川

The wind of the Holy Ghoft blowing upon the dry bones in the valley of vifion.

BEING A

SERMON preached in the Tolbooth Church, upon a faft before the Sacrament of our Lord's fupper, March 15, 1715.

By the Rev. Mr. EBENEZER ERSKINE.

EZEK. XXXVII. 9.

Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these flain, that they may live.

IN

N the beginning of this chapter, the Lord in a vifion brings the prophet Ezekiel into a valley full of dead mens bones, quite dried and withered, and afks him the question, If he thought it poffible for thefe dry bones to live? Thereby intimating, that altho' it was a thing impoffible with men, yet it was eafily effected by the almighty power of God; and to convince him of it, he commands the prophet to speak unto the dry bones, and to tell them in his name, that he would make the breath of life to enter into them, which accordingly is done; for the prophet having in the name of the Lord called upon the four winds to breathe upon the dry bones, immediately life enters into them, and they come together bone to his bone, and they

lived and stood up upon their feet, and became an exceeding great army. By which vifion we have a lively representation of a threefold refurrection (as a late commentator, Mr. Henry very well obferves.) (1.) Of the refurrection of the body at the last day, and general refurrection, when God will command the earth to give up its dead, and the fea to give up its dead; and when by the ministry of angels, the duft and bones of the faints fhall be gathered from the four winds of heaven, to which they have been scattered. Or, (2.) We have in this vision a lively representation of the refurrection of the foul from the grave of fin, which is effected by preaching, or prophefying, as the inftrumental, and by the powerful influence of the Spirit of the Lord, as the principal efficient caufe of it; and the wind here fpoken of, is plainly faid to be understood of the Spirit, v. 14. I will put my Spirit within you, and ye fhall live. Or, (3.) We have by this vifion, a reprefentation of the refurrection of the church of God from the grave of her bondage and captivity in Babylon, under which they were at prefent detained. And this indeed is the primary and immediate fcope of the vifion, as is plain from the explication that follows it, v. 11, 12, 13, 14. However, feeing the deliverance of the children of Ifrael out of their Babylonis captivity, was typical of our fpiritual redemption purchafed by the Lord Jefus Christ upon the cross, and in a day of power applied by the mighty and powerful operation of the Holy Spirit of God; and feeing it is this redemption that we under the gospel are principally concerned with, therefore I fhall handle the words that I have read under this fpiritual fenfe and meaning.

C

And in them briefly we have, 1. A difmal cafe

fup

fuppofed, and that is fpiritual deadnefs. The people of God they were not only in bondage under their enemies, but likewife their fouls were at this time in a languishing condition. But of this more afterward.

2. We have a bleffed remedy here expreffed, and that is the breathings of the Spirit of the Lord, the influences of the Holy Ghoft. Come from the four winds, O breath, &c. Now thefe influences of the Holy Ghoft are here defcribed, (1.) From their nature, held forth under the notion and metaphor of wind. Come from the four winds, O breath. There are three elements, by which the operations of the Spirit are held out to us in fcripture. Sometimes they are compared unto fire, Matth. iii. He fall baptize you (fpeaking of Chrift) with the Holy Ghoft, and with fire. Sometimes they are compared unto water, Ifai. xl. 3. I will pour water upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit upon thy feed, &c. Sometimes the influences of the Spirit are held forth under the metaphor of wind, as in Cant. iv. 16. Awake, O north wind, and come thou fouth, and blow upon my garden. So here by the wind, or breath, here fpoken of, we are principally to understand the Spirit; it is plainly declared to be the Spirit of God in v. 14. of this chapter. I cannot ftand to show you the grounds of this metaphor. Wind, you know, is of a cleanfing, cooling, fructifying nature and virtue, acts freely and irresistibly. It is not in the power of man to refift or oppose the blowings of the wind; fo the influences of the Spirit they cleanse and purify the heart; they allay the ftorms of confcience, make the bones which were broken to rejoice; they make the foul to grow as the lilly, and to caft forth its roots like Lebanon; they

render

render the foul fruitful like the garden of God; and the Spirit acts with a fovereign freedom and irrefiftible efficacy, as ye may hear afterwards. But (2.) These Influences of the Holy Ghoft, they are described from their variety, four winds. Come from the four winds, O breath, importing the manifold influences and operations of this one and eternal Spirit. Hence we read of the north and fouth wind, Cant. iv. 16. and of the feven fpirits that are before the throne of God, Rev. v. 6. (3.) These influences are described from their acting or operation, which is here called a breathing, breathe upon these flain. By the acting of this almighty wind, our natural life was produced and formed, Gen. ii. 7. We are there told, that after God had formed man of the dust of the ground, he breathed into his noftrils the breath of life, and he became a living foul. Hence is that of Elibu, Job xxxiii. The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty bath given me life. And it is by the influences of the fame Almighty breath, that our fouls are quickened, when dead in trefpaffes and fins, and our fpiritual life is formed within us. But then, (4.) Thefe influences are described from the end and effect of their operation, breathe upon these fain, that they may live, that is, that the dry bones may become living fouls, that out of thefe ftones children may be raised up to -Abraham.

Now, from these words thus briefly explained, I only offer you this one obfervation, namely, That as the generality of a church and people in covenant with God, may be in a very dead and languishing condition as to their fouls, fo the breathings and influences of the Holy Spirit of God are abfolutely necessary for their revival. This is the fum of what I intend from

from these words, Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these flain, that they may live.

In difcourfing upon this doctrine, I. I fhall speak a little unto this deadnefs, which is incident unto a people externally in covenant with God. II. Unto the influences or breathings of the wind of the Holy Ghost, which are fo abfolutely neceffary in order to their revival. III. Touch at that life which is effected by these breathings. IV. I shall make application.

I. I fay, I would fpeak a little unto this deadnefs, which is incident unto a people externally in covenant with God. And here, 1. I fhall only give you some of its kinds. 2. Some of the causes of it.

3. Some of the fymptoms of it.

The first thing is, to give you fome kinds of deadnefs. Know then in general, that there is a twofold death; one is proper and natural, the other is improper and metaphorical. Death, properly fo called, is a thing fo well known, that 'tis needlefs for me to tell you what it is; there is none of us all, but we shall know it experimentally within a little time; for it is appointed for every man once to die. The grave is a house appointed for all living, and therefore with Job, we may fay to corruption, thou art our father, and to the worm, thou art our brother and fifter. But this is not the death I now speak of; and therefore, 2. There is a death which is improper or metaphorical, which is nothing else but a disease or diftemper of the foul, whereby it is rendered unmeet and uncapable for holy and spiritual exercises; and this again is twofold, either total or partial. (1.) There is a total death incident unto the wicked and ungodly, who are stark dead, and