66 one that thirfteth come to the waters "of life." And a divine promise"In "the last day, that great day of the feast,

Jefus ftood and cried faying, If any "man thirst, let him come unto me, and "drink; but this spake he of the Spirit, "which they that believe on him should "receive." And when this promife is fulfilled, and the holy Spirit is received, we are ftill in faith to ufe means for the increasing of his graces and gifts; among which means the apoftle recommends

Speaking to yourselves in pfalms," &c. He fuppofes their finging would tend to their mutual edification: For the words are in the plural number, and denote their joining together in this holy exercife. He alfo commands the Coloffians to inftruct and to admonifh one another in pfalms and hymns and fpiritual fongs, herein ufing the grace given both for its exercise, and alfo for its improvement. And this true manner of finging comes from the Spirit, and increafes the fruits of the Spirit.

It comes from the Spirit; because none can perform it, but the new creature in Chrift Jefus. It is a fpiritual service, in which only the fpiritual man can join. No one can make any melody acceptable to God, who has not been first a partaker

of

of the holy Ghost. He is the Lord and giver of life; without him all men are dead in trefpaffes and fins. He only can quicken and make the foul alive to God. It requires his almighty power, and it belongs to his covenant office. And when he the Spirit of life makes any one free from the law of fin and death, then he is a child of God. He is made to know it, and to believe it: For he has received the Spirit of adoption, whereby he cries Abba, Father. In the fenfe of this love fhed abroad in his heart by the holy Ghost, he begins to rejoice in God, as his God. Trusting to what Jefus is to him, that he has fatisfied for his fins, has wrought out his righteousness, and is now ftanding in the prefence of God for him, he fees himfelf accepted in the beloved, an heir of God, and a joint heir with Chrift. Hereby his heart becomes reconciled to God, and he finds the truth of what is written

"We love him, because he first loved "us." Now he has David's affection, and he can join heartily in finging with him-Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and all that is within me, blefs his holy name: Blefs the Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy dif eafes: Who redeemeth thy life from de

struction,

ftruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.

Thus the right finging the praises of God comes from the Spirit, and it alfo increases the fruits of the Spirit. It is one of the appointed means of improving them. True grace is always operative, and grows by the fruit which it bears. If the believer be rejoicing, finging will add to his joy, as it is written "Is any in a happy "frame? Let him fing pfalms ;" and that will make him happier. It is the divine promife, and cannot fail: he fhall increase his joy in the Lord. Is any afflicted? Pfalms will refresh and comfort him : Paul and Silas fore whipt and put into the ftocks fung a pfalm at midnight. The fulness of the Spirit in the sweet finger of Ifrael went out much this way. He fang moft, and praised beft of all the faints of God. He fang in all frames and upon all occafions: Let us follow his example, and be speaking much and often to one another in pfalms and hymns and fpiritual fongs, feeking thereby to be filled with a growing measure of the holy Spirit.

If thou enquireft, how fhall I obtain this inestimable bleffing? The command isafk and it fhall be given you, feek and ye fhall find-whoever is made fenfible he ftands in need of the affiftance of the holy

66

Spirit is only required to afk, and the promife is Every one that afketh re"ceiveth, and he that feeketh findeth : "If a fon fhall afk bread of any of you "that is a father, will he give him a "ftone? or if he afk a fish, will he for a "fish give him a ferpent? or if he ask an egg will he give him a fcorpion? If ye "then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much "more fhall your heavenly Father give "the HOLY SPIRIT to them that afk "him?" How gracious are these words! How encouraging are they to every one, who has any concern about his falvation, to defire the holy Spirit may be given to him, to enable him to truft in Jefus, and to find the Father's love in him: And they leave every man without excufe, who lives and dies without thofe bleffings, which God has promised to give to every one that asketh.

Whoever is a partaker of the Spirit has a new nature in Chrift Jefus, and has a new understanding given him, whereby he is inabled to difcern and to judge of fpiritual things: For thus runs the promife-" He fhall lead you into all truth:" And the apostle prays for the fulfilling of it to the Ephefians -"May the God of "our Lord Jefus Chrift the Father of

glory,

glory, give unto you the fpirit of wifdom " and revelation in the knowlege of him, "that the eyes of your understanding may "be enlightened." The holy Spirit acts upon men as rational creatures. He does not treat them, as if they were ftones or brutes; but he makes the truths of the gofpel clear to the mind, and defireable to the will. He opens the eyes of the understanding to fee the object, and then presents it in its glorious beauty and attracting lovelinefs. The renewed mind beholds, admires, and loves it; and then animated with this love can fing its praifes. Holy men of God in the old teftament fung with knowlege. Ignorance was not the mother of their pfalmody. They were well acquainted with what they fung. The royal prophet fays, he employed his underftanding in this devout exercife, as well as his harp, and his voice, Hear him how earnestly he call upon others to extol his beloved Jefus-" Sing praifes to God,

66

fing praises; fing praifes unto our king, "fing praises: For God is the king of all "the earth, fing ye praises with under"standing." He would have them to mind what they were about, and to underftand what they fung; leaft they should utter lies unto the Lord, or offer to him a facrifice without a heart: Confider whom