138 êphefianf,Chapa, V ER,13, heart burne within him! tobe filled with thefpirit by hearing, by being taught, being admonifhed ! It is pitiful! ; We may obferve Tome like ludo, whowas, when nowhe had heard Chrift, and taken the fop, he was filled, but with Satan ; they arc viler after hearing then before : and the molt likechildren, when Schooling.time is ended. Nay it isto be feared, that Tome with hearing, aregrowne paft hearing ; as thofc who dwell neare thecontinuali roaring of mighty waters, they ware deafe, through continuall hearing fuch vehement noyfe, fo that they cannot heare any thing at all; fo many, the found ofGods word hath fo long beaten their eares,that they cannot difcerne anything in it,what ever is fpoken. Secondly, this mutt teach us to attend on hearing : Wouldfl thou keepe the fpirit from being quenched t. defpife not prophecie, hearing the Scriptures opened to thy ufe. Even as the Conduit-pipes carry the water hither and thither, fo doth the word conveigh the graces of the fpirit into out hearts ; It is a peale to bed ; when men can be without hearing, not feeling needeof it, asfometimes they have done. Secondly obferve,what word heard bringeth us the quickning fpirit, the word ofthe Gofpell.Amans drooping heart,upon the comming of fome good newes to him, it feeleth as it were new fpirits returne to it ; fo our deadhearts, when God hath made this glad tydingsof falvation and pardon oflip be brought them, there doth returne to them a quick - ning fpirit ofpeace, and joy unpeakeable andglorious. Receivedyou the #irit by hearin*,theLaw,or by the dolrine offutb preached?Gal.3.3. And for this caufe theminiftery ofthc Gofpell, is calledthe minifteryofthe Spirit, not of the Letter ; becaufe this do&ìrine doth onlybringus to're- ceive the quickning fpirit,which Bothwork in us alifeeternall.TheLaw may bring us to feele our felvesdead, Rim.7.but it cannot quickenany: Though when the Gofpell hath nowquickned us,it may initruCt us, re- forme us, yea, delight us in the inner man, Rom. 7. many things may hclpeus,.lvhen nowwe live, which could not be meanes of reftoring us fromkath to life.But it may be objeCled,the Gofpell is Paid a favour ofdeath, as well as theLaw is Paid a killing letter. I anfwer. The Gof- pell is faid fo, not that dirtily the nature of it is tokill, but by accident ofwens corruption who rejel and will not obey it, it tuxneth to their further condemnation ; As the Kings pardon cannot kill any byit felfe, yet defpifed by amalefaaor, it may double his guilt, and bring him to more hafty and fearefull execution : So the gracious pardon of God, offered in the Gofpell, killeth notany by it felfe, faveth many who re- ceive it,yet defpifed,it may byoccafionworke heavier death and defiru- étion.But the Law dothofit owne nature hold aman now in flareof fin, under deathand condemnation, and cannot of it fiIle bring any to life, who now hathoffended ; The wards 1 fßeake toyau (faithChrift) they are fpirit, they are life : Even as the body ofthe funne diffufeth as an inftru- ment, the beams ofthis material) light ; fo it is the Gofpell, that inftru- ment ofGod, by which he fendeth out the light of his gracious fpirit into ourhearts. The Dltl.z.
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