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
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
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
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
Heavens then shall have new qualities and new dispositions and produce new effects the earth then shall be refined and renewed and put into its primitive estate and be made fit to bee a foot-stool for Christ when hee sits in his Throne to judge the World 3 When Christ comes will bee the greatest distress and trouble to the wicked that ever was and the greatest comfort and consolation to the godly that ever was there will bee the greatest distress and trouble to wicked men that ever was 2 Pet. 3.10 But the Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night in the which the Heavens shall pass away with a great noyse and the Elements shall meli with fervent heat the Earth also and the works that are therein shall bee burnt up What work will here be now when all shall bee on fire and Christ shall come in flames of fire What work will this make you shall see what work it will make with the wicked and ungodly Revel 6.14 15. And the Heavens departed as a scrowl when it is roled together and every mountain and Island were moved out of their places and the Kings of the earth and great men and the rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bond-man and every free-man kid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand it will be a dreadful a terrible day to all wicked ones when Christ comes who shall bee able to stand but it will be as comfortable a day to the godly Revel 21. New Jerusalem came down from Heaven Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes and there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away and he that sate upon the Throne said Behold I make all things new and he said unto me Write for these words are true and faithful it will be a day of great comfort to all Beleevers to all Saints to all that fear God all tears shall bee wiped from their eyes there shall be no more death no more pain 4 Again It is of great concernment in regard that the Lord Jesus Christ shal appear eminently in his greatness and in his glory Christ before appeared like a Servant in a state of Humiliation but then when he comes he shall appear eminently in greatness and glory Matth. 24 30. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven and then shall all the Tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven with power and great glory Christ shall come with power and great glory It will be a day of glory indeed for the World shall be filled with the glory of Christ They shall see the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven What is the sign of the Son of Man not the Cross as the Papists say nor other fancies of men but as you may gather out of the twenty seventh verse For as the Lightning cometh out of the East and shineth even unto the West so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be hee shall come with Lightning the brightness of Christ shall fill the World with the glory of Christ Christ is glorified and Christs coming now shall be so shining and so glorious that there shall be an appearance of his coming from the luster that shall be seen in the World Paul saith in Acts 26.13 that he saw a light brighter than the Sun at noon day Christ being so glorious he is so bright that when he comes hee will fill the world with glory so that it will be an eminent day indeed a day of great concernment the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ So then you see that this is a day a time to be harkned unto let him that heareth say come Now what is the use of this point Vse 1. This serves for reproof and reproof of those that do not at all listen after the coming of the Lord Christ many they hearken after any thing but the coming of Christ they hearken after news out of all quarters they hearken after ships from all parts and Ports in the World they hearken after Husbands Friends and Relations they hearken after good Bargains good Matches good Houses good Land good Air good Apparrel they hearken after new Fashions and the like but who hearkens after the coming of the Lord Jesus this is a fault too general a common Sickness that we do not hearken after the coming of Christ 2 This is matter of comfort unto those that do hearken after Christ and so hearken as to say Come Lord come Lord It is matter of comfort unto them they are of the Brides minde they are of the Spirits minde they are of that side the Bride and the Spirit are let him that hears say come if he do so hear and hearken as to say come I say he is of the same side with the Bride and the Spirit â—â—e is indeed the Bride hee hath the Spirit that doth so This is matter of comfort Christ will come and will separate thee ere long from all thine enemies free thee from all evils ere long he shall come and all tears shall be wip'd from thine eyes and there shall bee no more sorrow pain or death it is comfort to those that do so As God took care of the Mourners in Jerusalem they were sealed so those that desire the coming of Christ they shall be revealed they are the Sealed ones the Redeemed ones and they shall stand with the Lamb and be with the Lamb they shall lift up their heads and rejoyce in the coming of Christ when others howl and run to Rocks and Mountains 3 Let us all then so hearken to the coming of Christ as to desire it sincerely and heartily you have heard of it hearken after it inquire whether Christ bee not coming daily consult with the Word of God see whether all things are not accomplished or neere accomplished that be foretold saith Christ When you see the Figg-tree bud then you say that Summer is at hand If an Ambassadour were to come into the Land from some Forreign State how you would hearken whence comes the Ambassabour what comes he about What if Gabriel should come from Heaven What if David Moses or Aaron What if Eliah Enoch or Paul should come from Heaven If God should reveal by his Spirit unto you that these men should come from Heaven would not you hearken after their coming God hath revealed
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
a willing minde he is free himselfe and gives water of life freely and he would have you serve him cheerefully and willingly But to proceede to another observation Whosoever will saith he let him take the waters of life freely Whosoever will The willing Man The observation is this That man who is willing or hath a willingness to have the waters of life shall have them Be the man what he will high or low rich or poore learned or unlearned young or old bond or free whosoever hath a willingnesse in them to have the waters of life shall have them To make it out from the Scripture unto you Joh 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life That ye might have waters of life were there in you a willingnesse to have the waters of life saith Christ ye might have them In the 55 of Isa 1.2 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and ye that have no money come buy and eat yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price saith Christ are ye willing to have waters of life are ye willing to have wine and milke without money there 's the stick you say you have no money saith Christ will you have them without money are you willing to have them If you be but willing saith Christ you shall have them are you athrist you shall have water I looke not after your money I looke not after such qualifications or dispositions and preparations But are you willing to have it Wherefore doe you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not And because men will not come to Christ Christ comes to them Pevel 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke saith he If any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will Sup with him and he with me Christ comes and stands at the doore and knocks You know when one comes to the doore of a house and knocks if there be one within and the party will not open the doore you cannot come in but if the party will open the doore you come in presently Christ comes and kcocks now and he would faine come in but men and women will not open the doore What 's the opening of the doore your hearts are the doore and the opening of your hearts is your willingnesse that Christ should come in but men and women keepe the doore shut and so Christ enters not they have no willingnesse in them there is a Will in all men by nature but there is not a willingness If a man have a hand to receive any thing while he keepes his hand shut he can receive nothing but if he will open his hand then he is fit to receive a man that keepeth his mouth shut he can take in no water no wine no food This is the case sinners so long as they keepe their hearts shut Christ knocks the Spirit knocks the Minister knocks the word knocks God knocks but they will not open and so there is no enterance But willingnesse now is the opening of the heart and makes way for Christs enterance Lydia was hearing and her heart was opened and Christ came in the waters of life came in And in the 1 of Isa 19 20. If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the fatt of the Land If ye be willing ye shall have the blessing There is a willingnesse required in sinners to receive Grace to receive mercy to receive the waters of life Quest Now wherein lies this willingnesse that should be in sinners to receive the waters of life to receive Grace and Mercy Answ It lies in three things First In a high prizing of this water of life when a man comes to have apprehensions of worth and excellency in it thereupon he prizeth what is so apprehended for you must know that the opperations of the will are according to the apprehensitions of the understanding If a mans understanding have apprehensions of a great deale of good and worth in a thing then his will prizes the good that is in the thing answerably When men have weake apprehensions of things they have weake prizings of them and value them accordingly But if men apprehend things strongly to have a great deale of worth and excellency in them then they prize them answerably Now when the waters of life are apprehended to be exceeding good to be an Infinite mercy an unspeakeable mercy then the will prizes them and prizes them above all other things Take Christ he is water of Life Coll 1.19 It pleased the Father that in Christ should all fullnesse dwell There is then all fulnesse in Christ Coll 2.3 In him are hid all the Treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coll 3.11 Christ is all in all Paul had a large apprehension of the excellency of Christ and Paul prizes Christ answerably and accounts all dung for Christ losse for Christ So that there 's the first thing in this willingnesse that the soule having seene a worth an excellency a transcendency of good prizes it answerably Secondly The soule hereupon comes to make choice of this good for it selfe The Will chooses this good so apprehended and so prized As a man he beholds a person beautifull amiable and sutable unto him he prizes the person and makes choice of the person in himselfe for himselfe So the will upon apprehension of water of life and the Infinite good by it doth choose this water of life for it selfe And thus David in the 73 Psal 25 v Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that my soule desires in comparison of thee David saw such worth in Christ as that he doth choose Christ in heaven and in earth and none besides him Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none that I desire upon earth besides thee So the Spouse in the 5 Cant 10. My beloved there 's the choice is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand I know what a one my beloved is I have such apprehensions of him he is white and ruddy the cheifest of ten thousand better then all and therefore I choose him he is my Beloved The will comes to choose and take in the object so apprehended for it selfe that is the second thing the will acting in the choosing of Christ Thirdly The Will mooves and carries the soule to the Injoying of the thing prized and chosen As when a man hath cast his eyes upon a virgin and he values her and in his heart chooses her Then he uses all lawfull meanes to Injoy her his will carries him to the use of meanes so here The Will mooves the soule now towards Christ to close with Christ to injoy Christ and doth act both inwardly outwardly Inwardly by longings sighings desires thirstings ô that I had water of life ô that I had water of the well of Bethlehem as David said ô that
gave him Grace and would give him Glory Hence it is that he saith in Psal 84.11 Grace and Glory will he give and no good thing will hee withhold Well I have grace and I shall have more grace and I have a humane glory I am a King and a Prophet and shall have greater glory I shall have glory in the highest heavens So that you see its true of David Christ is the root of his Nature the root of his Grace and the root of his Glory Now this will appear for the general That hee is the root of Nature and Grace and Glory First It will appear that Christ is the root of Nature How it appears that Christ is the root of Nature from the Creation and making of all things He that makes all things must needs bee the Lord and the Root and the author and fountain of Nature Heb. 1.2 By whom also he made the worlds why the world was made by Christ Christs right hand Christs arm was at work in the making of all the creatures The world was made by him therefore he is the Lord of Nature that hath made all Secondly It appears he is the root of Nature because he can blast nature at his pleasure what saith Christ to the Fig-tree Never fruit grow more upon this tree did it not presently wither away Christ dryed up all the moysture dried up the sap dried up the very root of the tree why he is the very Root and the Lord of Nature Thirdly Farther it appears in regard that he hath the command of all Diseases he cured and healed them What Disease was there ever presented to Christ that he could not cure He cast out Devils cured Leprosies and all manner of diseases the woman that had spent all her estate with Physitians and could do no good the man that lay at the Pool of Bethesday and could not be cured yet Christ cures all Diseases He is the root of Nature Fourthly So likewise it appears from his raising of the dead when men are upon dissolution and nature going downward the breaths gone the soul is gone the body putrified it matters not saith Christ to Martha Thou shalt see the glory of God thou shalt see that I am the root of Nature that I am the root of all that I can call both the soul and breathe breath into him and raise him up These are evidences that hee is the Root and Lord of Nature Secondly Christ hee is the root of Grace Christ the root of Grace all Grace is from him Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel To preach it to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord Is not here Grace in all these Yes and all comes from Christ Hee was annointed with the Spirit of the Lord to do these things And more fully in Joh. 1.14 16 17. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth but for whom was this Grace and for whom was the Truth saith John And of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace Hee had a fulness of Grace hee was the Author the Root of Grace the Fountain of Grace the God of Grace and this Grace was to be communicated and derived unto others Of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ The Lord Christ is the root of Grace Rom. 5.20 21. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Sin abounded I but Grace doth superabound how comes it to superabound by Jesus Christ our Lord Grace must reign as sin hath reigned and it must reign by Christ this Grace will send out so much Grace that Grace will reign and out-reign sin bring under sin So then Christ he is the root of Grace Lastly Christ the rooâ— of Glory Christ he is the root of Glory there is none let into heaven but by Christ none made glorious but by Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 he is called the Lord of Glory They crucified the Lord of Glory The Lord of Glory because he was a glorious Lord in himself The Lord of Glory because he hath all Glory to dispose of The Lord of Glory because he advances whom he pleases to Glory he will advance his Church unto Glory all beleevers unto Glory So that you see now Christ he is the root of Nature the root of Grace and the root of Glory Now what remains but that we should make some use of this point and there are several things which will be observable Use First If Christ be the Root of Nature of Grace and Glory then we may all make use of that which David doth upon this account in Ps 138.8 Thy mercy O Lord indures for ever forsake not the works of thine own hand why may not every one say Lord I am the work of thy hands thou hast made me a creature Thou art the root of my nature Lord do not forsake me but Lord make me gracious as well as to have nature bee the root not only of a natural life to mee but the root of a spriritual life unto me and be the root of Glory unto me why thy hand hath made me Thou hast made me a man given me an immortal soul indued me with understanding and some wisdome and knowledge Lord do not forsake me leave mee not to the Devil to the world to my self But Lord seeing thy hand hath made me a man so Lord let it make me a new man as I have a Natural life so let me have another life a Spiritual life so every one when they are in straights and troubles in darkness and afflictions and think they are left of God and Christ let them use this Argument in Prayer I am the work of thine hands what wilt thou leave the work of thy own hands why men will not desert the work of their own hands thou hast not deserted the Creation the Sun Moon and Stars Night and day Summer and Winter why Lord I am the work of thine own hands do not leave me nor forsake me 2 Is Christ the root of Nature of Grace and of Glory then whatsoever difference you see in men as men in men as Christians what difference soever you read of men in glory it is all from the Lord Jesus Christ it is from the root You know that one Tree is higher than another it is from the root that one tree or branch is higher or bigger than another it is from the root of the Tree that the differences are in the branches and arms and boughes of the tree
fruit is good fruit fruit becoming the Gospel fruit worthy of Grace and worthy of a man that is called justified and sanctified other fruit you bare now you bear such fruit as Christ did those that are translated and cut off from the old Adam and ingrafted into Christ they bear other fruit than before therefore inquire what root you are upon whether you are rooted into Christ yea or no that will yeeld a great deal of comfort unto you if it be so 7 Further If Christ be the Root of Nature the Root of Grace and the Root of Glory and of all then this is great comfort unto every true Christian why he is planted in Christ and hee shall never dry nor wither away in the 1 Psal he speaks there of a Tree planted by the water side that bringeth forth his fruit in his season his leaf also shall not wither why he that is a true Christian that is intrinsically ingrafted into Christ he is in such a root that hath life water of life and vertue and is communicating continually unto the branches I am come in the tenth of John that you may have life and that yee may have it more abundantly If thou be truly in Christ thou shalt have life and have it more abundantly thou art in a River of Water thou art in a root that hath abundance of all Spiritual good and Spiritual Blessings for you therefore look to it that you be in Christ and then you shall have vertue in him your root shall never wither it shall never decay 8 If Christ bee the Root of all then bee exhorted every one to get interest in this Root get interest in him and then your natures will be sanctified get interest in him and then you will have of all the fulness of Christ and you shall have of all his glory Men and Women they labour to be rooted in the World to be rooted in Sin O how are men rooted in sin rooted in wicked practices how are they rooted in worldly things and so intangled and fixt that there is no getting of them off or out from the World what saith the Apostle 2 Colos 7. saith he rooted and built up in Christ O be rooted saith hee but where in Christ it is good to be rooted in Christ O labour to be rooted in him rooted in the love of Christ in the power of Christ in the Merits of Christ in the Intercession of Christ O labour to be rooted in these and then you will grow And the way to bee rooted in these is double there are but two things that I shall name and they are principall things The First is by Faith and the Second by Love Get faith in Christ that unites you to him and the more faith the more rooted in him and get further and further into Christ labour for faith and that will fix you settle and establish you in Christ it is our want of faith that makes us so off and on with God and with Christ and such poor Creatures as we are well labour for faith and that is a drawing Vertue a drawing Grace it will draw from Christ whatsoever is to bee had in him And then love the Lord Jesus where there is love how doth it root a man in the heart of a man or woman so if you love the Lord Jesus more you will be rooted more in him that is the way to be rooted in Christ get faith and get love 9 Lastly If Christ be the root of Reason the root of Grace and Glory the root of all then let us give the glory and praise of all to Jesus Christ and attribute nothing to our selves or others We are wonderful apt when wee see a Tree full of fruit to attribute it to the Tree O it is a very good Tree you look not to the root you attribute nothing to that whereas it is the root you should attribute it to so now we attribute this to our selves our own endeavours labours improvements and diligence but wee look not at the Root we look not at Christ who is the Root of Nature wee look not at Christ who is the Root of Grace we look not at Christ who is the Root of Glory and therefore see the reason why we are so little in thankfulness because wee have so little faith But if we had more faith now to see the root we should be more thankful the root is a hidden thing Christ is in Heaven and Christs Divine Nature was hidden and because we see not Christ as God see not Christ as Mediator look not at Christ as all in all therefore we give not that glory to him but wee look at second Causes Meanes Ordinances Magistrates Parents Friends and the like and so God and Christ lose their Glory and their Honour but if you would look at the root and say O this comes from Christ this comes from God this comes from the Mediator from his Grace yea all comes from him O then your hearts would be carried out to speak of and to glorifie his name Well look at Christ for you have nothing but from him therefore not to me nor to others but unto thee alone O Lord be all the glory Christs Royal Descent REV. 22.16 And the Off spring of David I Now proceed to the next words The Off-spring of David The word for Off-spring is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies that from whence another thing comes or proceeds Phil. 3.8 Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel or of the off-spring of Israel Paul saith he was of the Israelites he proceeded and came from them hee was of that Race of that Generation and in Isa 44. vers 3. I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and stouds upon dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring upon those that are of thy Loynes and that descend from thee that is the meaning of the word Off-spring your Children are your Off-spring so that the meaning here is That the Lord Jesus Christ is of the Race of David In the Scriptures he is said to be the Seed of the Woman Gen. 3. he is said to be the son of Abraham Mar. 1. and the Off-spring of David here he is of the Race of Man-kinde of the Race of David In Matth. 1.1 The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ the Son of David and Christ is very frequently in the Gospel called The Son of David Matth. 9.37 Thou Son of David have mercy on us Now to open the words yet a little further a Question may here be Q. Why is Christ said to be the Off-spring of David rather than of any other when as in Matth. 1. he is the Off-spring of all there mentioned Ans There be several Grounds or Reasons for it 1 David was he that founded the Kingdom of Israel there began the foundation of the Kingdom of Israel Saul was the first King but
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
and morning Star then hee is worthy to bee admired and worthy to bee magnified who is a Star of the highest Magnitude who is the chiefest Star in Heaven you stand looking sometimes upon a Star and gazing upon the Sun or Moon and admire them for their glory and beauty and sparkling and the like well here is a Star for you to look upon and to admire The Heathens did so admire the Stars that they did worship them for Gods and did sacrifice unto them that you are not to do but here is a star for you to admire to adore and to sacrifice unto I mean to offer praises unto this bright and morning Star even the Lord Jesus Christ The Lord hath set him up that wee should honour him as wee honour the Father to praise and magnifie him for the Light hee hath brought for the great things hee hath wrought for us I herefore mind this Star and admire this Star hee will come to bee admired in all his Saints hereafter hee should bee admired now Psal 145. praise him all yee Stars of Light Are you Stars and are you Stars of Light are you godly and gracious praise him even this Star all you Stars of Light O blesse God for Christ and magnifie Christ and lift up the honour and praise of Jesus Christ for hee is worthy hee is above all Princes and Potentates above all Angels hee is the bright and morning Star 4 Is Christ the morning Star then examine whether this day-Star as Peter calls him bee risen in your hearts the Stars may bee up in the Heavens but whether is this Star risen in your hearts and for discovery of that I shall give you a few things whereby you may know whether this bright morning Star bee risen in your hearts 1 You know the Light is a pleasant thing Eccles 11. to if Christ bee risen in your hearts then the Light of Christ will bee a pleasant thing to your minds to your souls The Light is a thing that doth greatly please and rejoyce what delight then have you in this Star what delight have you in the Gospel Is the Gospel and the Light of it welcome to your hearts pleasing to your souls glad tydings to you the Word of God was to Job and to David as meat and their appointed food as hony and the hony combe more than thousands of gold and silver And the more bright the Light is the more pleasing and delightfull dim Light doth not so much please as a clear Light the shaddows and types and ceremonies of the Law they had some Light in them but it was a dim Light but now all these shaddows and darknesse hath Christ taken away and the Light now appears clearly is this welcome now to your hearts can you say as David did Psal 119.140 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loves it O Lord thy Word is clear Light there is no darknesse in it therefore doth thy Servant love it do you love the Light others hate the Light because their deeds are evill but do you love the Light is it welcome to you though it do reprove you and condemn your Light and the more it condemns and reproves the more acceptable it is O! this is an Argument the day Star is risen in your hearts 2 Where this Light is risen there it doth work a transformation it transforms all where this day Star doth rise Rom. 12. And bee not conformed to the World but bee yee transformed by the renowing of your minds why what Light is it that doth transform us by the renewing of our minds it is not the light of Nature doth it nor the Light of any Creature but it is the Light of Life doth it and there is no Light of Life but this Light that Christ brings Joh. 8.12 Christ speaks there that hee is the Light of the World and it is called the Light of Life It is Light that will make you a New-Creature and this begins in the mind being transformed by the renewing of your mind the Mind will be altered and the Will will bee altered and the whole Man will bee altered and there will bee an universall change wrought in the Man 2 Cor. 3. But wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image Wee behold in the Gospel that is the glass This bright morning Star arises in the Gospel and wee behold his glory and his Light there and what then are changed into the same Image even from glory to glory so that it is a transforming Light you were darkness in your selves but now are you Light in the Lord the Ephesians that were darknesse were changed into Light into the very Light of the Lord so that there is a transforming of us and a changing of us into the very Light of Christ so that wee become Stars and have that very Light as Paul saith we have the minde of Christ 3 Where this bright and morning Star is risen there will be love to all those that have the same light in them to all those that are Christs to all beleevers to all the godly to all are brethren there will be love unto them all see a place for this purpose 1. Joh. 2.8 9 10 11. The darkness is past and the true light now shineth he that saith he is in the light mark and hateth his brother is in darkness even untill now Why many will say they are in the light and this Day-star is risen in them He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother is in darkness but he that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is none occasion of stumbling in him but he that hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes Is Christ the Day-star risen in that mans heart who hates his Brother No he is in darkness and knows not what hee doth nor whither hee goes Do you love a godly man do you love your brother many cannot indure him that hath light in him their ways are not as our ways their lives are not as our lives O then light will convince light doth reprove and light will reprove the unfruitful works of darkness well if you have light in you you will love the brethren I the Brethren but who are they These are Hypocrites and if they had light and Christ were in them we should love them Well will you know who is a Brother turn to Matth. 12. ult For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my brother Whosoever will do the Will of God the same is a Brother a Brother to Christ and to all the Brethren of Christ I go to my Father and to your Father and I have called you brethren That man that endeavours most to do the Will of God that man hath light and that man
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
after Christ nor use the means these do not thirst 3 Again no unregenerate man doth Spiritually thirst after Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned And if he do not know them it is the old rule There is no desire of that Now men that have not the Spirit as appears ver 12. they cannot thirst So in Jude it is there They are sensual not having the Spirit Now what a multitude of men and women are there in the world that have not the Spirit they jear at the Spirit and others know not whether there bee a Spirit of God or no Oh! multitudes the greatest part are in the broad way These now do not Spiritually thirst after Christ 4 Again those that do live and go on in any known way of wickedness they do not desire Christ nor cannot desire the Lord Jesus Christ And do not most men and women go on in some way of wickedness or other and they make their Lusts their god and they would not have that god destroyed they say to Christ as the Devils did Why dost thou come to torment us before the time When men and women walk in any way of wickedness and it is their ordinary practise they do not desire the coming of Christ neither can they Many things I might instance in this way but it is too evident there are few that do Spiritually thirst after Christ Q But whence is it that so few do so Spiritually thirst after Christ Whence is it that so few do thirst after Christ A. First It is from the ignorance of men and women the Law of God hath never entered into their Souls for had the Law of God entred to convince them of sin for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin had the Law ever entred to convince them of the sinfulness of sin that is in them of the pollution of sin how it defiles them of the distance sin hath set them at from God of the Curse hangs over their heads by reason of their sin they would then begin to inquire and to thirst after Christ but the Law hath never entred into them they are ignorant of the Law of God ignorant of the truths of God and where there is blindness and ignorance there can be no true thirst Secondly This is from the conceitedness of men and women most men and women are conceited of their own goodness they have good hearts good natures lead honest lives they are civil and just they walk unblameably and these things they rest upon and so they feed upon these husks Solomon saith Every man is first in his own cause A man is righteous in his own eyes and a man will judge himself and justifie himself and think himself better than another and we are naturally prone to Hypocrisie to see a mote in anothers eye and not a beam in our own The Church of Laodicea conceited her self to be rich and to be full c. and to want nothing when as she was poor and miserable and blinde and naked and wanted all things This is natural for men and women to conceit well of themselves The Pharisee fasts twice in the week c. And not like this Publican this is incident to us all to think too well of our selves and hence it is that men and women do not thirst after Christ but will be their own Saviours and so undoe themselves Thirdly This is from men and womens mistakes 1 Of God 2 Of the Creature 1 Of God They think God is like unto themselves Psal 50. Thou thoughtest that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee and I will tear thee in peeces and none shall deliver thee unless thou do otherwise then so Wee think God is all Mercy and that he is not so holy so just so severe and ridgid against sin O it is but a saying Lord have mercy upon us and all will do well now here is their mistake about God God is exceeding holy and he is wonderful severe Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts A man judges well of himself but God will send him to Hell for judging well of himself the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness the very appearances of evil God hath cut off men for small sins 2 It is from peoples mistakes about the Creature and the insufficiency of the Creature they do not see an utter insufficiency in all Creatures to releeve them and therefore they stick upon Creatures One man hee trusts unto his estate and riches the rich mans wealth is his strong tower Another man rests upon his Wisdom and policy another trusts to his Strength another trusts to his Almes and good Works and another thinks he shall never dye he is not so old but he may yet live another Month or a Year men are not convinced of the insufficiency of all things to releeve them and deliver them but the Lord Jesus Christ but if they were satisfied no Angel nor Potentate no Action of their own no action of others not all the Saints in the VVorld can deliver one Soul Then they would hunger and thirst after Christ but while they are not convinced of the insufficiency of all these things there is no thirsting after Christ 4 Further This is from their not understanding of the infinite worth and excellency and good that is to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ alone they think they must joyn something with Christ I will do a little and Christ shall do the rest they set up themselves with Christ and make themselves equal to Christ they must save themselves in part and Christ must save them in part But now if men and women did understand the excellency of Christ the fulness of Christ the grace of Christ the mercy and love of Christ and the vertue of Christ how that the only way for pardon for peace for life for strength for comfort for whatsoever their Souls stand in need of it is in Christ then they would be carried out to Christ Is not he held out in the Gospel to be a Sun all Light in him Is not he held out to have life in himself all Spiritual life in him I am come that yee might have life and have it in more abundance Is not Christ held out to be the great High Priest that offered himself a Sacrifice and such a Sacrifice that all other Sacrifices have ceased all lies upon Christ and whatsoever your sins are whatsoever your nakedness and Poverty is there is relief to bee had in Christ hee is Righteousness hee is Strength he is Bread he is all so that peoples not well understanding the worth of Christ and all to be had in Christ for the Lord hath sealed him sent him set him forth and declared
presents to the Sons of Men would bee drunk off by them To the hungry Soul every bitter thing is sweet so to the thirsty Soul every bitter thing is sweet for a man to love his enemies to bless them that curse him to pray for them that persecute him to do good to them that hate him this is very hard to flesh and bloud but a Soul that is athirst after Christ drinks down these truthes and findes sweetness in them 5 Another effect of this Spiritual thirst is this That it doth extinguish in a great measure if not wholly the thirst after other things it doth extinguish all sinful thirst and doth correct and moderate all other thirsts thirsting after the Creature you know the light and heat of the Sun puts out the light and heat of the fire and doth abate it in a great measure when the Sun shines upon it so where this thirst comes after Spiritual things and is in truth it doth abate and extinguish the thirst after unlawful things and doth abate very much your desires after other things saith Christ unto the Woman in John 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst shall never thirst as he had done before shall never have such strong desires after Creatures saith Paul in the Philippians those things which before seemed goodly and excellent and were great priviledges and prerogatives to him saith he I account all loss and dung now for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus I have another thirst begotten in me now and this thirst hath abated my thirst to the World my desires after Creatures and delights in them I have a thirst that carries me after more high and excellent things than they are so in Gal. 6.14 God forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world I thirst no more after the world saith he it is Crucified to me and I am Crucified to it it is Christ I thirst after to know the power of his Death and Resurrection to know Christ more this did abate and cool his desire and affections towards all externals and the glory of the world 6 Again where this Spiritual thirst is the more you drink the more it is increased and this seems strange where this thirst is other thirsts are abated but this increases the more you drink still the more you thirst the more Grace any man retains the more eager after Grace still the more thirsty after Christ this day the more the next this thirst begets thirst it makes a man to see his need of Christ more and of Grace and God and of Spiritual things more and more and inlarges his desire As Lime when you throw water upon it it makes the Lime burn the more so when the Soul thirsts and God gives it water of life it thirsts more therefore saith God Open your mouth wide and I will fill it In time God will fill it but Grace doth stretch our desires and makes men more vigorous in pursuit of heavenly things than over before that man or woman that can sit down content with a little knowledge with a little measure of Grace with a little degree of Faith with a little portion of the Spirit that man in truth hath none for it is the nature of Grace to make more hungry more thirsty more desirous it will draw out the Soul more strongly after Christ the Spouse was never so affected with Christ as after she had tasted of the love of Christ 7 Again Where this thirst is in truth it breeds in the Soul a conformity to the thirst that is in God and in Christ Quest Why are they thirsty Ans Yes God himself is thirsty and Christ is thirsty Psal 81.13 O that my people had harkened unto me and Israel had walked in my way Here is Gods thirst O that there were such a heart in this people saith God where there is a true Spiritual thirst there is a conformity in the heart unto God Psal 119.5 saith David there who had this thirst O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes Lord this is thy desire that men should keep thy Statutes Lord this is my desire O that I could keep thy statutes Here is a conformity now between God and the Soul that is athirst saith God in Psal 27. Seek yee my face my heart answered saith David thy face Lord will I seek Here is a conformity between Gods desire and mans desire so in the Canticles saith the Spouse there My beloved is mine and his desire is towards me And in another place I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine Doth Christ desire me why I desire Christ saith the Spouse so that this Spiritual thirst breeds a conformity between the heart and God that look what God desires it desires 8 Again This Spiritual thirst doth cause men to thirst after God for himself and Christ for himself many do thirst after God not for himself but for themselves they thirst after the Loaves they thirst after the Gifts of God as many seek to be in great Services to bee in great mens Houses and Courts that they may have their Livery that they may eat and drink of the best that they may live at ease and not out of love to the Person Shimei comes to David and to Solomon but not out of love to David or Solomon but to save his life so many come to God that they may be saved from Hell and Damnation but they would live in their lusts have their wills have their ease and bear Gods Livery some outward profession but they come not to God for love of God for love of Holiness for love of Truth for love of Jesus Christ it is for themselves but not for Gods Self but this Soul that is truly athirst must have God himself and for himself he knows all other things will come in after If I have God I have all if I have not God I have nothing will do me good 9 Lastly Where this true Spiritual thirst is it is that a man may be satisfied and that a man may be fruitful as the earth why is the Earth dry and thirsteth after the Rain and gapes sometimes as if it would swallow up the very Heavens that it may bee satisfied with the Rain and bee much fruitful so a Soul that hath this Spiritual thirst desires to receive from God that so it may be fruitful O it cannot bring forth good fruit and that is a burthen to it and it longs to bee fruitful and thirsts to receive some influences of Grace some dews from Heaven that so being watered and moystned it may grow and yeeld good fruit and thus you see some effects and fruits of this Spiritual thirst and so to know the truth of it whether you have this thirst or no. Quest Here now a Question may arise may some say I
objections scruples and feares out of the mindes and hearts of men and women doth freely tender water of life freely hold out the Golden Scepter freely offer pardon peace Grace and salvation Thirdly The Lord doth this that so he may indeare our hearts the more unto him when a thing comes freely from others how doth it worke what hold doth it take of the heart it knitts the heart much unto them In the 2 Sam 7. the Lord there comes to David and tells him what great matters he would doe for him and for his house and v 18. Then went King David in and sat before the Lord and said Who am I ô Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto and this was yet a small thing in thy sight ô Lord God But thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of men ô Lord God What will God deale thus by man to come to him and offer him such kindnesse and such mercy to deale so bountifully and freely with him is this the manner of men even this is the manner of God to deale with man that so he may indeare their hearts unto him And so Elizabeth saith Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me What Mary the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ to come unto mee and give me a visit that am a poore despised creature When things are done freely and unexpectedly they doe indeare and ingage the heart abundantly Lastly The Lord doth freely hold out Grace and mercy to sinners to prevent pride boasting were there any free-will power or qualification in man which might move or draw God to bestow and give these waters man would be ready to attribute the thing to himselfe and to glory and boast now that man may not glory nor boast the Lord doth freely bestow and give the water of life 1 Cor 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty The base things of the world and things which are despised hath he chosen and things which are not to bring to nought the things which are That no flesh should Glory in his presence God would have none to Glory in his presence therefore he takes things that are most unlikely foolish and weake contemptible despised Application First of all Doth the Lord freely tender water of life unto us Then this serves to reproove those that doe refuse to receive this water But you will say are there any such in the world what will any refuse water of life can there be any such living Yes beloved too many the world is full of them alwayes was and now is full of such And that I may not give you words onely take Scripture looke into the 81 Psal 11. But my people would not hearken to my voyce and Israel would none of me Marke My people saith God would not hearken to my voyce I came and told them of water and water of life and set life and death before them but my people would not hearken to my voyce they would none of me the Fountaine of living water Though God were the Fountaine of living waters they would none of him Israel it selfe would none of him And in the 65 of Isa 2. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a Rebellious people which walketh in a way which is not good after their owne thoughts I have all the day spread out my hands to them and held out water of life unto them and they would none of me So in the 1 of Pro 24. I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded but set at naught all my Counsells and would none of my Reproofe It was very frequent in those dayes they would none of the water of life And was it not so in Christs time and in the Apostles times 23 of Math 37. ô Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens and ye would not I would have had you to receive water of life and to have liv'd but ye would not He came to his owne and they received him not In the 23 of the Acts 46. It was necessary that the Gospel should first have been preached unto you but seeing ye put it from you we turne to the Gentiles So in all Ages the greatest sort of people refuse the water of life they choose strange waters 2 Kings 19.24 Heb 13. They follow strange Doctrines strange opinions strange Blasphemies puddle waters poysoned waters but as for the waters of life they will have none of them Now see the evill of this in Refusing the waters of life First This will appeare The evill of refusing the waters of life if you Consider what it is they doe refuse It is water of life If it were ill bitter corrupt poysoned water it were something but it 's water of life that begets life maintaines life increases life brings unto life everlasting the more excellent any thing is that is refused the greater the evill To refuse a bag of dust To refuse a bottle of some musty liquor were nothing but to refuse a wedge of Gold a bottle of Spirits this shews folly and weakness Who that hath a right minde would refuse Gold when it 's offered water of life when it 's offered it's the most excellent thing and yet men refuse it Secondly It is that which is freely offered if it were put upon hard termes if men were to buy it at deare rates if they were to bring bags of money for it there were some pretence for refusing for every one hath not bags of money as Symon Magus had but it 's not to be sould for money it 's freely given and when such a Commoditie of such infinite worth is offered freely to you and you will have none of it your sin is great it was freely offered and you would have none of it Thirdly Consider who it is offers it it is offered by Christ by the Ministers of Christ it is offered unto you dayly but here in the Text it 's offered by Christ Now shall Christ who is the Son of God the Prince of life the Heire of the world who is worshipped by Angells who is the great Commander of Heaven and Earth shall he come and offer you water of life and will you have none of it shall he that loves sinners and laid downe his life for them and would wash them in his blood shall he come and tender the Gospel and Grace to you and will you have none thereof your sin is great exceeding great Fourthly Consider it is the greatest Ingratitude that ever was in men and women that Christ should bring water of life and freely offer it unto you and you have extreame need of it and yet will