I beseech you, in your daily practice, all learn this, that you trust not too much to any outward performance or task ; to make idols of outward things. People when they would change their dispositions, and be better, they take a great deal of pains in hearing, and reading, and praying. All these are things necessary ; but they are dead things without the Spii'it of Christ. Therefore in the use of all those outward things, whatsoever they be, look up to Christ, that is the quickening Spii'it, that sends the Spirit into our hearts. The Spirit must enliven and give vigour to all these things, and then somewhat will be done in religion, in hearing, and read- ing, and praying, and receiving the sacrament. Therefore in all these look to the Spirit first. He laboureth in vain that reheth not wholly upon the Spirit of God, that trusts not to a higher strength than his own. It must be a higher strength than our own that must work any good in our souls, either grace, or comfort, or peace. And therefore in the use of all things, as the proverb is, oculos ad ccclum, dc. Let the eye be to heaven, when the hand is at the stern f at the same time ; and then we shall be transformed and changed by the Spirit of God. Know that in all means alway the Spirit is the principal, efficient, blessing, cause of all. And therefore before we set upon anything that is good, wherein we look for any spiritual good, desire God by his Holy Spirit that he would clothe what shall be said. Words are wind without the Spirit. The Spirit must go with the ordi- nances, as the arteries go together with the veins. You know in the veins in the body there are arteries that go with them. They convey the spirits. * Qu. ' JesTia, Lord ' ?— Ed. t That is, ' the helm.'— Ed.
291) EXCELLENCY OF THK GOSPEL
The veins convey the blood. That is a dull thing, without the spirits, of itself. If there were no spirits in the arteries, what would the blood in the veins bo ? Nothing but a heavy uncomfortable humour. But the arteries that come from the heart, the fountain of life, being joined, and conveying the spirits, thoy quicken the blood that comes from tlic liver. So the veins and arteries join together to make the blood cheerful. The word and truth of God are like the blood in the veins. There is a great deal of matter iu them, but there is no life at all. There must the Spirit go along with them to give hfe and quickening to the word, to clothe those divine truths with the Spirit, and then it works wonders, not else. Paul spake to Lydia, Acts xvi. 14, scq., but the Holy Ghost opened her heart. The Spirit hath the key of the heart to unlock and open the heart. We speak to the out- ward man, but except the inward man be opened by the Spirit of God and unlocked, all is to no purpose. Therefore let us pray for the Spirit of thia changing. All is by the Spirit of the Lord.
It is in mystical Christ, even as it was in natural Christ ; all his grace was from the Holy Ghost as man. For though he were conceived of the Holy Ghost, he was anointed by the Holy Ghost ; he was sealed by the Holy Ghost ; he was led by the Holy Ghost into the wilderness ; he offered himself by the Spirit ; he was raised by the Spirit ; he was full of the Spirit. As it was in Christ natural, so it is in Christ mystical ; that is, in the church all is by the Spirit. As he was conceived in the womb by the Spirit, so we are conceived to be Christians by the Spirit. The same Spirit that sanctified him sanctifieth us. But first the Spirit by way of union sanctiiieth us, by knitting us to him the head of all ; and then unction comes after union ; anointing after union. Then the Spirit, when he hath knit us to Christ, works the same anointing that he did in Christ. Therefore we are called Christians of Christ, not only partakers of the naked name, but of the anointing of Christ — that anointing that runs down the head of our spiritual Aaron to the skirts, to every poor Christian. All change, all com- fort, all peace is from the Spirit of Christ. Therefore give him the glory of all. If we find any comfort in any truth, it comes not from us, but from his Spirit ; and we must go upward to him again. As all descends from heaven, from the Father of lights and from the Spirit of God, so all must ascend again. Yield him the praise of all. And one work of the Spirit is to carry our souls up. For the Spirit, as it comes from heaven to change, so it carries us up again to view and to imitate Christ, to be where Christ is. As water when it is to be carried up, it is carried as high as the spring head, from whence it came, so the Spirit coming from Christ, it never leaves changing and altering of us till it have carried us to Christ again. Therefore as it is the work of the Spirit to carry us to Christ, so let us desire it may carry us beforehand for the good work begun in us, in thankfulness, that we may begin heaven upon earth. All is from the Spirit of Christ.