The grace of God is called a river, to show that it is only suited to those who are capable of living therein.  Water, though it is that which every creature desireth, yet is not an element in which every creature can live.  Who is it that would not have the benefit of grace, of a throne of grace?  But who is it that can live by grace? even none but those whose temper and constitution is suited to grace.  Hence, as the grace of God is compared to a river, so those that live by grace are compared to fish; for that, as water is that element in which the fish liveth, so grace is that which is the life of the saint.  “And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither; for they shall he healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.”  Ezek. 47:  9.  Art thou a fish, man—­art thou a fish? canst thou live in the water? canst thou live always, and nowhere else hut in the water? is grace thy proper element?  The fish dieth if she be taken out of the water, unless she be timely put in again; the saint dieth if he be not in this river.  Take him from his river, and nothing can make him live; let him have water, water of life enough, and nothing can make him die.

I know that there are some things besides fish that can make a shift to live in the water; but the water is not their proper, their only proper element.  The frog can live in the water, but not in the water only; the otter can live in the water, hut not in the water only.  Give some men grace and the world, grace and sin—­admit them to make use of their lusts for pleasure, and of grace to remove their guilt, and they will make a pretty good shift, as we say; they will finely scrabble on in a profession.  But hold them to grace only, confine their life to grace, put them into the river and let them have nothing hut river, and they die; the word, and way, and nature of grace, is to them as light bread, and their soul can do no other but loathe it, for they are not suited and tempered for that element.

VII.  CHRIST.

The incarnation of Christ.

The first main design of the life and conversation of the Lord Jesus, was that thereby God, the Eternal Majesty, according to his promise, might be seen by, and dwell with, mortal men.  For the Godhead being altogether in its own nature invisible, and yet desirous to be seen by and dwell with the children of men, therefore was the Son, who is the self-same substance with the Father, clothed with or tabernacled in our flesh, that in that flesh the nature and glory of the Godhead might be seen by and dwell with us.  “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory;” what glory? “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  Again, “The life”—­that is, the life of God in the works and conversation of Christ—­“was manifest, and we have seen it and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us.”  And hence he is called the image of the invisible God; or he by whom the invisible God is most perfectly presented to the sons of men.