Fenner - Houston-Packer Collection BX5037 .F46 1651

to dYil-wfe SAINTS, I 217 row and fayle and fleere towards God ? So that when a Chri- (lian is dead, he is as no Chri(lian at all. Secondly, a dead Chri((ian bath not Chrift dwelling in Reaf z, his heart by Faith ; he is no Chrif'ian indeed, that bath not Jelùs Chrift dwelling in him by a true and a lively faith. It is the in-dwelling of Chri(t that makes one a true Chri(lian ; now when Chrift does dwell in any man, Chritt is a quicken- ing fpirit ; as the Apoftle fpeakes, the fecund Adam was made a quickening rpirit, aCer.t5.¢5, that is Chrifl; hoe is the fecond Adam ; he is a quickening fpirit where ever he dwels ; he quickens all the foule. He makes it dead to that, which by nature it was alive to ; and alive to that which by nature it was dead to ; bee inclines the lòule unto God, bec in- fufes a principle into it to thine with life towards God, he does more and more hale the flrength of the foule towards him ; though he do not doe it all at once, yet he does it more and more ; Now when a man is (till dead to God and all goodneffe, he bath not Chrift dwelling in him by a lively faith ; for if he were in once, though the Joule may com?laine 11111 of deadneffe, as commonly thole that are alive complain moll of deadnefie, yet it bath a fupernatutall quickening, and it (hall have more and m., re. Thirdly, a dead Chri(lian was never yet foundly wrought Raaf.3. upon by the word. The woad of Chrift is a word of life, and it quickens where it does effe&ually work ; and therefore though fuch .a one have heard a thouland thauf ind Sermons, be never fed upon them in all his life ; as Chrifl Cayes, If any maw eat of 0ir bread, he fltall for ever, Joh.6.5t. it is better then ordinary bread; ordinary bread indeed, if a man have a natural( Life, it will feed it and preferve it. But ifa man be dead, it e-dl not revive him. But the word of God is fuch a bread, that as it feed a *ritual( life in their that have it, fo it is able through the eternal( s)irit, to q iicken the dead ; . it is able through God, to put life into men that never had any ; and it does fo to 11 that are of God, fooner or latter ; now when a mats is dead, it's a plaine fagne that the word F f hath

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