanding. And thus briefly have I given you a taste what this death is, and the place wherein it is seated.

2.2. The kinds of this death. Now it followes that we speake of the kinds of this death; which for the better handling, and benefit of your memories, I will range into these three sorts:

1 The death of guilt, by which we are bound oover to eternal damnation: and so in the same manner usually wee say, a man condemned is a dead man.

2 The death which is opposed to the life of grace which is the seperation of grace from our soule.

p. 63. The death which is opposed to the lif of joy and comfort, which is a thousand times more terrible than all deaths, if it were truly, and as it is indeed apprehended.

Which latter death, that you may the better conceive of, I will open it a little to you.

God joynes with every mans soule, and gives to the most wicked man some seeming life of grace, and some colourable life of comfort; for else they would indure an hell here upon earth.

For the first; although the wicked have no true grace, yet they have a shadow of it, as is manifest in their morall vertues. So for the second, for comfort, they have some, although no true comfort: for God is the author of comfort, as the Sunne is of light; which all, both good and bad, doe more or lesse participate of, or else they could not subsist: As may appeare by the contrary; for, when he doth but once with-draw his comfort from us,How terrible the taking away of Gods presence is. it is the terriblest thing in the world: An example of this we may see in Christ; when this comfort was with-drawne from him but in sense and feeling onelyonly, it made him cry out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Matth. 27. 46. Where Gods presence is taken away, there is nothing but horror and trembling: and I have knowne such, that in his absence, when his presence hath beene taken away, have had their soules so pressed with horror, that they have said, That if at a thousan… yeeres end they might enjoy the comfortable presence of God, they would thinke themselves th… p. 7happiest men in the world. The absence of this, made Luther to say, That if all the creatures in heaven and hell should set to torment him, they could not doe it so much as the with-drawing of Gods comfort did.

Alas, poore creatures, now in this world God is not seperated from you, you feele not the torment of this death, but now you enjoy the crepusculum, and day-light of this comfort; and therefore although it bee now slightly esteemed, and little regarded, yet when that day shall come that the Lord shall totally seperate them from his presence, they shall by lamentable experience learne how terrible a thing it is. Thus much for the second point, the kinds of this death.

3.3. The signes of this death. For the signes of this death.

The signes of it may be taken from them of the bodily death; the signes of that are these foure:

1. The understanding faileth.Foure signs of bodily death.

2. There is want of sense.

3. Want of motion.

4. There is a deadnesse in the face.

These foure things you shall finde in a spirituall death:1. Privation of reason. First, As those that are corporally dead, want reason and understanding, so doe those that are spiritually dead; they cannot understand the things of God, no more then men can judge of colours in the darke.

I but some man will object and say,Obiect. The carnall man knowes many things, he hath a generall notion of the God-head, and can talke of the creation p. 8of man, and his redemption by Christ, he can discourse of faith, repentance, &c.

There is a great difference betweene knowing Spirituall things,Answ. A difference betweene knowing spirituall things, and knowing them in a right manner. and knowing them after a right manner; a carnall man knoweth them, but not in a right manner, not in a spirituall manner. And hence is that of the Apostle, Tit. 1. 16. They professe that they know God, but in workes they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good worke reprobate: The word which there is translated reprobate, is foreign; signifying, unable to judge. Indeed in the generall they may understand and like the things that are of God, but come to particular circumstances, that crosseth them; they, as a Divine sayes of them, love veritatem lucentem, non redarguentem; they wholly dislike particulars, because they bring them to hic et nunc, to particulars. In the abstract they louelove holinesse, but not as it is applied to particulars, as it convinces them of their particular sinnes. Hence it is that godly men are most hated of them that come neerest to them in shew, because they bring light home to them, and discover their acerrima proximorumodiv, their inward and bosome hatred of their neighbours: It is as much as if one should bring a Torch to one that is a doing some unlawfull thing, some deed of darknesse, he would wish him further off: their lives shine as lights, and therefore giving good examples by a shining and godly conversation, which is contrary to the life of the ungodly and hypocriticall ones, they cannot chuse but hate them: and as all wicked p. 9men hate them, so especially those that are nighest unto them in shew; because that their life doth not onelyonly shine unto them, and lay open their vildnesse, but scorch them also; and therefore they being occupied about the workes of darkenesse, wish them as farre off as they can: So that hence we see, with an approving judgement, not any save those which are quickned, can understand spirituall things.

2.2. Privation of sense. The second thing wherein a naturall death consisteth, was in a privation of sense; so also is it in the Spirituall death; for their hearts are strong and cannot bee moved; although I deny not but sometime they may have a little griping of conscience, and sense of Gods judgement, which naturally ariseth from conscience; but they never have any reall and true feeling of it.

3.3. Want of motion. In a naturall death they are without motion; so likewise it is in a Spirituall death; for the wicked can no more move themselves unto any good worke, than a dead man can move himselfe out of his grave.

4.4. Want of beauty and vigour. In a naturall death there is a want of vigorousnesse and beauty, as well in the face as in all other parts of the body; so also there is in the Spiritual death the losse of that vigorous beauty which followes the life of grace; they may bee seene to have death in the face; if a living man beholds them, he knowes how to discerne it: although I deny not but that they may have hypocriticall painted vertues, which may to weake eyes for a p. 10great while seeme true ones; as men may have painted faces that have been taken for living ones, but they are not true graces, such as proceed from the life of grace indeed.

I but some may here object and say,Obiect. have not some men many excellent morall vertues, such as even the godly themselves have not?

Indeed it's true that they have,Answ. How wicked men may have moral vertues and these are Gods gifts also, but yet they are but as chaines of gold about a dead mās neck, oras pearls in a swines snout: There may be many good things in them, but they make them not good men; for as the evill actions of good men redound not to their persons to make them evill, so these good actions in evill men, redound not to their persons to make them good; they may have good in them, but are not good. And thus much for this third point, the signes of this death.

4. To come to the degrees of this death: First,4. The degrees of this death. The death of guilt. for the death of guilt, that hath degrees; some men are more bound over than others, as the Heathen men that were guided onelyonly by the light of nature, they indeed were guilty; but the Jewes which had a more perfect knowledge, they were more guilty then they: and now we that live under the tropicke of the Gospell, and have Sermon upon Sermon, line upon line, and every day are instructed, are more guilty then the Jewes: and amongst us, they that have most meanes, and profit least, are most guilty of all; and therefore are most bound over unto this death.

p. 11Secondly,The death opposite to the life of grace. for the death that is opposite to the life of grace and sanctification, that also admits degrees:

1. For the first part, the privation of life, indeed there is no degree; but all that are dead, in regard of the privation and absence of originall righteousnesse, are all dead alike.

2. But for the second, to wit, the positive corrupt quality, which is called the flesh, that admits degrees: for one may be mad and drunke both alike, but the one may have some sparkes of reason more then the other. The degrees therefore of this death,Three degrees of this death. The first. are these three that follow:

1. When men doe oppose and set themselves against a holy life, although it bee closely and cover…ly under other names, for against them directly the Divell will not speake, because the knoweth it will not be regarded; but he speakes against them under names of reproach, which he himselfe hath invented. These men are one of the bottome staires of the chamber of death; and therefore it is almost impossible they should ever rise, but must needs remaine in a pittifull case, although it may be they thinke farre otherwise.

2. When men are given up to voluptuousnesse and sensuality;The second. as Paul speaketh of the wanton widow, 1. Tim. 5. 6. that because shee lived in voluptuousnesse, shee was dead while she lived: Even so, the more a man is sunke into voluptuous courses, the more hee is dead, and as it were buried in his corruptions, so that hee is altogether unable to p. 12stirre out of them; it is a very difficult thing to leave them;The third. as in the sinnes of uncleannesse.

3. When we are indifferent, and care not how things goe; and this is when a man is addicted unto the death of civill men, which is a degree nearer to life, yet is truly and indeed no better than a death: such as have much restraining grace, these are nearer the gate of heaven then others, yet they are as truly shut out as they that are furthest off; it is no matter how neere they are to heaven, since they are all out of heaven alike; they shall be sure, if never any more quickened, to goe to hell as well as others.

Thirdly,The death opposite to the life of ioy. The death that is opposed to the life of joy and comfort, that hath also degrees: God sometimes with-drawes his comfort from some more than others, and so suffers some to have lesse horror then others: Thus I have briefly explained this death, in which all men naturally are. I will now answer an objection of Bellarmine against that which hath beene said, and so come to the fifth thing.

Some there be that say,Obiect. If all men are dead in sinne, as you say they are, then to what end is all our Preaching, and your hearing? for the dead are without life, and cannot be moved with any of these things, and therefore they are all in vaine.

To this I answer;Ans. 1 first, that although every man by nature be dead unto grace, yet he hath the lif… of reason in sinne, whereby hee is able to perceive two things:

p. 131. To see that they are dead, and without this life of grace, their conscience telling them so.

2. By the sight and feeling of their death, they are able to bring themselves to the meanes of life, as to the Word and Sacraments.

Secondly, I answer;Ans. 2. that though all men be dead, yet there is an end and effect of our speaking, and their hearing: for the Word that we speake may put life into them, as the word that Christ spake unto Lazarus, was able to raise him from the dead.

Thirdly,Ans. 3. A difference betweene the spirituall and corporall death. Wee must know that there is a great difference betweene this spirituall death, and the corporall death; for this death consisteth in the understanding and will, and is a free willing death; in it they freely slye good, and embrace evill; they freely choose the wayes of death, and therefore are said to be already dead: as, suppose a man is resolved to commit murder, or treason, and a friend come to him, and perswade him from it, and cannot prevaile, that man may bee said to bee dead, because he will doe that that will cost him his life: Even so we may affirme that that man is dead already, because hee will doe that that will bring death after the doing of it.

5.5. The Vses of this point. Now for the fift thing, the uses of this point, That all men by nature are dead in sinne.

The first Use then that wee may make of this point,Vses. 1. is, If all men are dead in sinne, then let us be exhorted not to deferre our repentance,Not to defer repentance. saying, we will repent afterward. This is a fault usuall amongst young men, and such as presume of their p. 14strength and ability of nature to live a great while, they find nature strong in them, and therefore put off repentance till they be sick, and age bring them to thinke of death: but let such consider that they are dead already, and repentance is a putting of a new life into them: Dost thou thinke it is in thy power to create a new life in thee when thou art dead? Surely,How the devil deceives men in perswading them to put off their repentance, no more is it in thy power to repent when thou wouldest. Hereby the devil entrappeth many, in putting this conceit into them, that they may repent when they will; and this hee bringeth them unto, by making them to mistake repentance, in conceiving of it to be nothing else but a sorrow for sinne past, and a purpose to live well afterward, and leave all sinne: he neuer tels them, nor they neuer thinke that it is the creation of a new life in them; for then they would say more: but they are decejued, this is not to repent, for thou mayest doe all this, and yet when thou hast done, be damned. But such repentance as will save thy soule,Saving repentance what it is. is a sorrow for they sinne that is past, and a purpose for the time to come to endevour to leave all sinne, arising out of a love to God: for all repentance ariseth either out of a love of God, or else from selfe-love: if it be out of a love of God, thou wilt presently give thy selfe unto his service, and forsake thy sinne: if it be not out of love to God, but out of selfe-love, that thou purposest to forsake thy sinne, then it is not true repentance, b… false, and riseth from by-respects. Repentance is hard to be had, it is not in thine owne power; except p. 15God breathe a new life into thee, thou canst not repent; thou art as the red clod of earth before God, of which he made Adam; it had no life, untill he breathed into it: so while the spirit breatheth in us, we are dead. A Beast may desire his owne life, so may a man his owne salvation, but hee can doe nothing without the spirit blowes. When then the spirit blowes, why wilt thou be so foolish as to deferre thy repentance unto another time? If a man upon paine of death were within twenty dayes to be beyond the Seas,Simile. if the wind should blow well for his purpose the first, second, or third day, would hee bee so foolish as to neglect it, and deferre his journey, and say, it may bee it will blow againe tenne dayes hence, and then I will goe? No, he will not be so foolish, for hee knowes the winde bloweth where and when it listeth; and therefore he will take it when it blowes, least it blow there no more. In these earthly things men are not so foolish, why therefore are they so ignorant in this point of spirituall wisdome? Let every one of us then hereby be perswaded to learne wisedome; when the spirit bloweth, neglect it not: certaine it is, that except it doth blow in thy heart, thou art damned; therefore when it doth blow, suppose it be at 17. or 18. yeeres of age, neglect it not, omit it not, neither deferre it, it may be it will never blow againe, and thou canst not make it blow when thou wouldest, for it is free.

There are none which live vnderunder the Gospell, but at some time or other have had some blasts of p. 16the Spirit, but in some it vanisheth as bubbles in the water: but let us take heed of that, and unlesse we could have them againe when we would, let us not let them passe: when thou hast but the least sparke, let it not goe out, leave it not till it is become a slame to purifie thy heart.

Francis Spira neglecting these comfortable blasts,An example of Spira. at the last wished that hee might have had but one drop of that comfort which once he despised; and so till his last breath, cryed out, I am damned. God not therefore still on in thy sinnes, falsly perswading thy selfe, saying, thou shalt bee saved: Remember what God threatneth unto such men, Deut. 29. 19. He that hearing the words of this curse, shall blesse himselfe, saying, I shall have peace though I follow my sinnes; the Lord will not bee mercifull to that man. Sit downe therefore but one halfe houre, and consider with thy selfe, that thou art but a dead man, and that thou canst not quicken thy selfe, but it is God onelyonly that is able to quicken thee; and the quickeneth whom hee will, and those whom he quickeneth are but very few, as the gleaning after the harvest, or the grapes after the vintage, and thou knowest not whether thou art in that small number: Consider, I say, but this with thy selfe, and surely this will make thee never to give thy selfe rest, untill thou findest life in thee, and never be quiet untill thou art sure thou art quickened.

Another Use which wee will make of this point,Vse 2. How to esteem civill men. is, If naturally all men are dead in trespasses p. 17and sinnes, this should teach us how to esteeme of civill men, and such like; wee should esteeme of such men as of dead men: and therefore,

1 We should not overvalue them.

2 We should not make them our companions.

First, We should not overvalue them. For their beauty, they have none that is true beauty: what beauty have dead men in them? they are dead, let us not regard their seeming beauty. Esteeme the poore Saints; for they, though never so meane, are better then those, though never so brave. Grant your civill men bee as Lions, (then which no irrationall creature is better,) and that your Saints are but as dogges (then which no creature is worser,) yet a living dogge is better than a dead Lion. It's a signe of a new life to esteeme no carnall excellencie: so saith Paul, 2 Cor. 5. 16, 17. Wherefore henceforth know wee no man after the flesh; yea, though wee have knowne Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know wee him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold all things are become new: hee, that is, a new creature, will not regard these things, but they will bee dead in his account. They account us but dead men, therefore let us account them so also.

Secondly, Make them not your companions.

Wee may, and ought to love them with the love of pitty, but not with the love of delight and complacency: if thou love them, and delight in them, it is a signe thou art dead also; yet in p. 18this we are to blame, that wee doe not more pitty them, and seeke their salvation, but wee must not delight in them, and make them our familiar acquaintance, for wee can never thrive in grace till we leave them: for although they bee dead, yet they have a leaven which wil infect thee, although thou perceivest it not. Wee use to say, wee will make use to our selves of the good in them, but let the hurt goe: but wee cannot doe so; for wee are insensibly hurt, when we thinke we are furthest from it:Simile. Even as a man is tanned when he is working in the Sunne, and hee never perceives it; so doth their company infect us insensibly, when wee thinke least of it: It's therefore but a folly to purpose to serve God, and not to breake off their company;Simile. yea, it is a plaine contradiction. Every man is compared to a coale, he is either living or dead; if he be a living coale, hee will kindle him that is next him; but if hee bee a dead coale, hee then will blacke and fully thee: Even so it is with company, if it be good and zealous, it will kindle our affections; but if bad, it will bee sure to infect us: therefore from such company thou must either gaine good or harme; but for good, certaine it is that thou canst receive none, and therefore thou must receive harme: If thou walke with the wise, thou shalt be more wise; if with the foole, thou shalt learne folly, Pro. 13. 20.

The third Use wee will make of this point, is this,Vse 3. To stirre up to thankfulnesse for being quickned. Seeing that by nature all of us are children of wrath, and dead in trespasses and sinnes, This should p. 19stirre up those that are quickened, to be thankefull to God therefore. Above all, wee ever labour to bee most thankefull to him that hath saved our lives; and this God hath done for us, let us therefore stirre up ourselves to thankfulnesse. Paul, as we may read, Rom. 7. 24, 25. joynes these two together, his deliverance, and his thankfulnesse; O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thanke God, through Iesus Christ our Lord. I confesse the world esteemes not this, but if they have riches therein, they rejoyce; and so like the dunghill Cocke, or unskilfull Lapidaries, preferre vaine things before this precious Jewell; but they that have once found the sweetnesse of it, will not lose it for a world: for if wee have but this, what though wee lose wife, children, goods, credit, and good name? they are all too light being layd in the ballance with this. Doe yee every one therefore consider who it was that gave thee this, and to him yeeld all thankfulnesse. Let us love much, because as much is forgiven, so much is given to us: Paul was much stirred up with this consideration, thinking that he could never doe enough for Christ, who had done so much for him; as appears in many places of his Epistles.

The fourth Use we will make of this point, is, If we are all dead in trespasses and sinnes,Vse 4. How to esteeme of the meanes of grace. then this teacheth us how we should esteeme of the means of grace: if wee are dead, then it must bee an Omnipotent power which must quicken us. All p. 20the meanes, as the Word preached, the receiving the Sacraments, &c. are but dead letters, they are but as pennes without inke, God must put inke into them if ever they be effectuall: and therefore as wee must not give too little to the meanes, so wee must not give too much, nor rest in them. When wee come to heare the Word preached, it is not the hearing of the Minister, but Christ in the Word preached, which makes us live. It is good to heare the Minister, but except wee heare another voyce speaking to the heart, as his doth to the eare, we shall never be the better: it is Christs voyce in the Word which doth quicken and put life in our soules. But here let mee warne you to take heed of breaking the Conduit-pipe from the Fountaine; if thou hearest and profitest not, know that it is because Christ speaketh not to the eares of the heart, as well as the Minister to our outward eares.

The fifth and last Use wee will make of this point shall be,Vse 5. To examine ourselves whether we have life in us or no. Simile. If that naturally all men are dead in sinne, this should teach us to try our selves, and see whether wee are dead or alive. Consider the shortnesse and uncertainty of thy life here: Mans life is like an houre-glasse; if it runnes his course it is but an houre, and it may be broken before it is run out: ye have but a short while to live here, according to the course of Nature, and yet perhaps that course may not runne out too, it may bee broken off before wee are aware; and then for ever, either in heaven or hell, wee must abide hereafter: p. 21Oh then never be quiet vntill you see wihther you shall goe, to eternall blisse, or everlasting woe. Here the Diuels triicke is to put it into mens heads,How the divell deceives civill men. that a civill life will serue the turne: but he dealeth with them as those that take gold from infants, and give them counters and rattles: and thus he would keepe them from this consideration, perswading them of the latitude of religion, and telling them that they are well enough, seeing they are troubled for some sinnes, and doe some duties, perhaps, in private, but this you may doe, and yet be dead still. If he cannot prevaile this way, then he will labour to hinder them by drawing them on in a voluptuous course of life, or with worldly cares, and so draweth them from themselves, and so makes them never to consider what they are doing, nor whit…er they are going: and therefore is it that in the Gospell of Saint Luke, chap. 16. the prodigall Son is sayd, to come home to himselfe, when he once beganne to consider his estate: Although their conscience tell them all is wrong, yet the tabrets of lusts and pleasures make such a deane where they are, that they heare it not, and so never consider: nay, if that Christ himselfe againe, or the sonnes of Thunder should speake, yet except Gods Spirit should inwardly worke, it would not make men seriously to consider their estates: It is the hardest thing in the world to make men sensible of life and death. Let us therefore bee moved in particular to consider whether we are dead or alive.

p. 22If thou art quickened,Two signes of our quickning 1. thou shalt finde, one time or other, these two things in thee:

First, Thou once hadst a deepe and sensible consideration of thine estate by nature, thou wert deeply affected with it, so that thou sawest what need thou hadst of Christ: till thou hast had this consideration, thou art a dead man. I know God can save thee without this, hee could come without the terrible voyce, as Christ could have come without Iohn Baptist before him, but hee will not, neither ever doth, because it is impossible for a man highly to esteeme of Christ till hee is thus humbled; for hee never will preferre him in particular actions, and take him with all crosses and losses, till hee fully see what need hee hath of him, which he cannot untill he is thus humbled.

Secondly, Consider if thou wer… ever changed from what thou formerly wert; neither is it a slight change that will serve, but it must bee both constant and generall; it must not be for a month or a yeare, but daily and continually. It must bee such a change that all where thou livest may see it; thou must become a new soule in another body: Thy change must be so great that thou mayst say, Ego non sum ego, I am not my selfe, I am quite another man: There must be as great a change in thee, as there is in a white cloth when it is died blacke. Such a change was in Paul, he was converted from a persecutor to a Preacher: So thou must of a Lion be made a Lambe: there must as much difference be in us, as is between winter & summer.

p. 23And now seeing the time of the Sacrament is at hand,An application to examine our selves before we receive the Sacrament, let us all examine our selves: we must not make excuses to keepe from the Sacrament, but as all, Nehem. 9. were to come to the Passeover, else they were to be cut off from their people, except they could shew some good cause; so I know no reason why it should not be so still for the Sacrament. But againe, on the other side, if wee doe come, and are dead men, wee come unworthily, and eat and drinke our owne damnation in not discerning the body of Christ, 1. Cor. 11. 29. which we doe when wee doe not sufficiently esteeme it, and conceive not what right we have to, which was the Corinthians sinne; for they knew well enough that that did represent his body. Let us therefore take heed we come preparedly; for as God strooke Vzzah for touching the Arke with polluted hands, and Nadab and Abihu for offering of strange fire, so if thou come unpreparedly to the Sacrament, he will strike thee.

But to returne to the poynt which was even now handled, That all men are dead in trespasses and sinnes, because it is point which concernes all sorts of men, wee will a little further consider it, and in the next place speake of the nature of dead men.The nature of dead men.

Dead men are either,

1. Such as are starke dead in sinne,Two kinds of spiritually dead men. and doe make no shew at all of life; as are all open prophane, and notoriously wicked men.

2. Such as are dead indeed, and in truth, but yet p. 24make a shew of life, outwardly seeme to have it; like the Angels, that have appeared many times in assumed bodies, but yet have none of their owne that is true and substantiall; and these are chiefly dissembling hypocrites, or men meerely civill.

First, This starke deadnesse, without any shew at all of life,First, starke deadnesse. of which sort wee have every where too too many; consists chiefly,

1. In the privation of life.

2. In an active positive principle.

Now there are certaine signes arising from both these, and they are

1. Positive.

2. Privative.

1 The Positive signes of a dead man,Three positive signes of dead men. are these three:

1First, All those which live any life, whatsoever it be,A careless neglect of goodnesse. seeke such things as are agreeable to preserve that life, and hate the contrary: as a man that liveth a naturall life, looketh for food, rayment, &c. so in the life of grace, there is an aptnesse to cleave unto goodnesse, and unto Christ, as iron doth to the Loadstone: So a man that lives the life of grace, his delight is in praying, hearing, reading, &c. but his lusts, they are aegritudines animae, the soules sicknesses; they are as thornes to his sides, and smoke to his eyes, and he is never well or at quiet, untill they are removed and gone: but a wicked man, one that is dead in sinne, he is sicke of goodnesse (as the other is of wickednesse) and p. 25weary of it; he is too strait-laced in it, and therefore cannot brooke it. A godly man hath an inward aptnesse and inclination to serve God, as fire naturally inclines to goe upward: indeed hee may sometimes contract impurity, and have some corruptions, yet they are but as mud in a cleere and living fountaine, they are soone washed away; but wicked men are like ditches which are full of mudde at their best, and there it lyes and continues.

Secondly, another positive signe of this deadnesse, 2is,A lying still in any lust. When a man lies in any living lust, or knowne sinne: for as a mortall disease and life cannot stand together, no more can a living lust and the life of grace. That is a living lust, when although sometimes hee may have fits of resisting,A living lust, what it is. yet he alwayes gives over, and still yeelds to that lust, saying, It is their nature, and they cannot choose but commit, it, they know not how to resist it; when as if there was some present Judgement threatned thee, upon the commission of it, then thou couldest forbeare: This I call a living lust, and although it be but one, yet if other lusts tempted thee as much as that, thou wouldest commit them also: if thou forsakest other sinnes, because they are sinnes, why forsakest thou not this also? Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts. There is in every man a body of lust; if any member of that body be unmortified, he is yet a dead man. 1 Tim. 5. 6. Shee which liveth in pleasure, is dead while shee is p. 26alive. Some may keepe themselves cleane from some sinnes, but that will not serve; for if they live in any knowne sinne, they are dead.

3Thirdly,An antipathy to God and godlinesse. a third positive signe is, When a man hath a secret antipathy against God and godlinesse. Some beasts naturally hate some colours; so some men, out of a naturall inclination, cannot endure goodnesse it selfe, though they pretend some cause. I call it an antipathy when a mans stomacke riseth against a thing, and hee knoweth not wherefore: so they hate goodnesse, meerely out of a naturall abhorring of the thing it selfe, although they pretend some cause for which they hate it. They distant holinesse of life, and for no just cause: if it be you distast such men as professe an holy and pure conversation, onelyonly because they doe not conforme (as some pretend,) why doe you distant those also that doe conforme? If you dislike the professors of an holy life because of the hypocrisie they have found in them, as some have not stood to say, why doe you also dislike those that you are sure are no hypocrites? They cannot define the holy man they hate, but have a secret naturall hatred to them they cannot tell why: but we know the reason well enough; it is because they live a contrary life to them, and therefore cannot agree no more than fire and water: indeed fire and water may agree in remisse degrees, but not in intense; so these men can suffer those which are indifferently holy, but if they come to any perfection and height of holinesse, then they cannot p. 27endure them. Now the Apostle sayes expresly, 1 Ioh. 3. 14. By this we know wee are translated from death to life, because we love the brethren: hee that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. So that it is an infallible signe of deadnesse not to love the brethren: if thou hatest the Saints; nay, if thou lovest them not; nay, if thou lovest them not according to the measure of grace that is in them, and if thou art not grieved for any of their sinnes, by which they may cause scandall, or bee disgraced, thou art yet a dead man. And so much for the positive signes.

2 The Privative signes of deadnesse follow,Five Privitive signes of dead men, which are these five:

The first privitive signe of deadnesse,Privation of speech. is want of 1speech: He that is dead, is speechlesse, and breathlesse; so he that is dead in sinne, in all holy things is speechlesse; Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, saith Christ in the Gospell, Matth. 12. 14. When the mouth is speechlesse, the heart is empty. Some that are dead in trespasses and sinnes may speake well sometimes; but there is no living man but doth speake well. Esa. 19. 18. Those that belong to Canaan, will speake in the language of Canaan: Their language will shew whether they are Galileans or not: every man delights in operations agreeable to their habits. Here you may learne to judge of your selves by your words; not by some words that are spoken by fits, but by thy usuall and customary speech, that is a signe of that that is in you. The godly sometimes cannot speake p. 28godlily and holily; as a Fountaine sometimes is stopped up, so that it cannot send forth pure streames, yet take away the rubbish that stopped it, and then it will runne cleare againe; even so it is with the godly; and therefore consider your ordinary speeches, if they be not holy and good, it is a signe that you are a dead man.

2The second privitive signe is Coldnesse; when a man is dead,Privation of heat. he growes cold; so is it with men dead in sinne; they may pray, but it is coldly; and so in all other holy duties they are very cold.

But some man will be ready to object and say,Obiect. You tell us of coldnesse, but for any thing I can see, there is as much coldnesse in the best men: for your godliest men are sometimes cold in their prayers.

It is true;Answ. but there is this difference betweene the coldnesse of a godly man, and a dead man; If the meanes be used to a godly man, it doth bring life to him againe: if he be rubbed and chafed with admonitions, or hath the aquavitae of the Word, he will recover his heat, because the inward principle of heat still remaines within him. But to a wicked man use never so many reproofes, or admonitions, hee will still remaine cold: Let this therefore bee a certaine tryall, if after all admonitions you still remaine cold, you are dead.

The third privitive signe is Stiffenesse; a dead 3man growes stiffe,Stiffenesse, and in what position his body is in when it is dead, in the same it will remaine, you cannot bendit; so is it with men spiritually p. 29dead, what course they take, what opinions they hold, what company they keepe, they will not bee changed from them. Rev. 22. 11. He that is filthy, let him be filthy still: that is, he will be filthy still, they will not be changed: If that they hold to be Gods will, be Gods will, so it is, then they are right; but it is not because it is Gods will, but because his pleasure fell on what they held. As a rustie hand of a clocke,Simile. it turnes not with the day, but stands still; but if the time of the day chance to be such as it stands at, it is true; not because it moveth with the day (as it should) but because the day hath fell jumpe with it: So these men, if Gods will hit with theirs, they will doe it; if not, they will crosse it: This is a signe of a dead man.

The fourth privitive signe is Senslesnesse; hee 4that is dead,Privation of sense. is senslesse: so it is with the spirituall death, there is no sense in it; they can neither see, heare, nor taste.

I but some man will object and say,Obiect. that is not true alwayes; for even the wicked sometimes know m…tters of faith; nay, and sometimes they rellish them too.

To this I answer,Answ. Matth, 13. 13. opened. As it is said of the dead Idoll, so may it be said of them: Mat. 13. 13. Eyes they have and see not, eares and heare not.

First for seeing, they see not aright: Gods children see experimentally, the wicked only by contemplation; and there is a great difference betweene them, for as wee see there is a great difference p. 30betwixt knowing fire to be hot, and the feeling of it; so betweene a meere notionall knowledge of Gods will, and a knowledge that doth like and approve it.

Secondly for taste, they finde no taste in Gods Word; or if they finde any, like a vitiated pallat, they account that which is most sweet to bee very bitter.

Thirdly for smelling, they smell no sweetnesse in Christs name, whereas to his Saints it is a sweet oyntment poured out, that perfumeth all the roome.

Fourthly for feeling, they feele not whether the Law or Gospell be applied to them, rub over their skarres, and make them runne downe with blood, they are notwithstanding all that senslesse still: they may have a counterfeit feeling arising from a naturall conscience, but to have such a feeling as may drive them to Christ, they cannot; and therefore still they are but dead men.

5The fifth signe is this,No sympathizing in the miseries of others. A living member, if the body be in danger, will have a sympathizing and feeling of the danger; as the hand will lift it selfe up to save the head, so now if we hearing the case of Gods Church in what danger it is, if wee take it not to heart, or be not affected with it (especially now we are put in minde thereof) it is a certaine signe we are dead men: We should have the spirits that Moses and Paul had, who even wished to be stroyed, so they might save the Church. Moses, rather than that should perish, would have his p. 31name raced out of the booke of life: Paul, for the Churches sake would bee anathema. It is a true signe of a living member to bee touched with others miseries; this was an extasie of love, in which out of love to the Church, they forgate themselves. This here we must know, that if the creature could destroy it selfe for God, it could not but be well, because the good of the creature is more contained in God than in it selfe, as the beame of the Sunne is more contained in the Sun than in it selfe. Now is the time of considering this, now is the time of more than extraordinary fasting; now if you have any feeling, you will shew it; if you are living men, now you will shew your selves; now the Church lyes in tents, and wallowes in blood, now the foundations thereof are shaken; never was the face of Christendome in such danger as now it is. Doe wee thinke to stand now others fall? If the fire be at one end of the building, shall we be safe which are at the other end? (for all Gods house is but one building.) Are not they our brethren, and sonnes of the same father? have they not the same spirit? are they not of the same profession? shall wee not then bee ready to helpe them? wee cannot send armes over to them, but wee may send up prayers unto God for them: Christians are stronger than Politicians, and their prayers are armies. Let us therefore doe what wee can, the storme is not yet quite over.Two things to move us to consider the Churches misery.

Now there are two things that may move us to this:

p. 301. The greatnesse of the Judgement.

2. Our ability to helpe them.

1First, The greatnesse of the Judgement:

It will prove the extinguishing of Gods Church and the Gospell, and when that is once gone, what are all other things? It was a good saying of that Saint, That browne bread and the Gospell was good cheare; what are all our houses, lands, &c. if this Spirituall food be wanting?

2Secondly, Consider our ability to helpe them.

We may doe much by our prayers; hee that knoweth not his strength, useth it not: Did not one Moses, one Eliah stand in the gappe? They did not these things as they were extraordinary men, but as they were Gods children: We may by our prayers doe as much; though one childe may have better gifts than another, yet commonly the father loves all alike; so God (although they had better gifts than we) will grant our prayers as soone as he did theirs.

But some man will here bee ready to make a question,Quest. and askeme, what I would have him doe for the Church now? he is but a singleman, and therefore is unable to doe much himselfe alone.

I answer,Answ. What we must doe for the Church. Though thou canst not doe much, yet these things thou mayest doe; and therefore,

11. Pray for it: God delights to bee called upon, for else his hand is not taken notice of; but then we see his hand,Pray for it. and acknowledge it, when wee see him granting our desires. So that the p. 33strength of a land lyes in Christians, and their strength lyes in their prayers, as Sampsons strength did in his haire. Oftentimes prayer is more available than fighting: Moses prayer in the mountaine, did more than Ioshuahs fighting in the vallies. If Noah, Daniel, and Iob stood before me (saith God, Ezek. 14. 20.) they should not prevaile: which sheweth, that if any thing could have prevailed, their prayer would: So also Luther attributes all to prayer, as may be seene in divers of his Treatises. Now this prayer which I urge unto you, must

1. Not onelyonly be small expressions of the mind,Our Prayers must be fervent. but now God lookes for strong cryes, and long continuance in prayer. Moses prayed all day: Christ, which had lesse need than we have, prayed all night; Daniel three weekes: therefore wee that have more wants and needs, ought to bee the more fervent.

2. Our prayers must be Spirituall,Spirituall. not out of selfe-love; as to desire the safety of the Church, that so under it we may lead a safe and quiet life; but out of meere respect to God, and love to his Church.

3. It must be a prayer of faith;Of Faith. so the Apostle saith, Iam. 5. 15, 16. The prayer of faith shall save the sicke, &c. And a little after, The effectuall fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much: Now there is no man righteous without faith: so according to their faith Christ still yeelded to them.

4. Pray with constancy and fervency:With Constancy. it is not for a snatch and away, that is pleasing to God; but a p. 34constant performance of duty which hee accepteth.

5. It must bee the prayer of a righteous man:Of righteousnesse. Therefore, Micah 2. the Prophets sought unto God in the time of trouble, but prevailed not, because they were not righteous: for it is said there, vers. 7. Doe not my words doe good to him that walketh uprightly?

6. It must be with humilitie;With humility. and that consists First, in confessing how unworthy we are to obtaine any thing at the hands of God.

Secondly, how unable to helpe our selves, and therefore to have our eyes onelyonly towards God.

2Another way to doe good to Gods Church,Be more …ealous. is, to be more zealous; seeke unto God extraordinarily: The cause of the destruction of a Land, is chiefly the sinnes of the godly. When they grow cold and dead, and lose their first love, then God, as Rev. 2. will remove the Candlesticke from among them, and take away his Gospell. Indeed the carnalnesse of dead men, their prophanenesse in contemning of Gods Saints and his Gospel, &c. hasten Gods Judgements on a Land, but chiefly the Luke-warmnesse of Professors doe it: when Israel, as Hosea saith, is as a cake halfe baked. Let us therefore rectifie our lives, renew our repentance, quicken our zeale, else shall wee be guiltie of the destruction of Gods Church by our sinnes.

33 A third meanes to doe good to Gods Church,Stir up others is, to stirre up others to take to heart the miseries of the Church, to pray, to renew their repentance. p. 35It would be good if Ministers would bee as Beacons to give warning to others, and to set them on fire. Thus the old Christians did, as it were, make an armie (manu facta) against God, by joyning together in prayer. This is a blessed action to stirre up others: thus they did in the Prophet Malachies time, Mal.3.16. Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one unto another, (see the issue of all,) and the Lord harkened and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his Name. So, Zach. 8. 21. there they did so; And the Inhabitants of the Citie shall goe one to another, saying, Let us goe speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seeke the Lord of hoasts, I will goe also. Let us therefore, as the Apostle exhorts, Heb. 10. 24. consider one another to provoke our selves to this good worke of fasting and prayer for the Church; let us marke who is a likely man to joyne with us, and not let him passe.

4 A fourth meanes to doe good to the Church, 4is,Performe duties in due time. to doe it in due time: Jerusalem had a time to seeke God; if then shee would have sought, shee might have beene saved: And Christ complaines, Luk. 19. 41, 42. saying, If thou hadst knowne, even thou in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. And so before Christ, the Prophets of old complained of the people; as Ier. 8. 7. Yea, the Storke in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow observe the time of their comming, but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. p. 36The time to seeke unto the Lord is now: Some Judgements are sudden, and have no fore-runners, as the Gunpowder-treason, in such God lookes not that wee should meet him by repentance, because we know them not: Others use lingring, such as send feare and rumours before them, as are those mentioned by the Prophet, Ezek. 22. 30, 31. there God expects we should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before him, and so meet him with repentance to stop the judgement.

5 The fifth meanes to doe good to the Church,With Continuance. is this, Let us doe it with continuance: It may be while the newes is fresh wee will bee fervent in prayer; but often the newes altereth, and sometimes it happens to be good, and then wee leave off: But this must not be; wee must bee constant in this dutie, to the very uttermost end of all; there may be ebbs and flowings, but it is the last issue which brings all: therefore let us continue in this dutie of fasting and praying, that wee may trie that last issue of al. It is the common fashion to make the afflictions of the Church onelyonly a wonder of nine dayes. This was the Jewes fault, Ier. 34. 10, 11. When they heard of their enemies, for a while they would pray. But although the newes bee good, yet still continue as the importunate widow did to the Judge, and your importunitie will move God. Set therefore to it, and continue in it; Pray for Ierusalem, let those prosper that love her peace, Psalm. 122. 6. Mourne apart, every familie apart: It is not enough to heare this, and to let the p. 37Ministers voyce be to you as one that singeth with a pleasant voyce: Thus were the Prophets to the Jewes, Ezek. 33. 32. Who heard his words, but did not doe them: and therefore God tells them that they shall be destroyed in the judgment. The divel will suffer you to purpose and purpose to doe this dutie,The Divels cunning to deferre men from doing good Duties. but keepes you from the execution of it, and present practice, which is that onelyonly which may doe the deed. Consider it therefore, and deferre not the present doing of this dutie: what can you doe better than to deliver Gods Church, and you may doe it, although you be poore and despised, yet being Gods Saints, your prayers are in force with God; as in Eccles. 9. 14, 15. the poore man delivered the citie by his wisedome; hee was poore and despised, yet it was hee that delivered it. Others may seeme to doe much, and stand vaunting on the hatches, but it is the Saints that doe it. If there be any consideration of Christ in you, if any love, any grace, any well-wishing to the Church, pray for it: this is that I feare, you will purpose to doe it, but will deferre it; but, beloved, the doing onelyonly God regards. Wee, when we reade how much Alexander, Caesar, and the like, did, we admire them; why we may doe more by our prayers, performed in a right manner: if you doe it, either the Church shall bee delivered, and you shall have comfort; or else you shall save your owne soules. Without you thus pray, you are guiltie of the Churches destruction: The horsemen, if they stand still, although they fight p. 38not against their owne armie, yet are guiltie of their destruction, because they should have fought for them. The Praetor, if hee let the enemies in the gate, hee is the destroyer of the Citie, because he should have kept them out: so the Saints, which should stand in the breach, if they pray not, they destroy the land: So God saies, Ezek. 22. 30, 31. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none: therefore have I powred out againe indignation upon them, I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their owne way have I recompenced upon their heads, saith the Lord God. Because hee could not find a man to stand in the gap, therefore hee powred forth his indignation on the land. Their not praying destroyes the land: The Saints and holy Prophets are the Chariots and horse-men of Israell; if then they stand still, they doe what in them lies to destroy the whole Nation: they are not onelyonly the Chariots, but the horsemen also; they are the whole defence of Israell; and therefore if at these times they be idle, they are guiltie of the destruction of the whole Church. Hence Salomon said, An idle man is brother to him that is a great waster. As a Pilot, who for want of attention suffers a Ship to bee overthrowne, or split against the rockes, is guiltie of the losse thereof: So the Prophet Samuell, notwithstanding the people had sinned a great sinne in forsaking God to be their King, saith, 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I p. 39should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: and therefore it is a great sinne not to pray for Gods Church. The Jewes in the captivitie were commanded to pray for the peace of Nabuchadnezzar, who was an heathen Prince; how much more then ought wee to pray for Christian Princes? And surely, if God should take away from you this Prince, and give you such an one as Queene Mary, you would then know what it is to enjoy such a Prince, as now by Gods merciemercy we doe. Therefore stirre up your selves to the dutie by fasting and praying, much may you doe this way. Ester delivered all the Jewes by this meanes: it was not Esters word that did it; for what made the King not to sleepe that night? how came he to call for the booke of the Chronicle? how light hee on that place of Mordecay? They had first turned God by fasting and prayer, and then hee thus prepared the King for Ester to speak. Thus then, and by these meanes we may releeve the Church in distresse: And therefore if we be true living members, let us manifest our endevour to releeve them by these meanes. And thus much for the signes of men which are starke dead.

Now follow signes of distinction betweene such as seeme to live, and such as live indeed: and these may bee resembled to such spirits as assume bodies to themselves, and seeme to informe them; and they are chiefly all Civill men. Now they are discerned by these and the like signes;

p. 40The first signe is this;Signes of civil men that seem to have life, but have none indeed. As the Angels in their assumed bodies seemed to eat and drinke, but manifested not any effect of it, for they did not grow by it: so these man, they seeme to heare the 1Word,They doe not Grow. but they make no progresse in it: they may seeme to feed on the Sacraments, but they grow by none of these meanes, they still goe on in their old tract. They are not unlike some men which eat as much, or more than others, but are never the fatter, but as leane as ever they were: even so the Ministers of the Gospell now deliver the Spirituall food of the Word, in as great abundance as ever, yet where is the fruit? who growes any fatter, any better liking than before? Wee, (beloved) desire not to have againe the fruit of our teaching in your understanding only (although that be good) but in your practice: Like sheepheards which would not have their hay againe of their sheepe in hay, but in the milke and wooll. And hence it is that the Apostle Peter exhorts them, 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes to desire the sincere milke of the Word: and why? that they may grow thereby. Though thou beest never so weake at the first, yet if thou growest stronger, it is a signe of life; but if thou hast gotten no strength in grace, nor no victorie over your lusts, notwithstanding all the meanes of grace you have had, yet whatsoever you seeme, you are still but dead men.

2The second signe is;They are moved by an outward Principle. As the Angels, though they were moved, yet it was from no inward, but p. 41from an outward principle; so these Civill men, and all hypocrites may be moved, and doe all that good men can doe, but it is not from an inward principle, but from some outward and by-respect. They are like Clockes and Watches, which are moved by some spring, and therefore when the weights or spring is downe, they move no longer: when that false end which made them take in hand the shew of Religion is gone, then they will bee no more Religious. Thus Ioash was Religious, but for some by-end; viz. while Iehoiada lived; and therefore after his death, Ioash forsooke God. Thus many will be good whilest they are in good families, under good Governors, but being removed from them, they turne with the swine to the tumbling in the mire. Some againe, good exhortations and counsell will make them live well, and they will continue so, while they are in that good mood: Others will bee good while a storme of ficknesse indures, but when the sunne-shine of prosperitie shall beginne to appeare, they returne to their old courses: they are like a Bullrush, which hangs downe his head till the storme is over it, but as soone as the Sunne shines it lifts it up againe. Some may hold out longer than others, yet at the last all will give over, because they are not moved from some inward principle.

The third is this; As the Angels assumed those 3bodies but for certaine times,They doe it but in some places and company. and places, and occasions, and afterwards laid them aside againe; so will your hypocrites doe in some places and companies p. 42at some times, they will take on them the bodies of living men, and so have a name to live, but indeed are dead: But come they in other places or companies, they will lay aside their bodies, and then will be as profane as any. I confesse, a godly man may bee the worse for being in an ill companie; they may be myrie and dirtie, but yet they still remaine sheepe: as a pibble and a pearle foyled with the same mire can scarce be distinguished till they be washed; so the godly, doe but wash them, and then you shall discerne them to be pearles; but these Wolves, the wicked, which onelyonly takes sheepes cloathing on them, comming amongst Wolves, cast off that cloathing and become as much Wolves as any.

The fourth signe is this: As Angels or devils 4which assume bodies,They speake from the teeth, not frō the heart. cannot speake heartily as living men, but have an artificiall framed voice, which is from the teeth outward, not heart; so where there is no true grace but seeming, it may be discerned from the speeches, not in the matter, but in the manner; an hypocrite may often babble more than the true Christian, as a blazing Starre shines as bright, if not brighter than the true Star; but there is abroad difference betwixt them; the one speakes but from the head, and the other from the heart: for a true living man doth speake heartily and feelingly. That the manner of speaking doth much affect others,Iunius converted by a country-mans harty speaking. it is plaine: Hence is that that Iunius reports of himselfe, that hee lighting into a Countrie mans house, which was wholly p. 43illiterate and unlearned, hee confesseth that his heartie speaking of faith and repentance, &c. did so move him, that he thought that there was somthing more in it than meere knowledge, and so wrought on him, that by Gods grace it converted him; so that the manner of speaking doth often affect where the matter doth not; which an hypocrite cannot have. And thus much for the signes of seeming living, but indeed dead men.

Now having shewed that all are dead, it followes that we should shew the meanes of getting life, which are also comprehended in my text,Two meanes to get life. and they are these two:

1. To labour to see that ye are dead, (You that were dead in trespasses and sinnes, &c.) as all men are by nature.

2. To goe to Christ for life, hee it is onelyonly that can give it; so saith my Text (hee hath quickened you:) It is the propertie of God alone to give life. Now wee cannot goe to him but by Christ, and we must goe to Christ by faith, therefore is faith called a living faith, because it unites Christ and the soule together. Now the difficultie is in this, that men will not come to Christ and take him: some come not for him at all, others take him, but not in good earnest; as grafts put into a stock, but not so ingrafted as to grow thereby: but when a man is once soundly humbled, then will he come to Christ, and not before; for till then hee doth not hunger and thirst after him: but the extreame hungrie will bee satisfied with nought but meat: p. 44as Sampson said, Give me drinke or else I dye. Now life consists in the union betwixt Christ and thy soule: This union is by Luther compared to fire and iron united, which causes the iron to have all the properties of fire, as burne, scorch, &c. so an humble Saint, united to Christ, hath all his proprieties, though not in the same measure and degree.