Use 3. What need is there that tre should sanctify all ice take in hand by prayer ! When we go to hear a sermon, when we take up the Bible to read a chapter alone by ourselves, or in our families, we should lift up our eyes and hearts and voices to heaven ; we should say to Christ, Lord, join thy Spirit, be present with us ; without thee thy word is dead, our hearts are dead, and will harden under the means, and darken in the hght, and we shall fall under the heavy condemnation of these secure and formal times, if thou leavest us.
Use 4. Christ is said to be that Spirit, to send the Spirit as God, and to receive it as man, in fulness, and that for our sakes. It is a point of much
212 EXCELLENCY OF THE GOSPEL
comfort, that there is such abundance of Spirit in our nature in Christ, and for the behalf of the church, that we have a fuhicss to receive of. It was a comfort to Joseph's brethren, and that family, that Josej^h was full of honour, and rules the second in the kingdom. Tlierefore they should want nothing that was good in Egypt. Is it not a comfort for Christians to know that Christ is the Spirit, that he hath the Spirit to give, the Spirit of wisdom in all straits, the Spirit of truth to keep us from all errors, the Spirit of strength for all services, the Spirit of comfort for all afflictions ? He that is their Lord hath abundance of Spirit in him, and for them. Therefore, when we want any grace, or gift of the Spirit, we should go to Christ ; for God doth all by Christ. Christ doth all by the Spirit. Desire Christ that he would vouchsafe his Spirit to rule us, counsel us, comfort us, and strengthen us. Therefore in our emptiness, as indeed we are empty creatures of ourselves, let us go to Christ for the Spirit. He hath received that fulness for us ; desire him that out of his fulness he would vouchsafe to give unto us.
It is the reason why Christians are so dead and so dull and so dark in their spirits ; they do not first consider themselves, and then go to Christ. We should all, in all exigents* whatsoever, make use of this our great high treasurer, the great high steward of heaven and earth, of this our Joseph, the second person in heaven. He is at the right hand of God, and all to fill his church with his Spirit. Our comfort is now that our strength and comfort lies hid in Christ, that is near to us as man, and near to God as God. He is between the Father and us ; he is near the Father as being of the same nature with him ; he is near us as being of the same nature with us. So being a mediator in office, and being so fit for a mediator in nature, what a comfort is this.
Indeed, there is no coming to God, no intercourse between God and us immediately, but between God-man and God and us, who is the mediator between God and us. He comes between. In Christ we go to God, in our flesh, in our natm'e ; and in Christ, and from Christ, and by Christ, we have all grace and comfort. From Christ we have all as God, together with the Holy Ghost and the Father ; and w^e have all in Christ as a head and husband ; and we have all through Christ as mediator by his merit. Therefore we should go to Christ every way.
Use 5. Let us labour to he in Chriat that ive may get the Spirit. It is of great necessity that we should have it. Above all thmgs next to redemp- tion by Christ, labour for the Spirit of Christ.
Christ is our Saviour, not only by merit and satisfaction, but by efiicacy and grace, that is, as he hath purchased us for his people by his blood ; so he will subdue our corruptions, and rule us by his Spirit.
For, Jirst, ' He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his,' Rom. viii. 13. Those that have not the efiicacy of the Spirit in them to rule them, shall not have benefit by his death to reconcile them, for these go alway together, Christ as a king to rule, and as a priest to die. * He came by blood and by water,' 1 John v. 6, to satisfy and to sanctify.
Secondly, There is a necessity of the Spirit, that ive he new creatures. It was the Spirit's brooding upon the chaos that brought forth all. Gen. i. 2 ; so the Spirit must sit upon our souls before any change will be made. Now there is a necessity that we be changed, and that we be new, or else we can never be inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth. We must have the Spirit of God. Therefore, Zech. iv. G, as iu the material temple * That is, ' exigencies.' — G.
ABOVE THE LAW. 213
' it is not by might, or by power, but by the Spirit,' so in raising up spiritual temples it is not by strength of wit or parts, but by the Spirit. Therefore the Spirit is necessary for us, oven as our being in grace^ is necessary.