3. What never had life, as idols, etc. (Job xxvi :5 Is. viii :19).
4. %%hat has no continued existence, no living soul to be reunited to its body (Matt. xxii :32).
5. In a state of mortality ; condemned or sig nally exposed to death (Rom. viii :to ; Gen. xx :3).
G. In a state of oppression, slavery, and des perate-like wretchedness (Is. xxvi:19; Ezek. xxxvii :I-14).
7. Unfit for generation, according to the power of nature (Rom. iv :19; Heb.
8. Formal hypocrites ; or much decayed in grace (Rev. iii :t ).
9. The resurrection of the dead (t Cor. xv :29).
When an Israelite died in any house or any tent, all the persons and furniture in it contracted a pollution, which continued seven days (Num. xix :13-16). All who touched the body of one who died, or was killed in the open fields. all who touched men's bones, or a grave. were un clean seven days. To cleanse this pollution, they formerly- took the ashes of the red heifer, sacri ficed by the high-priest on the day of solemn ex piation: (Num. xix) on these they poured water in a vessel, and a person who was clean dipped a bunch of hyssop in the water, and sprinkled with It the furniture, the chamber, and the persons, on the third day and on the seventh day. It was re quired that the polluted person should previously bathe his whole body, and wash his clothes ; after which he was clean (ver. 17-22).
Anciently the Jews had women hired to lament at funerals, and who played on doleful instruments, and walked in procession. The rab bins say that an Israelite was enjoined to have two of these musicians at his wife's obsequies, be sides the women hired to weep. Persons who met
the funeral procession, in civility joined the com pany, and mingled their groans. To this our Saviour seems to allude: (Luke vii:32).
Figurative. (t) Let the dead bury their dead; let men dead in sin bury those naturally dead ; or let the dead lie unburied, rather than the preaching of the gospel be hindered (Matt. viit : 22). (a) Dead faith is that persuasion of Divine truth which flows not from spiritual life, and is not productive of good works (James ii:t7, 29). (3) Dead works are those that flow not from a principle of spiritual life, but from corrupt nature, which is in a state of spiritual death (Heb. ix: t4 ). (4) To be dead to the law, as a covenant. is to be delivered the obligations of it, and from a reigning inclination to be under it (Rom.
:4) ; and it is dead to us when it can exercise no commanding or condemning power over our conscience (Gal. :19). (5) Sin is dead relatively when it lies undiscovered and unregarded in the soul (Rom. vii :8) ; it is dead really when it is mortified and slain by the word, spirit, and blood of Christ (Rom. vi :6). (6) To die to sin, or be dead to it, is to be freed from the dominion of it, and the curse due to it by the blood of Christ, and by his grace drawn from the love and service of it (Rom. vi :7). (7) The saints arc dead both to the law and to sin (Col. iii :3).