and, therefore, the word which doth this can come from none hut liim ; and that it is ahle not onlj' to do this, but also to fill the soul with joy unspeakable, and full of gloiy, is a truth so undoubted, that we need not ascend up to heaven for further confirmation ; that Spirit which first indited the word hath sealed it to the hearts of innumerable believers. Indeed, all the saints acknowledge their comfort and peace to be drawn out of these wells of salvation. ' In the midst of my perplexed thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul,' says the psalmist. Nay, he doth not only tell us his own experience, wlience he had his joy, but others also to have had theirs from the same tap, Psa. cvii. 17 : ' Fools because of transgression are afflicted.' And what then can ease them? WiU all the rarities that can be got make a diversion to their thoughts, and ease them of their pain ? No, for ' their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they draw near to the gates of death,' ver. 18. What cordial then have they left to use, or way to take for their relief? Truly, none, but to l)etake themselves to prayers and tears ; ' Tlien they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he savetli them out of their distress,' ver. 19. And with what key doth God open their prison door ? It follows, ver. 20, ' He sent his word, and healed them.' If you shall say, all this is meant of outward trouble, yet surely you must grant it holds more strong concerning that which is inward. What, but a word from God's mouth, can heal a distressed spirit, when the body pineth and languisheth, till God speaketh a healing word unto it? Great and mighty things are spoken of thee, and done by thee, O holy Word ! Thou outviest the world's joy, and makest the soul that hath tasted thy strong consolations to disrelish all sensual delights : so pure and powerful is the light of that joy which thou kindlest in the saint's bosom, that it quencheth all sinful, carnal joy with its beams, as the sun doth the fire of the hearth. Thou conquerest the horror of death, so it is not feared. Thou vanquishest the pains thereof, that they are not felt. Thou treadest on scorpions and serpents, and they have no power to sting or hurt those that believe in thee. Devils know thee, and flee before thee, and leave those consciences which they had so long under their power and tyranny, for thee to enter with thy sweet consolations. Thou quenchest the flames of hell itself, and makest the sold, that was thrown, bound by despair, into the fiery furnace of God's wrath, to walk comfortably. Thou bringest heaven down to earth, and givest the believing soul a prospect of that heavenly Jerusalem, as if he were walking in the blessed streets thereof; yea, thou entertainest him with the same delicacies which glorified saints (though more fully) feed on, so that sometimes he forgets he is in the body, even when pains and torments are upon him. This have the saints experienced more than their own tongue can express ; so that we may say to him that yet questions whence the Scriptui-es came, as the blind man cured by Christ did to the Pharisees, John ix. 30, ' Herein is a marvellous thing,' saith he, ' that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes :' so here. This is marvellous, yea, ridicidous, to say, we know not whence the Scripture is, when it can do all this. Since the world began was it not heard, that the word of a mere creature could remove mountains of despair, and fill the souls of poor sinners with such joy and peace, in spite of hell, and the creature's own unbelief, under the weight of which, as a heavy grave-stone, he lay buried and sealed.
CHAPTER XL
THE CONVERTING POWER OF THE WORD.
Fourthly, The work of conversion, which none but God, who is the God of all grace, can produce. When John's disciples came to Christ to be resolved who he was, whether the Messias or not, Matt. xi. 4, 5, Christ did not tell them who lie was, but sends them to take their answer from the marvellous works he did : ' Go and shew John again those tilings which ye do hear and see ; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk ; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear ; the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them,' or gospelized ; that is, they are transformed into the very nature of the gospel, and actuated by the spirit which hi-eathcs in the gos])el. By which Christ's drift was, to give an ocular demonstration of their faith, that he who did such miracles could be no other than he whom they souglit; and that which brings
574 ^^^ '^^^ SWORD OF THE SPIRIT.