4. If there be a literal fixedness of consideration in looking to the duty, and some literal missing and sense of deadness: it puts the man in the borders of a spiritual duty, and hardly wants the soul so acting the saving flowings of the Spirit: the very bulk and body of a promise may give some literal wakening to a dead soul; and the skaddings of a threatening ma• put the dead soul in some motion, 2 Sam. 12. 1, 2, 3, 4. David gives a literal hearing by the light of a natural conscience to Nathans general parable. At length, when the Spirit sets it on by application, thou art the man, David, v. 10, 11, 12, 13. comes to some life of confession, I •ave sinned; and there begin the spiritual seeds of Psalm 51. Indeed these two, the literal part, and the spiritual part, make (as it were) in gross one bulk or body of a work; but they are conjoined as the clay and the gold in Nebuchadnezzars image; they are joined by God, not by congruity or decency on the Lords part, but of free grace, not by promise, not by merit, nay, not as work and wages, but accidental, as touching their natures, yet the wise Lord intends the one •or the other; it's therefore good to be about means: the waiting at the tide is not sailing, yet it makes way for sailing. What connection is there betwixt Saul's journey in seeking his fathers asses, and Samuel's anointing him King of Israel? none at all, but a providential union there is; but no man can say that there is here either a divine institution, or a gracious promise, yea, or a congruity of means and end, of work and wages: though there be something of a marred institution in dead and dull hearing tied to saving believing: here the same ⟨p. 340⟩sweet breathing that falls on the rose, acts on the hemlock, which to me is some mystery, to others merit of congruity (which is detestable) to others a free promise (but it being examined well is but merit) to others half a promise: however the dispensation forbids laziness, and commands all, even though yet in nature, to go about duties as creatures rational covenanted externally with God.
4. If there be a literal fixedness of consideration in looking to the duty, and some literal missing and sense of deadness: it puts the man in the borders of a spiritual duty, and hardly wants the soul so acting the saving flowings of the Spirit: the very bulk and body of a promise may give some literal wakening to a dead soul; and the skaddings of a threatning ma• put the dead soul in some motion, 2 Sam. 12. 1, 2, 3, 4. David gives a literal hearing by the light of a natural conscience to Nathans general parable. At length, when the Spirit sets it on by application, thou art the man, David, v. 10, 11, 12, 13. comes to some life of confession, I •ave sinned; and there begin the spiritual seeds of Psalm 51. Indeed these two, the literal part, and the spiritual part, make (as it were) in gross one bulk or body of a work; but they are conjoyned as the clay and the gold in Nebuchadnezzars image; they are joyned by God, not by congrui•y or decency on the Lords part, but of free grace, not by promise, not by merit, nay, not as work and wages, but accidentall, as touching their natures, yet the wise Lord intends the one •or the other; it's therefore good to be about means: the waiting at the tyde is not sailing, yet it makes way for sailing. What connexion is there betwixt Saul's journey in seeking his fathers asses, and Samuel's anointing him King of Israel? none at all, but a providential union there is; but no man can say that there is here either a divine institution, or a gracious promise, yea, or a congruity of means and end, of work and wages: though there be something of a marred institution in dead and dull hearing tied to saving believing: here the same ⟨p. 340⟩sweet breathing that falls on the rose, acts on the hemlock, which to me is some mystery, to others merit of congruity (which is detestable) to others a free promise (but it being examined well is but merit) to others half a promise: however the dispensation forbids laziness, and commands all, even though yet in nature, to go about duties as creatures rational covenanted externally with God.
