Secondly, Let me show the necessity of this quickening, how need- ful it is.
1. It is needful, for without it our general standing is questionable, whether we belong to God or no : 1 Peter ii. 5, ' Ye are living stones built up into a spiritual house.' It is not enough to be a stone in Christ's building, but we must be living stones ; not only members of his body, but living members. I cannot say such a one hath no grace ; but when they have it not it renders their condition very questionable ; a man may be living when he is not lively.
2. Without it we cannot perform our duties aright. Eeligion to a dead heart is a very irksome thing. AVhen we are dead-hearted we do our duties as if we did them not in our general course of obedience. We must go to God : Ps. cxix. 88, ' Quicken me after thy loving- kindness, so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth.' Then we do good to good purpose indeed. It is not enough for us to pray, but we must pray with life and vigour : Ps. Ixxx. 18, ' Quicken me, and I will call upon thy name.' So we should hear with life, not in a dull, careless fashion. Mat. xiii. 1.5.
3. All the graces that are planted in us tend to beget quickening ; us faith, hope, and love ; these are the graces that set us awork, and make us lively in the exercise of the spiritual life : ' Faith that works by love,^ Gal. v. 6. It sets the soul awork by apprehending the sense of God's love ; whereas otherwise it is but a dead faith, 1 James ii. 16. Then for love, what is the influence of that ? It constrains the soul, it takes the soul along with it, 2 Cor. v. 14, and Rom. xii. 1. And then hope ; it is called ' a lively hope,' 1 Peter i. 3. All grace is put into us to make us lively ; not only the grace of sanctification, but the grace of justification is bestowed upon us for this end, that we may be cheerful in God's service : Heb. ix. 14, ' IIow much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead works, that we may serve the living God?' Sin and guilt make us dead and heavy- hearted; but now the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the conscience, and the sentence of death taken away, then we are made cheerful to serve the living God. Attributes are suited to the case in hand ; he is called the living God, because he must be served in a living manner.
VeR. 37.] SERMONS UPON^ PSALM CXIX. 397
4. All the ordinances which God hath appointed are to get and in- crease this liveliness in us. Wherefore hath God appointed the word ? Isa. Iv. 3, ' Hear and your souls shall live.' It is to promote the life of grace, and that we may have new encouragement to go on in the ways of God. Moses, when he received the law, is said to re- ceive 'the lively oracles of God,' Acts vii. 38. So the doctrine of Christ ; they are all spirit and life, and serve to beget life in us. As the redemption of the world by Christ, the joys of heaven, the tor- ments of hell, they are all quickening truths, and propounded to us to keep us in life and vigour. The Lord's Supper, why was that ap- pointed ? There we come to taste the flesh of Christ, who was given for the life of the world, John vi. ; that we might sensibly exercise our faith upon Christ, that we might be more sensible of our obliga- tions to him, that we might be the more excited in the diligent pursuit of things to come.
Use 1. Is reproof. David considereth the duluess and deadness of his spirit, which many do not, but go on in a cold track of duties, and never regard the frame of their hearts. It is a good sign to observe our spiritual temper, and accordingly go to God. Most observe their bodies, but very few their souls. If the body be ill at ease or out of order, they complain presently ; but love waxetli cold, and their zeal for God and delight in him is abated, yet they never lay it to heart.
Use 2. To exhort us to get and keep this lively frame of heart.
1. Get it, pray for it. Liveliness in obedience doth depend upon God's blessing; unless he put life and keep life in our souls, all Cometh to nothing. Come to God upon the account of his glory: Ps. cxliii. 11, 'Quicken me, 0 Lord, for thy name's sake; for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.' His tender mercies : Ps. cxix. 156, ' Great are thy tender mercies, 0 Lord ; quicken me according to thy judgments.' Come to him upon the account of Christ : John x. 10, ' I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly ; ' and John vii. 38, ' He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.' Every new act of faith draweth from Christ some in- crease of spiritual life.