in your desires a beleeving Soul sees what an honourable Person Christ is Carnal eyes do not see but Spiritual eyes do see this Off-spring of David they see what a Plant he is what a Branch he is And it should make men and women desirous to come in to Christ and close with Christ Women desire honourable Matches and rich Matches and shall not our Souls now close with Christ who is the best Match the Off-spring of David the Heir of the World the Heir of Heaven O therefore let your desires be towards Christ and close with the Lord Jesus and honour him in your thoughts and exalt him in your hearts and lift him up higher and higher every day for there is none like unto him 4 Lastly This may serve to let us see what service and subjection is due unto Jesus Christ hee is the Off-spring of David hee is the Root of David he is God and he is true Man and he is of the most eminent of men in the World therefore all service and subjection is due unto him Psal 2. Kiss the Son lest he bâ—e angry and yee perish from the mid way O kiss him and subject unto him kiss him and serve him kiss him and obey him manifest your respects unto him every way the meaning here is Kiss the Son and serve him serve him with your Souls with your Bodies he hath the right of Redemption O therefore serve him The next Conclusion to be drawn from these words is this If Christ bee the Root and Off-spring of David then whatsoever the Scripture faith upon this account and consideration must be made good and there are two Scriptures worthy your serious and best consideration The first is in Jer. 23.5 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Justice and Judgement in the earth Hear what the Scripture saith of the Off-spring of David he shall be a King and shall prosper and he shall execute Justice and Judgement in the earth The other Scripture is in Luk. 1.29 He shall be Great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David Whether ever Christ yet had these Scriptures made good unto him is worth your serious consideration was Christ ever yet set upon the Throne of David according to these words When Christ was here it was in a state of Humiliation he came not to be ministred unto but to minister unto others and he did wash his Disciples feet he was in a state of humiliation doth it not remain then that these Scriptures should be made good It is true Christ hath a Throne in Heaven but that is not Davids Throne that is the Throne of God but he shall sit upon his Father Davids Throne And surely there is something in that Rev. 19.11 And I saw heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make Warre his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crowns and hee had a name written that no man knew but himself and he was cloathed in a vesture dipt in bloud and his name was called the Word of God who was this but Christ And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press of the fiercèness and wrath of Almighty God c. Whether this bee yet fulfilled take into your serious consideration and this conclusion that Christ the Off-spring of David must reign and sit upon the Throne or David serves for two speciall things First For preparation Secondly For expectation First for Preparation That people should prepare and sit themselves against the coming of Christ so Revel 19.7 Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready This was in Vision now it must be made good in reality let every Soul prepare and make themselves ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus you know a Bride doth trim and deck up her self and put on her ornaments and make her self as lovely and amiable as possibly the can so should every Soul purge away sin and deck up themselves with the Graces of Gods Spirit and walk righteously and holily and unblamably and so make themselves ready for Christ The Second is for Expectation saith Christ I am the Root and the Off-spring of David and what follows in the next words And the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him that heareth say come c. presently therâ— is an expectation raised Christ speaks these words to raise the expectations of all that should live after this Book to expect his coming I am the root of Jesse the root of David and the Off-spring of David I have upheld David and he hath had a Kingdom and I am his Son and I must come and I must sit upon his Throne and I must reign The next Conclusion is this That the knowledge of Christ under these Notions or expressions here is of great concernment This is the last Declaration that ever the Lord Jesus made of himself here in the world and what saith he I am the root and the off-spring of David and so leaves it unto the World to consider of This is of great concernment to consider Christ under these Notions now to make it out in two or three particulars 1 Here is held out unto us the two Natures of Christ his God-head his Divine Nature and his Human Nature the Divine Nature I am the root of David his Human nature The off-spring of David and withall a great Mystery for mark I am the root of David and the Off-spring of David and David lyes between both So here Christs Human nature in the Off-spring the Divine nature in the root and Christ Mediator lyes between both for there must be a concurrence of Divine and Human nature to impersonate Christ to be a Mediator which here is held out unto the World in the last Declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ I am God and I uphold you I uphold David and his Kingdom and I am the Off-spring of David I am sensible of any thing is done to my Church and People and I am Mediator and will mediate with my Father for vengeance on those shal wrong them and for assistance of all those he hath given unto me 2 Herein many Scriptures are fulfilled I am the root and Off-spring of David and so wee may see the truth reality and certainty of Scripture Joh. 4.7 Hath not the Scripture said that Christ cometh of the Seed of David and out of the town of
to shed his bloud and to wash us in his own bloud he hath so loved us as he hath laid down his life for us and thought nothing too dear to part with nothing too hard to suffer on our account 6 Christ likewise sparkled in his pity and compassion towards the people when they came to hear him Christ was full of compassion and would not let them go away hungry lest they should faint by the way Christ in the nineteenth of Luke weeps over Jerusalem Christ wept over sinners that would not weep for themselves Christ sparkled in all these and in many other passages of his life and so you see that he is a Star indeed in sparkling and letting out his beams and dispelling darkness Thirdly The morning Star is the most eminent Star one of them in all the Heavens a chief Star so Christ is the chiefest Star the Star of the first Magnitude there is not a more glorious Star in the Heavens than the morning Star and not a more glorious one than Christ In 2 Sam. 16.17 Princes and great ones are called eminent Stars or Lights Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel that thou quench not the light of Israel why David was a Star of the greatest magnitude in all Israel and so Senacharib or Nebuchadnezzar or both of them they are said to be Lucifer the Son of the morning Isa 14.12 that is a chief Star yet a falling star but now Christ is a Star which is most eminent there is no star among the Sons of Men no Man no Angel that is equal to Christ but he is above them he is of a higher magnitude Psal 45.2 He is fairer than the Children of men he hath more beauty more glory more Majesty more greatness than any of the Children of men Rev. 1.5 Hee is Prince of the Kings of the earth take the Kings of the Earth that are stars and great stars yet Christ is the Prince of the Kings of the Earth so that upon this account he is a bright and a morning Star he goes beyond all the stars and all the lights in the World and all the Lights in Heaven Fourthly Stars you know have their influences and let down their influences here upon the Creatures In Job there is mention made of Pleiades the seven stars and Oryon and the rest that send down their influences and the morning star hath its influences as well as other stars so the Lord Christ he is not wanting this way but le ts out his influences Christ is said to have the seven Spirits the seven Stars and le ts out all the Graces and vertues of his Spirit Of his fulness we receive grace for grace and he sends the Comforter he is the head and hath influence into the whole body This Star lets out vertue into all the inferiour Bodies that are belonging unto him so that the Lord Christ he is a bright morning Star upon this account Lastly Christ is a bright and morning Star especially in that the morning Star brings notice of good tidings that the day is at hand when the morning Star is up then the day is near so Christ hee hath brought good tidings that the day is at hand and that the night is past Luk. 2. At the Incarnation of Christ the Angel said Fear not for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And what then Vers 14. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace good will towards men Now the night of Gods anger was past and the day of Gods favour was coming he brought back the Sun of Gods favour and fatherly goodness and love unto us so in Luke 1.76 77. Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways to give knowledge of Salvation to his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us to give light unto them which sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace So that here is good tidings come now the day is at hand and Christ hath brought immortality and life again into the world 2 Tim. 1.10 which are now made manifest by the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel and especially the morning Star in regard of the great day that is a coming which some call the Day of Judgement and others call the Day of Restitution of all things there is a great Day a coming Christ is the bright morning Star that doth fore-run the great Day of which you hear in Zech. 14.9 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth in that day shall there be one Lord and his name one this bright morning Star is the fore-runner of that day in that day this bright morning Star shall be a Sun and vers 20 21. In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses holiness to the Lord and the Pots in the Lords House shall be like the Bowls before the Altar yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall bee holiness to the Lord of Hosts and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them and seeth therein and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of Hosts There is a great day a coming wherein there shall be no more the Canaanite in the House of the Lord and Mal. 4. Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven c. but unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings There is a day a coming a great day which this Day-star is the fore-runner of 2 Pet. 3. Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens beeing on fire shall bee dissolved and the Element shall melt with fervent heat He is a bright morning Star in regard he goes before that day which shall come Thus you see upon what account and in what sense Christ is resembled to a bright morning Star Now an Objection we have to answer which is this Obj. Are not Saints Stars and Angels Stars and Morning Stars too Is this any great matter in that Christ is called a Star and a morning Star In Gen. 37.9 Joseph in his Dream there saith I beheld the Sun and the Moon and the eleaven Stars made obeysance unto me that was his Brethren And in Job 38 7. When the Morning Stars sang together and all the Sons of God shouted for joy that is interpreted of the Angels who are called morning Stars so that if Saints be Stars and Angels morning Stars is it any such matter that Christ is here called a bright and a morning Star and it is
which have the first fruits of the Spirit even wee our selves groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the redemption of our bodies wee look for the coming of Christ Now what kind of desire is this of the Church What kind of desue the Church hath for Christs coming The Bride saith Come the Bride desires the coming of Christ 1 This desire of hers is a Spiritual desire it is no Carnal desire it is such a desire as is in Christ himself towards the Church Cant. 2 10. My Beloved spake and said unto me Spiritual Rise up my Love my fair one and come away and so in the thirteenth Verse Arise my Love my fair one and come away Christs desire to the Church is a Spiritual desire Cant. 7.10 I am my Beloveds and his devire is towards me Christs desire is towards his Church and it is a Spiritual desire so the Churches is the same to him Come my beloved let us go forth into the fields come my beloved As Christ calls his Church so the Church calls him Come my Beloved A Spiritual desire it is a desire that the Spirit of God hath begotten in her for the Spirit works gracious and holy desires in the hearts of men and women and those desires being put forth now towards Christ they have the denomination from the Spirit they are Spiritual desires 2 The desire of the Church it is an earnest desire Earnestly a strong desire 2 Cor. 5.2 For in this we groan earnestly desiring to bee cloathed upon with our house which is from Heaven Paul groaned earnestly and in Phil. 2. he saith there he desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ he desired the coming of Christ to dissolve him that so he might be with Christ Rom. 8.19 The earnest expectation of the Creature it is called and Vers 23. We groan within our selves It is such a desire as those have which are sick for Love Cant. 5. saith the Church there Tell him that I am sick of Love The Church is sick of Love for Jesus Christ and earnestly desires his coming such a desire as is in Women with Childe that miscarry if they have not their desire such a desire as is in the captive to bee delivered such a desire as is in the sick for health such a desire as is in Women for their Husbands that are beyond sea an earnest desire 3 It is a working desire A working desire a desire that puts men and women upon doing a desire that makes them work Here was a desire and she falls a praying Come come Lord Jesus come quickly A desire that will make you active not a sluggish lasie desire as is in too many but a waking desire 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God where there is loâ—king there will be desire and where there is desire there will be acting hastening to the coming 4 It is a desire that is lasting A lasting desire it is not a Humour a Fit a Fansie and away but it is a desire that is lasting and continued The Church hath had this desire many hundred years yea thousands of years 1 Pet. 1.13 Wherefore gird up the loyns of your minde be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Iesus Christ It will make men and women hope to the end where there is desire of a thing there is hope and it will make them hope to the end when it lasts to the end the desire lasts till Christ comes 5 Lastly It is a desire that is well bottomed It is a wel bottom'd desire a desire that is well grounded it is a desire that springs from a good foundation it is not from the Fansie of a man or from a Notion or from a Conception or Tradition but it is a Desire that is well bottom'd well grounded and springs from a good Root It springs from Promises It springs from Prayer It rises from Promises Acts 1.11 This same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into Heaven Well this Jesus that is gone now to Heaven he shall so come again Here is a good Root a Foundation a Promise now for this desire Heb. 10. Yet a little time and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry And in Revel 22. Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me here is a word for it There are many Promises in the Scripture to this purpose therefore Peter saith in the place before mentioned Notwithstanding we according to his promise look for the new Heavens and the new Earth It is a desire that is grounded upon a Promise a Divine Promise and not a Human Promise a Promise from Heaven and not from Earth It is grounded upon Prayer in the Lords Prayer Christ hath taught us to pray Thy Kingdom come so that the desires of the Church you see of what nature they are they are Spiritual desires they are earnest desires they are working desires they are desires that are lasting they are desires that are well grounded Q. Why doth the Church desire the coming of Christ A. Why the Church desires Christs coming 1. The Church desires the coming of Christ that so the Lord Christ himself may bee perfected and compleated Christ accounts himself imperfect in Heaven Ephes 1. ul The Church is said to be the fulness of Christ and till Christ hath all with him that the Father hath given him he is not compleat The Church desires Christ may have his fulness Come Lord and take all thine own Come Lord and gather in all thy Saints Come Lord and injoy all the Father hath given thee it is that Christ may have his fulness be perfected and compleat 2 The Church desires Christs coming that so all the enemies of Christ may be brought under especially that those Grand enemies of Christ may be brought down as Antichrist and Sathan those are the Grand enemies of Christ 2 Thes 2.8 And then shall that wicked be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming This is spoken of Antichrist that wicked one when Christ comes there shall be a total destruction of Antichrist and all that adhere to Antichrist then shall the Prophet and the Beast be taken as in Revel 19. I saw the Beast and the Kings of the earth and their Armies gathered together to make war with him that sate on the Horse and his Army and the Beast was taken and with him the false Prophet that wrought Miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the Beast and them that worshipped his Image c. When Christ comes the Beast and the false Prophet will be taken these are Antichrist they shall bee taken and judged and that enemy Sathan
have none of it he doth it out of love and aymes at your good and the saving of your soules and yet you will have none of this water what Ingratitude is this Christ may say I brought water to your doore and such water as was water of life it would have quickned you maintain'd life in you brought you to Eternall life and you would none of it heare ô Heavens and hearken ô Earth was there ever such Ingratitude Fifthly Consider that this water of life is the onely remedy can doe your soules good It 's the mercy of God in Christ its Christs merits the Spirit and the Graces thereof must doe sinners good if any thing in heaven and earth can doe them good There is nothing in Heaven and Earth besides free Grace and mercy this water of Life which can doe your soules good If you will not drinke of this water you must die you must die and perish for ever as in Jonah They imbrace lying vanities and forsake their owne mercies so all men and women in the world imbrace lying vanities who forsake these waters they will drinke the muddie waters of the world the filthy waters of sin of the ditches of Rome of the puddles of Egypt and Babylon but of these waters which would save their soules they will not drinke this is an evill against the Remedy Sixthly Consider that the refusall of these waters provokes God and Christ greatly to wrath you cannot provoke God more then by refusing his kindnesse you greive you vex the Spirit you resist the Spirit and so provoke God bitterly Psal 81.11 12. saith he My people would not hearken to my voyce and Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts I will scourge them no more but give them over to the saddest Judgements in the world they shall be left to their owne lusts their own wills and humours I will leave them now to drinke waters will poyson them waters will ripen them for hell So in the 14 of Luke those that were Invited to the Supper they made excuses all and would not come saith Christ not one of them shall tast of my Supper The meaning is they shall not onely not tast of the dainties I have prepared but they shall tast of the severitie of my wrath In stead of cups of vvine they shall have cups of Brimstone fire The vengeance written they shall have executed upon them When God offered Canaan to the Jewes and they resused it and would goe back to Egypt God was so mooved that he sware in his wrath If they shall enter into my Rest If they enter into my Rest let me be thrust out of heaven And the siercenesse of Gods anger never came upon the Jewes till they had refused Christ and these vvaters of life But then the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost to perfection it came upon them Seventhly Lastly Those that refuse the vvaters of life The Lord Christ and God doth keepe account of all such passages and will bring them in against them and urge them as aggravations of their misery at last The Lord keepes account I have stretched out my hands all the day long saith God A whole day the day of their lives I waited upon them Fortie yeares long was I greived with this Generation Revel 3.20 Christ saith Behold I stand at the doore and knock Christ keeps account how long he stood there how many knocks he hath made there how many tenders of Grace have been presented to you how often you refused and turned them away He will come at last and say At such a place I stood and knockt twenty or thirtie yeares And in such a place I tendered Grace to them a thousand times and my Spirit presented good motions to them ten thousand times and yet they refused All these vvill be brought in at last and then vvhen you shall see this black bill this will sinke you into the bottome of hell Grace offered peace offered heaven offered Christ and his righteousnesse offered to be your portion and you would none of all these and what did you choose chaffe earth puddle water your misery will be exceeding great The Water of Life Reve 22.17 And whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely WEE come now to a use of Exhortation If the waters of life be freely offered then here 's an Invitation to all sinners to come and accept of these waters Come ye sinners whosoever ye be ye that are in the chambers of Death ye that are in the broad way ye that are enemies to God through wicked workes in your minde ye that have liv'd basely to the dishonour of God and man to your owne prejudice and damnation If you will come here are waters and waters of life waters will give life to the dead here are waters to increase life here are waters to be had freely Come to these waters these waters are held forth upon such tearmes that ye may all come and receive them whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life In the 55 of Isa 7. It 's said Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his thoughts and turne unto the Lord and he shall have mercy Pro 28. It 's said He that confesses his sins and forsakes them shall finde mercy There the termes are somewhat hard who can forsake his wayes and turne from his evill thoughts and the like it 's a hard thing to doe But here it 's upon other termes Whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely You may have them freely whatsoever your sins have been crimsen sins scarlet sins crying sins sins against light of nature against Law against heaven against earth sins against State against Church against soule or body sins against Gospel whatsoever your sins have been here are waters of life freely for you Abraham was an Idolater and yet he had water of life freely Saul was a persecuter and he had water of life freely and why may not you have waters of life freely A man may goe and take water at any Well in a Towne he may goe to the Thames and take water what he will when the Raine falls who may not have a share of it here 's water here 's raine from heaven and who will may come and take water of life Sometimes money is given in a place for poore people and it is made knowne for them to come and fetch it but they must first get Petitions Justices Ministers and other mens hands of their honesty of their faithfullnesse of their service of their sufferings of their losses and a great deale of dooe there is before they can have the money but it is not so here Christ doth not say Let him that is righteous come let him that is so qualified take it let him that hath suffered such hard things let him that hath been tempted
so long by Satan no but he saith who ever will let him take the waters of life freely what will you stand out then and not receive waters of life ô come in this day come in to Christ come in and drinke waters of life come in and live come and live comfortably come and live eternally Thirdly Againe in the next place If the water of life be freely offered to sinners then you that barren and dead hearted and complaine of unfruitfullnesse and unprofitablenesse waite upon the Lord Christ in the use of means for here is water and water of life and Christ gives it out in the use of meanes Are you dry barren and fruitlesse have you a dead heart Christ hath water of life to quicken you Christ hath water of life to make you more lively I am come saith Christ in the 10th of Joh 10. that ye might have life and that ye might have it in more abundance I am come for that very end to give life and to give life more abundantly to give out these waters freely and fully You know when the Raine falls from heaven upon the mountaines and barren places it will make them looke Greene so when Christ gives out these waters to mountanous hearts to barren spirits this water of life will soke into you soften you make you grow flourish and bring forth fruit Lam 3.25 26. The Lord is good unto them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him 't is good that a man should both hope and quietly waite for the salvation of the Lord The Lord is good to them that waite for him If you will waite for Christ in his Ordinances he will be good unto you he will water you and make you like a watered Garden In the 40 of Isa 28 29.31 Hast thou not knowne hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint Waite up-upon the Lord Christ he hath virtue for you he hath water of life for you And in the 64 of Isa 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousnesse Those that remember thee in thy wayes he will meete them he will water them and refresh them and they shall be fruitfull You made the Lord Christ to waite for your teares he waited a long time before you shed one teare of Repentance and will not you waite upon him that hath water of life for you waite upon him in the use of meanes and he will give water of lise Fourthly You that have received water of life Remember how little it cost you give the honour and the Glory unto God It cost you nothing you had it freely Psal 115.1 Say not unto us not unto us but to thy name be the praise and Glory yea all the praise and all the Glory Did wee Contribute ought unto this worke of Grace and Salvation then we might Sacrifice to our owne Netts but we Contribute nothing Ephes 2.8 By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves marke it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast The Lord knew what man would doe if he should come in and be a Co-worker with God therefore saith By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God If you have faith if you have Grace if you have salvation water of life it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast therefore let no man Glory in himselfe but give the honour and Glory to God In the 9th of Jer 23 24. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither the mighty man in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exerciseth loving kindnesse and Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sins I doe not doe it for thy sake saith God but for mine owne sake for the honour of mine owne name I blot out thy sinnes freely I pardon thee I give thee water of life So then let us give God the honour and the Glory and say as 't is in Micha 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of his heritage he reteineth not his anger for ever because he delights in mercy and who is a God like unto our God that pardoneth Iniquitie sins and transgressions and why because he delights in mercy not because he delights in thee or delights in me but because he delights in mercy he delights to shew mercy he blotts out sins freely for the honour of his owne name If therefore you have pardon of sin peace of Conscience if you have any Grace any Comfort of the Spirit if you have any drops of this water of life give God the Glory of it he hath freely given it unto you and that in abundance when others have none or puddle water onely Lastly If God doe give us water of 〈◊〉 freely then this should unite and Indere our hearts unto him and make us serve him freely As he freely gives to us so we should freely serve him many they are hardly brought of to seeve God the Sabboths are tedious unto them and when will the Sabboth be gon prayer Reading of Scripture hearing of Scrmons and to discourse of heavenly things is tedious unto them they cannot Indure them It 's an argument they are flesh and corrupt that they have none of this water of life If they had they would serve God freely cheerefully willingly In the 2 Phil It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure Doe all things without murmuring and disputing When God workes in men according to his good pleasure the Will and the Deede Then men will doe all things without murmuring and disputing they will come off roundly and readily to doe the worke of God they will be then like to David who fullfilled all the Wills of God and gave Counsell to Solon his Son 1 Chron. 23.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde c. God regards not any of your services that come off heavily dully and with murmurings but God loves a cheerefull giver
him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Therefore let us not walk after our own lusts but walk in the fear of God as the Churches did Acts 9.31 Yee are the children of the light 1 Thess 5.5 therefore let us walk in the light yee have a Spiritual life begotten in you who once were dead therefore let us walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 let us walk in and after the Spirit Gal. 5.16 in good works Ephes 2.10 in love chap. 5.2 Circumspectly vers 15. yea let us walk honestly towards them that are without 1 Thes 4.12 Let us walk in the truth 3 Ep. Joh. 4. let us walk in the steps of good men Prov. 2.20 yea let us walk even as Christ himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And that me may do so let us mind our rule Gal. 6.16 and then we shall walk in some measure worthy of our Vocation Eph. 4.1 This will make much for the glory of God and Christ here in the World by it we shall adorn the Doctrin of God our Saviour Tit. 2.10 It will make much for the comfort and joy of him whom God hath set over us that watches for our souls Joh. 3.4 yea your holy walking and godly conversation may be a means for the conversion of others and bringing them in to Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.12 3.1 2. And by doing thus we shall not only maintain our Fellowship one with another but with the Father and the Son 1 Ep. Joh. chap. 1. Beloved Brethren I shall not need to put you on to the ready entertaining of these choice Truths that are here delivered they being already written in your hearts you cannot but receive them with joy and in so doing you answer the end and labours of him who is dear unto you that preacht them and likewise the end of him who did transcribe them Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace 2 Cor. 1.12 and the God of love and peace shall be with you So prays your dear Brother who affectionately loveth you and is desirous to serve you in the Lord. R. VV. Errata PAg. 8. l. last r. back p. 19. l. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 23. l. last but one r. behold p. 62. l. 7. r. 14. p. 66. l. 6. r. the father l. 12. r. in Zech. l. 20. r. is p. 80. l. 13. after heads r. saying we shal befree l 20 dele have p 106. in marg r. proprieties l. last but one r. velleitie p. 107. l. 10. r. complaintive p. 110 l. 2. r no l 22 r power p. 1 11. l 2 r. of that is unknown p 112 l 26 27 r and is not like the Publican p. 115. l 4 5 r. all salvation is in him p. 122. l. 25. r lentile p 123. l last r bitter p. 125 l 25 make the Comma after the first it p. 328 l. 28 r break l 31 r required p 132 l 8. r are you hungry p 138 l 25 r hast forward p. 140. l 23. r come p 144 l 1 r hints of joy p 157. l. 26 r angry p 170 l 2 ◠room l 28 r will p 181 r Ahashuerosh p 186. in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 194 l 22 r here p 207. l. 4. r. you that are barren p 211 l 9 r have p 220 l 26 r club p. 323 l 26 r. acceptance p. 239 l 23. r let 's Christ the Root of all REV. 22.16 I am the Root and the Off-spring of David c. CHrist having sent his Angel to testifie several things unto the Churches Tells them what he is I am the Root and the Off-spring of David the bright and morning Star These words I am the Root and the Off-spring of David are a Riddle and a seeming contradiction For Christ to bee the Root of David and the Off-spring of David seems very improbable and contradictory much like that speech in the 22. of Matth. latter end where Christ said The Lord said unto my Lord If David call him Lord how is he then his Son They could not tell what to make of it So its probable when many read these words here Christ is the Root of David and the Off-spring of David too they know not how to untie this knot and to reconcile this seeming contradiction But if we plow with the Heifer of the Lord with his Spirit we many easily resolve it Christ is the Root of David as he is God in his Divine nature he is the Off-spring of David as he is man And in some sense Christ as he is man may be also the root of David For Christs Humane nature was as well in Jesse the Father of David as in David himself You see here Christ is termed a Root I am the root of David Of that I shall speak at this time and it is not in vain that the Scripture doth set out Christ by this expression a Root for there are sundry resemblances wherein the Lord Christ is like unto a Root First you know a Root is a thing hidden in the earth Wherein the resemblance lies between Christ and a Root secret and not obvious to any eye so the Lord Christ take him especially in his Divine nature that is a hidden thing As it s said of God He is the invisible God so of Christs Divine nature it is an invisible nature The Angels are not seen souls are not seen and God is not seen and the Deity of Christ was not seen It was hid under flesh under his humane nature And Christs humane nature Christ as man was a hidden thing Joh. 1.10 He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not The world did not know him to be the Messiah to be the root of David So in Joh. 16.3 These things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me They have not known me Christ was not known but a hidden thing a secret thing like a root in the earth as he saith of the Spirit in Joh. 14.17 Whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him the world did not see the Spirit nor know the Spirit so the world did not see Christ nor know Christ why Christs humane nature Christ as man was hidden under afflictions under reproaches under poverty and meanness and under scorn and contempt so that he was a root in the earth he was a hidden thing 2 A Root hath life in it and the life is principally in the root of any thing so in the Lord Jesus there is life and life principally in him Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ hath life in himself principally and eminently as the Father had Joh. 1.4 In him was light and that light was the life of men In this Root was life in Christ was life 1 Cor.
Corruption then you may go with boldness to the Throne of Grace why Christ is at the Throne of Grace Christ who is the Off-spring of David Christ who is of your Nature Christ who is sensible of your wants he is there go and tell the Lord Jesus what Temptations you have what Corruptions you have what guilt you finde what weaknesses you finde in you go and tell the Lord Jesus and desire him to commend it to the Father and he will do it for you 2 The next Conclusion here is If Christ be of the Race of David that the Lord Jesus is no mean Person but a very honourable Person and well descended he is the Off-spring of David of David a Prophet of David a King of Israel of David the beloved of God of David an eminent Person in Israel Christ is well born and well descended he is of the Bloud Royal Mat. 2. Where is he that is born King of Israel hee descended from Kings from the greatest that the Scripture mentions It was Solomons honour to be the Son of David and it is the honour of Christ to be the Son of David Behold a greater than Solomon is here And there be two expressions upon this very account which do help to set out the Lord Christ that he is a person honourable indeed The one is That he is called the Branch so in Isa and Jerem. and Zach. hee is called the Branch that is the branch out of this Root the branch of David an eminent and glorious branch Jer. 33.15 In those days and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David and hee shall execute Judgement and Righteousness in the Land David he is the Root out of that Root shall come the Off-spring Christ the Branch of Righeousness the righteous Branch or the Branch that acts and works Righteousness that executes Judgement and Justice a Branch that yeelds the best Fruit that ever the World had a Branch of Righteousness and such a Branch as in Isa 4.2 In that day shall the Branch of the Lord bee beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely This is the Branch of David and is called The Branch of the Lord and this Branch shall be beautiful and glorious beautiful and glorious all the World over and the fruit of the Earth shall bee excellent and comely O here is a Branch of Righteousness here is a Branch out of a Root the Lord Christ out of the Root of Jesse the Root of David that shall yeeld fruit which shall be excellent all the World over The other expression is that in Ezeck 24.29 where he is called The Plant of renown This Branch this Plant this Off-spring of David is the Plant of renown There have been many renowned Plants in the World Abraham was a renowned Plant in his days so Joshua Moses and the Prophets were renowned Plants and divers of the Kings of Judah were renowned Plants also But Christ is the Plant of renown emphatically this Plant hath done renowned things indeed this is the Plant that is to bee honoured above all the Plants that ever were in the World he hath done such things as never any did this is he that took away the sin of the world Joh. 1.29 This is he that did break down the partition wall between Jew and Gentile and reconciled Jew and Gentile Ephes 2.11 12 13 14. This is he that laid the foundation of the Christian Church and built up that Zech. 6.12 And speak unto him saying Behold thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying behold the man whose name is the Branch and hee shall grow up ouâ— of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord It is the Branch the Branch the Plant of renown the Lord Jesus the Off-spring of David that shall build the Christian Church This is he that brought in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9.22 to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the Vision this is the Plant that yeelds such fruit as this as to send the Comforter Joh. 16.7 this is he that did such Works as never any did before him Joh. 15.24 so that the Lord Christ he is no mean person he is the Off-spring of David the Branch of Righteousness the Plant of Renown Vse This serves in the first place to take off the offence and prejudice which lies in the hearts of many against Christ in regard of his meaneness in regard of his poverty in regard of his being accounted the Carpenters Son a Fellow and a vulgar Person and in that he was reckoned among Malefactors and put to an open shameful Death many stumble at these things the Jews stumble and the Turks stumble and say Our Saviour was a poor contemptible man and the like but this may take off all the prejudice and scandal that arises thence he was the Son of David the Branch of renown hee that did such things as never man did Matth. 11. saith Christ Blessed is he that is not offended at me why I am a poor Man that have not two Coates that have not a house to hide my head in that have not bread to eat and the like and blessed is he that is not offended at me that stumbles not at my meanness nor at the scandals and reproaches that are taken at me O blessed is he that is not offended at me but can look through these and can see me to be the Off-spring of David the Plant of Renown the Branch of Righteousness that can see me to be all in all 2 This may serve to strengthen our faith many did reject David 1 Sam. 22.7 Then Saul said unto his Servants that stood about him here now yee Benjamites will the Son of Jesse give every one of you Fields and Vineyards c. he rejects the Son of Jesse that is David himself what hath this poor fellow such and such things to give you he is but the Son of Jesse So many reject Jesus the Son of David and say Why what hath this poor Jesus to give you he was but the Carpenters Son but this serves to strengthen our faith Wee know saith Paul in whom we have beleeved we have beleeved in him who is the Off-spring of David the Plant of renown the Branch of renown that took away the sin of the World that sends the Comforter that can do greater things for us than we can ask or think we beleeve in him who is an honourable Person descended from the best Bloud that ever was we beleeve in him 3 This should serve to raise up our hearts to a higher esteem of the Lord Jesus Kings Sons are regarded and observed by all the people the Lord Jesus was a Kings Son the Son of David I and the Son of God too therefore we should have high and honourable thoughts of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.7 To you that beleeve hee is precious precious in your thoughts precious
the Canticles she is espoused unto Christ 3 A Bride she hath her Ornaments and Jewels about her she is trim'd Isa 61.10 so the Church hath Ornaments and Jewels about her she is trimmed and deckt with the Graces of the Spirit with the righteousness of Christ White Linnen in the Revelation is said to bee the righteousness of Saints the Church hath her Ornaments her Jewels and Graces Canticles 4.9 4 Lastly The Bride you know expects Marriage of such a Person so the Church looks to be married unto Christ she waites for the day she is espoused already and waites for to be married unto the Lamb Rev. 19. so then you see upon what account the Church is called a Bride Now the Point to be handled is this Doct. That both the Spirit of God and the whole Church are desirous of Christs coming And the Spirit and the Bride say come To speak a little to the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is said in Scripture to intercede for us and the Spirit of God lusts against the flesh and here the Spirit desires the coming of Christ The Spirit saith come And the Spirit desires the coming of Christ Why the Spirit desires the coming of Christ because it having received from Christ all truth and having given it out unto Apostles and unto John and so to the Church it would gladly have the Church see the accomplishment of what is given out by the Spirit which will not all bee done till the coming of Christ all truth will not be accomplished Prophesies or Promises will not be fulfilled till the coming of Christ and the Spirit having received of Christ and given them out the Spirit desires the accomplishment of them that the Church might see it 2 The Spirrt desires Christs coming for the honour of Christ it is said in 2 Thes 1.10 Christ shall come to be admired this shall bee the honour of Christ to bee admired by the Church to be admired by the World especially he shall bee admired of the Saints and of those that do beleeve and the more admirable will Christ be when they shall see all Truths fulfilled and made good that he gave out by his Spirit It is said Isa 44.26 God is a God that confirmeth the word of his Servant and performeth the counsel of his Messengers so Christ he will confirm the word of his Spirit and confirm the word of his Messenger the Spirit brought it from Christ to John John gives it out to the Church and when Christ comes he will confirm the word and make it all good and so both Christ shall bee honoured the Spirit honoured and the Instruments that gave out the word be honoured 3 The Spirit desires the coming of Christ that so it self may be no more grieved no more quenched So 1 Thes 5. Quench not the Spirit in Eph. 4.30 Grieve not the Spirit whereby yee are sealed unto the day of redemption The Spirit hath sealed up men unto the day that is this day of Christs coming unto the day of redemption Now saith the Spirit come come that I may be no more grieved I am grieved in the hearts of Saints daily I am troubled by them they do many things that are contrary to my Nature contrary to my Holiness the Spirit is a tender thing and soon grieved now saith the Spirit Come come then when Christ comes the Spirit shall no more be grieved there shall be a course taken with enemies Here then we may see that this is a matter of weight and worthy of consideration the coming of Christ for the very Spirit of Christ desires it But so much for that The whole Church also desires it even the Church Triumphant desires it I might insist upon that first In Rev. 6.9 10. The Church triumphant desires Christs coming And when he had opened the fifth Seal I saw under the Altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held And they cryed with a loud voyce saying how long how long O Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our bloud on them that dwell on the earth Here is part of the Church Triumphant crying How long O Lord afore thou comest Souls have no Tongues you must know but here by crying is meant the desires of the Soul they desire Christs day might come and so their enemies might be judged and they might have their bodies united unto their souls and be made compleat Quest But it may be said Do the Souls in Heaven and the Church in Heaven desire Christ may go out of Heaven and come down to earth that should seem strange Ans 1. Yes The very Church in Heaven desires the day of Christs coming and what if Christ do leave Heaven and come down to earth what hurt in that for they being in Heaven do see the face of the Father and beholding the face of the Father they have happiness enough there as the Angels always behold the face of my Father 2 But secondly when Christ comes they shall come with him as you may see in Jude 14. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his Saints Here is a limited number put for an illimited ten thousand that is with all his Saints so you have it in Ezek. 14.5 And the Lord my God shall come with all the Saints with him Christ shall come and all the Saints shall come with him when he comes so in 1 Thes 4.14 For if we beleeve that Jesus dyed and rose again even so them also that sleep in Jesus will God bring with him they shall come with Christ when he comes so that the very Church Triumphant are desirous of the coming of Christ But so much for that We come now to that which is more chiefly our aime and scope The Church Militant desires the coming of Christ that is the Church here in this World the Bride here doth desire the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the Bride saith come come Lord you have it in the twentieth Verse of this Chapter He which testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Jesus John desires the comming of Christ in the person of the Church Come Lord Jesus and frequently in Scripture thâ—s is spoken of Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The Church looks for and so desires the glorious appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ that which we look for we desire and so in 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God 1 Thes 1.10 And to wait for his Son from Heaven The Thessalonians the Church there waited for the coming of Christ from Heaven and Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven from whence also wee look for the Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ And many other places there are Rom. 8.23 And not only they but our selves also
Christ Cant. 5.10 He is said to bee white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand and altogether lovely who should bee more desired than Christ Christ looks upon his Church as lovely and desirable and he saith Come away come away my beloved come over the Mountains and come away and have communion with me and Christ is farre more lovely than the Church farre more glorious and beautiful Christ is the bright morning Star and is not that desirable Christ is the Sun of Righteousness that comes with healing in his wings and is not be desirable Christ is the brightness of his Fathers glory and is not he desirable Pro. 13.15 Wisdom is to be desired above all things saith he and is not Christ the Fountain of all Wisdom In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2.3 and is not he desirable Christ is the Bridegroom and is not he desirable such a Bridegroom as never was in the world before nor will be afterwards no marvell then the Church saith Come come come he is desirable 3 If the Church do desire Christ then here is matter of comfort for the Church matter of comfort for every beleeving soul that doth desire Christ comfort upon sundry considerations 1 The soul that doth so desire Christ as you have heard that desires Christ Spiritually that desires Christ earnestly that hath a waking desire after Christ a lasting desire a desire that springs from promises this is an Argument now unto thee of the truth of grace such desires come from the Spirit of God they are not from Nature from the flesh and bloud flesh and bloud doth not desire the coming of Christ but it is from a principle of Grace from a Fountain within from something conformable to Christ and this is an argument of comfort many are troubled they know not whether they have Grace or no but dost thou so desire the coming of Christ it is an argument of the truth of grace in thy heart 2 It is an Argument of a blessed condition Matth. 5.10 Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness blessed are they in the Judgement of the Lord Jesus Christ himself thou art a blessed Creature Dost thou hunger and thirst after righteousness To hunger and thirst is to have earnest strong desires after righteousness and if so thou art blessed Now is not Christ righteousness Look into Jer. 23.5 6. saith the Lord Behold the days come that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Judgement and Justice in the earth in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby hee shall be called the Lord our righteousness Well dost thou hunger and thirst now after righteousness after Christ and his righteousness Doest thou see thine own righteousness as spotted filthy loathsome and throw it away and hunger and thirst after the righteousness of Christ what he hath purchased and procured by his Death Sufferings and Merits for poor sinners thou art a blessed Creature that dost desire Christ 3 Thou shalt be satisfied for ere long Christ will come Yet a little while Heb. 10. and hee that shall come will come and will not tarry Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me I am a coming I am a coming saith Christ and he will satisfie the souls of those that do desire him Revel 7.15 Therefore are they before the Throne of God and serve him day and night c. and vers 16. They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sun light on them nor any heat for the Lamb which is the midst of the Throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes They shall be fed and be filled and shall not hunger and thirst any more and it is not long For that might bee objâ—cted Wee have desired and we have waited long why it is not long Christ is a coming the things that now we see do prognosticate as much unto us When the Son of Man cometh shall he finde faith on the earth Where is any faithfulness in men no faith to be found in men And doth not the Devil rage now and throw out puddle waters Blasphemies Errours and Heresies And are not all Nations perplexed at this time and know not what to do and which way to turn them And is there not a spirit of Prayer abroad for the coming of Jesus Christ more than hath been in former days And if it bee so these are Arguments that Christs coming is nearer at hand then you are aware of therefore here is comfort to the Saints and servants of Christ Christ will come and then they shall be satisfied that have desired and waited for his coming 4 If it bee so that the Church desires the coming of Christ then let me intreat you all to examine your selves whether you do so desire the coming of Christ yea or no and if you would know it I shall commend two or three things to you beyond what I have laid down 1 That Soul that desires the coming of Christ as the Bride here doth lives not in any known sin that Soul that lives in any known sin that Soul cannot that Soul doth not that Soul dares not desire the coming of Christ I will give you one place of Scripture for it 2 Thes 1.8 When the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ If a man be ignorant and knows not God and his duty and if a man do know God and his duty and disobey the Gospel dares that man now desire the coming of Christ that shall come in flames of fire to render vengeance Doth the Murderer desire the coming of the Judge Doth any guilty man desire the coming of him that will bring him forth and punish him for his guilt therefore the Soul that desires the coming of Christ is a Soul that lives in no known Sin he is neither ignorant of God Gospel nor duty nor disobedent to God Christ or Gospel 2 If you do desire the coming of Christ in truth and according to those desires before mentioned you will make some preparation for the coming of Christ as you see the Bride that saith Come she prepares for his coming Revel 19.7 And his Wife hath made her self ready she prepared for his coming And so in the Gospel Luke 12.40 Be yee therefore ready also for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when yee think not And the wise Virgins they made ready in Matth. 25. saith he there And while the foolish Virgins went to buy oyl the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the Marriage and the door was shut Now what do you do towards Christs
the coming of Christ In Isa 66. they say there Let God be glorified Joh. 16. They shall cast you out of their Synagogues and hate you and kill you for my name sake and think they do God good service Wicked men know it is their duty to glorifie God and they go about it though they do it the wrong way but now this being for Gods glory and revealed it is the duty of all men to desire the coming of Christ But I shall come to those Observations the words will afford Obs 1. That the coming of Christ is a thing made known and ought to be made known Let him that heareth say Come How shall they hear unless this be known and made known it cannot be heard nor desired there is hardly any thing in all the Gospel so much made known as the coming of Christ is Christ himself doth frequently speak of it Joh. 14. I go away but I will come again I will see you again saith Christ Joh. 21.22 23. If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee so v. 23. If I wil that he tarry till I come what is that to thee Till I come I mean to come again And in Revel 2.25 That which yee have already hold fast till I come saith Christ to the Church of Thyatira Christ himself speaks oft of his coming so the Angels have proclaimed and made known the coming of Christ Acts 1.11 This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as yee have seen him go into heaven So Peter he hath proclaimed the coming of Christ Acts 3.20 And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you God shall send Jesus Christ again and he shall come and he vindicates the coming of Christ which was questioned 2 Pet. 3.4 some said there Where is the promise of his coming Peter vindicates this Looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God And Paul he is not silent in this business but he speaks frequently of the coming of Christ 2 Thess 1. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and chap. 2. vers 1. We beseech you Brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and vers 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming So in 2 Timoth. 4. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing And in Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed love and the glorious appearing of the great God and of the Saviour Jesus Christ and in Heb. 9. ult and chap. 10.16 17. he speaks of it James also mentions it And it is observable there is not one Writer in all the New Testament but speaks of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ Jam. 5.8 Bee yee also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh Peter also speaks of it I told you before So iâ— Jude 14. Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints and John he mentions it frequently six times in this Chapter my text is in doth he speak of it And will you have Matthew and Mark and Luke to give their testimony see in Matth. 24.27 For as the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be Mark likewise speaks of it chap. 8.38 When he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels and Luk. 10.13 he calls his ten Servants and delivers them ten pound and saith unto them Occupy till I come so that it is very observable that all the Apostles and all that write the Epistles do speak of the coming of the Lord Jesus Now why is this coming of Christ insisted upon so much and made known so much and so often repeated 1 Because we are hard to beleeve it men are hardly induced and perswaded to beleeve the coming of the Lord Jesus 2 Pet. 3.4 say they Where is the promise of his coming do not all things abide as they did from the beginning They could not beleeve Christs coming and it is a hard thing to perswade men and settle men in this the coming of the Lord Jesus again 2 If men be perswaded to this yet they are wonderfull apt to forget his coming and to put the evil day farre of Matth. 24.48 The evil servant says in his heart my Lord delays his coming he will not come in my days so the wise and foolish Virgins grew secure the wise slumbered and the foolish slept and so forgat the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ we are apt I say to forget and to put it off 3 This is so often mentioned and insisted upon that so we may prepare for it Matth. 24.44 Therefore bee yee also ready for in such an hour as yee think not of the Son of Man cometh The Son of Man comes and hee will come suddenly when men and women do not think of it therefore it is to be made known that people may bee ready and prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ 4 Lastly This is made known and so much insisted upon in the New Testament because it is a ground for Patience and to bear up the spirits of men and women against the Cross against afflictions against reproaches against discouragements and all the hard measures they meet withall here in the World Heb. 10.36.37 For yee have need of patience that after yee have done the Will of God yee might receive the Promise they had indured the spoyling of their goods and great afflictions and saith he yee have need of Patience For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry here is a ground for their patience Christ will come and so in Jam. 5.7 Bee patient therefore brethren unto the coming of the Lord behold the Husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it be yee also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth neer This will bear up the heart against all discouragement these afflictions reproaches temptations will have an end when Christ comes so that upon these accounts it is so much spoken of and to be made known Application 1 This serves for reproof First of those that cannot indure to bear of the coming of Christ that had rather hear of any thing than the coming of Christ why is Christs coming spoken of so by himself by all the Apostles and Evangelists Doth the Spirit say come and the Bride say come and shall not we indure to hear of the coming of Christ It argues abundance of guilt abundance of wickedness and prophaneness abundance of ignorance in the heart that cannot indure to hear of the coming of Christ 2 It reproves those and shews how inexcusable they will be that the coming of Christ is so made
unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest he doth not say that mountaines can refresh you that Angells can refresh you or any creature can refresh you but come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest All the virtue that refreshes a guilty soule a thirsty soule a sinfull soule all the virtue is in the Lord Jesus Christ he is water of life he is a fountaine of living water he hath to give you that which will doe your soules good hee can give you his blood to quench the fire of hell to purge away your guilt to remove wrath to come 't is in Christ and in none other Therefore all those that goe to others forsake their owne mercies and imbrace lying vanities but those that come to Christ they goe the right way Thirdly Doth Christ invite us to come unto him then let us examine and make inquiry whether wee are come to Christ or no I beleive here 's hardly any under this roofe but thinkes he is come to Christ that he is a true Christian and its worth the Inquiry then that he may resolve this case so that he may not be deceived for Christ saith in the 7th of Math In that day many shall say Lord Lord have not we done thus and thus in thy presence but Christ shall say unto them depart from me I never knew you you never came to me I say then it may be worth our time to make Inquiry after this case of Conscience whether wee are come to Christ yea or no and I shall in a few particulars cleere it up unto you First The soule that is in truth come to Christ hath seene a sufficiency in Christ to releive it every way and such a sufficiency as hath made it to venture it selfe upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone and nothing else Now apply this to your owne soules have you ever seene such sufficiency in the Lord Jesus as heaven and earth besides hath not And so seene as to make you come off from all and venture upon him alone if you have cleerely seene the suffiency of Christ then your owne righteousnesse is nothing to you your owne civility morality and honesty are as nothing though they are good in regard of men yet they are nothing in regard of God and in regard of your soules You see an allsufficiency in Jesus Christ and an utter insufficiency in your selves Alas what 's my righteousnesse saith the soule that 's come to Christ my righteousnesse is filthinesse and all that ever I can doe is unprofitablenesse before God and though I have learning and wisdome and parts and memory and utterance and riches and honours and follow a calling and doe good in my place and the like alas all these are nothing I account them but as dung saith the soule in respect of Christ there 's an allusufficiency in Christ I but these may damne me and send me to hell now put these to your owne hearts for it 's ill to be deceived in matters of eternity have you seene I say such a sufficiency in the Lord Jesus of wisdome and strength and righteousnesse and the like as you have laid downe all your owne and see it nothing and have ventured your soules nakedly upon Jesus Christ In the 45 of Isa 24. Verily shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength I have none in my selfe It is a prophesie of the last times concerning Christ I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and it shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sware It 's spoken of Christ and applyed to him in the Philippians Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength even to him shall men come marke in the Lord shall all the seede of Israel be Justified and shall Glory unto him shall they come And all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed what go to Christ saith one there 's nothing in Christ and men speake blasphemously and basely of Christ in these dayes but they shall be ashamed But unto HIM shall men come and in the Lord shall all the seede of Israel be Justifyed and shall Glory they shall be justifyed in Christ therefore deale really with your owne hearts therein there is a fundamentall truth to be taken off from your owne righteousnesse and to build wholly upon Christ those that come to him doe so Secondly The soule that is come unto Christ it doth stay it selfe upon him and rests upon him and goes not out from him as it ventures it selfe upon Christ so it rests it selfe content with Christ You know a Woman when shee hath chosen a Man for her husband she rests content in him above all the men in the world and the soule that hath chosen Christ and come to Christ and beleives in Christ in truth rests content with the Lord Jesus above all in heaven and earth In the 6th of John Christ puts a Question to Peter Jesus said unto the twelve will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Lord to whom should we goe we are satisfied with thee we rest content with thee we looke not beyond thee we have enough in thee and from thee to bring us to eternall life so that a soule that 's truly come to Christ will joyne nothing with Christ but rests satisfied with him alone try your selves thereby Thirdly A soule that is come to Christ in truth doth accept of the Lord Jesus Christ upon his owne termes many they will accept of Christ but it shall be upon their termes so I may have Christ and the world saith one I will be content to be a Christian so I may have Christ and honours saith another so I may have Christ and my lusts satisfied and injoy them I will come to him saith a third so I may live and take my ease and goe to heaven at last I will have Christ saith a fourth man Thus men will have Christ upon their termes but a soule that is thirsty and comes to Christ in truth takes the Lord Christ upon his owne termes If any man saith Christ will be my Disciple he must deny himselfe and take up his Crosse These are Christs termes a man must lay aside his owne wisdome a man must be content to bare a Crosse to meete with reproach prisons temptations persecutions hard measure Christ and a Crosse Christ and a prison Christ and hunger and nakedness and perill and temptations or whatsoever God will For we are slaine all the day long for thy sake in the Psa and in the 8 Rom so that a soule that doth come to Christ in truth takes Christ upon his owne termes Christ and mortification of your lusts Christ and death to the world Christ and death to sin these goe together
you shall have peace of Conscience that passes understanding you shall have found Illumination and know God and Christ which is life eternall you shall have Christs wisdome Christs righteousnesse Christs sanctification Christ to be your Redemption you shall have the hidden Manna you shall have the white Stone you shall have the new name you shall be made a pillar in the Temple of God you shall be made a member of Christ you shall be made a Temple of the holy Spirit you shall have the Inhabitation of the Father and the Son and Spirit everlastingly in your soules would you have any thing that heaven hath that God hath that Christ hath come to Christ and you shall have it Againe Consider who it is that Invites you to Christ 't is not Moses 't is not Abraham 't is not Ahasuerush 't is not Hester but a greater then any of these a greater then all these when Moses spake to Pharaoh he prevailed with him to let the people goe to Mount Sinai Abraham and Lot prevailed with Angells to come in and eate and drinke with them Ahasuerush prevailed with the Nobles of 127 Provinces to come and feast with him Hester prevailed with Ahasuerush to shew mercy to Mordecai and the Jewes and to destroy Haman shall these prevaile and shall not the Lord Jesus Christ who is greater then all these prevaile Why Christ was greater then Moses Moses was a servant but Christ was a Son in the house Abraham rejoyced to see the day of Christ and he saw it Ahasuerush he was but an Earthly Prince but Christ is the Prince of life the Prince of all the Kings of the earth an eternall Prince Hester a poore captive and Christ is the Master of the marriage-feast And shall the Lord Christ now intreate Invite and beseech you to come in to come to him and will ye not hearken Pharaoh hearkens to Moses will not you hearken to Christ Angells hearken to Abraham and Lot will not you hearken to Christ Nobles hearken to Ahashuerush will not you hearken to Christ Ahasuerush hearkens to Hester and will not you hearken to Christ Let him that is athirst come come saith Christ 't is I that speake to you who am the Son of God who am the Saviour of the world who am the Everlasting Father who am the Lord of Glory who have Heaven at my dispose come come ô come in then to the Lord Jesus let not your sins let not Devills let not world let not your lusts keepe you backe from the Lord Jesus And what is it Christ calls you for why doth he Invite you is it for your hurt is it to upbraid you for your sin is it to check you for your infirmities is it to revile you and reproach you for any miscariages If it were so then you might demurre then you might argue the case then you might give a deniall but 't is for none of all these it is for your good and wholly for Your good God and Christ have no designes upon men as here men have designes one upon another If they invite you to a feast they have many times a designe upon you but God and Christ have no designes upon you 't is purely meerly totally for your good The Lord Invites you that you may pertake of his righteousnesse that you may have his wisdome his Spirit his fullnesse his Grace his Glory that you may be happie as he is happie Christ gets nothing by it you have all the gaine and all the benefit Againe Consider that Christs tendering himselfe unto you it is the greatest mercy that heaven hath to tender unto poore sinners what hath God in heaven now to doe your poore soules good withall besides Christ The Spirit comes not unless Christ send The Father hath promised him the sending of the Spirit But God he houlds out Christ to you God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. 't is the greatest mercy I say that heaven hath to tender unto you And this day in the name of the great God I do tender Jesus Christ unto you all come in and receive Christ come in and receive Christ receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be your husband to be your King to be your Prophet to be your high Priest to be your Saviour to be all in all unto you and know that if you doe refuse and will not receive Christ now offered to you if you will not let goe your lusts your drunkenness whoredome envie malice slandering and the like if you will not let goe these for Christ your damnation will be upon your owne heads salvation is brought to your doores Christ is laid before you he is held out unto you The Golden Scepter this day is held out unto you ô receive the Lord Jesus Christ And if you doe not know you provoke God more in refusing of Christ then by all the sins that you ever committed This will be the sin that will be your damnation John 3. This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light c. They love darknesse they love sin sinfull wayes sinfull lusts sinfull company and sinfull practises These you love this is The Condemnation when men will not receive Christ they make God a lyar and what an injurie is this to God that you will put the lie upon God as if God did not love the world as if God not hold out Christ to save sinners And if you receive him not you doe not bare witness to the truth of God and sett to your seales that God is true and so honour him Therefore be perswaded to come in and honour the Lord Jesus Christ What will make it so hard with those of Capernaum with those of Jerusalem at the last day but because Christ was their Prophet and there offered unto them and they would none of him We will not have this man to rule over us This is the Heire come let us kill him ô therefore it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgement easier it shall be for Constantinoble at the day of Judgement then for Stepney that will not leave your sinfull courses and fall in with Christ and live as Christ and looke for Glory hereafter Why you shall not be alwayes here and then comes an eternall condition and why will you loose Eternitie for momentary pleasures and momentary riches why will you loose Glory and loose all and have that which will a thousand times more aggravate your misery for had you not liv'd where the Gospel is preached when you come to die it would not have been so bad but when as you might have had Christ and might have had salvation and heaven and you have neglected this it will trouble you and lie sad upon you to all Eternitie and this will sinke you deeper into hell That mercy is your torment that mercy is your hell that mercy is
can they doe not deserve one drop of this water But whosoever will let him come and take it freely there 's no merit of thine there 's no desert of thine there 's no meetnesse in thee but it 's water that is freely prepared and freely given Thirdly It imports thus much likewise That men may come and take abundantly of this water As when you Invite persons into your Orchard Gardens into your Wine-sellers you say come eate and drinke what you will that notes your freedome and that they may take abundantly so here whosoever will let him come and take freely let him eate let him drinke let him satisfie himselfe there is no measure set you shall have so much and no more you shall have a pint a quart a pottle or a vessell full and the like No here 's no limitts are set but take as much as you will as much as you can carry away Joh 10.10 James 1.5 And lastly It imports this That what indeavours soever men use let men strive and indeavour never so much yet it is not for their indeavours that they have this water Men must strive must read heare and pray They must digg for wisdome as for Silver and Gold but when they have done all it 's God that gives in this water God gives it but in the use of meanes in their digging in their labouring in their waiting not for their digging for their labouring for their waiting Rom 9.16 It 's not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that shews mercy It is water freely given Thus you see the words opened Now I come to the poynt I shall insist upon Doct That the offer or the tender of the water of life is free Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely It is freely offered unto men Take Christ for the water of life and Christ is freely offered unto the world Jo 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish What 's freer then gift God hath given him therefore Christ saith in the 4th of Joh 10. to the woman of Samaria Didest thou know the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give Me to drinke thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee water of life Christ is the gift of God he is freely given freely tendered unto the sons of men Rom 8.32 He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all God did not spare him but freely delivered him up for us all so that this water of life is freely tendered and given unto you The Spirit is not that freely tendered unto men Ezek 26.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon them and wash them from all their filthinesse I will put my Spirit into them In Joel I will powre out my Spirit upon all flesh the Lord tenders this water of life freely In the 11th of Luke saith Christ If ye that are evill can give good gifts unto your children how much more shall my Father give the Spirit to them that aske him The Gospel is freely given saith Christ to his Disciples Freely ye have received freely give and in the 16 of Mark Goe preach the Gospel to every creature The Gospel is the ministration of Grace the ministration of the Spirit So that all the water of life is freely given Revel 21.6 And he said unto me it is done I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely I will give freely As this water of life is freely given so 't is freely revealed God made it knowne freely Math 13.11 To you its given to know c. none else made it knowne God might have kept this Fountaine shut up in heaven and never have discovered the Fountaine never have made knowne to the world any such water any such Grace any such mercy as here is held out to you hence is it that Christ saith to Peter in the 16th of Math 16 17. When Peter said Thou art the Son of the living God saith he Blessed art thou Symon Bar-Jona for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee c. God revealed it unto him and in the 21 of Math I thanke thee ô Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto Babes God reveales this water and makes it knowne And as God reveales it so it is the Lord that blesses this water and makes it a blessing to one and not unto another This water was a blessing unto Peter it was not a blessing unto Judas Judas had no blessing by the Gospel no blessing by Christ So those of Capernaum and other places they had no blessing it 's God gives the water reveales the water and blesses this water to whom he pleases Quest Why doth the Lord freely offer and tender this water of life unto the world unto sinners Answ This water of life is freely tendered first that so God might make knowne his goodnesse and make way for his Glory Things that come freely doe discover the goodnesse of any and redound most to their praise most to their honour when a parent shall out of his owne good will give unto a childe great matters unlookt for unsought for unthought of this argues the goodnesse of the parent and drawes more honour When a Prince shall give unto his Subjects out of his owne bounty and good will not being movâ—d by his Nobles or Princes or others about him this declares his goodnesse and makes way for his honour and every one saith What a good Prince is this or what a good King is this and how honourable is this he doth it freely none mooves him to it when men are moov'd to doe good those that moove them they share in the good they share in the honour had not the party moov'd it had nor been done Now God will have none to share in his honour God doth it freely according to the Counsell of his owne will for his owne name that so his goodnesse may be knowne and his honour may be great Be it knowne unto you saith God in the 36 of Ezek that not for your sakes doe I this but for mine owne Name sake I doe it not because you moove me or any moove me but from within for mine owne will and so his goodnesse appeares and his honour is the greater Secondly The Lord tenders water of life freely to sinners that so he may take away all objections all scruples and feares which usually lie in the hearts of sinners when people have sinn'd against God are guilty and unholy they are affraid of God Adam runs from God and hides himsele they have hard thoughts of God and thinke God will not be pacifyed towards them Now the Lord to prevent this and take away all such