1Now this well of the water of life is very deep and we have nothing to draw with, therefore we must have our pipes and conduits to convey the same unto us, which are the word of God preached, and the administration of the sacraments. Christ saith, The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear it shall live; where by the dead is meant, not the dead in the grave,2 but those that are dead in sin. And again Christ saith, the words which I speak are spirit and life, 3because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conveyeth into our dead hearts spirit and life. As Christ when he raised up dead men did only speak the word and they were made alive: and at the day of judgement by his very voice, when the trump shall blow, all that are dead shall rise again. So it is in the first resurrection: they that are dead in their sins, at his voice uttered in the ministry of the word shall rise again. To go further, Christ raised three from the dead. Jairus daughter newly dead: the widows son dead and wound up and lying on the hearse: Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the grave; and all this he did by his very voice: so also by the preaching of his word, he raiseth all sorts of sinners, even such as have lien long in their sins as rotting and stinking carrion. The sacraments also are the pipes and conduits whereby God conveyeth grace into the heart, if they be rightly used, that is, if they be received in unfeigned repentance for all our sins, and with a true & lively faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sins.4 And so, I take it, they are compared to flagons of wine, which revive the Church being sick and fallen into a swoon. As for the measure of life derived from Christ, it is but small in this life and given by little and little, as Ose saith,5 The Lord hath spoiled us, and he will heal us, he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us, and in the third he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. The prophet Ezekiel in a vision is carried into the midst of a field full of dead bones, and he is caused to prophecy over them, and say,6 O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord: at the fi•st there was a shaking, and the bones came together bone to bone, and then sinews and flesh grew upon them, and upon the flesh grew a skin.
1Now this well of the water of life is very deepe and we haue nothing to draw with, therefore we must haue our pipes and conduits to conuey the same vnto vs, which are the word of God preached, and the administration of the sacraments. Christ saith, The dead shall heare the voice of the sonne of God, and they that heare it shall liue; where by the dead is meant, not the dead in the graue,2 but those that are dead in sinne. And againe Christ saith, the wordes which I speake are spirit and life, 3because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conueieth into our dead hearts spirit and life. As Christ when he raised vp dead men did one•y speake the word and they were made aliue: and at the day of iudgement by his very voice, when the trumpe shall blow, all that are dead shall rise againe. So it is in the first resurrection: they that are dead in their sins, at his voice vttered in the ministerie of the word shall rise againe. To goe further, Christ raised three from the dead. Iairus daughter newly dead: the widowes sonne dead and wound vp and lying on the hearse: Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the graue; and all this he did by his very voice: so also by the preaching of his word, he raiseth all sorts of sinners, euen such as haue lien long in their sinnes as rotting and stinking carrion. The sacraments also are the pipes and conduits whereby God conueieth grace into the heart, if they be rightly vsed, that is, if they be receiued in vnfained repentance for all our sinnes, and with a true & liuely faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sinnes.4 And so, I take it, they are compared to flagons of wine, which reuiue the Church beeing sicke and fallen into a swound. As for the measure of life deriued from Christ, it is but small in this life and giuen by little and little, as Ose saith,5 The Lord hath spoiled vs, and he will heale vs, he hath wounded vs, and he will bind vs vp. After two daies he will reuiue vs, and in the third he will raise vs vp, and we shall liue in his sight. The prophet Ezechiel in a vision is carried into the midst of a field full of dead bones, and he is caused to prophecy ouer them, and say,6 O ye drie bones, heare the word of the Lord: at the fi•st there was a shaking, and the bones came togither bone to bone, and then sinewes and flesh grewe vpon them, and vpon the flesh grewe a skinne.
- 1•oh. 7 37.
- 2Joh. 5.25•Ioh. 5.25•
- 3Joh. 6.63.Ioh. 6.63.
- 4Can•. 2.4.
- 5Ose 6.1,2.
- 6•ze. 37.4.5.8.
