killeth," and that is all it can do. It is the Spirit And he must have salt in him that giveth life. self that seasons others, or that ministers grace to the hearers. "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain," Prov. xxv. 14; that is, without the water of life. But the gift of life in Christ is a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; whithersoever it turneth it prospereth, Prov. xvii. 8. He must come to Christ and drink, out of whose belly flow rivers of living water; and this water is communicable. "The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook," Prov. xviii. 4. The brightest, and most deceived and deceivable, pupils of a letter minister are always telling you of a multitude of scriptures which have come to their mind at different times; this they all harp upon: but the kingdom of God is not in word. They that received seed by the way-side, and that were robbed and plundered by the devil, are said to hear or receive the word of the kingdom, Matt. xiii. 19; but not the kingdom itself. And such will talk much of their distresses, and of being in bondage; but there are more than ten bitter ingredients that compose a spirit of bondage, which they cannot describe: all their talk is in general terms. The sight of sin, sin being set in order before them, with all secret sins standing in the light of God's countenance; the intolerable sense and burden of sin, too heavy to be borne VOL. XX. when brought in and charged home upon conscience; the cutting rebukes, with flames of fire, which attend the sword of the Spirit; for, "By fire and by sword will the Lord plead with all flesh;" bitter reflections, and the lashes of conscience upon every reflection; the application of the broken law; the revival of sin upon it, and the cutting sentence of death that attends the entrance of it; the terrible majesty of God, his dreadful wrath, and the enmity of the carnal heart, that rises up against him; the blasphemous suggestions and fiery darts of Satan; the working of despondency, if not despair; the meditations of terror, the snares of death, the pains of hell, smoking jealousy, and those most dreadful passages of scripture, sent home or brought in by Satan, which set forth the dreadful state of apostates, hypocrites, or those given up of God to Satan, and to a fearful looking for of judgment. These are the things which cut the wild olive branch from the old stock, which none of the disciples of letter men know any thing of. These things are peculiar to those, and only those, who in our day are called Antinomians. Legal convictions in appearance, in reformation of manners, in gifts, light, understanding, and speech, may make a great shew, and go a great way, when at the same time the heart, affections, and conscience, remain unpurged and unrenewed, and of course the strong man armed is still in full possession of the palace. Many a church, chapel, meeting, alms-house, college, school, and hospital, have sprung from legal convictions; even by them that could never endure the light of life, the force of truth, the power of the Spirit, or the company of those who have received a comforter that shall abide with them for ever. The believer gets his food, and his strength for working, from a quarter that no man knows any thing of but himself, The springing well of grace in his heart, kept in motion by the Holy Ghost, is the moving cause of all his peace and happiness, hopes and expectations, from which spring all his good words and good works. "I laboured more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me," 1 Cor. xv. 10. And not only works, but words, spring from the same source. heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips." It is under the influence and operations of God's Spirit that the intercourse between God and the soul is kept open, and communion and fellowship with the Father and the Son is kept up through him. "We both have an access by one spirit unto the Father." And this is what I understand by that wonderful speech of Christ to Nathanael. "And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man," John i. 51. I have observed that, whenever our Lord promised any great thing that should follow upon his resurrection, if we look, we are sure to find it, as "The Angels when he said, "Verily, I say unto you, that there angels of God. Besides, angels need not a mediator, nor have they any; the Mediator is appointed for men. Christ is our ladder; but why angels should ascend and descend upon him I know not. The heavens opening and shutting is what the weakest believer is often led to experience. The awakened soul, that feels the hardness of his heart and the anger of God, knows the meaning of Moses, and often complains of it. "And the heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron," Deut. xxviii. 23. Nor are they strangers to the heavens opening in the sense the prophet Isaiah means. "O that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence," Isaiah lxiv. 1. And again, And again, "Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I the Lord have created it," Isai. xlv. 8. descending This ascending and descending upon the Son asending of Man respect the exercises of faith, hope, and love; and means no more than access to God de through a Mediator. "I am the door; by me if any man enter in he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture," John x. 9. Ascending and descending is the same as going in and out; which Christ says Nathanael should see; and it may be seen, both by the happy and by |