sap, life, and strength.
Faith, then, must look to Christ as the fountain of furniture--as the
head from whence cometh all the influences of strength and motion.
Christ hath strength and life enough to give out, for "the fulness of
the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily;" and he is also willing enough to
communicate of his fulness, as the relations he hath taken on do
witness. The head will not grudge to give to the members of the body,
spirits for action and motion; nor will a vine grudge to give sap into
the branches. Nay, life, strength, and furniture will, as it were,
natively flow out of Christ unto believers, except they, through
unbelief, and other distempers, cause obstructions; as life and sap doth
natively and kindly flow from the root to the branches, or from the head
to the members, unless obstructions stop the passage. It is necessary,
therefore, that believers eye Christ under these and the like relations,
and look upon him as standing, (so to speak,) obliged by his place and
relation, to grant strength and influences of life, whereby they may
become fruitful in every good work; and so with holy, humble, and
allowed boldness, press in faith for new communications of grace,
virtue, strength, courage, activity, and what else they need; for, from
the head, all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment
ministered, increaseth with the increase of God. Col. ii. 19. Eph. iv.
16.

7. For this cause believers would lie open to the influences of Christ,
and guard against the putting of obstructions in the way, through
grieving of the Spirit, by which he conveyeth and communicateth those
influences unto the soul; and through questioning and misbelieving
Christ's faithfulness and unchangeable willingness, which as a violent
humour stoppeth the passage. So then believers would lie open by looking
and waiting, drawing, seeking from him what they need, and by guarding
against every thing that may provoke the Lord to anger, whether in
omission or commission. Here is requisite, an holy, humble, sober, and
watchful walk; an earnest, serious, and hungry looking out to him, and a
patient waiting for supply and furniture from him. This is to open the
mouth wide that he may fill it; to lie before the Sun of Righteousness,
that the beams thereof may beat upon them, and warm and revive them; and
to wait as a beggar at this King's gate, till he give the alms.

8. For the strengthening their hope and faith in this, they would