vg i Rum. 3. 03. a cor.3.r. Rom.g. 02- Vfe I. 2. 3. Spiritual death in part han cth onche faith - full. Dog. Ignorance de- barres us fe!- lowfhip with God and his life. John x7.3. x Jolt x. q. Yfe. Hofea 4. Ephefians, Chap.q.. V g R.18. are here faid to be efrangedfromthe life of God. We by nature (faith the Apoftle)are all finncrs andcomefbortofthe glory ofGod, that is the glorious life of God, which beginneth in grace, fandifying, endeth in glory. We havenot a thought, the motionofthe will, the deede, the ward that is good by nature; in us, fo fame forth as we are unregenerate, dwelleth nogood, faith the Apoftle. Thebenefit of nature doth beget us carnally, but it is the Spirit which doth regenerate usto a life which is fpirituall. It might beamplified by indu6fion; we have no laving knowledge, no righteoufnefle, no holineffe, no joy in the holyGhoft by nature, therefore weare eftranged from the lifeof God. This therefore doth let men fee their miferableeftate;O! ifI fhould tell thee thy foulewere fled from thy noftrills, thy body is dead and fenfeleffe, this would aftonifh thee : but is not this more fearefull God hath left thy foule, and thou art voyd of the life ofGod. It muff comfort us that we are delivered from this death; Is not this joyful! that wee who were once dead are alive! that we who were {hangers to the life of grace, fhould have now acquaintance with it e It muff let us fee what we are in part, for what we are altogetherby nature that we are Rill inpart, voyd ofGods life: O there is great empti- neffe inus,want of light in our mindcs, want of love, want offear; want of holineffe; we cannot doeany thing, but we may difcerne ir. Ifa man could not ftirre a hand or foote, but he would fwoune and be ready to goe away, or take a flep, but his legges would bow under him; we would fay,lifewere weake infuch a perfon : fo we cannot be- gin anygood thing, enter anygood conference, fet our felves to any good meditations, but our hearts dye away and fink downewithin us, this argueth the life of grace is very faint and weake in us. Through Ignorance.] Whencewe may Obferve : What a fearefaf eflate theflare of ignoranceis, which doth keepeus indeath from having fellowfhipwith God,andhit life; for this is life, that is, the beginning and way toEternall life, to know God, and whom hebath fent Iefur chrift: So on the contrary, this is the beginningandway toeternal! death,the ignorance of the Father and Chrift Jefus. Again, howcan it be other- wife a for what is the life of God, butto love him, joy inhim, truft in him, feare him a Nowas it is in the 9. Pfal. to. They thatknow they will trail in thee; fo as there can be no truft,no more can there be feare, love, joy, where ignoranceof God prevaileth; God is light in whom is no darkeneffe. Such thereforeas will have fellowfhip withhim, muff be light in fome meafure, and darkeneffeof ignorance is a fit lodging for the prince ofdarkeneffe; and therefore the Scripture maketh all wicked- neffe follow on it,They were without the knowledge ofGad, what came then! full oflying, fwearing, marder, ere. So that we muff not low pillowes to this woeful! eftate, we muff not thinke it excufable, and truft to our honeft meanings; but know that nothing can be good where ignorance raigneth; much leffe muffwe thinke that it is the mo- ther
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