Christ Is the Heart and Power of the Scriptures (2)

The most powerful means that ever was ordained for our good will be dead and heartless if Christ is not there by his Spirit to put life into it. The Scriptures profit nothing, preaching profits nothing, the ordinances profit nothing; none of these will be spiritual food indeed unless the Spirit of Christ quickens them.
We should therefore desire that Christ would join his Spirit to all the ordinances of God and make them effectual. We ought to come to the ordinances in a dependence upon Christ for a blessing upon them, and for his presence in them, who is the life and scope of all; and then we would not find such dullness and deadness in them. Take those that conform themselves in some fashion to religion, they will hear a sermon now and then, look at a book, and perhaps pray morning and evening, but never look up to the living and quickening Spirit, Jesus Christ. All they do is dead and loathsome, like salt that has no savour. The Lord loathes such sacrifices as he did Cain's; and so he does all our flat and lifeless services.
What need there is to sanctify all we take in hand by prayer! When we go to hear a sermon, when we take up the Bible to read a chapter, alone or in our families, we should lift up our eyes and hearts and voices to heaven; we should say to Christ, 'Lord, by your Spirit be present with us; without you your word is dead, our hearts are dead, and will harden under the means, and darken in the light, and we will fall under heavy condemnation, if you leave us?

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Glorious Freedom, pp. 16-17 [20-21]
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