circumspectly in the ways of new obedience. 4th, That this usually is a
time of ridding marches, and clearing of evidences. 5th, That it is a
time of many and special confirmations of God's love to the soul. 6th,
That this time of God's letting out much of his gracious presence to his
people, is a very uniting and healing time to them amongst themselves.
Having given these marks, to show whether the Lord were, at the
occasion, letting out his gracious presence, he added, by way of
caution, that seeing (no doubt) the people of God would be expecting
something of all these, upon the undertaking of so great a work; if so
be that they found it not, they should not thence be induced to have
hard thoughts of the Lord, and to conclude that he keeps not his usual
method with his people, or is not so good to them as formerly he hath
been: for whatever defects there are upon his people's part, there is
none upon the Lord's, for he remains the same to them, providing they do
so to him; the change of his dispensations towards his people being from
the change of his people's deportment towards him.

The Second Doctrine, resulting more directly from the words, was, _That
the Lord's Spirit poured out in plenty upon his people will quickly
bring them to an embracing of him, and to a public acknowledgment and
avouching of the same._ Thus it was with the people of God in the
text--no sooner does the Lord "pour water upon the thirsty, and floods
upon the dry ground," even his Spirit upon the spiritual seed of Israel,
but presently they are at covenanting work and subscribing work; "One
shall say, I am the Lord's," etc. In prosecuting this doctrine he shewed
first negatively that he was not for that occasion largely to treat of
the several ways that the Spirit useth to manage this work of engaging
the hearts of his people to embrace Christ, and so to make a public
avouchment of the same; whether he doth it by representing to their
views the sweet and precious promises made in the covenant of grace,