The divine life in three treatises

1. The Reading of the Word of God, and the explication and application of it in good Books, is a means to possess the mind with sound, and orderly, and working apprehensions of God, and of his holy Truths: So that in such Reading our understandings are oft illustrated with a heavenly Light, and our hearts are touched with a special delightful relish of that truth, and they are secretly attracted and engaged unto God, and all the powers of our souls are excited and animated to a holy obedient life.

1. The Reading of the Word of God, and the explication and application of it in good Books, is a means to possess the mind with sound, and orderly, and working apprehensions of God, and of his holy Truths: So that in such Reading our understandings are oft illustrated with a heavenly Light, and our hearts are touched with a special delightful rellish of that truth, and they are secretly attracted and engaged unto God, and all the powers of our souls are excited and animated to a holy obedient life.

2. The same Word preached with a lively voice, with clearness and affection, hath a greater advantage for the same illumination and excitation of the soul. When a Minister of Christ that is truly a Divine, being filled with the Knowledge and Love of God, shall copiously and affectionately open to his hearers the excellencies which he hath seen, and the happiness which he hath foreseen and tasted of himself, it frequently (through the co-operation of the Spirit of Christ) doth wrap up the hearers hearts to God, and bring them into a more lively knowledge of him, actuating their graces, and inflaming their hearts with a heavenly Love, and such desires as God hath promised to satisfy. Christ doth not only send his Ministers furnished with Authority from him, but also furnished with his Spirit, to speak of spiritual things in a spiritual manner; ⟨p. 174⟩so that in both respects he might say [He that heareth you heareth me:] and also by the same Spirit doth open and excite the hearts of the hearers: so that it is God himself that a serious Christian is principally employed with, in the hearing of his heavenly transforming Word: And therefore he is affected with reverence and holy fear, with some taste of heavenly delight, with obediential subjection and resignation of himself to God. The Word of God is powerful, not only in pulling down all high exalting thoughts, that rise up against God, but also in lifting up depressed souls, that are unable to rise unto heavenly knowledge, or communion with God. If some Christians could but always find as much of God upon their hearts at other times, as they find sometimes under a spiritual powerful Ministry, they would not so complain that they seem forsaken, and strangers to all communion with God, as many of them do. While God (by his Messengers and Spirit) is speaking, and man is hearing him; while God is treating with man about his reconciliation and everlasting happiness, and man is seriously attending to the treaty and motions of his Lord, surely this is a very considerable part of our walking and converse with God.