it is all from the root of the tree so the differences that are amongst men it is from the root Christ he gives unto one man great parts to another man lesser parts he gives unto one man a strong judgement a strong memory admirable Elocution to another man he gives not the same the difference is in Christ he is the root of Nature and communicates what he please So likewise the talents of Grace he gives to one man one talent to another man two talents to another man five talents the Lord is the root and he makes one higher than another some men have choyse Gifts and Graces some one man hath more than ten other men have it may be another man is beneath him in a degree or two some are beneath a great deal in Grace some are Babes some Children some Young-men some old Disciples So in Glory the twelve Apostles shall sit upon twelve Thrones in glory some are like the Sun some like the Moon some like the Stars where is the difference the difference lies in the root he communicates what he pleases both in Naturals in Spirituals and in Glory 3 If Christ be the root then let us not bee high-minded let none be lifted up with whatsoever injoyments they have whatsoever gifts you have whatsoever Graces you have what Glory soever you look for bee not lifted up and the reason is plain here and so Rom. 11.18 Boast not against the Branches Why another man is a Branch as well as thou art take man as man he is a Branch in the Tree of Nature and wilt thou boast thy self against him boast not of thy wit or beauty or strength or any Natural abilities thou hast for thou bearest not the root but the root thee So boast not of Spirituals that you have so much faith so much knowledge so much patience humility and love do not boast of these things Christ is the root and the root bears thee So do not boast of what places you shall have in Heaven the Sons of Zebedee they would bee at the right hand and at the left hand of Christ when they came into his Kingdom they would have such and such places but know the root bears thee be therefore humble and lowly what thou hast thou hast received why art thou lifted up then as if thou hadst not received it the root the Lord Christ will call you to an account one day of what you have received and how you have imployed the same therefore remember thou hast all from the root and nothing of thine own 4 If Christ be the Root that bears up all bee the root of Nature Grace and Glory then let us fear to offend and provoke him if a mans life habitation and maintenance depended upon some one man would he not take heed how he provoked that man doth not your All depend upon this root Christ your Nature depends upon him in him you live and move and have your beings your habitations and maintenance depends upon him So for your Spiritual life and Spiritual good doth it not depend upon this Root Is not hee the Root of Life of all Spiritual life and comfort and blessings Is not hee the root from whom you receive all Grace all truth and all comforts and good Do you not look through him to have your glory why will you offend him now and sin against him O what a root is this that bears up all Nature that bears up all Grace and all Glory and bears up all the Spiritual good of men and women the root that bears up Heaven and Glory and all take heed I say of trampling upon this root of wronging Christ of slighting Christ of grieving Christ of displeasing him any way if he with-draw influences of nature dye you must presently if he with-draw influences of Grace in darkness you must sit presently if he should with-draw Glory from you where would you bee but without doors 5 Again If Christ bee the root of Nature Grace and Glory then let us make it our business to serve and honour him is it not the duty of a Childe coming from the loyns of his Parents to serve them and honour them so it is the duty of every man seeing Christ is the root of every man it is the duty of every man to serve the Lord serve him with thine Eyes serve him with thy Tongue serve him with thy Hand serve him with thy Foot serve him with thy Understanding serve him with thy Will serve him with thine Affections serve him with the whole Man for thou hast all from him as a man let all then return to him Waters that come from the Sea run back again to the Sea and seeing wee all come from Christ who is God and the root of Nature let us then work in order and serve him But much more you that are Spiritual hath Christ given you life Spiritual life quickned you when you were dead in sins and trepspasses Is Christ the root of all your Spiritual good and welfare will you not serve Christ what will you be for the World for Hell and for Sin now why Christ is your root are you then his Vine and will not live to Christ certainly we should serve Christ and honour Christ upon this account and we would do it if we did well consider why I have my life of Faith and of Grace and of comfort and I hope for Glory hereafter from Christ and shall I not serve the Lord Jesus Christ I look for glory therefore I will purifie my self as he is pure Christ in you the hope of Glory is he your root and have you hope of Glory then purisie your selves as he is pure yea serve Christ with pure hearts and pure affections and pure conversations live to the Lord Jesus he is the root of Nature the root of Spiritual life and the root of Glory 6 Again if Christ be the root of all then here you may know what your conditions are what state you are in tell me what root you are rooted upon what root do you grow on do you grow upon the old Adam still or are you rooted upon Christ If old Adam be your root as hee is the root of Man-kind of corrupt man if you grow upon that root you are no more than when you came into the World your fruit is sour your Grapes are wild Crapes your Natures are corrupt you are enemies to God you are upon the root of bitterness a root of death Nay let me say Are you upon Christ now as he is God only for Christ is the root of Nature as he is God if you be rooted upon Christ as hee is God only as he hath made you if you be no more than this you have marred your selves since he made you therefore make inquiry whether you be rooted upon Christ as Mediator as the root of David as God-man whether you have interest in Christ upon that account and if it be your
do not finde this thirst in my Soul I do not finde such a thirst as here is mentioned in my Soul and what shall I think of my self others it may be they have strong thirstings and such desires but as for my self I do not finde the same Ans To this I answer that there is a difference in men in regard of this Spiritual thirst as well as in men in regard of Natural thirst some bodies are more thirsty than others your Cholerick bodies are more thirsty than Flegmatick so some Christians are more thirsty than others some have lived very profane lives in scandalous courses and run out into exorbitant ways and greatly have dishonoured God and if God ever stir in their hearts and bring them to thirst their thirst will be vehement their thirst will be afflictive their thirst will bee stronger than other mens some they are trained up from the Cradle in the ways of God they have more ingenuous Natures and breaks not out into such ill ways and their thirst is more moderate and less discernable it is not the degree of the thirst but the truth of the thirst that is required though you have not a strong thirst yet you have a true thirst as it is not a strong faith but a true faith that is required to Salvation Now the degree of thirst which will bring you to Christ which will make you come and drink and stay with Christ that is sufficient Vse of Exhortation But to come to another use and that is an use of Exhortation Let him that is athirst come Men and women O labour to be true thirsters after Christ we can thirst after other things one thirsts after this another after that and another after another thing and all the things in the World are thirsted after by one or other but who thirsts after Christ All seek their own and none seek the things of Christ they neither thirst after Christ nor any thing belongs to Christ Now here I shall do two or three things 1 Shew you grounds why you should thirst after Christ 2 Give some directions to those that never thirsted and directions to those that do thirst that they may thirst more First for some grounds 1 Consider Why wâ—â— should thirst after Christ Blessedness is fixed unto Thirsting would you not be blessed all of you would you not have a blessing from the mouth of our dear Saviour Matth. 5. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after Righteousness it may be you have not Righteousness yet but do you hunger and thirst after righteousness saith Truth it self the Lord Jesus Blessed is the man blessed is the woman and is there nothing in a blessing pronounced by him This word is a comprehensive word Blessed there is all good wrapt up in it all good for Soul all good for Body all good for present all good for future Blessed is the man that hungers and thirsts if you would therefore have such a blessedness as this is O hunger and thirst after Christ and the excellencies of Christ 2 Many great and precious Promises are made out to Thirsters and will bee made good to Thirsters In Isa 44. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and flouds upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy Seed and my blessing upon thine Off spring and they shall spring up as among the Grass as Willows by the water-courses I will pour water upon him that is thirsty that is I will pour my Spirit upon him that is meant by water if thou bee thirsty God will not only give his Spirit but pour his Spirit it notes abundance it notes vehemency such a measure of the Spirit as shall bear down your corruptions and your sins God wil pour out his Spirit upon you so in the one and forty of Isaiah When the poor and the needy seek water and there be none and their Tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear them I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open rivers in high places c. If you be thirsty if you bee even fainting if you bee brought low now in your longings and desires after Grace and Holiness and the things of Heaven the Lord saith I will hear you mine ear shall be open mine hand shall be stretched out I will not forsake you I will not leave you in that condition I will releeve you so that sweet and choyse Promises are made to Souls that hunger and thirst they shall be satisfied 3 Again we should labour for this thirst because the invitation here is unto thirsters If any man thirst let him come so in Joh. 7.38 If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The Lord invites such persons you know when he made a great Feast in the fourteenth of Luke he invited all sorts but those were not athirst they would not come the Yoke of Oxen the Wife the Farm drew them away but those that were athirst came If any man thirst let him come You would take it ill if Christ should not invite you to the dainties of the Gospel well do you thirst Christ invites you Are you a hungery will you eat will you drink Christ invites you the invitation is to Thirsters therefore get this thirst Quest But the Question is What directions will you give us to attain unto this thirst Ans First Some directions to them that have it not Secondly To them that have 1 For those that have it not Directions to those that have not this thirst and 1 Let such consider something of God something of the Law something of Sin something of their Lives something of Eternity God 1 Something of God Let them consider the Purity the Justice and Power of God 1 The Purity of God God is a holy God so pure that his eyes cannot behold iniquity to approve of it see what is said in Psal 5. Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee no unclean thing shall ever enter into his presence God is a holy God and who can stand before him 1 Sam. 6.20 He is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 Well if God be holy and pure what wilt thou do then that art unholy unpure wicked carnal and corrupt he is an holy God whom thou hast to do withall 2 He is a just God a God that hath said The soul that sins shall dye Bee hee great or small rich or poor young or old learned or unlearned The soul that sins shall dye Psal 143. saith David there Enter not into judgement O Lord with thy Servant for no flesh living shall be justified in thy sight The Lord is so just so righteous so exact that no flesh living can be justified in his fight why flesh is guilty guilty before God and sinners must dye God is righteous 3 Consider as God is Pure Holy and hates all sin the appearance of
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
15. he is said to be a quickning Spirit he hath life in him and quickens others Joh. 14.6 he is The life he is life emphatically above all others he is a Root he hath life principally and eminently in him 3 The Root you know bears up the tree the branches and the fruit of the tree the Root bears up all Thou bearest not the root but the root bears thee Rom. 11. So it is the Lord Jesus Christ this Root that bears up all Christ bears up the world Christ bears up the Church Christ bears up heaven he bears up all Heb. 1.3 Vpholding all things by the word of his power The Lord Jesus is the Root I say that bears and upholds all the whole Creation Sion it self and Heaven it self are upheld by this Root the Lord Jesus Christ but especially the Church here in this world especially Sion and the members of Sion beleeving souls Joh. 15. I am the Vine that is I am the Root of the Vine the Church is the Vine and Christ is its Root and he bears up the whole Vine and all the branches and all the clusters upon the Vine hee bears them up he is the Root of the Vine so that Christ is a Root that bears up all he did bear up David his family David and his Kingdome he bears up Sion and all the children of Sion 4 Lastly the Root doth convey life and sap and nourishment unto the whole body to all the branches so it is the Lord Jesus Christ that doth convey sap and life and nourishment unto all his body every branch in the Vine receives the vertue from the root of the Vine and all have life from Christ I am come that ye may have life Joh. 10. all life is from Christ and all light is from Christ He is the morning star which we may speak of afterwards and all nourishment is from Christ he is said to be the Head of the Church and the Head of the Church is the Root of the Church in the Scripture sense And from the Head is all influence of light and of direction and counsel and motion and comfort all is from the Head all is from this Root From Christ is conveyed all Without me yee can do nothing unless yee be in me and have vertue from me and derive all from me you can do nothing Thus you see that Christ is a Root the Root of David But there are some disparities What disparities there are between Christ and a Root or things wherein Christis not like a Root First A Root take it in the litteral sense the roots of trees and plants they are of a dying nature decaying nature and wil grow rotten and consume Job 14.8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stock thereof dye in the ground the root of a tree waxes old and will dye and perish and come to nothing but Christ is not like a root in that sense For Christ he lives for ever Heb. 7. This Root never dyes never decayes Christ the same yesterday the same to day the same to morrow and the same for ever The Root of Sion for ever and the Root of David for ever Secondly A root doth bear but one tree suffices one or two or three bodies at most the root of a Corn it may be will suffice for two or three or half a dosen stalks it cannot suffice for all But Christ is a Root that suffices for all for all Sion for the whole world for the Church for Heaven Hee is the Root of David the Root of Jesse the Root of Abraham of Isaac Hee is the Root of all the Prophets and Apostles of all beleevers of all that have spiritual life in them he is the Root of them all so that this Root is of another nature than those roots Thirdly Other roots are subject to the wills and humors and pleasures of men they can dig up the roots of things they can burn the roots and abuse the roots but Christ is not subject to the wills and humors of any to be spoyled to bee consumed The Scribes and Pharisees thought to root out this Root when they put him to death but when he was in the grave he saw no corruption he laid down his life and none took it from him without his leave And he rose again Rom. 1.4 and mightily declared himself to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holiness he declared himself to be a Root that man hath not power over So then you see for the opening of this word Root these things do clear it Object But here is an Objection You say Christ is the Root of David and the Root of all Why had not Christ himself a Root and was not he from a Root and how can he be the Root of all Isa 11.1 And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shal grow out of his Roots This is meant of Christ that Christ should come out of Jesse and Jesse should be the Root of Christ and in the 10. v. it is said In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the people The same is said to be the Root of Jesse which is said to be the stem or branch of Jesse How will these things accord Ans As I answered before Jesse is the Root of Christ according to his humane nature and Christ is the Root of Jesse according to his Divine nature or if you will Christ as Mediator was the Root of Jesse and of all the godly The words being opened I shall give you this Observation I am the Root of David Observ That the Lord Christ is the Root of Nature the Root of Grace and the Root of Glory How will that appear why he was the Root of David as a man the Root of David as a Saint and the Root of David as glorified David was now in heaven Hee was the root of David as a man Psal Christ thâ— root of Nature 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me O Lord saith David I did not make my self and my Parents did not make me But thy hands have made me and fashioned me Thy hand hath made me such a creature thy hand did curiously work me when I was in my mothers womb that framed me and moulded me that ordered all my bones and sinews and joynts and parts and faculties and the like Thy hand hath made me the work of nature was from him He was the Root of Nature And so likewise He was the Root of Grace Christ the root of Grace and Glory and the Root of Glory saith David Psal 110. The Lord said unto my Lord Why was Christ Davids Lord because he had given him Grace and made him his servant Why his Lord because he would give him Glory The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand Christ was Davids Lord because he
also as in chap. 20. I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the bottomless Pit and a great chain in his hand and he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Sathan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit and shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should not deceive the Nations any more till the thousand years should be fulfilled then shall the enemies of Christ bee brought under the Church saith Come upon that account 3 The Church saith Come and desires his coming that so it self might bee freed from all enemies within and without when Christ comes this will bee made good Revel 21. There was new Jerusalem came down from Heaven What then saith hee Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and hee will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himself shall bee with them and bee their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall bee no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain When Christ comes all enemies shall bee taken away all Persecutions all Afflictions all Temptations yea all Corruptions within Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ when Christ comes I shall be delivered from this body of death so that Christs coming is desired of the Church that she may be freed from all enemies without and that there might be no sinning nor grieving of the Spirit that there might be no tears no sorrow no crying no pain but freedom from all inwardly and outwardly 4 And lastly The Church desires the coming of Christ that she may injoy all the good things that are to be had by his coming That she may have the choyce refreshing that is spoken of in Acts 3.19 Repent yee therefore and bee converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Christ shall come and there will be times of refreshing times of choyce refreshing such refreshings shall Souls have as they never had That they may have the glorious liberty mentioned Rom. 8.21 Because the Creature it self also shall bee delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God then shall the children of God have liberty and glorious liberty never had they such liberty as then they shall have Then they shall likewise be partakers of great honour that Christ will bestow upon them Rev. 2.17 He that overcometh saith he I will give to eat of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written He shall have a title of Honour And a new Seat shall he have Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne Christ will honour the Church then and set her upon a Throne exalt every member thereof give them a new name a new seat great honour shall they have insomuch that it is said in Isa 62. Thou shalt be as a crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of thy God They shall be honoured as Kings and Queens He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and we shall be honoured as Kings and Priests when Christ comes Then shall they have nearer conjunction with Christ and more communion with him then ever Rev. 19.7 Let us bee glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come The marriage of the Lamb is come Then shall bee the marriage now it is a Bride but then shall be the Marriage then shall we rejoyce for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready There will bee more intimate and sweet communion then will Christ let out his loves to the Soul indeed Then will he lead his Spouse his Bride his Wife into the Marriage Chamber into the Wine-seller then shall there be Apples of comfort and Flaggons of Wine then the spiced wine will be brought forth there will bee more near conjunction and sweet communion with Christ then ever And lastly then shall the Church bee made like to Christ indeed 1 Joh. 3.2 When he shall appear we shall be like him we shall then bee transformed into the image of Christ fully so that the Bride the Church desires the coming of Christ upon these grounds Vse To make some use of this point 1 Doth the Church desire the coming of Christ then this is a reproof to those Christians that do not minde Christ nor desire Christ nor look after Christ at all many Christians they never desire the coming of Christ but they desire other things people have their desires carried otherwise The Mariner he desires a fit Wind to carry him to his Port the Husband-man hee desires the Harvest that that would come and so the Lawyer desires the Term that that would come and the Woman desires her Husband would return that is abroad and the Begger desires a good Almes but where is a soul desires the coming of Christ who saith Come Lord come quickly come away it is an argument that you have little or no grace in you it is an Argument you are no friends to Christ but rather enemies to Christ when you do not minde Christ and his coming and desire his coming look into Mat. 24.48 to the end And if that evil servant shall say in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken the Lord of that servant shall come in a day that he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not ware of and shall â—ut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the Hypocrites there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth mark A wicked Servant that defers the coming of Christ and a wicked Servant that mindes not the coming of Christ at all so that this is a just reproof to the most they minde not they think not of the coming of the Lord Christ they desire it not Doth the Church desire the coming of Christ then this informs us that Christ is desirable yea very desirable I say very desirable Christ is desired by the Spirit to come Christ is desired by the Church Triumphant to come Christ is desired by the Church Militant here in this world to come Christ is very desirable what is there more desirable than Christ Hag. 2.7 he is called there The desire of Nations where there is but one Saint in a Nation Christ is desired there wheresoever there be any godly ones any that are indued with the Spirit of God they desire Christ he is the desire of Nations all the Nations in the World if they have any godly in them they desire
known and yet they do not prepare for the coming of Christ Do you read the Gospel do you read the Epistles do you read this Book of the Revelation and do not you meet with the coming of Christ every where And what will you not prepare for it Christ will say What did you not know that I would come again did not I tell you Did not all my Servants tell you of it Did not Matthew Mark Luke John Paul Peter Angels did not they tell you of my coming Why did you not prepare for it You have gotten Lamps but where is your Oyl You make profession and you bear my name why have you not prepared for my coming Men will be inexcusable like the man that had not on the Wedding Garment Friend how camest thou in here his mouth was stopt so you will bee inexcusable and your mouthes will be stopt that do not prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus 3 Let us consider it is our duty to prepare for the coming of Christ it is made known in the Word and it is made known to you this day O prepare for the coming of Christ Mat. 24 44. Be yee also ready for in such an hour as yee think not the Son of Man cometh bee ready What is this preparation we should make for Christs coming there are three or four things to be done 1 See that you cast off every thing that hinders your going out to Christ and meeting of Christ Heb. 12.1 2. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of Witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith Well lay aside every weight and every burden every Sin that doth so beset you and bows you down cloggs and hinders you from going out to meet Christ from running the race that is set before you cast off all things which cumber and burden you all your lusts and corruptions all base thoughts and practises all sinful ends and aymes that you have lay aside every burden 2 See that you do adorn and beautifie your selves with all Graces you know the Bride Revel 10. did trim up her self and make her self ready put on her best apparrel put on Christ put on all Graces When you expect some special Friend to come to your Houses you make preparation for him you will not only have the house swept but you will have the windows and tables rubbed you will have your floores strown you will wash and perfume your selves and be in a decent a comely posture and habit the Lord Jesus Christ will come and he is a coming daily you must therefore make ready for him and prepare your hearts your consciences your wil your affections and understandings the outward man the body all must bee fitted for Christ 3 You should put forth your desires as here the Bride doth and the Spirit doth O come Lord come Lord the Soul that doth heartily desire the coming of Christ is well prepared for his coming 4 Lastly you must wait daily for the coming of Christ Job waited all his appointed time for the coming of his Redeemer And Luk. 12.35 36. Let your loyns bee girded about and your lights burning and yee your selves like unto men that wait for their Lord when he will return This is the preparation that you are to make especially see that you have faith in Christ as Paul saith in the Philippians I labour to win Christ and to be found in Christ not having mine own righteousness so you should have faith in Christ and say In the Lord Christ have I righteousness and strength I have none in my self but all is in him Obs 2. The Second Observation is That the coming of Christ is a thing to be hearkened unto Let him that heareth say come Every man doth not hearken unto the coming of Christ he hears of it it may be but he doth not hearken unto it it is one thing to hear it another thing to hearken unto it Let him that heareth say Come To hear is ordinary but to hearken is rare and so to hearken as to say come is rare few so hearken as to say Come Lord come Lord Rev. 2.7 Let him that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Let every man that hath an ear hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches so let every one that hath an ear hearken unto the coming of Christ heed attend it observe minde this business for it is a thing of great concernment and things of concernment you will hear and hearken unto them attend and observe the coming of the Lord Christ is of very great concernment What concernment you will say is it of I shall shew it you in some particulars 1 It is of great concernment upon this account Of what concernment Christs coming is That there will bee then the greatest discovery made of men and women that ever was in the World then shall the Sheep be discovered from the Goats then shall the Lambs bee discovered from the Wolves then shall those that fear God be discovered from those that fear him not Mal. 3. Then shall yee return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Then when Christ shall come will be the clear discerning then will the difference be made between the sealed ones and those that are not sealed Revel 7. Those that have overcome and have white Garments and Palms in their hands and those that have not overcome and are in their wickedness then will those that are redeemed from the Earth stand with the Lamb upon Mount Sion then will there be such a discovery made of who are right and who are wrong as never was Then shall Christ say Who is on my side who Then shall all Christs friends run to him then shall all his enemies hang down their heads 2 It is of great concernment because then when Christ comes will be the greatest change and alteration that ever was here in the World there was a great change when the Floud came in in Noahs days and drowned the World there will be as great at Christs coming yea a greater change and alteration than that 2 Pet. 3.13 Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Then shall there bee new Heavens and a new Earth the Heavens shall bee renewed the Earth shall bee renewed Then there will be as in Revel 21. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth for the first Heaven and the first Earth were passed away and there was no more Sea and I saw the holy City new Jerusalem coming down from God Then shall be the new Heavens and Earth the new Jerusalem and there will be a great change and alteration then the
these things are laid aside but here is the difference between them the true thirst carries thee unto Grace Holiness and Communion with God and makes you look at the excellencies of God whereas the other look for peace ease Salvation and the like Now it is true that men and women who look at Grace Holiness and Communion with God shall have pardon peace and Salvation but these are as Consequences Lord saith the Soul rather make me holy than pardon me for if I be not holy what shall I do in Heaven if I be holy I cannot miscarry in Hell a holy Soul shall never feel pain though it be in Hell and a corrupt Soul shall never finde joy though it be in Heaven so that in this there lies a great difference Of Spiritual Thirst and Thirsters REV. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come WEE now proceed to shew you how you shall know the true Spiritual Thirst by the effects and fruits of it 1 True Spiritual thirst doth cause even fainting in the Soul â—he efâ—cts and â—uits of â—â—e Spiriâ—al thirst as the Natural thirst makes a man or woman to faint as in Judges 15.19 it is said there of Sampson that he drank and revived and his spirit came again his spirit was gone he was ready to faint his thirst was such that it brought him low and in Psal 107.5 Hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them they were very feeble they were brought low with hunger and thirst and where there is this Spiritual thirst the Soul is brought low it is ready to faint as the Spouse in the Canticles Tell him that I am sick of love O my desires are such after Christ and after my Beloved that I am sick of Love I am ready to faint And so David Psal 42. his Soul panted and thirsted after God as the Hart when it is long hunted wearied and dry pants after the water Brooks so a Soul that hath a Spiritual thirst it is ready to faint with longing after God with longing after Christ with desiring of Grace and the incomes of his Spirit the light of his Countenance communion with God in Christ this is one effect of it 2 This thirst will cause men to stir and to seek out when men are truly and thorowly athirst they will seek out for drink a man that is thorowly athirst he will out of his Bed at Midnight and down to the Seller and get drink to quench his thirst when men are athirst they will run to this Brook and to that Brook for water those in Judg. 7. they down on their knees and lapt water Men at Sea what shifts will they make to get a little water when they are dry so the Soul that is athirst will not sit still but seek out it will seek for Brooks and Fountains it will run to every Ordinance to every Promise run unto Christ look up to God If there bee any means of Grace in a Land it will finde the same out if the Vision be never so rare the Word never so precious it will look out after it a Soul that is thirsty it will seek abroad it will not bee restrained and kept within bounds that is the nature of a Spiritual thirst when their desires were a little stirred at Christs coming how did they flock after Christ and continued with him nights and days You have beon with me saith Christ these two or three days and he works a Miracle now to satisfie them that they might not faint in going home so all night did they sit there with Paul when hee preacht the Gospel that they might drink large drafts of that heavenly Doctin a Soul that is athirst will seek out for releef 3 Again Where there is true thirst there men will part with any thing for to releeve their thirst hungry and thirsty men wil part with any thing for those necessaries which Nature requires when Hagar saw the Bottle empty and the Childe ready to perish the water was spent in the Bottle and she casts the Childe under one of the shrubs and she went and sate her down over against him a good way off as it were a Bow-shot for she said Let me not see the death of the Childe and she sate over against him and lift up her voyce and wept What would Hager have given for a Bottle of water for a morsel of bread and when her eyes were open to see the Well how it did rejoyce her that a Well was near her And Esau when hee was hungry and thirsty he gives away his Birth-right hee sells that for a little Pottage and for Drink hee gives any thing to releeve and help him in that case Gen. 25. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of Lintals and he sold his birth-right unto Jacob for it So in this Spiritual thirst men will part with any thing to have this Spiritual thirst satisfied they will accept of Christ upon his own terms they will pluck out a right eye cut off a right hand or a right foot part with their deerest lusts now to have the thirst of their Souls quenched The young-man that came to Christ Good Master what shall I do to inherite eternal life It was a false thirst in him saith Christ Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Now had his thirst been true hee would have parted with his riches for Christ the Disciples parted with all Master we have parted with all and followed thee the Soul that is truly athirst wil let all go to have its thirstsatisfied How can yee beleeve saith Christ when yee seek honour one of another let go your honour let go your pleasures let go the Creatures seek honour of God alone If men were athirst after Divine injoyments and Divine honours they would let these things go Spiritual thirst will cause men to part with any thing 4 Again Those that are truly thirsty things that are bitter seem pleasant unto them that drink which is sower and distaftful unto others is wonderful sweet and pleasing unto them Darius and his Nobles when they were dry drank puddle water and thought that never any Wine was so pleasant as that water was unpleasing things and things untoothsome will be very delightsome unto such Souls and where this Spiritual thirst is there is not any truth in all the Gospel though it seem never so severe never so cross to Nature never so contrary to our wills humours and fancies but we will drink it down let a man deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ this will down with a man that is truly thirsty A man to become a fool that he may be wise this will down the Gospel hath many things in it which to flesh and bloud are something hard unsavoury but were we truly Spiritual Thirsters and did thirst after Christ even the most bitterest truths and the tartest cup that Christ