A practical commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and uses upon the first…A practicall commentary, or an exposition with observations, reasons, and vses upon the first…

Obj. May not a good Christian have his heart so dead that he is unfit for prayer, or hearing, or any holy duty, that he is unwilling to pray at all or to receive the Sacrament at all? Will you say such a soul is dead, because unfit for motion?

Answ. True, there may fall such a deadness on the heart of a Christian, as whereby he may be both unable and unwilling to good duties, to which God usually leaves us, when we go about things in our own strength, and grow self-sure; but when by this God hath schooled us, and taught us thereby that all our life is hid in Christ; why, in this case God is wont to make us sensible of this sinful disloyalty, and that in us dwells no good thing, that we of our selves are unable to do any good duty, and for this distemper we mourn and grieve heartily. Why, this very sense of deadness is an act of spiritual life, which in time will work him to a farther dependence on Christ, and to be more heedful of Gods Wo•d, and by how much the more we strive thus, so much the more life we have.

Answ. True, there may fall such a deadnesse on the heart of a Christian, as whereby he may be both unable and unwilling to good duties, to which God usually leaves us, when we go about things in our own strength, and grow selfe-sure; but when by this God hath schooled us, and taught us thereby that all our life is hid in Christ; why, in this case God is wont to make us sensible of this sinfull disloyalty, and that in us dwells no good thing, that we of our selves are unable to doe any good duty, and for this distemper we mourn and grieve heartily. Why, this very sence of deadnesse is an act of spirituall life, which in time will work him to a farther dependence on Christ, and to be more heedfull of Gods Wo•d, and by how much the more we strive thus, so much the more life we have.