·to the EJ>ijESIAN S. Firfl; As it fervcs ~tlyfor a Particle o_f Re~etition, to fuperadd an Emphaji", ~-, to fet out the depth of our Mtfery, and mabtl:ty to help our (elves out of it; -~"""· IV. and-is.all one with lnquant, as Ejli111 well, or as our TranOators, Even when dead, ~ thereby to fet out the Love and Mercy of God, a~v. 4· and exceeding Greatnefi of hir Power working in 111, as chap. 1. v. 19. lhewn in guickning us here. In the firfi verfe, that ·Par~icle ""'l is rightly rendred, [ Anc/,] for there it comes in as a Particle of Tranfition to a new matter, fi·om that which he had faid of ChriO:, to that other part of the Comparifon, what concerned us. But here; ' Sffepd)y ; It is afavl\icle of brief .Repetition, referring t9 all that which was largely fji)d be(or<(>, tp v. '• 2, o· , fuch as' the long .S~nt,ences ther~ ufed are, to ulher m tqe derend~ncy of new matter; but it is not a bare Repetition, but with an advantage, tf?' ~l'!flrate ~he 0e~cy of being .quickned. Even when we n>;re dead•.] ~OVT"5• bei11g dead~ c;>r, 1r>hw n>e were dead. It implies the very condition God then took us in, when we were 'in the depth of it. Aod-tho the Apoflle repeats but a part of that condition we l~y in, (.he doth not go \)Ver all which was (1id tl¥:reof in the thre~ 6rfl Verfes,) yet his mean'ing furely was, that in their .thoughts the_~eof, they jhp11ld' take in nfi·e{li all that he bad (aid thcreof before. Yea, h> CU\S fl)ort even what he rcp.eats: for whereas he had there faid, Deadin Sim and TreJPajfe"; h~re only, Dead in Sin1, that Hint being.enough to bring on the other ; but there he had further added, Wherein n>e wa/Asd according to the courfe of thir World, &c. whereas here he leaves out all that, and mention~ this of Dead. in .SinJ, for all the refl, as it were with ari Et c.etrra. . Thus Qften in our Pr.ayers or Meditations, .after fet and particular Confeilion of Siri; we find it ufeful in the other part of Prayer, as in craving Mercies, or Affu– rances of God's Love, and Forgivene!S, and giving Thanks for Benefits ; even in the midfl thereof, to have fome lhort recollel.han of our Sinfulnels, which yet, by tbe help of the Spirit, do give us a renewed profpel:t of the whole thereof; which was al[o Pa111's (cope here. And fo we often find, that in a more brief Re– -vife of larger thoughts, by a flrange miraculous Beam, (which carries in it the · Species and Strength of all,) the Spirit of God prefents in a Glance all together at once to us, and gives us a comprehenfive Light, that works more on the Heart, cllan all the the more fet and enlarged thoughts we had. This Repetition argues likewife, that of all the Characters of Siri arid Mikry, w~ich in the foregoing Vetfes he had given ofan unregenerate Eflate, he efieemed cllts of all other the deepefl, that tbey were dead in Sins, which fome would fo much diminifh, and bring low, ofall other Points concerning that Eflate.. ..- Thus much for the firfi Branch, the Repetitionof their being dead in Sin1. 2. The Perfons he applies it unto, are next to be confidered. We.] In this word he [urns up both Jews and Gentiles, to have lain in this clleir natural Condition before Converfion. I take notice of this, becaufe fome Interpreters make a mif-reprefentation of the Apoflle's Sence; for they reflrain this only to the Jews,and the reafon is this : He had faid in the 6rfi Verfe, Ye were dead in Sin1 and TreJPaJ!u; now fpeaking of the Jews, himfelf being a Jew, he faith, When we we>·e dead: So they make the Particle ""'' only a Particle ofcom– parifon, we Jews, as well as ye Gentiles. But, Brethren, it is true, in ali the foregoing Chapter, by We, he means the Jews; himfelf being a Jew ; and by Ye, the Gentiles: But when he comes to wind it up, upori the clofe of all, here by We, he means we all, Jews and Gentiles, we are all alike dead in Sin1 and Tref pajfes, and when we were fo, he q•icftned 111. How lhall we prove, that he intends to involve the Gentiles as well as the, Jews, when he faith, When we were dead? It is clear,.becaufe in the next words he appiies it to the Gentiles, By ·Grace ;c m foved; bts meaning is this: Ye being quickned together with us Jews; and *Z · we
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