364. carnall manas Alien to theSeed of the Church. w re once of Chrift, Chrift doth not dwell in their hearts ze M3t.z3 33. by Faith, paflefïìng, proteceting and beautifying rheìrfoules, as a dweller his houfe ; direeting and guiding their go- inzs to the haven of peace, as a Pilot his Ship : they are strangers to the love of Chrift, they are not efpoufed to x z Corr t,a, ! him as a Y chaff Virgin; to the operation of Chi ift , he is y Mal.;, not unto them as a y Refiners fire and Fullers lope puri- fying them as gold and fìlver to of :r Tinto the Lord an of- feting of Righteouthefle ; and alfo to the fullneffe ofChrift, he is a foaled well ofwhole waters their fòules drinke not; though they live within the pale of the Church, and come to the ordinances of Chrift, yet as Salomón fpake in ano- ther cafe, Of the Way Z of a Ship in the Sea, of an Eagle in Prov.3o.t8. the Ayre, and of a Serpent capon a flow ; fb may we Liy of the way of Chrift in his ordinances with the foules of carnall men, it leavethno trackbehind it,workethno change, imprints no charater of holinefl.: , they frill continue ftrangers to Chrilt, and having no communion with the Head, they are farre frein fellowil,ip with the Mem- bers. z. Seed of the 2. By their being deflitute of the Seedof the Church': the Church, ChurchofChrift is begottenofa holy Seed, the word ofGod z Pet, 1.23 and vertue of the Spirit, a Begotten (faith St. `Peter) of an immortall Seed ; the Word ofGod preached, fowne and received into their hearts, becometh the inflrument of their regeneration and new-birth ; and whofoever (faith S. john) b t Joh.3.9; is borne of god doth net commit finite, for his b feed, that is the vertue of the Holy -Cho&, working faith andholineffe by the word ,preached, abides in him : Now of this feed carnall men are altogether deftitute, they are without the feed of the word, they hide it not in their hearts, they let it lye as feed above ground, it takes no root in them, either the ftoninefe of their hearts will not admit ir, or the thornes of worldly cares choake it : it is as dew up- cHeb.4.z. on the Rock, it doth c net profit them, it brings forth no Real 7. 8. laying effè&t within them, and for the feed of the Spirit, they have no principle of grace, or new lifewithin them; their foules are bodes empty of all ipirituall good ; They are
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