421 / 808
ER. 16.
ephean.r, Chap.3.
It
ftrengthens
us
by putting
a
new life into
the wholeman,chan-
2.
ging him,
making him a new man,
a
living man
in
Chrift.
As foone
as he is
made a
member
of Chrift,
life
is
infufed
into
hirn,asfrom
the root into the branches: As the
foule
is
to
the
body,
fo
is
the
fpirit
to the foule.
The
fpirit furnifheth every
faculty, it enlightneth
the underftanding, it
redtifies
the will,
it fanelifieda
the
affeekions,
it filleth
a
man with joy
,
fear,
love,
and all fpirituall graces
which
give
ftrength to the inner man.
The
Spirit ftrengthens
us
by
giving
efficacy
and ftrength
to
all
meanes
of
growth: The
meanes are fitted
to
encreafe
the ftrength
of
the
inner man:
as
the fume
and raine are
fit
to
make
plants
to
grow
,
but they mutt have
Gods
blotting. Phyficke
is fit
to
cure,
bread
to
nourifh,
but
unleffe
God bidde
phyficke heale, and 'inleffe
God
bidde bread nourifh
us,
they cannot doe it
:
So
the
Word,
Sa-
craments and
Prayer, though they
are meanes
of
encreafing
graces,
yet without the Spirit, they
are
nothing.
The Word
without the Spi.
tit,
is
but
a
fword without
a
hand
to
ufe it,
but
as a
Pen without
Inke,
which
will
not
write
:
Fe
are
manifell
to
be
the
Epiß
e
of
chrifl,
.
Cor.i.a
miniftred
by uw,
written
not
with
lake,
but
with the Spirit of the
living
God.
Prayer
will
edifie,
but
it
muff be
Prayer
in
the Holy Ghoft
:
Edi-
fe
your
(elves in
your
holy
Faith,
praying in the
holy
Gholi.
So
God
?ude
ver.,,.
promifeth
his
Church that
he
will
potere
water
upon
the dry
ground,
that
is.
the
heart that before was hard and barren
in
grace,
(hall
now
fpring
up and
grow
ftrong,
and this fhall
,be
when
1
will
pure
my
Spirit
upon
i
50
44
3,
them.
Wherefore
when we
are
in any
evill, and doe hang
the
wing
by'
v'.
reafon
of
it, wee
rauft
cry
to God
for this Spirit
of
his,
if
wee
get
this, wefhall
like
David
fay, that
wee
could leap
over a
wall,
breake
through
armies
of enemies,
and rife
Conquerors over
all
adverfe
power and oppofitions.
It
is
with
us
as
with
a
bladder, while that
a
man
doth blow it
up, and keep his
breath
inclofed in it
,
you may
throw
it
on the
waters,
it will
not
finke :
So while
God doth
breath
his
Spirit, we
(hall
fwimme above all
the waters of
afiliEtions,
in
which we
are drenched
:
Nothing but
his
Spirit can beare
thee
up.
The
Philofophers, who went
as farro
as
nature could
commonly goe
in
precepts
of
bearing and forbearing, when their mindes
grew to
fore
difcontent, ended their
dayes
with
felfe-
murder: For without
the Spirit worke it
in
us, there
can be no true ftrength
which
will not
file
us
when
we are
tryed.
What
would
a
man delire
either for
the outward
or
inward man, but
if
he
have
the Spirit, he
(hall
obtaine
it
Would
a
man be enabled
to pray,to
bear
loffes
and croffeseWould,
a
man
be
able to matter
particular lufts
r
Is
a
man
in
bondage, and
would
be
fet
at
liberty from fine Is
a
man fpiritually
dead,
and would
find
quickningg
lifer
Is
a
man fpiritually affrighted
with
fin,and
would
gladly
be
raifed
to comfort
a
Would
a man
beleeve
!
walke
as
a
Chriftian,
and be
enabled
to
every good worke
a
then let
him get
the
N
n
Spirit,
3.
4