428 `I The Death o f Sia, and go in the Streets, and fee a multitude of dead perfons fitting at their doors : :that he Mould go up and down to the honks ofrisen, and fee a multitude ofdead crea- tures talkofworldly things onthcLords day c aman would wonder he thouldfind fo many dead men, eating, and drinking, and talking, and walking,; and yet,dead í1i11, The Text makes it clear here, If we be not deadunto fin,we arenot alive to God ; there is nobeing alive to God, except a man befirldcadto fin. Shall wecome to the Trial ? Beloved,there we (hall find among the manyofyou that hear theWord , many are dead in fin. What means the prophanatioo of the Sabbath ? what means the great negleet of Family- duties ? Come to your houle there be not the prayersof living men there; there benot the meditations, and con2 ferences ofmen that are fpiritually alive in yourFamilies ; and (hall we thinkyouare alive ? Come to menin their thops, and dealings, and fee them dead in their world-. Intel's, and covetoufnefs ; andfhall we lay they arealive toGad ? Alasbeloaed, go to the particularsofmens lives, you (hall hear them fpeak the words of dead men, fpiritually dead; in fwearing, and curling; and reviling, and blafpheming`, andbit- terncfs,and yet Chanwe fay that they arc alive ? Look upon all the afètons ofinen,it were an endlefs work; where we finddeadworks,we conclude there isadead man when men do the things tint are thea&ions ofa than fpiritualr dead, we conclude they are fpiritually dead ; theHoly Ghoil: faith fo, for theyare deadin trelafcs and fins ; therefore now let us come a little chafer. There are abundance that per- fwade thcmfelves that theyare alive ; therefore a little try your life, byyour death to fin. What are your opinions, and judgments, concerning your ownwayes ? thofe things that the WordofGod condemns for evil : thole thingsthat out of theWord arepreached to youdaily bywayofreproof of fn;thatare fpoken to youby Chriffian friends, by way ofadmonition to bring you out ofyour frns,howdo you take them, and digeft them ? are they pleafng toyou, becaufe they tend to the killingof fin ? orare they difiaffeful, becaufe they give you not relit in your fns ? what ; do you judge finworthy to live, and your felves not dead the while ? it is anote of a man that is alive in fin, thathates reproof; that hates him that reprovethinthegate: he that hates him that reproves his ill works,he is not dead tofn,forhe doth not judge his fin worthy to die. Again,come to your affe&ions, what is ityon delight in? When aman looks up- on a thing that is dead, if it be indeed dead ; thefight of it isterrible, andgaftly,and troublefome to him. When Sara was dead, though Abraham loved her dear inher Iife, removemydead out ofmy fight ? If fn in thee be asadead thing,how doll thou look upon it? doff thou look upon it as a thing that thou art atfraidof ? as a thing that thon art the worfe when thou feel it. When the obje&s and occaf :on of fin are prefented to you, how landyou alè&ed then ? all that are dead in fin, take thought to fulfil the tufts ofthe fiefh, as theApolle faith, theydelight in it, fin is fwcet to them,as job faith: but ifon the otherfideyou look onit wits indignation, loathing, and deteling, andabhórringfin, and your felvesfor fin; then it is a com- fortable fignof your death to fin. Again, when you do look on it, doyou look upon it asarider, or as an enemy ? for there is a great deal ofdifference. A thief was come into the house, as well as the mailer ofthehoufe; but theycomenot with the like authority,norwith the like l acceptance: the thiefcomes,but you know all the houle lets again{ him, and never rel till they cal him out ; and if they want lrength, they cry for help : but the Malerof the houfe comesin, and then all the fervants are in their places to do hire forviee,: all take care topleafehim, and give him content.. How entertain you the motions of fin ? look upon your former wayes, upon your former cuftoms, and vanities ; took upon your wonted courfeof ill, and confider nowwhether therebe An endeavour to fatisfie the fnful inclinationof your hearts ? or is there a {riving, andufingall means tobe rid of it ? Do youmake this yourquelion to the Minifters ÿou converfe with,to the Chrilianfriends with wham you confultinthis cafe, how tg bq ridof futh a corruption,how to get Inch a fin purged out ? Is this the matter Dfgsnr prayer. to God: do youcry toHeaven for help, to getout thisthief, that ïst lolleril
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