Chap.27. An Expofition upon the Book of ,] O B. Verf.2. 17 the living God, as fubjeets were wont to fay to Kings in way of Gratulation, and to teffifie hearty affe&ion,God fave them, or let them live, i Sam.io. 24.1 Kings 1.25. 2 Kings 11.12. So we ought to fay in way of Adoration, The Lord liveth, Pfal. 18.46.' Secondly, we honour God as the living God, by giving him a li- ving fervice, or by beinga livingfacriface untohim,(Rom.12.1. ) ®fferup your bodies a living *rifles, es, holyand acceptableunto God, which Isyour reafonablefervice. A living fervice is the proper he- nour of the livingGod.This living fervice is the fruit of the death of Chrift, as the Apoftle concludes emphatically ( Hob, 9.13.) How muchmore fhould thebloodofChrifi l purge our Confciencesfrom dead works toferve the living God. As if he had faid, nothing is more un.uitable, more uncomely,chan ro ferve a living God with dead works ; if you were to fervean Idol, a (lone or a ftock,dead works were good enough for ir; a fervice without life, without heat,without fpirit, would ferve the turne for fuch a Deity. But theblood of Chrifi fprinkled upon beleevers, purgeth them from dead works, that is, from thofe works which are done in a tale of death and nature, and likewife from thole works which when we are in a flare of life, are yet liveleffe,powerleffe,rhe blood of Chrift purgeth us from them allo ; there is a great deal ofdead- neffe,even in thofe who are in a Elate of life, now the bloodof Chrifi getsout this death. Remember when you come to heare or pray or performe any a& of worfhip to God;that you are do- ing it to the living God,deadfervices,dead worfhip are moli im- proper for the living God. Secondly, Ifthe Lord be the living God, then acknowledg him as the Author of life ; bleffe him and adore him,not oncly as he is original life,but as he is the Author of your life, as the Au- thor of all the life that is in the world ; the very life that is in plants, fpeaks God the Author of ir. Bleffe God that the herbs grow and the trees bloffome ; Bleffe God for the life of beaus ; that they moveand labour and travel forus is of God; bleffe him much more for the life of reafoo; which we our felvs receive from him asmen ; but above all bleffe God for fpirirual life, and for JefusChriu who is life,and who hath brought life and immorta- litie to light through the gofpels bleffe him for Eternalilife, who is the living,who is the everliving God. Lafily, If Godbe the living God, then we fhould be willing D to
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