224 Epheflans,Chap. 2,, V»R. S. affecting heavenly things, walking in righteoufneffe,findingthat God I. in Chrift dwelleth in us. And for better conceiving it, it is fit to confider. r. What it is. 2. Who is the Author of it. 3. In what order it is wrought. 4. The property of it. :LifeofGod, I. It is nothing but the created gift of grace which frameth the what iris. whole man to live according to God , or fupernaturall grace gi- ving life, and bringing forth motions according to God, as thena- turall life. zWhence. 2. The power of God alone, with the word & facraments, give this life, called therefore immortall fade: by the werd we all arequick ned, and conformed to the image of the fecond vldam ; called there- fore the Word ofLife; Whobathbrought lifeand immortallity to light by the Gofpel. r oruer,, 3. For the order, there is Aft a taking away of fins, for while we live in them, we are in death. Secondly, there is a taking of life in our behülfe. Thirdly , a holding out of thefe things, with the roh.ç.nÇ. voyce cf God unto the foule : The dead in their graves flail heart the voyce of the Son ofGod, and flail live : A receiving of Chrift: A for- givingofour fins, and quickning with the fpirit. 4 Property. 4. The Propertyof which life is eternall, and bathno ending. Chrift being railed dieth no more, nor a Chriftian. Queft Howmay we know that we are alive e Anfw. Every life feekes it owne perfervation; as naturals life leeks that which is fit for that life, fodoeth this fpirituall lifethat which is fit for Notesofthe it felfe ; as the word of God, a. Pet. 2. 2. And the things that are life ofGod in abovewhere Chrifl fìtteth, Col. 3. I. The foodswhich perifhetb not , but U :. enduresfor ever : As the life is immortall, fo it leeks immortall food by which it liveth toGod; the life ofgrace, it is maintained by bread from heaven, from the living God. 2. Every natural! lifein the feverall kinds of it, leeks it prefervation of him, and by him that is the Author of it. Children of their Pa- rents,yea, and the eyes ofall creatures Tooke to the Creator, Pfal. 104. So here they that are quickned with the life of God , are ever and anon running tohim as their Father, crying, and calling upon him for fup- Rom 8.15. ply in all their wants, by the fpirit of Adoption, they cry Abba. 3- He that hash this fpirituall life in any meafure, is fenfible, and ever complayning of fpirituall death and of corrupt nature , the fight whereof is molt noyfome to his fenfe. A dead man perceives no flinch to come from him: An evident figne of fpirituall life, to figh andgroane underthe body,and tocryout, o mi ferabk, &c.Rem.7 24. Good Lordwhat aflate,is this; what a bed-rid difpoftion dotty hang about me.; that I can neither findcomfortable fenfe nor motion to- wards things fpirituall ! Every man the more quick with the fpirit,the more complaining in this kind. Life Expof.
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