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siah — that they should not faint, but get up their idols agam, after Christ had got a little footing among them ; and shall not the children of God encourage, and keep up the life of zeal one in another ? Use 2. Exhortation. It presseth you to divers duties.
1. To see a need of quickening. Though life received gives power to act, yet that power must be excited by God. No creature doth sub- sist and act of itself. All things live, move, and have their being in God. There is a concurrence necessary to all created things, much more to the new creature : partly because of the internal indisposition of the subject in which it is — alas ! grace in the heart is but like fire in wet wood — })artly by reason of external impediments ; Satan is ready to cast a damp upon the soul, so that the Lord's grace is still necessary for us.
2. Ask it of God. All life was at first in him originally, and it is an emanation from him. The apostle proves Christ's Godhead from this, because ' in him was life,' John i. 4. But is this a good argu- ment ? Doth that prove therefore he was God ? May we not say of the meanest worm, in it is life ? But he means originally ; he was the fountain of life, and still he keeps it in his own hands, and con- veys it to all creatures every moment, even to tlie lowest worm : John V. 26, ' For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself The power of quickening and keeping of life belongs to God. He hath it originally from himself, he gives it to others, 1 Tim. vi. 13. He that quickeneth all things, worms, men, that gives life to tliem, is God.
3. Accept this grace in and through Jesus Christ, who hath pur- chased it for us, who, gave his ' flesh to be meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed,' Jolm vi. 55 ; who rose again that we should ' walk in newness of life,' Eom. vi. 4 ; who ascended to pour out the spirit upon
VeR. 41 .] SERMONS UrON PSALM CXIX. 439
lis, John vii. 38, 39, Therefore, wlien we find deadness spiritually, look to receive this life from Christ.
4. Rouse up yourselves. There are considerations and ars^uments to quicken us. Certainly a man hath power and faculty to work truths upon himself, to stir up the gift and grace that is in us, 2 Tim. i. 6. We must not think grace works necessaril}' as fire burns, whether we will or not that this will enliven us ; but we must rouse and stir up our- selves, as Ps. xlii. 5. There are many considerations by which we may awaken our own soul ; from the love of God, from the hopes of glory ; by which Christians should stir and keep their spirits awake and alive to- wards God and heavenly things.
Use 3. If quickening be so necessary, it presseth us to see whenever we have received anything of the vitality of grace. Sense, appetite, and activity, we may know it by these things : When there is a sense of sin indwelling as a burden — life is strong then when it would ex- pel its enemy, Rom. vii. 24 — when there is an appetite after Christ and his graces and comforts. When there is a greater activity, a burst- ing and breaking forth towards religious duties, it is a sign grace is strong in the heart ; for the Spirit is to be a fountain of living waters always breaking out, John vii. 38. When we are more fruitful towards God, when it is ready to discover itself for the glory of God, then the heavenly life is kept in good plight. For these things we should be thankful to God, for he it is that awakeneth you.
SERMON XLYII.
Le'' iliy mercies come also to me, 0 Lord, even thy salvation, according to thy word. — Ver. 41.
In this verse you have the man of God in straits, and begging for de- liverance. In this prayer and address to God you may observe —
1. The cause and fountain of all, thy mercies.
2. The effect or thing asked, scdvation.
3. The warrant or ground of his expectation, according to thy word.
4. The effectual application of the benefit asked, come also unto me. Tlie sum of the verse may be given you in this point.
Doct. That the salvation of God is the fruit of his mercy, and eftec- tually dispensed and applied to his people according to his word. Tliere is a twofold salvation — temporal and eternal.
1. Temporal salvation is deliverance from temporal dangers : Exod. xiv. 13, ' Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.'
2. Eternal deliverance from hell and wrath, together with that positive blessedness which is called eternal life: Heb. v. 9, 'x\nd being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him.' The text is applicable to both, though possibly the former principally intended.
First, I shall apply it to salvation temporal, or deliverance out of trouble. There observe —