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vg
i
Rum.
3.
03.
a
cor.3.r.
Rom.g.
02-
Vfe
I.
2.
3.
Spiritual death
in part
han cth
on
che
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 efranged
from
the life
of
God.
We
by
nature
(faith
the Apoftle)
are all finncrs and
come
fbortof
the glory
of
God,
that
is
the
glorious
life
of
God,
which beginneth
in
grace, fandifying, endeth
in
glory.
We
have
not a
thought, the
motion
of
the will, the
deede,
the ward
that
is
good by nature;
in us, fo fame
forth
as we are
unregenerate,
dwelleth no
good,
faith
the Apoftle.
The
benefit
of
nature
doth
beget
us
carnally, but
it
is
the
Spirit
which doth regenerate
us
to
a
life which
is
fpirituall.
It might be
amplified by indu6fion; we have
no laving
knowledge,
no righteoufnefle, no holineffe,
no
joy
in
the holy
Ghoft
by nature,
therefore we
are eftranged from
the
life
of
God.
This
therefore doth let men
fee
their miferableeftate;O!
if
I fhould
tell thee
thy
foule
were
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
of
God.
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
altogether
by
nature
that
we are
Rill
in
part,
voyd
ofGods
life: O there
is
great empti-
neffe in
us,want
of
light
in
our
mindcs,
want
of
love, want
of
fear;
want
of
holineffe; we
cannot doe
any
thing,
but
we may
difcerne
ir.
If
a
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
in
fuch
a
perfon
:
fo we cannot
be-
gin
any
good thing, enter
any
good
conference,
fet our
felves
to
any
good
meditations, but our hearts dye away
and
fink
downe
within
us,
this argueth the
life
of
grace
is
very faint and weake
in us.
Through
Ignorance.]
Whence
we may
Obferve
:
What
a
fearefaf
eflate
theflare
of
ignoranceis, which doth
keepe
us
in
death
from
having
fellowfhip
with God,andhit life;
for
this
is
life,
that
is, the beginning
and
way
to
Eternall life,
to know
God,
and
whom he
bath fent
Iefur
chrift:
So on the contrary,
this
is
the beginning
and
way
to
eternal!
death,the
ignorance
of
the Father
and
Chrift
Jefus.
Again,
how
can it be
other
-
wife
a
for what
is
the
life
of
God,
butto love him, joy
in
him,
truft
in
him,
feare him
a
Now
as it
is in
the
9.
Pfal.
to.
They
that
know they
will
trail
in thee; fo
as
there can be no
truft,no
more
can
there be
feare,
love,
joy,
where ignorance
of
God
prevaileth;
God
is
light
in
whom
is no
darkeneffe.
Such
therefore
as
will have fellowfhip
with
him,
muff be light in
fome meafure, and darkeneffe
of
ignorance
is a fit
lodging for the
prince
of
darkeneffe; and
therefore the
Scripture maketh
all wicked-
neffe
follow
on
it,
They were
without the
knowledge
of
Gad,
what came
then!
full
of
lying, 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