Now this warmth is sometimes expressed in sad looks, and pantings, and deep sighs, and groanings and mourning for his forlorn estate, and surely there is life in that, for in grief the heat runs to the heart. But worse then this, a Christian sometimes vanisheth away in much frothy emptiness, outwardly rejoicing in worldly comforts, when there is no life within. Peter when he denied his Master, his heart was filled with grief and sorrow, and he ⟨p. 406⟩went out and wept bitterly. But what say you to David, when he had committed adultery, how did he go on from one sin to another? He can make Uriah drunk, and then kill him, and then make no matter of it, he is careless in all this, as if he had quite lost all life and affection to God, there was not the least beating of the pulse of a Christian, such a [Greek or Hebrew], that a man that knew him not before, might have written in his forehead, a man forsaken of God, without any life of grace in him, Where now was Davids life? None so far gone as he; 'tis a question whether he prayed or no all this while; as some Christians have so lost themselves, as for three years together they have not prayed at all, as doubting of any acceptance, because they were so sinful, yet there is some habit of grace, but hardly one act of life; yet still this holds true, so much warmth so much life, as by the Almighty power of God, there may be fire and yet no heat; as the fiery furnace, though made seven times hotter then ordinary, yet God so restrained the act, that it did not so much as singe the garments of the three children that were cast into it, Dan. 3. So è contra, there is a marvellous hellish power in sin, so as it will suspend all the acts of grace, so as a Christian may express no acts of grace, but lye as a man in a deep swoon, without life and motion, that can be discerned, and yet this you shall find in a Christian at such times, a listlessness of his heart to sin, that he cannot break out into sin with all his strength and power as he did in his natural condition; and the ground is this, because there is still flesh and spirit in him, so that as the spirit cannot do what good it would, so the flesh cannot do that evil it would, Gal. 5.17. And when a Christian is most lively, yet there is still some faintness and weakness in him;

Now this warmth is sometimes exprest in sad looks, and pantings, and deep sighs, and groanings and mourning for his forlorn estate, and surely there is life in that, for in griefe the heat runs to the heart. But worse then this, a Christian sometimes vanisheth away in much frothy emptynesse, outwardly rejoycing in worldly comforts, when there is no life within. Peter when he denyed his Master, his heart was fill'd with griefe and sorrow, and he ⟨p. 406⟩went out and wept bitterly. But what say you to David, when he had committed adultery, how did he go on from one sin to another? He can make Ʋriah drunk, and then kill him, and then make no matter of it, he is carelesse in all this, as if he had quite lost all life and affection to God, there was not the least beating of the pulse of a Christian, such a 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, that a man that knew him not before, might have written in his forehead, a man forsaken of God, without any life of grace in him, Where now was Davids life? None so far gone as he; 'tis a question whether he prayed or no all this while; as some Christians have so lost themselves, as for three years together they have not prayed at all, as doubting of any acceptance, because they were so sinfull, yet there is some habit of grace, but hardly one act of life; yet still this holds true, so much warmth so much life, as by the Almighty power of God, there may be fire and yet no heat; as the fiery furnace, though made seven times hotter then ordinary, yet God so restrained the act, that it did not so much as singe the garments of the three children that were cast into it, Dan. 3. So è contra, there is a marvellous hellish power in sin, so as it will suspend all the acts of grace, so as a Christian may expresse no acts of grace, but lye as a man in a deep swound, without life and motion, that can be discerned, and yet this you shall finde in a Christian at such times, a listlesnesse of his heart to sin, that he cannot break out into sin with all his strength and power as he did in his naturall condition; and the ground is this, because there is still flesh and spirit in him, so that as the spirit cannot doe what good it would, so the flesh cannot doe that evill it would, Gal. 5.17. And when a Christian is most lively, yet there is still some faintnesse and weaknesse in him;

so è contra, when grace is most weak and corruption most strong, yet he cannot commit sin with all his strength as formerly he hath done, but he goes about sin unwillingly, not with the full sway that he was wont to do, he goes listlessly about it.

so è contra, when grace is most weak and corruption most strong, yet he cannot commit sin with all his strength as formerly he hath done, but he goes about sin unwillingly, not with the full sway that he was wont to doe, he goes listlesly about it.

Try your selves therefore by these signs, if thou hast Christ, thou hast life? if life, thou hast warmth and heat; look to thy knowledge, doth it puff thee up, and not edify? Dost thou magnify thy self by it? If it be lively knowledge, it is joined with zeal, as Christ revealed himself to the Church of Thyatira, Rev. 2.18. Thus saith the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love, and growing up therein, he revealed himself according to the state of the Church, as having eyes like flames of fire, as that Church had zeal with her light; so that if thou hast a true knowledge, thy eyes are like flames of fire, what thou knowest thou dost with zeal and fervency of spirit, as Peter and John said, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard; that is, which we have certain knowledge of, Acts 4.20. See Jer. 20.9.

Try your selves therefore by these signes, if thou hast Christ, thou hast life? if life, thou hast warmth and heat; look to thy knowledge, doth it puffe thee up, and not edifie? Dost thou magnifie thy selfe by it? If it be lively knowledge, it is joyned with zeal, as Christ revealed himselfe to the Church of Thyatira, Rev. 2.18. Thus saith the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, writing to the Church of Thyatira that was warm in love, and growing up therein, he revealed himselfe according to the state of the Church, as having eyes like flames of fire, as that Church had zeal with her light; so that if thou hast a true knowledge, thy eyes are like flames of fire, what thou knowest thou dost with zeal and fervency of spirit, as Peter and John said, We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard; that is, which we have certain knowledge of, Acts 4.20. See Jer. 20.9.

2. Dost thou breath warmth in prayer, pant and sigh after God? In thy conference, dost thou express life and heat? Then thou art a living Christian.

2. Dost thou breath warmth in prayer, pant and sigh after God? In thy conference, dost thou expresse life and heat? Then thou art a living Christian.

3. How dost thou find thy stomach to the Word? dost thou relish it, or else art thou ashamed of thy unprofitableness? Then there is life.

3. How dost thou finde thy stomach to the Word? dost thou relish it, or else art thou ashamed of thy unprofitablenesse? Then there is life.

4. Dost thou love to be disjointed from thy Brethren, like brands cast one from another? Then there is no life. Life loves to preserve it self; if you sit loose one from another all heat and life goes out, religion ceaseth, there is a bidding farewell to all Christian duties; but if you see bone join to bone, one gather to another, then you shall see flesh and sinews will cover them, and life will come in, Ezek. 37.7. Put brands together, and there will be some fire and heat propagated.

4. Dost thou love to be disjoynted from thy Brethren, like brands cast one from another? Then there is no life. Life loves to preserve it selfe; if you sit loose one from another all heat and life goes out, religion ceaseth, there is a bidding farewell to all Christian duties; but if you see bone joyn to bone, one gather to another, then you shall see flesh and sinews will cover them, and life will come in, Ezek. 37.7. Put brands together, and there will be some fire and heat propagated.

2. A second property of life. Where life is, there is some pliableness and flexibleness, a dead carcass is always stiff: So consider whether you be stiff or no; why, if there be life of grace in you, That wisdom that is from above, is gentle, and easy to be entreated, James 3.17.

2. A second property of life. Where life is, there is some plyablenesse and flexiblenesse, a dead carkase is always stiffe: So consider whether you be stiffe or no; why, if there be life of grace in you, That wisdome that is from above, is gentle, and easie to be entreated, James 3.17.

There are four things in this pliableness.

There are four things in this plyablenesse.

First, He is easily pleased with any indifferent endeavours, 1 Pet. 3.8. A gracious man is easily pleased; if a man be froward and hard to please, its a sign such a soul is stiff and dead.

First, He is easily pleased with any indifferent indevours, 1 Pet. 3.8. A gracious man is easily pleased; if a man be froward and hard to please, its a signe such a soul is stiffe and dead.

Secondly, If he be offended, he is easy to be entreated, James 3.17. Its a sign• of a reprobate sense to be implacable, Rom. 3.1.

Secondly, If he be offended, he is easie to be entreated, James 3.17. Its a sign• of a reprobate sence to be implacable, Rom. 3.1.

Thirdly, If he have offended another, he is willing to yield to that man whom he hath offended; so much stiffness, so much deadness.

Thirdly, If he have offended another, he is willing to yeeld to that man whom he hath offended; so much stiffnesse, so much deadnesse.

Fourthly, There is this gentleness in every living Christian, he is willing to deny himself upon unequal terms, when he might stand upon his right, yet he yields his right, rather then any offence should grow; so Abraham did to Lot, Gen. 13.8, 9. If we find it thus, we are loving Christians; but if men be hardly pleased, like Nabal, churlish, hardly recalled, will not yield, but stand upon their right to the utmost, then they are in a deep swoon, or dead.

Fourthly, There is this gentlenesse in every living Christian, he is willing to deny himselfe upon unequall terms, when he might stand upon his right, yet he yeelds his right, rather then any offence should grow; so Abraham did to Lot, Gen. 13.8, 9. If we finde it thus, we are loving Christians; but if men be hardly pleased, like Nabal, churlish, hardly recall'd, will not yeeld, but stand upon their right to the utmost, then they are in a deep swound, or dead.

3. Whilst the body is alive, its savoury, a dead carcass is very unsavoury; mark your spirits, every living Christian is a sweet savour to God, his words are savoury, Col. 4.5, 6. Ephes. 4.29. His works savour well in the nostrils of God and man, Ephes. 5.10. But if your speeches and carriages be unsavoury, uncomely, and profane, are ye not then carnal? 1 Cor. 3.3. But a good Christian so carries himself, that the bowels of the Saints are refreshed by him. Unsavoury speeches and carriages argue the deadness of such a soul.

3. Whilest the body is alive, its savoury, a dead carkase is very unsavoury; mark your spirits, every living Christian is a sweet savour to God, his words are savoury, Col. 4.5, 6. Ephes. 4.29. His works savour well in the nostrills of God and man, Ephes. 5.10. But if your speeches and carriages be unsavoury, uncomely, and profane, are ye not then carnall? 1 Cor. 3.3. But a good Christian so carryes himselfe, that the bowells of the Saints are refreshed by him. Unsavoury speeches and carriages argue the deadnesse of such a soul.

Use 2. May show us the dangerous and uncomfortable condition of every such soul that hath not Christ; He that hath not the Son, hath not life. If we be without Christ, we are dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2.1, 5. We may say of men by nature, as was said of Sennacherib's host, Behold ye are all dead carcasses, 2 Kings 19.35. We by nature have not this act of life.

Ʋse 2. May shew us the dangerous and uncomfortable condition of every such soul that hath not Christ; He that hath not the Son, hath not life. If we be without Christ, we are dead in trespasses and sins, Eph. 2.1, 5. We may say of men by nature, as was said of Senacheribs host, Behold ye are all dead carkases, 2 Kings 19.35. We by nature have not this act of life.

Five acts of life we heard of before, by Nature we are wanting in them all.