THE HO'LY 'SPIRI:r COMPARED TO A RIVER. Book II. they partake of thefe <;e}efl:ial Streams, they are fo delighted thereby, that ther cannot forbear breaking forth into finging: '!'here is a River, the Streams whereof make glad the Crty of God, &c. METAPHOR. PARALLEL XIV. A River carries, or conX IV. This fpiritual River, in the Ufe of the veys, by the help of Boats, and Ordinances and Appointments of the Gofpd, ·or,her Velfels, many Things and •nll carry a Soul, whofe Pmpofe and ferious In· ·Perfons, (whofe Pmpofes and Intenrion is bent that way, to God, the Ocean of t<ntions are that way fieered) into all Fulnefs, and into the great Depths of everth• Ocean. railing Blifs. XV. Sometimes a River is fo XV. The Spirit of God fometimes feems not ftill, calm, and quiet, that you to firive or move at all upon the Hearts of Men canpot difcern any !Vfotion; and and Women, not only upon the 'Wicked, of .then without meer human artificial whom God hath faid, My Spirit Jhall not a/wap means, no Ship, Boat, or Velfel ftri-ve with !vfan, Gen. vi. but alfo the Godly can fat! or move along. them!elves cannot fometimes perceive a vifible or fen!ible Operation thereof. And then their Spi– rits feem like Velfels becalmed; no Duty or Service performed hath any Life or ACti– vity in it, it being only performed by the Strength of natural or acquired Parts and Abilities. XVI. Some Rivers divide one -Country or Nation from another. XVII. After a great Rain, a Ri– ''er rifes higher, runs more fwifr, by reafon of the Land- Floods that come down and run into ir. XVIII. A River will carry and bear up a Ship of a great·Burthen, and many other heavy Things; and according as its VVaters run, eirher more flowly or fwiftly, fo do thofe Things which tail or fwim along jn it. ' XIX. The Water of J River and running Streams, is ufually more clear and favory, than Pools or ftanding Waters. A River pmg– eth itfelf; and if a Branch or {mall Stream run through a loath– fame Ditch, it carries away the Pol– lution of it. XX. The Waters of a River .are. good to drink, and fatisfy Thirll. METAPHOR. I. ALL earthly and ele.mentary Rivers have a Begmmng. II. Other Rivers are fed by Springs or Fountains, &c. They have not their Waters from them– felves; a River is not the fame with the Head or Original from whence it proceerls. I XVI. This fpiritual River divides the Churcb from the \Vorld, Believers from Unbelievers: For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what haft thou "vhich thou didjlnot receive? t Cor. iv. 7. X VII. After Broktnnefs of Heart, or a Mul– titude of unfeigned Tears, and true Contrition of Soul, how high do the Waters of the Spirit rife! how doth Peace and Joy abound in the inward Man/ XVIII. This fpiritual River carries and bears up the Weight of the whole Church, which fails like a Ship along thefe Waters ; and every Saint, notwithfianding all thofe heavy Weights of Sin, and other unprofitable Burrhens, that are in and about them, is fuftained by rhe!e Divine Waters. XIX. The Spirit is a pure Stream, as clear"' Cryfral; its 'vVaters are fweet and favo'ry, and wherefoever they come, they ckanfe and wafh away all Corruption, Rev. xxii. 1. No Man's Heart, though it be never to much polluted and foul, like a {\inking Ditch, yet if a fmall Stream or Branch of this River be let into it, and hath a free Palfage, but it will carry away all the Filth and Pollution thereof, t Cor. vi. 1 t. XX. The Waters of this River are exceeding o-ood for the Soul to drink, and nothing elfe can ~llay or fati3fy the inwar,d Thirft and Ddire there– of, John iv. 13, t4D IS PAR IT Y. I. THIS River, the Spirit, is from everlafting to everlaO:ing, without Beginning, and without Ending. ·11. This River, the Spirit, is a Fountain as well as a Stream; though it is faid to proceed from God, yet it is God himfelf. But Peter fatd to Ananias, Why bath Satan filled thim Heart, to lie to the Holy Ghoft? 'Ihou haft not lied to Man, bv I to God, Ails v. 3, 4· 'Ihere are three Perfons that
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