From hence doth our Saviour give us the great description of spiritual life. It is ' a well of living water springing up into everlasting life;' John. iv. 12. The Spirit, with his graces residing in the heart of a believer, are a well of living water. Nor is it such a well as, content with its own fulness, doth not of its own accord, without any instrument or pains in drawing, send out its refreshing waters, as it is with most wells though of living water. For this is spoken by our Saviour in answer and opposition unto that objection of the woman, upon this mention of giving living water, vcr. 10. ' Sir,' saith she, ' thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep, whence wilt thou have this water?' ver. 11. True, saith he, such is the nature of this well and water, dead earthly things. They are of no use unless we have instru- ments, lines, and buckets to draw withal. But the living v/ater which I shall g-ive is of another nature. It is not water to be kept in a pit or cistern without us, whence it must be drawn ; but it is within us, and that not dead and useless, but continually springing up unto the use and refreshment of them that have it. For so is it with the principle of the new creature, of the new nature, the Spirit and his graces in the hearts of them that do believe. It doth of itself and from itself, without any external influence on it, incline and dis- pose the whole soul unto spiritual actings that tend unto eternal life. Such are the thoughts of them that are spiritu- ally minded. They arise from the inward principle, inclina- tion, and disposition of the soul, are the bubblings of this well of living water; they are the mindings of the Spirit.
So our Saviour describes them. Matt. xii. 35. 'A good man out of the good treasure of the heai t bringcth forth
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good things.' First, the man is good; as he said before, make the tree good, or the fruit cannot be good, ver. 33. He is made so by grace in the change and renovation of his nature ; for in ourselves w^e are every way evil. This good man hath a treasure in his heart. So all men have .• as the next words are, ' the evil man out of the evil treasure of the heart.' And this is the great difference that is between men in this world. Every man hath a treasure in his heart; that is, a prevailing inexhaustible principle of all his actings and operations. But in some this treasure is good, in others it is evil ; that is, the prevailing principle in the heart, which carries along with it its dispositions and inclinations, is in some good and gracious, in others it is evil. Out of this good treasure, a good man bringeth forth good things. The first opening of it, the first bringing of it forth, is by these thoughts. The thoughts that arise out of the heart are of the same nature with the treasure that is in it. If the thoughts that naturally arise and spring up in us, are for the most part vain, foolish, sensual, earthly, selfish, such is the treasure that is in our hearts, and such are we. But where the thoughts that thus naturally proceed from the treasure that is in the heart, are spiritual and holy, it is an argument that we are spiritually minded.
Where it is not thus with our thoughts, they give no such evidence as that inquired after. Men may have thoughts of spiritual things, and that many of them, and that frequently, which do not arise from this principle, but may be resolved into two other causes. 1. Inward force ; 2. Outward occasions.
1. Inward force, as it may be called. This is by con- victions. Convictions put a kind of a force upon the mind, or an impression that causeth it to act contrary unto its own habitual disposition and inclination. It is in the nature of water to descend. But apply an instrument unto it that shall make a compression of it and force it unto a vent, it will fly upwards vehemently, as if that were its natural motion. But so soon as the force of the impression ceaseth, it returns immediately unto its own proper tendency, de- scending towards its centre. So is it with men's thoughts ofttimes. They are^ earthly, their natural course and motion is downwards unto the earth and the things thereof. But when any efficacious conviction presseth on the mind, it
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forceth the egress of its thoughts upwards towards heavenly things. It will think much and frequently of them ; as if that were their proper motion and course. But so soon as the power of conviction decays or wears off, that the mind is no more sensible of its force and impression, the thoughts of it return again unto their old course and track, as the water tends downwards.
This state and frame is graphically described, Psal. Ixxviii., 34 — 37. ' When he slew them, then they sought him ; and they^ returned and inquired early after God. And they re- membered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer, Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues ; for their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.' Men in troubles, dangers, sickness, fears of death, or under effectual conviction of sin from the preaching of the word, will endeavour to think and meditate on spiritual things. Yea, they will be greatly troubled that they cannot think of them more than they do, and esteem it their folly that they think' of any thing else. But as freedom and deliverance do approach, so these thoughts decay and disappear. The mind will not be compelled to give place unto them any more. The prophet gives the reason of it, Jer. xiii. 23. ' Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? then may ye also do good, that are ac- customed do to evil.' They have had another haunt, been taught another course, the habit and inclination of the mind lies another way, and they will no longer tend towards spiritual things, than an impression is on them from their convictions.