I. Others may think us to be fpiritually alive, when-as we are still spiritually dead. This was the cafe of the church of Sardis, Rev. iii. 1. Thou haft a name that thou liveft, and art dead. They were reputed living and lively christians, but were really dead. So it may be with us. We may be esteemed and reckoned fuch as are alive unto God, and yet may be dead in fin. Pious perfons, yea, whole churches, may look upon us as living. members of Chrift's myftical bady, and as fuch may receive us into their communion. And yet for all this. we may be spiritually dead. Their charitable opinion of us, is no evidence of our being really fuch, as they take us to be. And yet, how apt are we to think bet ter of ourselves, becaufe others think well of us? O let us take heed, that we reft not fatisfied, with the good opinion of others. For we may pafs among men for eminent faints, and yet at last be found meer formal and hypocritical profeffors. Such were the Pharifees of old.

2. We may think ourselves to be fpiritually alive, when indeed we are fpiritually dead. Not only may others be mistaken about us, but we may alfo be mistaken about ourselves. Thus it was with the church of Laodicea. Rev. iii. 17. Thou fayeft, I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knoweft not that thou art wretched, and miferable, and poor, and blind, and naked. They thought their fpiritual ftate exceeding good, when as it was exceeding bad. Thus it may be with us. We may be pure in our own eyes, and yet not be washed from our filthinefs, Prov. xxx. 12. We are apt to judge too favourably of ourfelves, and upon infufficient grounds to think, that we are paffed from death to life. Self-delufion is a common thing among profeffors of religion, and thofe that call themfelves chriftians. Self-love blinds their eyes, fo as not to difcern the fymptoms of fpiritual death upon their fouls. We had need then to take heed of felf-flattery and felf-deceiving. And we fhould be willing to fearch and try Curfelves, whether the marks of dead fouls, are not to

be

be found upon us. 'Tis our wisdom, and the way to our fafety, to be defirous to know the worst of ourfelves. This will prevent that fatal fecurity, which will certainly iffue in eternal perdition.----Now, besides what has been faid under the Doctrine, wé may here take these marks of fpiritual death.

1. If we live in any way of fin, our fouls are fpiritually dead. Those that are fpiritually dead, are faid to be dead in trefpaffes and fins, Eph. ii. 1. They are not dead to fin, but dead in fin, lying under the power of fin, as a dead body lies under the power of death. Sin has dominion over them and rules in them. So that their being dead in fin, does not mean an impotency to acts of fin; but on the contrary, a being carried by the power of indwelling fin, to the customary commiffion of actual fins. And therefore this death in fin, is confiftent with, and evidenced by, a walking in the ways of fin. Thus it is faid of perfons while unregenerate, that they walk and live in fin. Col. iii. 7. In the which ye alfo fometime walked, when ye lived in them. If therefore we live in any fin, giving up ourselves to the free, and delightful commiffion of it, our fouls are certainly fpiritually dead. Any one fin lived in, will prove us to be fpiritually dead. Thus the apoftle John fingles out that one fin of hating our brother, and fays, He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death, 1 Joh. iii. 14. Abiding hatred of our neighbour, is an argument of fpiritual death. This holds true in any other fin of worldlymindedness, injuftice, theft, intemperance, uncleannefs, &c. If we live in any one of thefe fins, addicting ourfelves thereunto, we are affuredly in a state of spiritual death. He is dead, while he lives, who lives in the commiffion of any known fin, or the omiffion of any known duty. 1 Tim. v. 6.

2. If we are not burdened with the fenfe of indwelling fin, our fouls are fpiritually dead. If we are not fenfible of the extream corruption of our natures, and do not groan under it as a burden, we are fpiritually dead. The apostle Paul while in his unregenerate eftate, had

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not an humbling fenfe of that fin, which had overfpread all the faculties of his foul, and members of his body: and therefore, though he thought himself alive, and in a good eftate, yet he was fpiritually dead. And when he was brought to fee the fpirituality and great extent of the law of God, in requiring a conformity of nature and all the inward actings of the foul thereunto, he then found himfelf in the ftate of fpiritual death. Rom. vii. 9. For I was alive, i. e. in my own conceit, without the law, i. e. the ferious confideration of the fpiritual fenfe and exactness of the law, once, i. e. while a felfrighteous Pharifee: but when the commandinent came, i. e. was brought home to my confcience in its fpirituality and latitude, fin revived, i. e. I found a world of fin in me, and had a lively fenfe thereof; and 1 died, i. e. then my conceit of being alive vanished, and I faw myself to be really dead. After this coming home of the law, to the difcovery of the corruption of his nature, and the inward workings of it, and fo to his converfion, he was exceedingly burdened with indwelling in, and longed for full deliverance from it, ver. 24. O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver me from the body of this death! If therefore we are not deeply humbled under a feeling of indwelling fin, and do not pant after full freedom of it, we are fpiritually dead. Senfelefnefs

in this cafe, argues fpiritual death.

USE 3. Of Exhortation. Let us be concerned to get out of this ftate of Spiritual death, and not abide therein. If upon enquiry, we have reason to think that our fouls are as yet fpiritually dead, let us not be at reft, until they are brought from under the power of this death. To excite bereto,

1. Confider, this fpiritual death is far worse than bodily death. The foul is undoubtedly far better, and more excellent than the body. And as much as that is better than the body, fo much worfe is the death of the foul, than that of the body. There is no comparifon between them. As for bodily death, that does not always feparate from God. It is fometimes a means

of

of bringing nearer to God, even, to the full enjoyment of God in Chrift. Phil. i. 21, 23. Having a defire to depart and be with Chrift,--to me to die is gain. So that bodily death, may be a bleffing and a great favour, inafmuch as men may thereby be taken away in mercy from evil to come on the world, Ifai. lvii. 1. and may be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord. And therefore temporal death, is put into the new covenant, as that which is a benefit and advantage to believers. 1 Cor. iii. 22. Death is yours. But now, as for fpiritual death, that does always feparate from God. They that are fpiritually dead, are ever at a distance from God. And therefore the death of the foul, is a dreadful curfe and judgment of God. To be left to abide therein, is the moft fearful punishment which God inflicts on the fouls of men. Job. viii. 21. Te fball die in your fins. A fearful doom! Now, if fpiritual death be fo much worse than bodily death, we fhould be greatly concerned to obtain deliverance therefrom, and fear abiding therein. Men are, many times, afraid of bodily death. It appears to them as the king of terrors, and they live all their days in a bondage-fear of it. So terrible does it feem to them, that they cannot bear the thoughts of it, and do all that they can to keep it out of their minds. But O! how much more caufe have men to be afraid of fpiritual death, which is far more terrible than bodily death! Better it is, to die a bodily death a thousand times over, than to abide in the state of fpiritual death.

2. Confider, while we are fpiritually dead, we can enjoy no real comfort. Spiritual death, and a life of folid joy and confolation, are altogether inconfiftent. While men are dead in fin, they can have no inward peace of confcience, no intereft in the fpecial favour of God, without which it is impoffible for men to lead a joyful life. Indeed, finners are apt to think that none enjoy fo much pleasure and comfort, as they do: and therefore may think it ftrange, that others will not run to the fame excefs of riot with them. But that feeming pleafure which they enjoy in the ways of fin and fen

fuality

fuality, is very fhort-liv'd. Heb. xi. 25. The pleafures of fin, are but for a feafon; and a fhort feafon too. They will quickly come to an end, and that end will be attended with bitterness. The most pleasing iniquity, will bite like a ferpent, and fting like an adder, Prov. xxiii. 32. It will caufe fuch torment of confcience, fuch difquietnefs of mind, fuch diftrefs of fpirit, as will be more painful and intolerable, than the venomous bite of a ferpent, or fting of an adder.

3. Confider, while we are fpiritually dead, we are a Icathing to the holy God. A dead corps, is a filthy, loathfome thing. It becomes a loathing to thofe, in whose eyes it was once defirable; hence they will quickly bury it out of their fight. Under the Levitical law, a dead man was accounted a polluted thing. So that if a man touched a dead man, or a bone of a dead man, or a grave, he was unclean feven davs. Numb. xix. 16. This typical uncleannefs, denoted fpiritual uncleanness ; and points out to us, the filthinefs and loathfomnels of fpiritually dead finners. While they continue in this ftate of fpiritual death, they are a loathing to the foul of God. (Zech. xi. 8.) And who can be content to abide in fuch a condition, wherein he is an offence to the holy and almighty God?

4. Confider, fpiritual death continued in, will most certainly end in eternal death. If we go down to the grave in this ftate of death, our fpirits will go down to the prifon of hell, and at the laft day, both foul and body will be fent thither, and there be deftroyed for ever. God is able to destroy them both in hell (Matth. x. 28.) and God will moft affuredly do it. Matth. xxv. 41, 46. Then fball he fay alfo to them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And thefe fhall go away into everlafting punishment. Their ftate, will be a ftate of everlafting feparation from God, and deftruction from the wrathful prefence of the Lord, and the glory of his power. 2 The i. 9. This deftruction, will not be a deftruction of their being, fo as that they fhould cease

to