Eook H. THE HOLY SPJRIT CGMPARl!D To A RIVER. 497 Dragons, and the Owls.; becaufe I give Waters in t6e WilderneJs, and Rivers;,, thJ I:e– fert, to give Drink t• my People, my Chojen, lja. xxx. 25. and xL 19, 20. METAPHO~ PARALLEL IX. A River is profitable for IX. The Holy Spirit is gloriouQ.y'l!dvantageous Commerce, Traffic, and Navigafor fpiritual Commerce and Traffic. It is that tion; it is the means of Conveywhich, by the ufe of Ordinancos, conveys the ance of the rich Commodities of Riches of Heaven to Dwellers here below : He ·one Kingdom to another, and one foal! receive of mine, and foew it unto you; he u,ill .City to another; by which means, bring all Things to your Remembrance. It is the People, Cities, and Nations are Spirit that ftorcs the City of God with all its Di– .g<eatly enriched. What a great vine Riches. There is no Trading to Heaven, but Convenience is theRiver ofThames by failing in this River; Faith can do nothing to the City of L!Jndon! By this without it. IfthefevVaters do not run, our Souls means alfo one Friend can foon go can make no good Return from the celdtialShore. to another, and often hear each The Church, and every Family of the Godly, from the other. would foon be ftarved, were it not for this heavenly and fptritual River; hence it is fa id to rejoice the Righteous: 'I'here is a Rher, the Streams whereof make glad the City of God, tbe holy Place of the Tabernacle of the Mofl Higb,. Pfal. xlvi. 4· By means of this River we often take a Voyage to our Father, and come to Jefus Chrift, and daily in the Word hear from them: For tbrough him we both ha'l:e dccefs by one Spirit to the Father. X. Some Rivers run very fwiftX. '1 his fptrituJI River, as it IS dc<p, fo it is Jy, bear all down before them, are very fwift, though it be not always difcerned tc.l fa impetuous, that they cannot be be fo by us, nor doth the Stream indeed fee m to ftopped in their Courfe and Chanus to run always wi th a like Motion. But wheG neI. A fwift Stream beft wafhes God cloth, as it were, open the Flood-gates, then away all Filth. it runs very fwift, and is fo impetuous, that it drives •ll down before it: Lord, faid Saul, what wouldefl thou have me to do? dfls ix. 6. When God caufeth its Paffage to be clear, jt bears down all Oppofition, carries away our fiwifh Fears, our Unbelief, our Earthly– mindednefs, and all Confultings with Flefh and Blood, making thereby our Souls very dean, wafhing us as in a Stream which is very powerful, carrying away all our great Defilements. It is not in the Skill of Men or Devils to !top this River, ev, n the ~l:rong Operations of the Spirit, in a Pcrfon, Church, or Nation, when God opens the Sluices for it. XI. Some Rivers environ Towns, and are inftead of other FortificatiXI. This Ri,ver is a Believer's Strength; Noe by Might, nor by Power, but by my Spirit, f aith the .ons to them, making them ftrong, Lord, Zech. iv. 6. It is ,be Church's fure Fortifi– and hard to be taken. cation : When the Enemy comes in like a Flood, the Spirit of the Lord jhalllift up a Standard ~gamjt him, lfa. lix. 19. Thofe chat are environed by the Spirit, need not to fear the Storm– ings of Men or Devils, even thofe Churches or Souls, who enjoy the fmooth and fweet Streams of this River. XII. A River caufes thofe Trees that are planted by the Side of it, to thrive and grow exceedingly. The Waters foftening the Ground, their Roots fpread forth, they flourifh; when thofe that are plant– ed on Heaths, and barren Moun– tains, wither and fade away in a Time of Drought. XII. Thofe Churches or Souls, who enjoy the bleffed Streams of this fpiritual River, grow, Aourifi1, and bring forth much Fruit. He foal! be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water, that bringetb forth his Fruit in due Seajolt, his Leaves foal! not wither, Pfal. I. r, 3· They Jhall JPring up as among the Grafs, as Willows by the Water-Courfes, !fa. xliv. 4· Blejfed is the Man that tmfleth in the Lord, whofe Hope the Lord is: For he foal! be as a Tree planted by the Waters, which {preadethforth his Root by the River, andfoal! not know when Heat cometh, but her Leaffoal! begreen ; <~nd foa/1 not be careful when the Year of the Drought cometh, neither foal! ceafe from yielding Fruit, Jer. xvii. 7, 8. XIII. A River is very pleafant Xlll. This fpiritual and heavenly Ri~er yields and delightful, as well as profitathe Church, and all true Believers, much Joy ble to them thar dwell by it; and and fweet Delight; no Pleafures like thofe that they can take their Walks by the Bow from the Spirit : The Fr~it of the Spirit is .Sides thereof. Joy, Peace, &c. Gal. v. 22. And fometimes when 6 L they
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