58z 0114er greenbams Readings drfaith, ilab.S.k0111.i NOrPTline nomime, butaril; haethin me,faith theApoftle. Oh that men would confider this thatth`yare dead otherwisethen their life is hidden in the pro- mile, and they have no life butin Chrilt, and from hisfpirit. If the Prophet laid thisof hin ielfc, whereisthefaithofourproteftants ,whereisthelifeofthegodly, where is their hopeofa better life;where is their praEtifeof repentance, where is thepeace ofconlcience thatpaffeth al vnderftanding,where is the ioyofchriftians,where is thecare ofmortificati_ on, where is the quickenefleof fan&ification? where are all thefe become ? They are few and dead togood workes,they hue in finne, theybebit chriftians inname, theyare very idols: There's no life but in the word, which we muff finde by experience in our feines. When Godschildren lindethis lifeofGod in thê,thenare they merrieand glad;but when pawner. they fede, that Godwithdrawethhis Ipirit from them, thenthey fee how they áre dead, dull,andcarelef e,as theywerewont tobebefore theywereregeneráte .Shall not this make vs morecareful andzealous ofgood workes,& to bemoreiealous dour felues?Lee vs'coc- fiderthis,that is is a ioy to hauea life : and that cuco the lifeof God, the life of Angels, the life, ofChrift,when wecontenme this life, when we are zealous ofgood workes, when we fiele fpirituall ioyes,when we lookefor a crowne ofglorie,whenwe labour toberenewed to theimageofChrsft. This is an heauenly life,and though we will fweate, and cate, and drinke,this is common with theheath ofthe fieid,and'hauingno ex perience offaith in vs,. inmate. we areeither daungeroully ficke or altogetherdead. If we thinkeicon hardMatter, tore- ftorenaturein aconfumptton,how harda thing is itto reftore grace& Caluation in a ton- ne con¡ampti- fumption ofthe foule? Ifwearewithout hope,when a manis inafanguifhing dilèafe,when eno¡tbeloge. hebath nodelight tocate, when he cannotbrooke hismeare, andhais ilecpe is gone from him,he cannotlabour,& phifitians dare notmeddlewith him: whathope is there whenwe are in loch a coufumption,thatthe wordwhich wehhare doch vs no good, thefacraments whirls we receive doe vs no comfort,prayerloth vs nogood, and whensee cannotabide to labourin good workes ? furely it is a tokenweare almoft languifhed co death, ifwe be not alreadie dead we arc inextreame danger. The Lord indeede is gracious and would not our death, but if we be confirming and fee it not, ifGods life begoing fromvs and Salamis life is commingtovs, if Godsgraces be languilhingin vs, furelyweare as dead. Let vs then frarchi our owric corruptions,that wemay fechow nearewe accrolife, orhow neare we are todeath, whetherive growor confume, whetherfor theoneweare tofeare andpray to God, or forthe otherto reioyce andpraifeGod. Thus wehaueheard, that the faithof Gods children is not fo firme, as that it is neuer fhaken, they arenot alwayes in like cenour, andas theLord giueth themofhisgrace in Horn God, meafure, fohegiuçch them atfometiánesmore,at fomecimesleffe: he oftenhumbleth them feintsbane with increduline, toexercifctheminprayer, andtoconfirmethemthemorebyhisfpirie, many than- whereofthey haue had a pledge in hisword. We hauelearned, that theProphetthought germ this himfelft tohaueno life,but ashehad thefeelingof thelife ofchefonofGod,tobeconuey- l:feand "edtohimb the through of theword of God: andthat as we wherefore. y fpirit g working " breathe,eate,play, and labour,we honenothingdiffering frombrake beafts; as wehone 1inorance. flue wits todifcourfeof things,we haue nothingmore then theheathen, then theTurkes, thenthe vngodly infidels. The fcriptures(hew that all chat 'Mein ignorance and lineare dead : for they that hue in ignorance,fit indarkencs, and in thefhadoweof death, as it is. Rom.6.:, in the fongofZacharie : and ifwe line in finne, theApoftlewitneflèth, we are but dead, Ephei .t. The deathoffinne, is thelife ofaman : and the life offinite, is thedeathofa man; finne then I meant tohue in vs, when wegiueouer our feluesto finne with pieafure, and lye inour finnewithdelight. And yetlacre is afurther thing,for theman ofGod fpeakethof the experience ofGads " children, who when they fiele delight in prayer, and their inward man delightedwith " the word ofGod, they thinkethey are aline, and that fo long they walke in the landofthe lining; butwhen theyfall into fosefinne, and become vnthankefullor penfiue, there " comesa dukes and deadnesof heart, they are notable to fee any difference between " themfelues and thereprobates,and finding in themfelues fach anlieapeofiil inclinations, " they thinke themfelues to bedead. .
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