The water of life, or, A discourse showing the richness and glory of the…The water of life, or, A discourse shewing the richness and glory of the…

And hence it is called as before, living Water, the Water of Life springing up in us into Everlasting Life. The Spirit then, and Graces of the Spirit, which is the River here spoken of, is that, and that only, which can cause us to live; that being life to the Soul, as the Soul is life to the Body. All men therefore, as was said afore, (tho elect, tho purchased by the Blood of Christ) are dead, and must be dead until the Spirit of Life from God and his Throne shall enter into them; until they shall drink it in by vehement thirst as the parched Ground drinks in the Rain.

Now when this living Water is received, it takes up its Seat in the Heart, whence it spreads it self to the awakening of all the Powers of the Soul. For as in the first Creation the Spirit of God moved upon the face of ⟨p. 72⟩the Waters, in order to putting of that Creature into that excellent fashion and harmony which now we behold with our Eyes: even so the new Creation, to wit, the making of us new to God, is done by the over-spreading of the same Spirit also. For the Spirit, as I may so say, sitteth and broodeth upon the Powers of the Soul, as the Hen doth on cold Eggs, till they wax warm and receive life. The Spirit then warmeth us, and bringeth the dead and benumbed Soul (for so 'tis before Conversion) to a godly sense and understanding of States, of States both natural and spiritual: and this is the beginning of the work of the Spirit by which the Soul is made capable of understanding what God, and himself is.

Now when this living Water is received, it takes up its Seat in the Heart, whence it spreads it self to the awakening of all the Powers of the Soul. For as in the first Creation the Spirit of God moved upon the face of ⟨p. 72⟩the Waters, in order to putting of that Creature into that excellent fashion and harmony which now we behold with our Eyes: even so the new Creation, to wit, the making of us new to God, is done by the over-spreading of the same Spirit also. For the Spirit, as I may so say, sitteth and broodeth upon the Powers of the Soul, as the Hen doth on cold Eggs, till they wax warm and receive life. The Spirit then warmeth us, and bringeth the dead and benummed Soul (for so 'tis before Conversion) to a godly sense and understanding of States, of States both natural and spiritual: and this is the beginning of the work of the Spirit by which the Soul is made capable of understanding what God, and himself is.