to the E P H E S I. A N S. (""\.~ When be faith, We are dead in Sim, and thereby would fet out the Power of~God in quickning us, he means this: We were as utterly unable to help our felves, to do any thing of fpiritual Life, as a dead Man is for to quicken himftlf; pr to fiir a'Finger, or tO rolf.about an eye, or to perform any Action that is truly good•. I That that is his Scope, it is plain and clear; for afretwards he C1ith, Ever. b; Faith wearefaved, not of our. fe/vei, the very Faith we believe withat, it ir the Gift of God: Why? Becaufe we were dead in Sins and Tref[>afli::s ; and, Gith he, we need as true new Life and Soul to be put into us, before we can fli r to 2ny actions ofLife, as a dead Man.. And it is clear, that it is aimed at peculiarly by the Apdfl:le, becaufe he refersus 10 thefe words to chap. L 1_9. where hefpeaks of the Power ofGod upon us 10 work10g Grace, he fatth, It " the fame that rai– fed Jefus Chrifl:; therefore he fpeaks in refpect of fuch a deadnefs, in refpect of the Power ofSin, and our Inability to believe, as Chrifl:'s Body had to be quick– ved to that glorious Life. Brethren, tliefe Phrafes, Dead in Sins and Trejpajfcs, we urge againfl: the Re- •monftranlf, that therefore Man hath not fpiritual ability, till God quicken him ; and they difl:inguifh, and would fhew fome dtllimtlitude, between na<Urnl Death and fpiritual; and indeed and in truth they would as it were make Man halfdead, and that there are certain kinds of fparks of Life in every Man ; there is a natu– ral knowlcdg ofGod, and '!.natural forrow fot· Sin, and a natural de!ire of Hap– pinefs, and all thefe the Holy-Ghofl: hatcheth up to make a new Creature, as they would feem to make it. But, Brethren, the Apoftle, who certainly fpake appo– fitely, and when he would fet out our Mifcry, and yet the Love of God to .the full, he doth not talk of being halfdcad, that had derogated fi-om the Love and Grace, and exceeding Greamefs of Power, that, he faith, wrought in Chrifl: when he was raifed : I fay, it makes the Apofl:Je not to fpeak appo!itely, if that were the mt!lning; no, we were dead. And whereas they make a diffimilitude between bodily and fpiritual Death, yet ~he truth is, to raife a Man fi·om !piritual Death, is made the greater work, for jt is parallel'd here with the railtng of Chrifl: from the dead; and youfhall find, Jolm II.25. that when i\1.artha doubted of the R.efurrection of La·za•·111, meerly of the R.efurrection of his Body, how doth Chrifl: raife her Faith? Saith he, Why dofl: thou fl:ick at my raifing of his Body? I will do more, I fhall raife Mens Souls ; for fo he faith, v. 2 5· Jef/11 faith, I am the Reforre{/;on, and the Ufe; l~e that beheveth ill me, tho he were dead, yet foal/ he.live; a11d who.foever liveth, a11d believeth in me, foal/ never d;e: Belie– vef1 tho11thir .< Dofl: thou flick at my raifing this Man's. Body ? Behold, as he faith, John 5· the tiwe is comi>tg, that the dead Jha/1 hear tbe Voice of tf.e Son of God, and live. I quicken Mens Souls. If it be a greater Work, certainly it is a greater Death : therefore we mufl: needs be as utterly void of Life,- in relpect of fpir\tual Life, as.fl Man's Body when he is dead, till he be raifcd again, is void of natural Life. And then again, it is parallel'd with the raifing of Chrifl: out of the Grave ; and our Death is compored and parallel'd with that natural Death of Jefus Chrifl:'s Body. It's :true, God did not fuller his Body to fee Corruption; but there was not one !ot oflife, it was cold and friffcertainly as others, tho no \vay corrupted. What fatth the Apofl:le, Rom. 6. fpeakmg of the ·Body of Chrifl: ? He faith, Death had dominiorr over him : In that he died, he died to Sin once, Death had no more dom;nion ovet him; therefore it had dominion over blm wbilfl: he was dead. Jf he would have us liken·our felves, to be tranfplanted into Chrifl:'s R.e– .furrection; if there had been any fpark of Life, it might have been blown up, as they would make Men believe ; no, there is no fpiritual Life in us: Now, as I Caid, it is objected by fome, Th2t there is this difference between the natural and the fpiritual Death, that the Underfl:anding and the Will remains; a Man is.fl:ill a free Creature, a living.Creature.- For
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