24= works without e'lirifit are dead: nation to any thing holy, and ffvingly good in .the fight of (4. Vnco-nfor God. As the dead are an ancerraf»rtahle.Taacle, and caft an tablenc(%" a evill favour, fo are we very unfàvoury in Gods nofthrils, an 4.Exrlur,n abomination in the eyes of God : As the dead have no claims from Chrtí& nor title co any thing,their intereft in what theyonce enjoyed is loft : Thus wehave no title toChrift, no intereft in Gods 6.Growing Covenant of grace ; and as the dead putrifie and rot more and worf'. -more, fo we grow worfe and worfe as long as we continue without Chritt. O therefore let us come to Chrift that he may enliven us, as he raifed Lazarus, the Widowes fonne, and the Rulers daughter 1. Let us come to Chritt to rail our bales, as the womanof Shunemcarne to the Prophet to raife' her dead forme, themade hafte to theProphet ; wemuff come fpeedily unto aria, in the dayes of our youth, before we , have continued long under thedeath and dominion of fìnne ; the woman.of Shinem came humbly to the Prophet; the caft her felfe downe at the feet of the Prophet : We muff come to Chrift in great humility, humbling our felvesbefore him, having our hearts full of forrow fbr our (inne, earnefily peti- tioning the vivification of our foules :;The womanof Shi- seem laid hold upon the Prophets feet, and would not let him goe , untill he went with her and railed her fanne, Thus {mutt we lay hold on Chrift, carry him with us, bring him home into the houle of our hearts, that Chrift may quicken us to the life ofgrace here, and to the life of glory hereafter. Bans heft This likewife difcovers to us what all 'our works and f r. works with- vicesare as long as we are without Chritt; Chrift is the Au- out Chrtri are thor and worker of fpirituall life, and while we are without . dear{wrks., Chritt, we are without fpirituall life ; and where is no life, there is no-at lion no motion ; where is no life ofgrace, there is n'o rncving, no furring in the wayes of' godlineffe: All the workes of natural( men, how fpecious foever in Out- ward appearance, yet they are as the Scripture termes them, z the ro_ but deadworkes ; theirhearing, praying,, receiving of the Sa- teed not from crament, and other dáties of righteoufheÍl'e done by themare a Prin iple of works without life: fi;iri :u ll life. For a, they proceed not f ám an inward Principle of sfÿiri- tuall.
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