Uses
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 profitable and useful to us in the course of our lives, and for the comfort of our spirits.
Uses Use 1. Christ is the Spirit of the Scriptures, of all truths, of all ordinances. We may by this be able to reconcile the Scriptures, one place with another, where they seem to contradict. The law is said to be 'a dead letter,' a 'ministration of condemnation,' &c., 2 Cor. 3:6, seq.; but in the 19th Psalm there it is said, 'The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul,' &c., Ps. 19:7. 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. 2:15. 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. 4:9. And the Spirit did not work with them, but with the gospel, 'the hearing of faith,' Gal. 3:2.
Use 2. And we may understand likewise from hence what the reason is that an ordinance at one time differeth so much 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 vitæ, doth more refresh and 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. All 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. We grant that our negligence in preparation and attention, our pride and earthlymindedness, our want of faith to mingle with the word: these, or the like, may be causes why we are 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. 6 ver. 63, '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 ordinance 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 with 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 will 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 effectual. 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 drunkards 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.
Use 3. What need is there that we should sanctify all we 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 light, 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 comfort, that there is such abundance of Spirit in our nature in Christ, and for the behalf of the church, that we have a fulness to receive of. It was a comfort to Joseph's brethren, and that family, that Joseph was full of honour, and rules the second in the kingdom.
Therefore 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