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Law must be meant; which was only, if ISER M. may fo fpeak, a watery Difpenfation, that was of Use to the external cleanfing of the Body, but not to the inward Purifications of the Soul. John, the laft, but the greatest, Minister of this Difpenfation, could do no more than what Water would enable him to perform. His Baptism was a Baptism of Water only, which could cleanse his Disciples from their legal Impurities, but not remove their inward Guilt. It was an Introduction to Repentance, and put them in a proper Difpofition for Pardon: But then the Pardon itself was what his Baptifm could no ways convey: It only fhewed them the Danger and Defperateness of their Condition for want of it; it could not avail to remove from them the Fears which itself had raised. But now when Christ comes, he not only baptizes with Water, but with the Spirit. For John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with Water, but one mightier than I cometh, the Latchet of whofe Shoes I am not worthy to unloofe; He fhall baptize you with the Holy Ghoft and with Fire, Luke iii. 16. He shall not

only purge and cleanse you from your legal Trefpaffes, from those Trefpaffes which ye have incurred by Tranfgreffion of the ceremonial Law; but he fhall alfo purify your VOL. II. Con

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SER M. Confciences and Souls from the Defile

XIII. ments you have contracted by breaking the

inward or moral Law. He shall as well forgive as fhew you your Sins. He shall not only give you the Grace of Repentance; but fhall actually take away your Guilt: Nor shall he only remit your past Offences; but shall also consume by the Fire of his Love the remaining Seeds of Corruption in your Hearts: And then when he has emptied your Souls of all their impure Affections; he fhall fill you with his Grace, and by his Spirit quicken, animate, and enliven you, and, in a Word, enable you to live beyond the Power of unaffifted human Nature.

These are the Advantages which Chriftianity gives us over what was conferred by the Law. And thefe Advantages of one Difpenfation over the othef our Saviour was pleased to intimate at Cana, by changing their Water into Wine. Wine, the proper Emblem and Figure of spiritual Gifts. For which Reason we find the Apostles more than once oppofing the one to the other. Be not drunk with Wine (faith St. Paul) wherein there is Excefs; but be filled with the Spirit, Ephef. v. 18. i. e. be rather filled with the Holy Ghoft, with heavenly Grace and fpiritual Joy; a Joy that enlightens and exhila

rates

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rates the Soul, as effectually and as truly as SERM, Wine does the Body; and (what is further to be obferved) a Joy that displays and discovers itself by much the fame outward Appearances, which are generally the Marks of that Elation or Elevation of the Spirits which is the Effect of Wine. For thus when the Apostles on the Day of Pentecoft had the Spirit plentifully poured upon them; those that understood not the Things of God, mocked them, and said, They were full of Wine, Acts ii. 13.

So proper was the Miracle of my Text, to express that wondrous Change of Things which Chrift was now introducing into the World; a Change ftill more lively and more exprefly hinted by the Circumftance of the Vessels in which the Water was contained. There were fet there fix Water-Pots of Stone, after the Manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three Firkins apiece. And Jefus faith unto them, Fill the Water-Pots with Water. Now Chrift's commanding the Water which he defigned to turn into Wine, to put in these Pots, which the Jews always kept in a Readiness for their Guests to wash before they fat down to the Meals prepared for them; (For the Pharifees, faith St. Mark, and all the Jews, except they wash their Hands T 2 often,

be

XIII.

SERM often, eat not, holding the Tradition of the
Elders: And when they come from Market,
except they wash, they eat not.
And many

other Things of the fame Kind they have re-
ceived to hold, as the Washing of Cups and
Pots, brafen Veffels and Tables:) Our Saviour,
I fay, making Use of these Pots to hold the
Water which he defigned for Wine, was a
filent Intimation that these external Cleanfings
of the Law, was what he would have Men
no longer confide in, but that from hence-
forth he would prefcribe them fuch Means as
fhould have an inward Power and Effect. Nor
fhould thefe Means be fcanty, nor the Grace
and Spirit of the Gospel limited, but shall be
poured into every Veffel that offers, and into
every Veffel as much as it will contain. There
were fix Water-Pots in the Bridal House, con-
taining two or three Firkins apiece; and yet
faith Jefus, Fill them all, and they filled them
up to the Brim: As much as if he had faid,
Where I am concerned, no Person that de-
fires Grace fhall ever be denied it; nor will
I ever cease to pour on him my Spirit, till he
will hold no more.

But having thus feen the Intent and Defign of the Miracle itself; let us next enquire if we cannot draw an Obfervation or two more,

from

XIII.

from the particular Circumftance of our Lord's SER M. timing it at the Feast. For it seems our Saviour did not work it as foon as he came in; nor before he saw there was a proper Call and Occafion for it. It was when they wanted Wine, or when the Wine failed, (as it is expreffed in the Greek) that Chrift undertook miraculously to fupply it; intimating, no doubt, that fo long as Things go on well in their ordinary Courfe, there is no need for God to interpofe his extraordinary Providence: And as to this, if we examine into earlier Inftances of the Rules which God lays down to himself; we shall find that whatever it is he does, he does it in proper Time and Season If Samuel be called to an extraordinary Exercife of the Prophetick Office; it must be in the Days when the Word of the Lord is precious and fcarce; when there is no open Vifion, 1 Sam. iii. 1. nobody known to have any Revelations or Visions from God; and to exprefs this deftitute Condition of the People, it must be alfo in the Hours of Darkness and Sleep; when Eli is laid down in his Place to rest, when his Eyes begin to wax dim for Age that be cannot fee, ver. 2. at the Time when the Lamp of God in the Temple is going out, ver. 3. as an Emblem that without this Call of Samuel

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