That Life only is here meant, that will be Eternal Life. To the same sense is that, He that believeth ⟨p. 25⟩in me, shall never dye, Joh. 11. 26. These are plain words. He hath a life in him that is Immortal, Sacred, and not liable to be touched. It was before said, They that believe in him, if dead, shall live, ver. 25▪ But not only that, but 'tis further added, they that believe in him shall never dye; If dead, they shall live; If they 1live, they shall never dye; What means this? that they have a life, besides this bodily one; which is continued thorough Death. Of this line or thread, Death makes no intercision. But we can never justify it to God, or our own understandings, to rest in a dubious uncertainty about a matter of so vast Consequence as this. Unconcernedness here, is the most unaccountable thing in the whole World; i e. whether we have only that life in us which will end in the darkness and rottenness of a Grave, and an horrid Hell; or that which runs into Eternal Life? Things will come to this issue very shortly with us, that either death must, as to us, be swallowed up in victory, or we be swallowed up of victorious death; Nor have we any ways to ascertain our own state, but (as was said) by uniting with the Prince of life; i. e. by receiving him in all the Capacities wherein we are to be concerned with him; and by resigning our selves entirely to him. For if we must have him, that we may have life: How can we, otherwise, have him but by receiving him. The Gospel, under which we live, can only be a savour of life to us, as it disposes us hereunto. Recollect your selves then; How do your Lords Days, and other Seasons, of attending this Gospel, pass over with you? Have you long expected Life, and (which is less likely) do you meet with continual and total disappointments? ⟨p. 26⟩And doth it cause with you no qualmish thoughts? But 'tis infinitely a sadder Case if you never feel your selves begin to live, and yet are never disappointed; because you never attend upon the Gospel-Dispensation with any such design or hope. Is the matter thus, that If you speak the Truth of your Case, you must say, I have a soul dead to all the Actions, Motions, Sensations, Enjoyments, of a Divine and Spiritual life. And shall it be always thus, by our own Consent, with any of us? We have however the rational, intellectual Life, and can think:
That Life only is here meant, that will be Eternal Life. To the same sense is that, He that believeth ⟨p. 25⟩in me, shall never dye, Joh. 11. 26. These are plain words. He hath a life in him that is Immortal, Sacred, and not liable to be touched. It was before said, They that believe in him, if dead, shall live, ver. 25▪ But not only that, but 'tis further added, they that believe in him shall never dye; If dead, they shall live; If they 1live, they shall never dye; What means this? that they have a life, besides this bodily one; which is continued thorough Death. Of this line or thred, Death makes no intercision. But we can never justify it to God, or our own understandings, to rest in a dubious uncertainty about a matter of so vast Consequence as this. Unconcernedness here, is the most unaccountable thing in the whole World; i e. whether we have only that life in us which will end in the darkness and rottenness of a Grave, and an horrid Hell; or that which runs into Eternal Life? Things will come to this issue very shortly with us, that either death must, as to us, be swallowed up in victory, or we be swallowed up of victorious death; Nor have we any ways to ascertain our own state, but (as was said) by uniting with the Prince of life; i. e. by receiving him in all the Capacities wherein we are to be concern'd with him; and by resigning our selves entirely to him. For if we must have him, that we may have life: How can we, otherwise, have him but by receiving him. The Gospel, under which we live, can only be a savour of life to us, as it disposes us hereunto. Recollect your selves then; How do your Lords Dayes, and other Seasons, of attending this Gospel, pass over with you? Have you long expected Life, and (which is less likely) do you meet with continual and total disappointments? ⟨p. 26⟩And doth it cause with you no qualmish thoughts? But 'tis infinitely a sadder Case if you never feel your selves begin to live, and yet are never disappointed; because you never attend upon the Gospel-Dispensation with any such design or hope. Is the matter thus, that If you speak the Truth of your Case, you must say, I have a soul dead to all the Actions, Motions, Sensations, Injoyments, of a Divine and Spiritual life. And shall it be always thus, by our own Consent, with any of us? We have however the rational, intellectual Life, and can think:
- 1Vid. Ham. in loc.
