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
have none of it he doth it out of love and aymes at your good and the saving of your soules and yet you will have none of this water what Ingratitude is this Christ may say I brought water to your doore and such water as was water of life it would have quickned you maintain'd life in you brought you to Eternall life and you would none of it heare ô Heavens and hearken ô Earth was there ever such Ingratitude Fifthly Consider that this water of life is the onely remedy can doe your soules good It 's the mercy of God in Christ its Christs merits the Spirit and the Graces thereof must doe sinners good if any thing in heaven and earth can doe them good There is nothing in Heaven and Earth besides free Grace and mercy this water of Life which can doe your soules good If you will not drinke of this water you must die you must die and perish for ever as in Jonah They imbrace lying vanities and forsake their owne mercies so all men and women in the world imbrace lying vanities who forsake these waters they will drinke the muddie waters of the world the filthy waters of sin of the ditches of Rome of the puddles of Egypt and Babylon but of these waters which would save their soules they will not drinke this is an evill against the Remedy Sixthly Consider that the refusall of these waters provokes God and Christ greatly to wrath you cannot provoke God more then by refusing his kindnesse you greive you vex the Spirit you resist the Spirit and so provoke God bitterly Psal 81.11 12. saith he My people would not hearken to my voyce and Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts I will scourge them no more but give them over to the saddest Judgements in the world they shall be left to their owne lusts their own wills and humours I will leave them now to drinke waters will poyson them waters will ripen them for hell So in the 14 of Luke those that were Invited to the Supper they made excuses all and would not come saith Christ not one of them shall tast of my Supper The meaning is they shall not onely not tast of the dainties I have prepared but they shall tast of the severitie of my wrath In stead of cups of vvine they shall have cups of Brimstone fire The vengeance written they shall have executed upon them When God offered Canaan to the Jewes and they resused it and would goe back to Egypt God was so mooved that he sware in his wrath If they shall enter into my Rest If they enter into my Rest let me be thrust out of heaven And the siercenesse of Gods anger never came upon the Jewes till they had refused Christ and these vvaters of life But then the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost to perfection it came upon them Seventhly Lastly Those that refuse the vvaters of life The Lord Christ and God doth keepe account of all such passages and will bring them in against them and urge them as aggravations of their misery at last The Lord keepes account I have stretched out my hands all the day long saith God A whole day the day of their lives I waited upon them Fortie yeares long was I greived with this Generation Revel 3.20 Christ saith Behold I stand at the doore and knock Christ keeps account how long he stood there how many knocks he hath made there how many tenders of Grace have been presented to you how often you refused and turned them away He will come at last and say At such a place I stood and knockt twenty or thirtie yeares And in such a place I tendered Grace to them a thousand times and my Spirit presented good motions to them ten thousand times and yet they refused All these vvill be brought in at last and then vvhen you shall see this black bill this will sinke you into the bottome of hell Grace offered peace offered heaven offered Christ and his righteousnesse offered to be your portion and you would none of all these and what did you choose chaffe earth puddle water your misery will be exceeding great The Water of Life Reve 22.17 And whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely WEE come now to a use of Exhortation If the waters of life be freely offered then here 's an Invitation to all sinners to come and accept of these waters Come ye sinners whosoever ye be ye that are in the chambers of Death ye that are in the broad way ye that are enemies to God through wicked workes in your minde ye that have liv'd basely to the dishonour of God and man to your owne prejudice and damnation If you will come here are waters and waters of life waters will give life to the dead here are waters to increase life here are waters to be had freely Come to these waters these waters are held forth upon such tearmes that ye may all come and receive them whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life In the 55 of Isa 7. It 's said Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his thoughts and turne unto the Lord and he shall have mercy Pro 28. It 's said He that confesses his sins and forsakes them shall finde mercy There the termes are somewhat hard who can forsake his wayes and turne from his evill thoughts and the like it 's a hard thing to doe But here it 's upon other termes Whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely You may have them freely whatsoever your sins have been crimsen sins scarlet sins crying sins sins against light of nature against Law against heaven against earth sins against State against Church against soule or body sins against Gospel whatsoever your sins have been here are waters of life freely for you Abraham was an Idolater and yet he had water of life freely Saul was a persecuter and he had water of life freely and why may not you have waters of life freely A man may goe and take water at any Well in a Towne he may goe to the Thames and take water what he will when the Raine falls who may not have a share of it here 's water here 's raine from heaven and who will may come and take water of life Sometimes money is given in a place for poore people and it is made knowne for them to come and fetch it but they must first get Petitions Justices Ministers and other mens hands of their honesty of their faithfullnesse of their service of their sufferings of their losses and a great deale of dooe there is before they can have the money but it is not so here Christ doth not say Let him that is righteous come let him that is so qualified take it let him that hath suffered such hard things let him that hath been tempted
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
these things are laid aside but here is the difference between them the true thirst carries thee unto Grace Holiness and Communion with God and makes you look at the excellencies of God whereas the other look for peace ease Salvation and the like Now it is true that men and women who look at Grace Holiness and Communion with God shall have pardon peace and Salvation but these are as Consequences Lord saith the Soul rather make me holy than pardon me for if I be not holy what shall I do in Heaven if I be holy I cannot miscarry in Hell a holy Soul shall never feel pain though it be in Hell and a corrupt Soul shall never finde joy though it be in Heaven so that in this there lies a great difference Of Spiritual Thirst and Thirsters REV. 22.17 Let him that is athirst come WEE now proceed to shew you how you shall know the true Spiritual Thirst by the effects and fruits of it 1 True Spiritual thirst doth cause even fainting in the Soul â—he efâ—cts and â—uits of â—â—e Spiriâ—al thirst as the Natural thirst makes a man or woman to faint as in Judges 15.19 it is said there of Sampson that he drank and revived and his spirit came again his spirit was gone he was ready to faint his thirst was such that it brought him low and in Psal 107.5 Hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them they were very feeble they were brought low with hunger and thirst and where there is this Spiritual thirst the Soul is brought low it is ready to faint as the Spouse in the Canticles Tell him that I am sick of love O my desires are such after Christ and after my Beloved that I am sick of Love I am ready to faint And so David Psal 42. his Soul panted and thirsted after God as the Hart when it is long hunted wearied and dry pants after the water Brooks so a Soul that hath a Spiritual thirst it is ready to faint with longing after God with longing after Christ with desiring of Grace and the incomes of his Spirit the light of his Countenance communion with God in Christ this is one effect of it 2 This thirst will cause men to stir and to seek out when men are truly and thorowly athirst they will seek out for drink a man that is thorowly athirst he will out of his Bed at Midnight and down to the Seller and get drink to quench his thirst when men are athirst they will run to this Brook and to that Brook for water those in Judg. 7. they down on their knees and lapt water Men at Sea what shifts will they make to get a little water when they are dry so the Soul that is athirst will not sit still but seek out it will seek for Brooks and Fountains it will run to every Ordinance to every Promise run unto Christ look up to God If there bee any means of Grace in a Land it will finde the same out if the Vision be never so rare the Word never so precious it will look out after it a Soul that is thirsty it will seek abroad it will not bee restrained and kept within bounds that is the nature of a Spiritual thirst when their desires were a little stirred at Christs coming how did they flock after Christ and continued with him nights and days You have beon with me saith Christ these two or three days and he works a Miracle now to satisfie them that they might not faint in going home so all night did they sit there with Paul when hee preacht the Gospel that they might drink large drafts of that heavenly Doctin a Soul that is athirst will seek out for releef 3 Again Where there is true thirst there men will part with any thing for to releeve their thirst hungry and thirsty men wil part with any thing for those necessaries which Nature requires when Hagar saw the Bottle empty and the Childe ready to perish the water was spent in the Bottle and she casts the Childe under one of the shrubs and she went and sate her down over against him a good way off as it were a Bow-shot for she said Let me not see the death of the Childe and she sate over against him and lift up her voyce and wept What would Hager have given for a Bottle of water for a morsel of bread and when her eyes were open to see the Well how it did rejoyce her that a Well was near her And Esau when hee was hungry and thirsty he gives away his Birth-right hee sells that for a little Pottage and for Drink hee gives any thing to releeve and help him in that case Gen. 25. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of Lintals and he sold his birth-right unto Jacob for it So in this Spiritual thirst men will part with any thing to have this Spiritual thirst satisfied they will accept of Christ upon his own terms they will pluck out a right eye cut off a right hand or a right foot part with their deerest lusts now to have the thirst of their Souls quenched The young-man that came to Christ Good Master what shall I do to inherite eternal life It was a false thirst in him saith Christ Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Now had his thirst been true hee would have parted with his riches for Christ the Disciples parted with all Master we have parted with all and followed thee the Soul that is truly athirst wil let all go to have its thirstsatisfied How can yee beleeve saith Christ when yee seek honour one of another let go your honour let go your pleasures let go the Creatures seek honour of God alone If men were athirst after Divine injoyments and Divine honours they would let these things go Spiritual thirst will cause men to part with any thing 4 Again Those that are truly thirsty things that are bitter seem pleasant unto them that drink which is sower and distaftful unto others is wonderful sweet and pleasing unto them Darius and his Nobles when they were dry drank puddle water and thought that never any Wine was so pleasant as that water was unpleasing things and things untoothsome will be very delightsome unto such Souls and where this Spiritual thirst is there is not any truth in all the Gospel though it seem never so severe never so cross to Nature never so contrary to our wills humours and fancies but we will drink it down let a man deny himself and take up his Cross and follow Christ this will down with a man that is truly thirsty A man to become a fool that he may be wise this will down the Gospel hath many things in it which to flesh and bloud are something hard unsavoury but were we truly Spiritual Thirsters and did thirst after Christ even the most bitterest truths and the tartest cup that Christ
of his Son the Lord Jesus Christ and this is the Commandement of the Son that we should beleive in him When the Father commanded his Son to goe to the Vineyard and digg there the Father was very willing the child should goe and doe it And so when God the Father and Christ the Son commands us to beleive they are very willing wee should When Princes send out their Commands to the people to doe such and such things they are very desirous they should be done So when God gives out his Commands in the Gospel and Christ commands in the Gospel to come come saith Christ Let him that is athirst come I command you to beleive It 's an argument there is a strong will in him for it Sixthly Doth not Christ sweetly invite you use sweete Invitations and allurements to draw sinners to him can there be more sweete Invitations then what you have from Christ upon this account in the 11th of Math 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest oh you poore sinners of the world you poore sinners of the earth you that travell under the burden of your sins you that are heavie laden you that are ready to sinke into hell through feare of wrath come unto me come unto me he doth not say why have you broken Moses Law why have you offended my Father why have you liv'd so basely and vilely no come unto me you that are weary and heavie laden you that are ready to sinke and perish and are hungry and thirsty and know not which way to turne your selves now for releife come unto me So in the 55 of Isaiah see what a blessed Invitation there is Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eate come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you lay out your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eate ye that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in fatness Is not here a sweete a gracious a blessed Invitation now to poore sinners unto such as we are here this day The Lord Christ is a speaking unto you this day Ho every one every one that thirsteth young or old rich or poore learned or unlearned of whatsoever condition you be are you athirst would you have mercy peace grace the Spirit of Christ would you have any thing to doe your soules good come come unto me Come unto the waters I but I have no money It matters not come without money come here 's wine here 's milke and here 's bread and marrow and fattness here 's that will make your soules live here 's virtue in Christ to make your soules live for ever So in the 23 Pro 26. My son give me thy heart ô my son saith God give me thy heart Christ is the Everlasting Father and he saith my son give me thy heart come to me One place more in the 3d Revelation is worth your observing Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with mee Behold I stand at the doore and knock I came downe from heaven into mine Ordinances I knock at the doore of your hearts and consciences if any man will open now if any man would have water of life from me if any man would have bread of life from me if any man would have communion with me let him but open and receive me in and I will sup with him and he with mee what sweete Invitations have wee from Christ how forward how ready is the Lord Jesus to doe poore sinners good Seventhly This appeares in that the Lord Christ hath Instituted and appointed his Officers his Messengers his Ministers and sent them to wooe intreate beseech and to draw men in unto him The Lord hath set up in the Church Officers purposely to make known his forwardness and readiness to receive sinners and to goe forth in his Name and to get them to come in to Christ 'T is our worke to beseech you Brethren to intreate you to hearken to the Lord Christ to come in to him to come and tast of his dainties to receive righteousnesse grace strength salvation to receive pardon this is our worke to get men in to Christ to fetch you in to the Fould In the 14 of Luke 16. A certaine man made a great Supper and bad many and sent his servants at Supper time to say unto them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready Christ is the great Man and hee makes a Supper in the time of the Gospel and he sends out his servants he sends out the Ministers to Invite and call men saying Supper is ready and all things are ready Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice Christ hath laid downe his life and shed his blood he is risen from the dead he hath overcome the world overcome the Devill hath opened heaven all things are ready for you to feede upon ô come But they all made excuse Then the Master of the house being angery said to his servants goe out quickly into the streets and lanes of the Citie and bring in hither the poore and the maimed the halt and the blinde and the servants said Lord it is done as thou hast commanded and yet there is roome and the Lord said unto the servants goe out into the high wayes and hedges and compell them to come in that my house may be filled Goe ye saith he my Apostles my Disciples my Ministers my Servants goe fetch in men and women from high wayes and hedges from lanes and streets from all parts ô bring them in to the Gospel bring them into my house bring them into the kingdome of heaven tell them of the dainties there tell them of their danger abroad This is the great worke now of the Ministry which is a cleere demonstration that the Lord Christ would have sinners saved he would have his house filled he stands not upon what they be let them be blinde maimed naked poore wounded bring them in saith Christ let them tast of the dainties of the Gospel let them heare of mercy through me of pardon and forgiveness through me So in the 9 Pro Wisdome hath builded her house she hath hewn her out seven pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her table she hath sent forth her maidens she cryeth upon the highest places of the Citie who so is simple let him come in hither as for him that lacketh understanding she saith to him come eate of my bread and drinke of the wine that I have mingled For sake the foolish and live and goe in the way of understanding This is spoken of Christ and the times of the Gospel and the Ministers
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
said of John likewise that hee was a burning and a shining light Anso It is granted Saints are Stars and Angels are Stars and they may bee morning Stars too and yet this doth not at all disadvantage Christs being here a bright and morning Star for 1 These Stars their light is Derivative it is derived from Christ and derived from God both what Angels have and what the Saints have it is borrowed the Angels are the Creatures of God and of Christ they made the Angels and so they had their light whatsoever it is from them And the Saints Ephes 5.8 Yee were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord they have their light from the Lord from Christ and from God so that this is no disadvantage unto Christ Christs light it is essential unto him it is no derived light 2 Their light is diminutive a little light it is Candle light they do understand little to what Christ doth In him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge in him is all the fulness of God which is not so in any of these these Stars the Brethren of Joseph had but a little light and Angels have but little light to God and Christ What is the light of a Torch to the light of the Sun such is the light of these to the light of God and Christ 3 The light of these is dependent light If God and Christ with-draw their influences a little how dark are they Psal 103.20 The Angels stand hearkening what God will say to them they do not know what to do but God must give them out a word of command and give them light and they depend upon him for light and so all the Saints depend upon God and Christ for light and if God do but with-draw his influences how dark are Saints and Angels so that you see the light of these is no way derogatory to the light of Christ hee is a bright and a morning Star Quest But now a Question here If Christ be a bright and a morning Star why do so few follow the light of this Star and so many follow Sathan who is the Prince of darkness and Antichrist who is darkness it self Ans The only and great Answer to this is because men are darkness themselves and love darkness Joh. 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lesh his deeds should be reproved And in vers 19. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil they love darkness they hate light and love darkness if men hate light they care not for the light of Christ that is convincing light reproving light condemning light now they hate the light and they love darkness and if the Devil and Antichrist turn themselves into Angels of Light sometimes yet that light is but darkness and they love that darkness they love Delusions love Errors love Heresies and Lyes 2 Thes 2.10 because men receive not the truth with the love of it therefore God sends them strong delusions and gives them up to beleeve the lyes of Sathan and the lyes of Antichrist that pretend light but they are lyes and they are darkness no marvel then that they follow the Beast and follow Sathan and follow the World and run the contrary way Thus you see the Point opened 1 If Christ be a bright and morning Star Application then surely it is evil and their end will be fearful and dreadful that will not follow after light but go on in sin and works of darkness whereas the very rising of this Star and shining of this Star was to dispel darkness and to shew unto men the way they should walk in Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men this Star is risen hath appeared to the whole World full of grace And to what end hath it appeared To bring Salvation and to teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Now if men will not see this light but will live ungodly unrighteously unjustly wickedly If men will follow the courses of the World then they refuse this light and what will be the issue of it 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospel be hid saith he it is hid to them that are lost If they will not see this light now that is so bright the Gospel is hid and Christ is hid and the Star is in a Cloud and the Devil hath cast a mist before their eyes and before their mindes and they are lost and undone Creatures and in Joh. 3.19 This is the Condemnation this will be the Condemnation That light is come into the world the morning Star is up the glorious Gospel is gotten out but men love darkness rather than light they love Sin they love Antichrist they love Sathan they love their Lusts and is it not a grievous thing that this Star should shine among us which the Jews have not and we should be worse than Jews that Heathens have not we should be worse than Heathens for Drunkenness for Swearing for deceiving and for defrauding one another and for all manner of wickedness O this will be the Condemnation It will be easier for Jews and Turks that have not the Gospel neither own it han for Christians that have this light this bright morning Star shining among them and walk not after it 2 If Christ be a bright and a morning Star then let us all look unto this Star for light for direction It is not good to be in the dark if you have but a little light in the dark you account it a great matter this World is full of darkness now let us look to this Star and the light of this Star You that are Mariners when you are at Sea if you can see but a Star especially the Pole-Star you think it a great priviledge and know where you are and how to steer your course and to avoyd Sands and Rocks and dangers this World is a sea of trouble a sea of sin and of affliction and wil you not look to this Pole-Star If you will look to this Star this bright and morning Star you will sayl safely you will avoyd Shipwrack you will avoyd the losing of your Souls which is the greatest loss of all O look to this Star to direct you and to guide you over the sea of this World that you may go safely to the Haven of Happiness if you sayl not by this Star you will never get to Heaven It is not sayling by your own Lusts your own Wills Humours and fancies and to live as you please If you will not live according to the light that hee hath given you out you are undone Creatures look to it wee are all sailing either down to Hell or towards Heaven well let us take our directions from this bright and morning Star and wee shall never sail the wrong way 3 If Christ bee the bright
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
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
you shall have peace of Conscience that passes understanding you shall have found Illumination and know God and Christ which is life eternall you shall have Christs wisdome Christs righteousnesse Christs sanctification Christ to be your Redemption you shall have the hidden Manna you shall have the white Stone you shall have the new name you shall be made a pillar in the Temple of God you shall be made a member of Christ you shall be made a Temple of the holy Spirit you shall have the Inhabitation of the Father and the Son and Spirit everlastingly in your soules would you have any thing that heaven hath that God hath that Christ hath come to Christ and you shall have it Againe Consider who it is that Invites you to Christ 't is not Moses 't is not Abraham 't is not Ahasuerush 't is not Hester but a greater then any of these a greater then all these when Moses spake to Pharaoh he prevailed with him to let the people goe to Mount Sinai Abraham and Lot prevailed with Angells to come in and eate and drinke with them Ahasuerush prevailed with the Nobles of 127 Provinces to come and feast with him Hester prevailed with Ahasuerush to shew mercy to Mordecai and the Jewes and to destroy Haman shall these prevaile and shall not the Lord Jesus Christ who is greater then all these prevaile Why Christ was greater then Moses Moses was a servant but Christ was a Son in the house Abraham rejoyced to see the day of Christ and he saw it Ahasuerush he was but an Earthly Prince but Christ is the Prince of life the Prince of all the Kings of the earth an eternall Prince Hester a poore captive and Christ is the Master of the marriage-feast And shall the Lord Christ now intreate Invite and beseech you to come in to come to him and will ye not hearken Pharaoh hearkens to Moses will not you hearken to Christ Angells hearken to Abraham and Lot will not you hearken to Christ Nobles hearken to Ahashuerush will not you hearken to Christ Ahasuerush hearkens to Hester and will not you hearken to Christ Let him that is athirst come come saith Christ 't is I that speake to you who am the Son of God who am the Saviour of the world who am the Everlasting Father who am the Lord of Glory who have Heaven at my dispose come come ô come in then to the Lord Jesus let not your sins let not Devills let not world let not your lusts keepe you backe from the Lord Jesus And what is it Christ calls you for why doth he Invite you is it for your hurt is it to upbraid you for your sin is it to check you for your infirmities is it to revile you and reproach you for any miscariages If it were so then you might demurre then you might argue the case then you might give a deniall but 't is for none of all these it is for your good and wholly for Your good God and Christ have no designes upon men as here men have designes one upon another If they invite you to a feast they have many times a designe upon you but God and Christ have no designes upon you 't is purely meerly totally for your good The Lord Invites you that you may pertake of his righteousnesse that you may have his wisdome his Spirit his fullnesse his Grace his Glory that you may be happie as he is happie Christ gets nothing by it you have all the gaine and all the benefit Againe Consider that Christs tendering himselfe unto you it is the greatest mercy that heaven hath to tender unto poore sinners what hath God in heaven now to doe your poore soules good withall besides Christ The Spirit comes not unless Christ send The Father hath promised him the sending of the Spirit But God he houlds out Christ to you God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. 't is the greatest mercy I say that heaven hath to tender unto you And this day in the name of the great God I do tender Jesus Christ unto you all come in and receive Christ come in and receive Christ receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be your husband to be your King to be your Prophet to be your high Priest to be your Saviour to be all in all unto you and know that if you doe refuse and will not receive Christ now offered to you if you will not let goe your lusts your drunkenness whoredome envie malice slandering and the like if you will not let goe these for Christ your damnation will be upon your owne heads salvation is brought to your doores Christ is laid before you he is held out unto you The Golden Scepter this day is held out unto you ô receive the Lord Jesus Christ And if you doe not know you provoke God more in refusing of Christ then by all the sins that you ever committed This will be the sin that will be your damnation John 3. This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light c. They love darknesse they love sin sinfull wayes sinfull lusts sinfull company and sinfull practises These you love this is The Condemnation when men will not receive Christ they make God a lyar and what an injurie is this to God that you will put the lie upon God as if God did not love the world as if God not hold out Christ to save sinners And if you receive him not you doe not bare witness to the truth of God and sett to your seales that God is true and so honour him Therefore be perswaded to come in and honour the Lord Jesus Christ What will make it so hard with those of Capernaum with those of Jerusalem at the last day but because Christ was their Prophet and there offered unto them and they would none of him We will not have this man to rule over us This is the Heire come let us kill him ô therefore it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgement easier it shall be for Constantinoble at the day of Judgement then for Stepney that will not leave your sinfull courses and fall in with Christ and live as Christ and looke for Glory hereafter Why you shall not be alwayes here and then comes an eternall condition and why will you loose Eternitie for momentary pleasures and momentary riches why will you loose Glory and loose all and have that which will a thousand times more aggravate your misery for had you not liv'd where the Gospel is preached when you come to die it would not have been so bad but when as you might have had Christ and might have had salvation and heaven and you have neglected this it will trouble you and lie sad upon you to all Eternitie and this will sinke you deeper into hell That mercy is your torment that mercy is your hell that mercy is
your damnation and so it will prove to all Eternitie to all who live under the meanes and come not in to Christ Suppose a man is in a rotten Baâ—ke at Sea and there 's a great storme arising and many Pirats abroad and the Admirall of the Sea seeing his condition sends unto him saying Friend friend come in to me and I will secure you but he refuses and anon he is taken by the Pirats carried away and put into a Dungeon now what troubles this man the Admiralls kindnesse so it will be with sinners Christ the Admirall of the Sea he calls to poore sinners come in to me I will save you from the storme I will save soule and body to all Eternitie but you refuse and at last you are taken and cast into hell and there you will lie with this upon your soules that you might have had mercy and would not ô therefore come in to Jesus Christ stand out no longer but come and give up your selves to him and live like Christ and you shall have a Heaven here and a Heaven hereafter The Water of Life Reve 22.17 And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely THis is the last Invitation of Christ unto sinners in the whole book of God and as sweet an Invitation as ever sinners mett with And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely You have here in these words first the thing tendered water of life Secondly the persons to whom the tender of it is made whosoever will Thirdly the manner of this tender and that is freely and then the Invitation it selfe let him take Let whosoever will take of the water of life freely To open the words Whosoever will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The willing man the willing one saith Christ in the 5th of John to the man that had laine long at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole saith the man I am very willing to be made whole but I cannot get into the poole I have not might and power to get into the poole I am a lame man and when the Angel stirrs the poole one or other gets in before me and so I can get no benefit saith Christ art thou willing to be healed yes then I am willing to heale thee This willingnesse that Christ requires doth not suppose any power of free-will in man but a willingnesse in man to receive for man hath not this willingnesse in him naturally Christ requires a willingnesse but this willingnesse is not in man naturally For Rom 8. It 's said The carnall minde is enmity to God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be and 2 Cor 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke a good thought there 's no willingnesse in us Coll 1.21 You are Enemies to God through wicked works in your minds If the minde be at enmitie with God there is no willingnesse to close with God Phil 2.13 The will and the deede are of God Then how comes this willingnesse here that Christ requires this willingnesse arises from the promise when a promise is made freely and generally of some choice and great mercy the very promise doth beget a willingnesse in man When a Prince shall propound some great reward unto men to doe such and such a thing they had no willingnesse to the thing before but when the promise is made it begets a willingnesse in them so when God or Christ propounds water of life salvation eternall happinesse unto men and tells them of such a good and promises it unto them the very promise begets a willingnesse in men where it was not before But we may have occasion to speake of this more hereafter And so much for the word whosoever will the willing man Let him take the water of life freely Let him take What with his hand no This water of life is not to be taken with your hands but it is to be taken by faith Praecibus deum sollicitet fide accipiat we are to sollicite God by our prayers to take it by our Faith God doth not thrust water of life upon men unwillingly or upon people that are sloathfull and sleepy but he tenders water of life to those are willing and industrious that doe seeke it let them take it Let him take the water of Life What 's this water of life There be variety of Interpretations of these words Some make this water of life to be Christ the Fountaine of living water the Fountaine of Grace and Glory Some make this water to be the Spirit who is called water frequently in the Scripture Some make this water to be the Doctrine of the Gospel Some make this water to be Grace And I thinke none of all these are out but all these may be taken in Christ is water of life The Spirit is water of life The Doctrine of the Gospel or the Gospel it selfe is water of life The gifts and Graces of the Spirit are water of life And why are they likened unto water I might spend here much time in shewing you the resemblances I will onely name them First Water clenses from filth and pollution and so doth the word of Christ so doth the Gospel so doth Grace so doth the Spirit so doth Christ You are cleane through the word that I have spoken saith Christ in the 15th of John Secondly Water softens and mollifies the hard earth so the Doctrine of the Gospel that heavenly dew The Graces of the Spirit The Spirit it selfe Christ himselfe doth soften the heart where he comes Paul was a soure peice a stubborne hearted sinner but when he met with Christ and some of this water fell upon his heart saith he What wilt thou have me to doe Lord he was soft mollified and melted Thirdly Water it is of a cooling nature it cooles the heate of the Aire and the heate of the Earth So this water of life it cooles the heate of Temptations the heate of persecution the heate of your lusts the heate of anger and passion where any of this water comes it cooles your unnaturall heate and those sinfull heates that we have contracted Fourthly Water doth make the earth to be fruitfull the earth doth fructifie by the waters dewes and raines so where any of this water comes it makes men and women fruitfull when Christ said to Zacheus This day is salvation come to thy house how fruitfull was he presently The halfe of my goods I give to the poore wonderfull fruitfull doth the water of the Gospel and the Spirit make men and women Fifthly This water doth satisfie thirst this water of life is the onely water that satisfies thirsty soules when you have a promise given in and Christ comes and the Spirit comes and divine truths are let in to your hearts how are you satisfied and refreshed Sixthly Water doth cure and heale diseases and distempers of body you goe to the waters to the Wells to the Bath
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
wayes and yet thinke that they have water of life that they are living Christians But 't is with them as with the Church of Sardis They have a name to live but they are dead indeed What reviling are there of one another what reproaching what backbiting and slandering what drunkennesse vvhat whoredome vvhat oppression vvhat defrauding vvhat contention is there brother against brother seeking to eate up one another and to undoe one another by ill language by seeking to get one from another and yet desirous to come to the Sacrament whereas when men live in hatred and strife they are murderers in the Scripture account A dreadfull thing when those that are of the same family flesh and blood walke in those wayes and pretend that they are Christians and would have the ordinances and yet will not lay downe their malice revenge and humours no not for Christ not for waters of life not for any of his ordinances All are not true Christians that thinke so all have not tasted of the waters of life that thinke so all have not Grace that imagine they have The five foolish virgins afterwards they got oyle as they thought and they came and knock at the gate of heaven but they were deceived they had not true oyle they would have been let in then That 's the first Secondly This serves for reproofe and reproofe of many that say they would gladly have waters of life they are willing and would faine have Christ Grace and the Spirit but it 's evident there is no such thing because they never prize them so as to see them better then their earthly sensuall and sinfull injoyments then their outward estates what ever is deare unto them of that nature because they never make a reall and actuall claime of them nor use the meanes to attaine them Corne wine and oyle they prize they close with and make out after and bestirre themselves so in the pursuit of them that they hazard their soules eternally for them but as for the waters of life they care little for them they have some sluggish desires after them but no strong no lasting indeavours Math 19.16 17 18 c. Luke 13.24 Therefore 't is not enough for men and women to say they would have waters of life there are many wishers and many woulders in the world but few doe truly and really will they come not up to a prizing of them to a choosing of them and to an using of all meanes for them they give not diligence to adde Grace to Grace to worke out their salvation to shake off security and sloathfulnesse and put forth themselves as a matter of life and death as indeed it is a matter of life and death to get these waters of life Thirdly If the willing man shall have the waters of life then here God is excused and justifiable in the destruction of sinners The Lord he holds out waters of life freely he saith whosoever will whosoever is willing let him take the waters of life let him live and be blessed whosoever is willing now if men perish where is the fault who is to be blamed God hath provided Christ he hath provided Gospel and ordinances provided his Spirit he holds out the promises and saith whosoever will whosoever is willing come come without money here 's water of life freely for you now if men perish where 's the fault Revel 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knock if any man will open I will come in And what if you will not open the doore if Christ doe beate downe the house and the doore and destroy him that is in it who is in the fault the fault is yours you are not willing that Christ should come in In the 19 of Luk 27. Those mine enemies that would not that I should reigne over them bring hither and slay them before me Those mine enemies that would not have me to reigne over them I come and tell them that I will cast out their enemies and I will reigne sweetly and lovingly in them and I will doe them good I will save them give them waters of life cordiall comforts and they will not vvhat then Bring those mine enemies and slay them before my face In the 23 of Math How often would I have gathered thee even as a hen doth her chickens and ye would not had ye been willing ye should have eate the fatt and dranke the sweete But ye would not now is your house left desolate Mans destruction is of himselfe and God is to be justifyed and cleer'd he makes such tenders of Grace and mercy and that freely he comes and waites upon men and calls upon them and yet they will not You have a remarkeable place 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Marke the truth was sent forth the truth came and the truth wooed them but they would not receive the Love of the truth But they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this Cause God shall send them strong Delusions that they should beleive a lie and this is made good in our dayes exceedingly for the truth hath come and knockt at the hearts of men and women and it hath not been received with the love of it Therefore God hath sent them strong Delusions that they should beleive a lie That they all might be damned who beleived not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse men and women have pleasure in unrighteousness and therefore they will not receive the truths of God And then God gives them over to strong Delusions that they might be damned would they have received the truth they should not have been damned nor had strong Delusions so that here God will be excusable and justifiable in the destruction of sinners at the last Joh 3.19 This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill This will be their Condemnation they will shut their eyes against the light they will not let truth enter and if they doe they withhold the truth in unrighteousnesse and imprison the truth as Herod did John Fourthly This serves for Exhortation Whosoever will let them take of the waters of life freely Shall all that are willing have water of life freely let us labour for this willingnesse it is a matter of great concernment it concernes your soules and bodies for the present and to all eternity to see that there be this willingness in you willingnesse to have water of life for all are not willing nay vvhen it comes to the tryall hardly one of a hundred will be found really willing to have waters of life therefore give your selves no rest night nor day till you finde a reall willingnesse to have waters of life to have Christ and the Spirit of Christ to have Grace salvation peace pardon to your soules give your selves
come to save that which was lost If any be a lost creature Jesus Christ is come to save that which was lost I hope then he is come to save me a lost creature I am a lost sheepe a lost Son I am a lost Goat surely if Christ came to save that which was lost he came to save Mee So in the 19 of Luke 10. you have it a little more full For the Son of man is come to seeke and to save that which was lost he is come to seeke it out he seekes out the Goat seekes out the lost sheepe he seekes out a lost sinner as he did the man at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole ô Lord I would faine be made whole but I have none to helpe me well saith Christ be thou whole Now see what use Paul makes of it 1 Tim 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe ô Lord doest thou come to save sinners here 's good tydings indeed Lord it 's a faithfull saying and it 's worthy of all acception it 's worthy you old ones should receive it you young ones should receive it you afflicted ones should receive it you that are conceited of your owne righteousnesse that you should receive it Jesus Christ came to save sinners what sinners soever they be great sinners old sinners that have liv'd many yeares in a height of wickednesse such as Paul was persecutors injurious persons c. If you seriously weigh this it will make you willing to have these waters of life Secondly Consider in Christ how sweetly he doth Invite you to take these waters of life If an enemy would give you water when you were thirsty would you not take it Give thine enemy to drinke if he thirst But if the dearest friend you have in all the world should say ô friend you are athirst come here 's water here 's wine here 's milke here 's any thing you would drinke you would take this well which is offer'd willingly Now have you a better friend in heaven and earth then Jesus Christ who laid downe his life and shed his blood for you saith Christ who ever will let him come take water even water of life poore soule I have taken thy nature upon me I have borne the wrath of God I have satisfyed the Law I have laid downe my life I come awooing to thee and doe intreat thee doe not damne thy selfe doe not throw thy selfe into hell poore soule take hold of me come I le leade thee to the water of life come I le give thee pardon I le give thee peace I le give thee my Spirit I le give thee my blood why doest thou drinke puddle water and poysoned water why doest thou not follow me but follow the Devill the Beast and thine owne lusts Thus the Lord Jesus Christ doth intreat us to take water of life In the 7 of Joh Christ stood up after a great seast and makes a Proclamation If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke You have been drinking wine water and such things as doe not quench the thirst of your soules But if there be any one man among you that is athirst for the waters of life let him come unto me my armes are out the waters are ready to give forth unto him let him come and drinke Thirdly Consider the promises and in them Consider three things First Consider the freenesse of the promise the promises are held out freely Whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely I require no money no qualifications or dispositions but freely take them onely be willing to take them and here they are So in the 21 Revel 6. I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely I will give unto him that is athirst that is unto him that is willing of the Fountaine of the water of life freely If a man should freely say to all the poore in a Towne come here 's an Angell apeice for every one that will come would not the poore come would not this beget a willingnesse in them It 's freely he doth not say if you be thus cloathed if your hands and faces be cleane if you be finely drest no but let every one come Though they have Leperous hands scald heads lame leggs and full of soares let them come Thus it is with the Lord Jesus his promise is free whosoever will shall freely have the water of life Secondly Consider the sufficiency and fullnesse of the promise if a promise be free and have not enough in it to releive a man then he would stick But there is a sufficiency and fullnesse in the promise Rom 8.32 He hath delivered up his Son for us all and how shall he not with him freely give us all things The promise hath all things in it all things needfull for soule and body for heaven and earth for this life or the life to come there 's enough in the promise So in the 81 Psal 10. Open thy mouth wide saith God and I will fill it let your desires be never so large there 's enough in the promise to satisfie your desires Math 5. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst they shall be satisfyed they shall have abundance of satisfaction Joh 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in more abundance would you have life and be lively Christians there 's abundance of life in Christ abundance of life in the Spirit and in the promise there 's enough to answer all your soules Then thirdly Consider the promise it is Generall it is not limited to the Jew or Gentile to one sort of men or women but it is Generall Whosoever will whosoever is willing If it were made to rich men poore men learned men noble men wise men fooles then some Question might be made but it 's tendered to all If a State offer a pardon to all the Traytors or all the Delinquents therein would not every one come in and say I am a Delinquent but here 's a pardon offered to me so every soule that is willing may come in and say Lord Jesus Thou sayest Whosoever will loe I am willing let me have water of life so that the freenesse the fullnesse and the Generall tenders of the promise unto all is a speciall meanes to beget willingnesse in us to receive the water of Life Fourthly Further Consider the excellency of these waters of life the necessitie of them the use of them these waters of life have a greater excellency in them then any thing you can Imagin there 's nothing in all the world is fit to be compared to the least drop of the water of life all your Gold Silver Diamonds and Pearles all your parts gifts and things of that nature are shaddowes to the water of life Christ with all his
merits are water of life The Spirit with all it's Graces are water of life The Gospel with all its promises are water of life and you have great necessitie of these if you have them not you will perish you will die be damned for ever if you drink not of these And of admirable use whosoever drinkes of this water they will be full of spirits and life full of peace and Comfort they will be fitted for Communion with God and man for the service of heaven and earth 7 Joh 38 39. when Christ had said unto them If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke it presently followes This spake he of the Spirit which they that beleive on him should receive and saith he out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water he shall have living water to flow out of his belly and be usefull so as to water others Fifthly Lastly Consider how easie that which the Lord requires at your hands is the Lord requires no hard matters of you onely he saith who ever will let him take the waters of life The Lord might have put hard Conditions and hard tearmes upon men and women as Saul did upon David Give me 200 foreskins of the Philistines and thou shalt have Micha my Daughter to wife as Caleb did If any man will goe and take Kiriahsephar and subdue it he shall have my Daughter Achsah Josh 15.16 He might have put you upon it as he did the young Man in Math 19. Goe and sell all that thou hast and follow me and thou shalt have waters of life but he doth not put you upon such things he saith Whosoever will let him come and drinke of the waters of life so that it is upon an easie account Therefore Consider these things and through the blessing and Grace of God they may prevaile with your hearts to be more willing then ever to have the water of life The next use is to let us see the Infinite goodnesse of God and Condecension to poore creatures That he who is greatnesse and Glory Majestie and excellency should condescend to us who are flesh blood corrupt full of guilt full of deformity having no beauty no excellency no good in us That God should condescend so farre as that upon being willing we should have waters of life as was said before he put no hard tearmes upon us but saith Whosoever will let him take waters of life that is let him take me for his Portion let him take my Son he shall be his Righteousnesse Let him take my Spirit it shall be his Sanctification Let him take my word it shall be his Light Rule and Comfort and he shall be blessed here and hereafter ô the infinite goodness and condescention of God towards poore wretches such as we are Should you have seene Solomon in all his Glory and Royalty to have stooped thus farre to a poore Blackamore full of soares and leperous having no friend to speake for her as to say Come manifest thy willingness to have me I will have thee into my house I will wash thee make thee my Queene and make thee happie had not this been wonderfull condescention in Solomon Thus is it with God We Blackamores that were in our blood and full of soares having no friend to plead for us but all against us we have no good nor worth in us Now Solomon the Prince of peace and life he comes and saith will you be sav'd poore creatures will you be washt in my blood will you goe along with me will you be happy come goe along with me I will carry you to my Father you shall sit upon a Throne and live for ever and Injoy God ô the goodnesse and condescention of God to poore sinners Lastly Here is matter of Comfort unto those that doe desire and thirst after waters of life The Doctrine saith Those that are willing shall have waters of life and the text saith Who ever will let him take the waters of life Waters of life are prepared and reserved for those are willing for those are thirsty therefore he saith in the 21 Revel 6. If any man thirst he will give him of the Fountaine of the water of life freely It may be you thirst and you are willing but you still want the waters of life is it so waite patiently you shall have waters of life in due time and they are worth the waiting for we can waite for a Bottle of wine it may be two or three houres and for a ship of wines many moneths and will not you waite for waters of Life Every promise is a tree of life and the fruit is growing and when it 's ripe for you you shall have it every one is a bottle of wine and when it pleases God he will unstop it powre out the wine into your hearts you shall have Christ and the Spirit to seale you up to the day of Redemption you shall have the blood of Christ to wash you you shall have God himselfe and all that is good therefore waite Doe but Consider a little of the Prodigall in the 15 of Luke And when he came to himselfe he said how many hyred servants of my Father have bread enough but I perish for hunger I will arise and goe to my Father and say c. And he arose and came to his Father Now marke here 's the Prodigall and what saith he there 's bread enough in my Fathers house there 's water of life in my Fathers house here 's none but stones hereâ—s none but swill for swine in my Fathers house there 's bread he prizes it I will goe eat of that bread he chooses it and then he pursues it I le goe saith he and so goes and makes all the speed he can to get to his Fathers house and have it And was he long without it See what followes And he arose and came to his Father but while he was a great way off his Father saw him had Compassion ran and fell on his neck and kisses him the Son saith Father I have sinned c. But the Father saith to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and shooes on his feete and bring hither the fatted Calfe and kill it and let eat and be merry and the like When you are willing thus to have water of life the Father sees you a farr off and saith there 's one a coming to me there is one coming for bread for water of life and what then God will run and meete such an one he shall not be long without his water he will kisse and imbrace him and give him water of life he will give him wine marrow fattnesse and all that is good Therefore be not you discouraged but moove towards your Fathers house towards the water of life and it shall be brought forth unto you and given you in abundance FINIS A TABLE OF The Chief Heads