should be his time held under it.

Now, as I said, the sinner at first is by the Spirit of God held
under this bondage; that is, hath such a discovery of his sin and of
his damnation for sin made to him, and also is held so fast under
the sense thereof, that it is not in the power of any man, nor yet
of the very angels in heaven, to release or set him free, until the
Holy Spirit changeth his ministration and comes in the sweet and
peaceable tidings of salvation by Christ in the gospel to his poor
dejected and afflicted conscience.

The Spirit loveth to do what it does in private: that man to whom
God intendeth to reveal great things, he taketh him aside from the
lumber and cumber of this world, and carrieth him away in the solace
and contemplation of the things of another world.

This water of life is the very groundwork of life IN us, though not
the groundwork of life FOR us. The groundwork of life FOR us is the
passion and merits of Christ; this is that for the sake of which
grace is given unto us, as is intimated by the text, Rev. 22:1. It
proceeds from the throne of God, who is Christ. Christ then having
obtained grace for us, must needs be precedent as to his merit, to
that grace he hath so obtained. Besides, it is clear that the Spirit
and grace come from God through him. Therefore, as to the
communication of grace to us, it is the fruit of his merit and
purchase.

But I say, IN US grace is the groundwork of life; for though we may
be said before to live virtually in the person of Christ before God,
yet we are dead in ourselves, and so must be until the Spirit be