204 Yfe r. Error ofour Epicures. V. %. Love life, and doc good. Totn(tdeliam viapeccarum. VP. I'arñµavín. Doll. phefians,Chap.z, V E R. I, fpeech. Lookas holincf e is the beginning oflifeeverlafting, which go- ethon till it end inglory ; fo is fin the death ofthe foule, which doth, if thegrace of Chrift heal it not, never flaytill it come to everlafting dam- nation. Asfor finfull adtions,theyare nothingbut theflinch whichcoin- meth from the deadcorpfe, I meane the bodyof finne dwelling within us. Foreven as noyfome favours come from a putrified body : fo doe thefe motions from a corrupted foule. What then may we think of the gallant courfe of many that live re- velling, carding, dicing, dancing, feafling, that walk with fwolnhearts, contemning others 5' So many men are dead while they live in anger, intemperancy, covetoufneffe,felf.love,uncleanneffe,vanity, &c. O they think it is the onely life, and that there is noother, becaufe God gave them never to fee other : Man without mirth, is like a body without afoule : Put them from their gamings,from theircups,theirfmoak,their whorifh looks and courtings, &c. and you kill them. This Ihould teach use() confider offin, and oureftate through it, that we whohave not thought ofit, may yet fet our hearts to the way oflife, that wemay be thankfull who have efcaped from it, that we may take heedofir, and labour to be healed more andmore of it. Should fome learned Phyfitians tell you fuchor fuch a deadly difeafe weregrowing on your body, how would you thank him, and makeufe ofit! Oh, it is well with thee, ifGod make thee wife, that thou heareft thisday, how thou art dead in fpirit. We are clad when weefcapeTome great bodily ficknefí'e ; and ifthere dwell reliques of lick matter with us, we keep rules defanitate tuenda : How much morefhouldwe bewifeforeurfaults? Further, that he faith, they were dead in trefßaffes, it doth teach us, what is the life ofa naturaliman, even a death in trefpaffe, a whole life offin : Like tree, like fruit ; The very confciences of them are related, Tit. r. t 5. For, without faith it is impofi'ibletopleafe God, Heb. 5 5.6, True itis,that outwardly they doe many things that are laudable,butfill they walk in the flefh, the Devil! hath conjured them fo into that Circle, that they cannot flirreforth ofit. Look as in the flefhof a beaft there is fome part ofgreat ufe, bought up at a great price,other fome that is call away, yet all is flelh : So in the life ofthe naturali man,fome works areofgood ufe, and in commendation with man, fome are abominable, butall are of the flelh: So the verruous allions ofnatural! men have that appea- ranceofgood, but want thefoule and life of itin which itconfiteth. It teachethus not to refl in this,that weare neither theefe norwhore; for beour lifenever fo civili, it is a death in fin till grace quicken. There is a double madaeffe, as Hippocrates obferveth, the one very light and toying, the other morefober and folemne, in whichmen fit frill muting deeply uponTome fancies : fuch a difference we havein fpiritual! phren- fies ; fome are very loberover other,as we fee the lives of fome naturali mengravely ordered, and morall y, incomparifon ofothers,butyet all is deluded phrenfie before God. Secondly, hence mark thatourcourfe inalluall fin doth fink us dee- per and deeper in death ; Yauwben youwere dead in treffoffer ; intimating thus
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