Thus have we opened the meaning of the words, and shewed ' how Christ is that Spirit,' both in respect of the Spirit's being eminently in him, and his giving of it, and spiritual gifts by it. All the vigoiir and life and influ- ence we have that is spiritual and supernatural, and above the ordinary course, is from the Spirit ; and whatsoever the Spirit hath, or doth for us, is done as sent from Christ, in whom the Spirit is in all fulness. Now we shall shew how many ways the consideration of these truths will be pro- fitable and useful to us in the course of our lives, and for the comfort of our spirits.
Use 1. Christ is the Spirit of the Scriptures, of all truths, of all ordi- nances. We may by this be able to reconcile the Scri])tures, one place with another, ichere tkey seem to contradict. The law is said to be ' a dead letter,' a ' ministration of condemnation,' &c., 2 Cor. iii. 6, seq. ; but in the 19th Psalm there it is said, ' The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,' &c., Ps. xix. 7. These places are thus reconciled. The law is said to be dead, so it is without Christ, without the Spirit which quickeneth ; and so is the gospel too, even ' a savour of death,' 2 Cor. ii. 15. And so are the sacraments also as well as the word, dead ordinances if Christ be not in them. The law is said to be * perfect,' and ' to convert the soul.' So it doth, when the Spirit goeth along with it, as it did ordinarily before Christ came in the flesh, as in David's time. But after Christ was come, who was the substance of those shadows, they became ' beggarly rudiments,' as in Paul's time. Gal. iv. 9. And the Spirit did not work with them, but with the gospel, ' the hearing of faith,' Gal. iii. 2.
Use 2. And we may understand likewise from hence n-hat the reason is that an ordinance at one time differeth so mttch from itself at another time in respect of the life and comfort of it, as we often find even in our own experience ; as also why the same ordinance (be it word, or sacrament, &c.) at the same time is profitable to one, and another hath no benefit at all from it. This is from the presence or absence of Christ, who is ' that Spirit.' What is the reason that wine, or aqua vita;, doth more refresh and
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strengthen than common water ? It is of the same substance, of the same colour that other water is. But there is more spirit in it. AH things work answerable to the spirits that is in them. So what is the reason that the reading or hearing of the same thing affecteth one, and not another at all ? The substance of the thing is the same, but the Spirit is not the same. The Spirit goeth with the one, and not with the other. Wo grant that our negligence in preparation and attention, our pride and earthly- mindcdness, our want of faith to mingle with the word : these, or the like, may be causes why we arc many times sent empty away ; yet this still must be observed as a most evident truth, that all the efficacy and fruit of any ordinance dependeth upon Christ's being present in it, who is ' that Spirit ' that quickeneth. The most powerful means that ever was ordained for our good will be dead and heartless if he be not there by his Spirit to put life into it. It may seem strange what John saith, chap. vi. ver. G3, ' The flesh profiteth nothing.' ' The flesh of Christ,' our nature which Christ took, and in which so much was wrought for us, which is the greatest ordi- nance of all, yet this flesh ' profiteth not,' nor will there be any benefit of it, if it be not applied to us spiritually. For it is not the flesh simply considered, but as by it and with it we receive the Spirit of Christ, which Spirit quickeneth and maketh the flesh of Christ ' meat indeed.' As it is Avith the flesh of Christ, so with all other ordinances. The Scriptures profit nothing, preaching profiteth nothing, the sacraments will profit nothing ; there is none of these vail be ' meat indeed,.' unless the Spirit of Christ quicken them.
Therefore we ought to join with all the ordinances of God, a desire that Christ would join his Spirit, and make them efi'ectual. We ought to come to the ordinances in a dependence upon Christ for a blessing upon them, and for his presence in them, who is the life and scope of all ; and then we should not find such dulness and deadness in them. It is the sin of this age, this formality. It is the sin of those that have any thing in them. Set desperate di'unkards and roarers and such wretches aside, as plainly discover themselves to be acted by the spirit of the devil. Take them that conform themselves in any fashion to religion, the killing sin that they lie under is this same dead formality. They will hear a sermon now and then, look on a book, and it may be pray morning and evening, but never look up to the living and quickening Spirit Jesus Christ. So that all they do is dead and loathsome, like salt that hath no savour. What is the best liquor if it hath lost its life and spirit, but flat and unsavoury : and blood when the spirits are out of it, what is it but loathsome gore ! So are all their performances, even like sacrifices that had no fire in them. The Lord loathed such sacrifices as he did Cain's ; and so he doth all our flat and lifeless services, yea and our persons too, being as Jude saith, ' fleshly, and not having the Spirit,' ver. 19.