alive unto God through Jesus Christ, and quickened to each action by the
supervenience of new life and influence; therefore, says Christ, without
me ye can do nothing; it is not, being out of me ye can do nothing, for
he spoke it to those who were in him, but, if ye leave me out in doing,
all ye do will be nothing. 'Tis Jesus Christ who gives life and legs, so
that our runnings are according to his drawings. "My 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