The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises

2. A man may lose all the Vigorous and Powerful Operations of Grace, and Life: yet not life it self. It may be with a Child of God, as with a man in a dead Swoon; though there be life in him; yet the operations of life are but little discerned. It's not with him, as it was wont to be. He thinks to go out (as sometimes Sampson) in prayer, &c. but his strength is gone from him, as his was. But his life is hid with Christ in God, as the Apostle hath it, Col. 3.3.

2. A man may lose all the Vigorous and Powerful Operations of Grace, and Life: yet not life it self. It may bee with a Child of God, as with a man in a dead Swoon; though there bee life in him; yet the operations of life are but little discerned. It's not with him, as it was wont to bee. Hee thinks to go out (as sometimes Sampson) in prayer, &c. but his strength is gone from him, as his was. But his life is hid with Christ in God, as the Apostle hath it, Col. 3.3.

3. A man may lose some measures and degrees of spiritual life: yet not life it self. He may suffer a great decay in his Faith, a great abatement in his Love, and Zeal, &c. and yet life is not lost. Thus it was with the Church of Ephesus, Rev. 2.5. — Remember from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first Works. — We are not to think that the Church was fallen from Grace: but only from some measures and degrees of Grace. And concerning the same Church Rev. 2.4. when it is said, — She had lost her first love: it is not meant, that she had lost the Grace of Charity: you see the fruits of it in the second and third verses:

3. A man may lose some measures and degrees of spiritual life: yet not life it self. Hee may suffer a great decay in his Faith, a great abatement in his Love, and Zeal, &c. and yet life is not lost. Thus it was with the Church of Ephesus,