t all religion. (5.) That he may give proof at length of his admirable
skill in recovering from such a distemper, that no flesh might have
ground to despair, in the most dead condition they can fall into. (6.)
And to shew, sometimes, what a sovereign dispensator of life he is, and
how free he is in all his favours.

As to the _third_ particular, how Christ is life in this case,

We answer, 1. By keeping possession of the believer, even when he
seemeth to be most dead; and keeping life at the root, when there is
neither fruit appearing nor flourishes, and hardly many green leaves to
evidence life.

2. By blowing at the coal of grace in the soul, in his own time and
way, and putting an end to the winter, and sending the time of the
singing of the birds, a spring time of life.

3. By loosing the bands with which he was held fast formerly, enlarging
the heart with desires to go about the duty; so that now he willingly
riseth up out of his bed of security, and cheerfully shaketh off his
drowsiness and sluggishness, and former unwillingness; and now with
willingness and cheerfulness he setteth about the duty.

4. By sending influences of life and strength into the soul, whereby the
wheels of the soul are made to run with ease, being oiled with those
divine influences.

5. And this he doth by touching the heart, and wakening it by his
Spirit; as he raised the spouse out of her bed of security and laziness,
by putting in his hand at the hole of the door,--then were her bowels
moved for him, Cant. v. 4; and thus he setteth faith on work again,
having the key of David to open the heart, Rev. iii. 7.

6. By giving a discovery of the evil of their former ways and courses,
he worketh up the heart to godly sorrow and remorse for what is done,
making their bowels move for grief and sorrow, that they should so have
dishonoured and grieved him.

7. By setting the soul thus on work to do what formerly it neither could
nor would do; and thus he maketh the soul strong in the Lord, and in the
power of his might, Eph. vi. 10, and able to run and not be weary, and
to walk and not be faint, Isa. xl.

8. By discovering the great recompense of reward that is coming, and the
great help they have at hand, in the covenant and promises thereof, and
in Christ their head and Lord. He maketh the burden light and the duty
easy.

As to the _last_ particular, viz. how a believer, in such a case, should
make use of Christ as the Life, that he m