y soul followeth
hard after thee," said that holy man; but whence is all this life and
vigour? "Thy right hand upholdeth me," Oh! it is the upholdings and
helpings of this right hand, enlarging the man's heart, that makes a
running in the ways of his commandments; it is he who, while the saints
work out the work of their own salvation, worketh in them both to will
and to do. It is he who giveth power to the faint, and who, to them that
have no might, encreaseth strength, so that the poor lifeless,
languishing lie-by is made to mount up with eagles' wings, and surmount
all these difficulties, with a holy facility, which were simply
insuperable, and pure impossibilities. Now the man runs and doth not
weary, because Christ draws; and he walks and doth not faint, because
Christ, in whom dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily, dwells in him,
and walks in him, and dwells in him for that very end, that he may have
a completeness and competency of strength for duty. All grace is made to
abound unto him, that he always having all sufficiency in all things,
may abound unto every good work. He is able of himself to do nothing,
no, not to think any thing as he ought, but he hath a sufficiency of
God, whereby he is thoroughly furnished unto every good work; so that he
may say, I am able for all things: it is more than "I am able to do all
things," as we read it; its just import is, "I am able to do all things,
and to endure all things;" and that which keeps it from vain boasting,
is what is added, "through Christ which strengthened me," or putting
power in me, or rather impowering me, which is by a supervenient act
drawing forth life into a liveliness of exercise, according to the
present exigent. There is a power in a saint, because Christ is in him,
that overpowers all the powers of darkness without, and all the power of
indwelling corruption within, so that when the poor weak creature is
ready to despond; within sight of his duty, and say, because of
difficulty, what is my strength that I should hope? Christ saith,
despond not, my grace is sufficient for thee, and my power shall rest
upon thee, to a reviving thee, and raising thee up, and putting thee in
case to say, when I am weak, then I am strong; his strength, who
impowers me, is made perfect in my weakness, so that I will glory in my
infirmities, and be glad in being grace's debtor. But what power is
that, which raiseth the dead sinner, and carries the soul in its actings
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