4. Expect this grace in and through Jesus Christ, who came down from heaven for this end : John x. 10, ' I am come that they might have life, and might have it more abundantly.' That was his end in coming into the world, to procure life for his people, and not only bare life, but liveliness and comfort, yea, glory hereafter : he died to pur-
VER. 149.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 85
chase it for ns : John vi. 51, ' This is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world.' His incarnation and taking on him our nature is the channel and conduit through which the quickening virtue that is in the Godhead is conveyed to us ; and his offering up himself in that nature by his eternal Spirit doth purchase and merit the application and annunciation of this his quickening virtue to our souls, and pre- pareth him to be fit meat for souls. That same flesh and human nature of Christ that is offered up a ransom to justice, is also the bread of life for souls to feed upon. Souls are fed with meditations upon his death and sufferings. The bread which he giveth by way of applica- tion is his flesh, which he gave by way of ransom ; every renewed act of faith draweth an increase of life from him.
5. Consider how God worketh it in us. The Father of spirits loveth to wrork with his own tools. These three agree in one — the Spirit, the word, and the renewed heart. The one is the author, the other the instrument, and the last the object. There is the Spirit acting, and the habit of grace acted upon, and the word and sacraments are the instruments and means. For God will do it rationally, and by a lively light. God forceth not the nature of second causes against their own inclination. It is pleasing to him when we desire him to renew his work, and to bring forth the actings of grace out of his own seed, and to blow with the wind, the breath of his Spirit, on the gardens, that the spices may flow out, Cant. iv. 15. If one of these be wanting, there can be no quickening. Not the Spirit, for he applieth all and doth all in the hearts of believers. It is from him that we have the new life of grace and all the activity of it : Gal. v. 25, ' If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.' Then there must be a renewed heart ; for God doth first infuse the principles of the new life, and gracious habits and power into the soul, next he doth actuate those powers, or stir them up to do what is good ; otherwise we do but blow to a dead coal. Then the word and sacraments come as God's means which are fitted to work upon the new creature. These are full of spiritual reason, and suited to the sanctified understandings of men and women.
6. Consider God's loving-kindness, how ready he is to grant this. He will not deny the gift of the Holy Ghost to them that ask him, Luke xi. 13. It is an argument not a 'pari, but a minore ad ma/jus. God is more able and willing to give than earthly parents, who are but half fathers. This is a spiritual and necessary blessing, and God is too fatherly to deny it to his children. You may deny an apple to a wanton child, but you will not deny bread to a fainting child, the bowels of a father will not permit you to do that ; you may deny them superfluities in wisdom, but your love will not permit you to deny them necessaries. Meat is not so necessary to revive and refresh the body, as grace for the soul, and his holy inspirations to act and guide you. And will God deny these requests ?
7. Know when you have received quickening. Many Christians look for rapt and ecstatic motions, and so do not own the work of God when it hath passed upon them ; they underrate their own experi- ences, and so cannot take notice of God's faithfulness. Sense, appetite, and activity are the fruits of life and quickening.
86 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SER. CLXVII.
[1.] We have the more sense of indwelling sin as a heavy burden, Horn. vii. 24. None groan so sorely as those that are made partakers of a new life. Elementa non gravitani in suis locis. A delicate con- stitution is more sensible of pain. Wicked men scarce feel deep wounds given to their conscience, nor have any remorse for gross sins ; God's children, their hearts smite them for the smallest disorders and irregularities.
[2.] Appetite after Christ, his graces and comforts, 1 Peter ii. 2 ; the more life any have, the more craving of food to maintain it in being ; they are always hungering and thirsting after God, Mat. v. 6 ; our appetite will be after the things that conduce to the maintaining and preserving that being which they have. If a man lose his appe- tite, the body pineth and languisheth, and strength decayeth : desire prepareth the soul to take in its supplies. Your life is in good plight when that is desired, to Xojckov aSoXov ydXa, and it will be a means of spiritual growth, a kindly appetite after this milk. They are under a great decay who have lost their appetite after the gospel.