4g.6 THE HO"LY SPIRIT COMPARED TO -A 'RlVER. BookJI. 'MET A PH 0 R. 1!!. A Riverlieth open and free ·t<:> all; every Man that paffeth by makes ufe of a River, if he need it. Fountains or Conduits are many Times fealed, or locked up, .and .it is hard to .come at Water •out of them; but a River doth ;freely fend forth its Streams, that PARALLEL. ITI. TheHoly Spirit is a River rhadieth open to all -poor Sinners : Whoever ·will may come to thefe Waters ; none are forbidden, no Refl:raint is laid on any Soul that deiires to have them: I will give freely to him that is thirfly, e-ven the Waters of Life, Re'O. xxii. Ho evci'J one that' t.bir.jl:eth, came .Jo tbe.Waters, &c. !fa. lv. 1. 1run continually.' never ceafe Day nor Night. '.IV. Many Rtvers are very deep. .IV. This 'fpiritual 'River is wonderful deep, :Although in fome Places they may there is no fearching out the Depths thereof. Who ' be fo !hallow, as thaca Man may :knows the Mind ofthe Spirit, but he thatftarcheth ·wade in them; :01et·in fame other all 'l'hings, Rom. viii. 27. The Purpofes, De– 'Places they are mtghty deep and crees, and fecret Ways of the Spirit, are unknown .dangerous, fa that none dare adto Men in many refpeCl:s, though fame of his venture into them: Hence Marks 'vVays, Influences, and Operations arc difcernible. •and Bounds are many Times fet Believers may adventure a little way, as far as .up to give Notice. their Bounds and Limits permit them. vVe mufl: not pry too curiouOy into the Depths of God, he 'having fet ·Bounds by the Word how far we lhould go; and let all take heed on their J?eril that they adventure no further. V . .A River is the proper EleV. Ti1e Holy Spirit is the proper Element of •rnent of Filhes, and many living .all true Believers; they are born by the Spirit, •Creatures; they are .produced b}' .live by the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. Mi– it, and .live in it. •nifl:ers are Filhers of Men, John iii. 5· Gal. v. 26. VI. A River is good to wafh ·in, to ·cleanfe, purge, and carry away Filth, and noxious Pollution. See the Parable of the Net. VI. This River is good to wafh, purge, and carry away Filth, and all abominable Pollution of Sin, both in .::ouls, Churches, and Nations., where the Water of this River runs : Such were fome of -you, but ye are wajhecl, but ye areJanllificd, butJe are jujlified in theName of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of our God, I Cor. vi. I I. VII. A River hath its Banks to Vll. The Spirit hath 1ts ·proper Bounds, and ·keep it in its proper Bounds, and always r.uns in its fpiritual Channel, viz. the vVord make it run in its own Channel, by and Ordinances, .God's public and private vVor– which means People know whether ihip; .and thither all mufl: have recourfe, that to ao, if •they would partake of -would receive the precious and gloriou• Bldlings .the"'Benefit of its Waters. oand Benefits thereof; if you would have thefe . facred Waters, you muil: obferve the Channel where this River runs: Where I record my Name, I will come unto .thee, and will b!efs thee, Alls ii. I, 2, 3, 4· :When the Difciples were affembkcl together, they met with the Spirit, fhat being their Duty, and Chri-Ws Jnftitution. VJII. Some Rivers overflow VIlL \fhis fpiritwil1~rver hath feveral Times their Banks at{ome certain Times, overflowed, there being a Redundancy of Water and areatly enrich the Soil, and in it. Great Multitudes have been marvellouil.y rnak~ it fruitful; as particularly, watered, and made fat and fruitful on a fudden, the River Nile in Eg;pt. and lhall again when the Time is come. God fometimes extends Mercies and Gofpel Bleilings beyond his ufual Method ; being a free Agent, may, if he pleafe, anticipate his own O rder. H e hath promifed to open Rivers in the Defert: And it jha/1 come to pafs .in that Day, that the Lordjha/1 bear off from the Channel of the River, unto the Stream of Egypt, !fa. xxvii. I 2. God meets with fame~ as he met with Paul, who was run~ ning from 111ln The Scnpture (peaks of a Tm'e, when the Knowledge of the Lord jhall cover tle Earth, as theWaters cover the Sea. In th"t Day this RiverJball overflow, and cover the whole World. 'I' here j!Ja!l .be on every high Mountain, and on every hzgh Hill, Rivers, and Streams of Water. I -will upor Rivers upon bigh Places, I will make the Wildernefs a fod of Waw, emd the dry Land Springs of ·Water. Behold, I u;zl/ do a new 'Thing, now tJ jha/1 jpringfol'!b, Jhall ye not know 11: I u;,tll evm make a,Way m the Wildemefs, and Rivers in the Dejert_: 'I' he Be'3/fs of Jhe held Jhall boner .me, Jhe JJrqgons,
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