that will come come Christ loudly calls you and the Spirit still invites you and the Bride would faine perswade you from her own experience that she hath of this river why will you not then come away and take the water of life you may have it if you will now take it freely so saith the Bride and the Spirit And now friends ye see what this river is how freely you may have it yea you I meane the worst of sinners come away then come away and drinke abundantly come I say for the name of God come and drink For the name of God what is that His goodnesse and his kindnesse his unchangeable goodnesse his transcendent goodnesse his infinite goodnesse O for this his goodnesse sake come and drink for the name of Christ come and drinke For the name of Christ what is that His love his love his bleeding love his dying love his living love his eternall love O for Christ his loves sake sinners come away for the name and sake of the Spirit come and drink The name of the Spirit what is that His freeing name his sealing name his comforting sweet name his leading name his pleading name sake come away O sinner in the name of God and for the sake of God Christ and the Spirit come and drinke O sinner I should invite thee too for thine own soules sake but what is that to God Christ and the Spirits sake but stay me thinks I heare one say what is it to drinke of this river of life First it is to delight your selves in it yea drinke for delight as well as for thirst O then ye sonnes of men why will ye not come hither that your soules might be delighted with draughts of living water Secondly yea drinke to quench your thirst O come and quench your thirst in this pleasant river yea quench all kinds of thirst in your soules your thirsts for profits pleasures and contents come quench them here for here you may and no where else men who have runne to creatures to quench their thirsty soules have found them all a lie and so will you too who run and call for creature waters to quench their feverish soules Thirdly ye drink to coole your selves come hither drinke drinke and then ye shall lay all your heates your worldly heates your lustfull heates your sinfull heats O thou laborious Worldling thy bottle will be empty what shall thy soul then do when death like night comes on thee I say what will you doe O me thinks I heare thee even crying out drink drink or else I die I die Why doe you not give me drink but let me thus lye burning and dying too for thirst of that which once was freely offered to mee but now cannot be bought with prayers teares nor cryes nor all my worldly riches which I once overvalued and thirsted after more then God Christ or heaven have you never heard dying worldlings thus complain surely you have why doe you not that are alive and living come then unto this river and drink of this same water and thee I would too who art heated with lust with burning lust of uncleannesse pride passion and such like fiery distempers burning in thy soul as if hell fire was already kindled in thee O friends those lusts which lye so secret smothering in thy soule will one day breake forth into dreadfull flames burning round about thee Have you never seen a dying sinner dispairing of mercy lie in the midst of these flames burning and dispairing and no friend able to bring him any comfort no not in the least Againe ye drink for comfort to comfort your hearts but poore hearts know this there is no true comfort but in God Christ and the river and unlesse you come to this river of pleasure this soul-comforting water of life ye shall live comfortlesse ye shall die comfortlesse and be damnd for want of it God hath decreed true comfort shall be no where but in himself his Son and river John 15.26 ye know Christ promised his Disciples a comforter and what was that Comforter I pray but the Spirit and the river mentioned O me thinks I might perswade you to this river a drop a drop of it will sweeten any condition art thou poore sick weak what aylest thou man take a drop take a drop of this river I will warrant you comfort but here I would invite and not discourage for a world such poor Christians that are heated with temptations and corruptions that they goe mourning and sighing by reason hereof and Satans temptations filling them with feares and doubts that they cry out like David O I shall one day perish by corruption and temptation such a corruption sayes one and such a corruption sayes another me thinks they grow stronger and stronger and I feare at last will be my ruine O my friend let me tell thee two things and doe thou remember them First no soule is damnd for the presence of sin but for the love of sin marke me I say it is not the presence of sin but the love of sin that damns My second word is this to thee O complaining sinner sinne flutters most when it hath its deaths wound as soon as Christs comes into our hearts he wounds sinne to the heart as I may so say by giving a sight of it a dislike and hatred to it Well thus Christ wounds sinne and it may be now sinne like some fowle whose necke is broken beats the wing and flutters as if it were alive well so doth sinne whose neck Christ hath broken in the soule beates the wing and fluters keepes more sputter now then ever Well friend remember these sputterings are the death pangs of sinne I the death pangs and be but patient thou shalt plainly see them to be no otherwise and therefore doe not fill thy heart with feares of ruine for it shall never be for thou like David shalt overcome Saul thine enemy I meane corruption but in the meane time come away to the river drinke drinke and it will strengthen thee and coole thee O but now me thinks I heare some soule say I would drinke with all my heart but I am an unworthy poore sinner O friend the more poore the more worthy to Christ art thou poore then goe to Christs doore he feeds the poore but the rich he sends empty away Againe Thou art unworthy What dost thou meane by unworthy Thou seest no reason why Christ should give thee the water of life nor the Spirit I beleeve thou dost not I verily beleeve thou art unworty in thy self and cannot see any reason why Christ should give thee the water of life But Friend know there is a worthynesse in Christ and so thou mayst be worthy or any poore sinner who layes hold on Christs worthynesse and so goes to the Father in the worthynesse of the Son for the water of life and the river But to be plaine with thee thou art indeed a proud
is he that readeth and he that heareth But I come to the words and will open them or at least will hint something from them according to my weake and glimmering light And first We have the rise of this River and that is the Throne of God and of the Lambe which I conceive to be his own everlasting glory in which he dwels and lives or otherwise the glorious union of the divine nature which sets up one another as a Throne a Prince the Father sets up the Sonne the Sonne reveales the Father the Spirit sets up and is sent forth by both which is the River Secondly For the nature of this River It is pure He shewed me a pure river of water so saith David With thee is the well of life so pure this River is pure pure indeed First In its nature and rise it proceeded from the pure fountaine of Gods Glory or the Throne of God and the Lambe and so it is pure for nature Secondly It is pure for operation it purifieth where it runneth and so it is like the refiners fire and fullers sope purifying the sonnes of Levi which is by washing them in the blood of Christ and leading them in and by the commands of Christ Thirdly It is cleare yea so cleare as it cannot be compared to any thing but the Chrystall O the Chrystall stone it is the clearest of all stones Diamonds are darke and cloudy many but the Christall stone it is the clearest of all you may see through and through it so cleare is this River you may see through and through all eternities by it from eternity to eternity and mystery to mystery Christ in earth Christ in glory Christ in flesh Christ in spirit and all cleare We with open face behold the glory of God as in a glasse and are changed from glory to glory but by the spirit of the Lord the River from the Throne Fourthly He shewed me a pure river of life I that is the well of life saith David 36.8 Here is the excellency of this river it is a living river and a life-giving river so saith Christ He that shall drinke of this water that I shall give him meaning this river shall never thirst againe but shall have a living satisfaction in it and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water O the worth of this living river this life-giving river endlesse life and glory Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God so may I say of thee O River of God whose streames refresh the City of God Psal 46.4 Well I know yee perceive by this what this river this living river so pure and cleare as Christall flowing from the Throne of God and the Lambe as proceeding from both sent forth by both to water the Paradice of God yea every plant and tree especially those that want most Well are you satisfied what this river means that John tells you is so pure so clear I beleeve you are but take this Scripture too however John 7. v. 37. in the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood up saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water and this spake he of the Spirit which they should receive beleeving in him Hearken O heavens heare O earth give eare O ye inhabitants of the world O what a proclamation is here for you from a sweet and bountifull Christ to a poore and thirsty sinner what the river of life to any one high low rich poor yong old bond free yea any one that will come by beleeving O free O bountifull Christ inviting sinners to a river yea a living river to drinke their fils and yet a drop is more worth then ten thousand rivers of oyle yea the oyle of spices yea the sweetest spices O christian friend here is the well of life indeed here is the fountaine of life indeed here is the river of pleasure I and the sweetest pleasure too lies in this streame for it is the river of life endlesse endlesse life and glory And heare now O ye sons of men how loudly Christ calls poore sinners to come to this Chrystall river in the Scriptures before John saith Christ stood up in the midst of the feast upon the great day where multitudes were gathered and cried out with a loud voice saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O sweet Saviour of sinners how doest thou scatter life and pardon to all by standing up and proclaiming loudly a river of life to all thoughts of graces and bounty are free so saith Davids Psalm Free indeed when unto all and see the like proclamation Revel 22. v. 17. the 〈◊〉 of God and Christ the heavenly Jerusalem the misery of soules being spoken of by John that are shut out of this glory A proclamation is again made supposing upon the former considerations carelesse sinners will mind their eternall happinesse being concerned 〈◊〉 Well the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him 〈◊〉 beareth say come and whosoever is a thirst let him come and take the water of life freely freely O friends mee thinks this proclamation cries room room expecting as it were the whole world would now follow Christ for this water of life the river of life and yet where is the man that stirres if a Prince should ride a circuit with an Herald and make a proclamation of lands and livings to all that would accept them How O how then would all men run and tumble O friends Christ proclaimes both lands and livings jewels crowns and kingdomes nay more ten thousand times more a river of life and glory and men will scarcely stirre arise arise sots and heare if you be not deaf and cannot O the Spirit invites and bids you come too the eternall Spirit of God one with God the third person in the Trinity of God shall this eternall Spirit of God one with God comming down from God inviting you in the name of God and for your own soules sake to accept of this river of God sent forth by God for the glory of God shall this invitation he slighted O must not this be a high contempt of God and a great afront to the Spirit of God sent to thee by God so to be slighted O thou slighting carelesse foolish sinner Sinner this contempt of the Spirits invitation may cost thee thy soule thy soule I say thy everliving soule if thou dost not quickly minde it Secondly the Bride bids you come the Lambs wife the Spouse of Christ united to Christ being married with Christ by the Spirit of Christ in faith divine love and sweet obedience to Christ O she hath drunk of this river well may she say come all that will come come she knowes by experience this to be the river of life and pleasure and therefore she saith come away come away or else you die you die and now O every one
sinner thou art proud I say and art ashamed to have this water of life on Christs owne termes freely but wouldst faine buy the river by a worthynesse in thy selfe O let me see thee let me see thy face ô covetous man What wouldst thou buy Christs purchase over his head that is the plaine english of it get thee gone O proud sinner and come againe beggar-like with a Bottle and a Dish that is a a poore empty and unworthy soule this is the way man if thou meanst to speed for truly I think for a sinner to bring any thing of his own worthynesse to God and Christ is as great a sinne as thou canst commit this is an affronting sinne it affronts God and Christ as if they were sellers of the water of life which they can as freely give to a thirsty soule as raine to the thirsty ground What cost or charge or labour is it for God to raine downe showers to water the earth when it lyes gaping for it I say it is no charge or labour to God who hath his clouds and bottles full and a word from God and they straight shower down and doe not give over till they have satisfied the dry ground so truly can and will God raine down this water of life to a poore and thirsty soule gaping for it When the poore and needy cry for water and there is none I the Lord will heare Isaiah 41. But againe I say as at first this is an affront to God and Christ to bring any thing for a paile yea a soule full of the water of life it is the high-way to overturne his free grace which God will have exalted above the heavens and that it might be known in the earth he freely sent yea gave his Sonne unsought uncravd and will he sell the river thinke you that is purchased by his Sonne doe not thinke so it overturnes the glory of his free grace freely offered unto all that freely will accept it and this was Gods designe to make his glory known unto the sons of men which they have little minded I say the designe of God from all eternity was to set up his name his free grace in giving Christ the bread of life and the Spirit the water of life freely to the sonnes of men Iohn 6.48.32.33 and 48.9.10 Iohn 4.20.21 Iohn 7.37 O God delights to make all his attributes known his Justice Power Wisdome But the glory of his grace freely giving Christ and the Spirit This is that which especially he would have exalted in the world and the sonnes of men admire him in God would be admired for his bounty to give so like himselfe a Christ a River of life freely I say God thinks not much to give all this for the magnifying of his free grace that his bounty and himselfe might be admired and we the sonnes of men cry out and say who who is a God like unto thee that pardons iniquity by forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne giving life Christ and the Spirit freely Now I say this was Gods designe Before all worlds and for this designes sake even the glory of his grace Iohn 3. v. 16. he gives his Sonne and Spirit freely Now when a Soul will not come to God nor accept of God his Sonne the Spirit freely but would bring some kind of worthynesse for his Sonne and river thou overturnest this grace shearly overturnest it O what a fearfull thing is this to buy Christs river I tell thee thou buying Christian Christ will not sell one drop for Iewels Gold nor Silver for he bought to give and thou talkst of buying by so much repentance tears and I know not what O but now me thinks I heare some poore soule say I see no worthynesse in my selfe neither looke I after a worthynesse or expect to have a drop of the river of life for any worthynesse of my owne I loath my selfe and condemne my selfe for I finde my selfe wholly carnall fold under sinne and in the selfe condemning way have I like a Beggar waited at Christs doore for the bread and water of life praying and craving Christ for it night and day but I am still unserved and yet I see thousands served who have not waited half so long as I. Well friend Beggers must be so served that they may learne how to wait if you give a Beggar he like a Fidler straight is gone and many have served Christ so sometimes for a creature comfort for a supply of helpe in time of need for a wife for a childe sometimes given by Christ sometimes spared by Christ from death in sicknesse which as soon as Christ hath given them they straight runne away and scarce say I thank you Christ but runne straight away till they know not what to doe for another such like Almes and Friend many serve Christ so for the river of life O they would faine have the water of life and are night and day at Christs doore by prayers sermons c. When Christ hath once served them with a prettie deale of assurance about the river and their soules these beggars straight are gone away into the worlds cares and pleasures where Christ heares no more of them for the river nor nothing else a long time after but this Christ takes very unkindly from them that they should as soon as ever their own turn is served by Christ come no more at Christ till some great necessitie even drives them and it may be Christ sees thee that thou wouldst serve him so too and therefore makes thee wait a little a little do you call it when I have waited whilst many have been served and some that I know very well but I am still unserved Wel friend do not be angry if Christ makes the last first the first last by this they all learn to wait Christs leasure which is a lesson he wil teach his poore who beg for the bread of life the river of life and such things I say he will learne them all I all to wait his leasure first or last But stay my friend it may be thou art served already I have seen beggars well served and yet begging presently after as if they were starved it may be thou doest do so about the river let me ask thee one question and answer me truely have you never had no bread nor water from Christ at no time Yes I must confesse the truth and will seeing you put me to it I was one time very earnestly begging in my closet all alone by prayer and then Christ indeed gave me a good draught of the water of life the bread of life I mean the Spirit which satisfied me for two or three dayes and made my heart very lightsom and chearfull And I will tell you of another time when I was at a sermon where I got a sup and a bit too for he was speaking how freely Christ did give poore sinners the river of life the well of life the
his river and therefore friend sit down it is midnight yet in thy soul if the day break and Christ the starre arise in thee thou shalt see this river yea the depth of it in some measure a depth beyond all depths thou ever metst withall Here one depth calls to another like the eccho to the voice Gods decrees and purposes answered by his Sonne These depths are clearly seen by looking into this river and if thy sight be strong indeed then thou shalt see the sonnes of men like precious stones and pebbles lying in the bottome from thence plummed up by Christ to swim a top as in a sea of pleasure Eightly a river is cool and bathing we go to rivers in Summer heats to cool and bath our bodies O come hither and bath your Souls your heated Souls heated with sinne heated with guilt heated with apprehensions too of wrath heated with Satan and temptations truly many a poore soul is heated by sinne and then chased by Satan for his sin so heard that his soul even fainteh well friend my advice is come unto this river for here thou mayest cool and bath thee Ninthly a river is alwayes moving and working so is the Spirit it is active in the souls of Gods people though sometimes not descerned I sleep but my heart awaketh saith the Spouse in the Canticles Thou art dead and dull in praier many times but the Spirit being wakefull sees thee and after chides thee for it sometimes thou art nodding in the creature but the Spirit wakes and jogges thee by secret calling on thee which if thou refusest to heare then he sayes little for the present but sends some afflictions to thee and if that do not do then he sends another and another every one sharper then the former and so makes thee heare to the purpose agine in the tenth place A river is reflective ye may see your selfe or shadowes in a river and by the Spirit you may see your self your face your souls your hearts your natures and affections the heart saith Salomon who knows it truly none but the Spirit and the Spirit dwelling in it therefore by the by Thou that sayest and complainest of a hard and sinfull heart sure it is the Spirit in thy heart that gives thee thus to see it and all its windings from God which are more then the doores of Solomons Temple Secondly it shows you your nature and corruptions which have more sinne in it then there is poison in the world sinne in nature is like an old running sore which cannot be stopped or if it be it breaks out again so sinne in nature stops pride and out comes covetousnesse stop that and out comes pride and prodigalitie stop up that and then back againe to old unwearied father worldling drunkennesse stopt does the like lust runs as long as it can in old filthy fornicators but when it is spent they turne to baudy talkers I have seen old carnall fellows laugh and wiker at their youthfull pranks in the feasts and Iunkets yea such as have had one foot in the grave poore miserable men did they know their own condition the reckoning they must give for every idle word and every sinfull action which Christ speaks in Matthew one thought one serious thought of that would strike us dead as Belshazzar that great King was at the hand-writing in the midst of his feast with his Nobles dinking healths in bowls of Gold his countenance fell his joynts loosened and his knees knockd one against another no more but remember this filthy sinner Thirdly it showes your affections and which way they stream and run a man by nature can never see how wide they run from God and Christ sometimes biasse drawn by a wife a child a husband sometimes by the world and the worlds pleasures profits which like two strumpets entises all not kept by Christ and as dangerously takes them as that strumpet Salomon acquaints the young man with and how her paths go down to hell Again by the Spirit you may see your name in the Lambes book your wedding robe and Supper with your rest and glory in the Throne of Christ O thou foolish man that spendest thy dayes in gazing up and down the world let me exhort thee to come hither for here 's an object worth the seeing and thou O Christian friend let me intreat thee also to looke into this river this clear and Christall river but stay a little me thinks I heare one say what is it to look into this river First it is not to look into your own light for that is blind and hath no reflection at all Secondly it is not to look with anothers light for that is as if you would look by anothers eyes but to be short if you would see this pure living river First come in Gods light to see and then ye shall see is it not a thousand better lights that will show you the greatest light a thousand candles cannot show the sunne nay a thousand torches nor a thousand starres cannot you must see him by his owne light or not at all but first look into this river by the light of God and then it will be a river of pleasure indeed unto thy soul all its streames will be pleasurable and glad thy very heart Psal 46.4 there is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the City of our God Yea all its turnings will delight thy soul Secondly Looke in this river by the light of Christ he is the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world and therefore called the light of lights Iohn 8.12 I that is the right way indeed if ye mean to see if men will neglect God and Christs light then let me tell them they shall never see they shall never finde this well of life this river of life let them look their eyes out let them look their lives out wise men have tryed wise men strived but Oh alasse in vaine for they could never find it but rather more were blinded The Father shewes us the Sonne and the Sonne shewes us the Father No man knowes the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne reveales him no man knowes the Sonne but the Father and he to whom the Father doth the like So likewise the Spirit shewes the Sonne Behold the Lambe of God so saith the Sonne Behold the River of God as in this text and all the world cannot shew us the Father but the Sonne nor all the world cannot shew us the Sonne but the Father Behold this day saith God have I begotten him nor all the world cannot shew us the Spirit nor the River of life the Well of life nor the Fountaine of life but the Sonne therefore saith Christ Buy of me eye salve that yee may see Rev. 3. last v. How blind was Bartholmew till Christ came and opened his eyes just so was thy soule and is thy soule without Christ I am the light
me no man can see the Father but by the Son and he to whom the Son doth reveal him And then he told me further that the father reveals the sonne and the sonne the father and both the spirit and the river by giving of it to the sonnes of men and so indeed he lead me up and down in a mis-maze for I had never in all my life before heard so much talk of revealing and I know not what of the father sonne and spirit and the river for so he called the spirit saying it was a pure clear and living river still talking of I know not how many lights and I never knew but of one here which rules the day So thought I what doth this man mean by his lights but he turned I know not how about to a light of God and a light and life of Christ or in Christ I think he called it saying it was the surest and safest and the sweetest the happiest best and blessedest life of all lives that the soul lived when it lived in God the fountaine of light and life endlesse light and endlesse life For indeed God is the life of our lives the root of our lives the fountain of our lives we live in our own element said he when we live in God and when we live out of him we pilgrime like wander up and down the world begging preservation of every poore creature which is a sad condition for a noble soul yea we bury our selves as in a grave of darknesse which few loves being nothing but wandering and rottennesse earth turning into earth but in one word I wind up all the river is the Spirit the eternall spirit of God by which he doth all in the world yea all his mighty works he binds Kings and looses Captives breaketh nations and binds them up again and as Kings and Nations private men and persons are bound and loosed comforted and wounded and all by this Spirit Oh then doth it concern all high low rich and poore to embrace this spirit for if ye slight him he can smite you wound you kill you and damne soul and body O then come and kisse this enlightning Sonne as David speaks of Christ in his second Psalm lest that he be angry it s said of this Sun that rules the day that it shall one day break forth in such flames of heat brightnesse that it shall scorch and burn up Mountains the spirit will do the same yea every man and woman in one way or other some in love most in dreadfull wrath and vengeance for neglecting and abusing the love grace and mercy which he once freely tendred them which they little minded being like the old world buying felling marrying all the time of Noahs arkes building yea untill the very flood came but then how did they run and tumble O me thinks I see the whole world shifting some to the hills others to the mountains some climbing trees and cedars and getting up to steeples whilst others wade to Noah yea beg and hang upon his Ark crying Noah Noah Noah for pitie take us in but he is secure and minds not all their skreeks and cryes nor their dolefull mourning for their drowned souls this he little minds for he is safe and his Ark arises by the mighty waters in the which he rides more and more steady the higher that they rise carying him at last over hils and mountaines and all kindes of dangers And now he sings this unto himselfe God hath safely housed me God hath safely kept me in a shelter from the raines which the black and melancholy heavens have weeped day and night for the sinnes of men till they were drowned with teares well Noah is yet safe the hangers on the Ark washt off screeks and cries over all swimme up and down the deluge Well the mighty waters doe beginne to beat and the heavens smile by clearing up againe Noah sends out his Dove shee soone returnes he againe doth the like she brings in an Olive branch an Emblem of peace to all in the Ark. Well this Ark is Christ and none there is but he that can safely shelter from all kinde of danger and yet this Ark is open and ready to receive all that will come in at the Spirits invitation but what if they doe not the Spirit will break forth in dreadfull flames of fire drying up the Seas and burning of the Mountaines none no not one escaping but those in the Ark. Well friend minde this Christ is the Ark the Spirit is the River God the Fountaine too of light life and glory shall all be neglected then thou art undone O unhuppy soul ill betide the time and cursed be the day that ever thou wast born Revel chap. 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be written upon their foreheads O Christians from these words give mee leave to speake a little my thoughts for to you is this promise and if God give in the sweetnesse of it to you it will be as a little hony yea as a lick of that Manna which Christ will give to his Saints to feed on Revelations 2.17 And first these words they are a Promise of God to his people who are the persons to whom this Promise is made Secondly The Promise it selfe which is They shall see my face that is the thing O christian promised heare Thirdly For the time that is a comming they shall not yet but they shall from whence denote the certainty of it And truly friends if you did but consider this promise and the certainty of its accomplishment it would be like Moses little stick which did sweeten the bitter water which the Isralites could not drinke before he had throwne in his stick So I thinke it would sweeten any condition a Saint meets with in this world though never so bitter be thou sick be thou weake be thou poore for these conditions are they subject too as well as any therefore hath God made a thousand of such kinde of promises to his Saints to support them here Sometimes he tels them They shall drinke of the River of his pleasure and be abundantly satisfyed with the fatnes of his house Psa 36.8 A second Promise to them is this They shall eat of the Manna that is hid A third They shall see my face I will speake no more of them pray remember these three in all your troubles by faith feed your soules on them they will not onely comfort your hearts but consolate your troubled soules O they will make you well in sicknesse they will also make you rich in poverty they will make you feast in hunger they will make you sing in prison live in death yea triumph over death yea all kindes of death Christians you know this I know yee know it in some measure but what is the reason you doe not make use of these and such like Scripture sweet promises in the times of troubles You will say you
comming down as a Bride and now what shall I say of this Jerusalem comming down in her bravery First she is richly cloathed for it is in the righteousnesse of God which is sometimes called a decking or trimming with ear-rings or jewels Isaac trimmed Rebecka so and how lovely was she then in his eyes surely very lovely O when Christ shall look on his Rebecka trimmed with his righteousnesse as with ear-rings and jewels how lovely will she then be will he not then say Thou art all faire my love thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes as Solomons songs 4.9 Yea she will ravish as I may so say the very heart of God to behold her in his Sons righteousnesse or bravery in the day of her espousals to him when she is thus cloathed as a Bride for Christ the King of kings O now who can behold any deformity in her she is invisibly cloathed and covered with his righteousnes from head to foot as I may so say FINIS Revel chap. 3.20 Behold I standat the doore and knocke and if any man hear my voyce c. I Shall very briefly hint at these words without any preface at all Behold that is a word seriously to consider 2. The Person I what I is it I the Lord of life light and glory 3. His Posture Behold I stand I the King of Kings and Lord of Lords O high and low great and humble Christ 4. the Place Where is that At the doore Behold I stand at the doore 5. Behold I stand at the doore not gazing up and down but I stand knocking for this end to see if any man will heare and open and then I will come in and sup with him or refresh him with my presence But first Behold this is a word never used in Scripture but upon some very serious great and weighty matter this word Behold in Scripture is like a fiery Beakon on a mighty Hill which is to give warning to all Inhabitants round about or like the silver Trumpet in the Law which was blowne to call the People of God together to the worship and service of God or like a Larum in the night to the Souldier which cries arme arme arme all or like an Ensigne or Banner which being displaid gathers all to heare and see For these reasons the Spirit useth it in Scripture Bhold a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and his name shall be called Jesus Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world John 1.29 Behold I come quickly Revel 3. And so in the last of the Revelations to which the Spouse saith Amen come Lord Jesus come quickly Secondly Take notice of his patience Behold I stand I the Lord of life and glory I the Saviour of the world I the Sonne of God the Lambe of God that was dead but am alive and live for evermore I that have this title on my thigh the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with the keyes of death hell in my hand binding loosing and remitting whom I please Thirdly His Posture he stands he sits not Behold I stand and knocke What is that wait for admittance which doth denote his humility and patience O humble Christ Lord of life light and glory King of Nations Saints and Angels how dost thou abase thy selfe to wait the sinners leisure If a great man should wait at a beggers doore how would men wonder Loe Christ waits at thy doore O beggerlesse sinner here is humility indeed Christ the King of Kings who hath ten thousand times ten thousand Angels at his heels waits at thy doore O gentle sinner did you ever see a Prince with his Nobles waiting at a beggers doore no I dare say no but heare is Christ the Prince of Princes waiting at the sinners doore whilst Angels and arch-Angels waits for a beck with all readinesse to doe his will and this they count their heaven too Princes uses to send their pardons to malefactors but Christ brings them and waits the sinners leisure too Christ seeing thou hast abased thy selfe God shall highly exalt thee above all the Princes of the Earth and Angels too in Heaven for to which of them hath he said Sit thee on my right hand till I make thy enemies thy footstoole O all must submit to Christ and therefore it is said At his name shall every kneee bow both in heaven earth and under the earth that is to say Angels men and Devils must submit or be disposed by his appointment to light life and glory or wrath hell or darknesse even which he please but it denotes his patience too as well as humility if men be not ready to receive courtesie we usally withhold them But Christ waits with patience the sinners leisure who is ever busie when Christ comes to him in his house or calling the pleasures profits of the world buying selling eating drinking marrying like the old world who could not all heare Noahs preaching no more then they at Christs knocks O Christ Why shouldest thou wait seeing the sinner is so carelesse to neglect his own welfare Because I am God and not man and my patience must be like my selfe farre above yours as the Heavens are above the earth so is my patience above all Men and Angels and if it were not so I should have no admittance no where for I come to no sinners doore but they make me stand and wait sometimes they doe not know me and sometimes they will not know me and seldome it is too they minde me unlesse it be in some great trouble sicknesse death or danger and then they cry help help with their bitter teares helpe O Christ helpe which many times I doe and after comes and sees them Doctor like when they are well and free but then they think I am paid by their old prayers and so will scarse admit me or desire me to sit down my company now is burthensome though once they thought it otherwise in their distresse and misery But O Christ thou art the desire of all Nations who would not desire and minde thee for thou givest Jewels Crownes and Kingdomes yea Life Light and Pardons to all that do admit thee but even the sinner mindes not nor knowes not thy gifts nor the richnesse of it or at least way see no want of pardon light or knowledge no if he did he would not stay so long waiting at his doore how long O Christ ten yeares at some and twenty yeares at others yea forty yeares have I waited till I was greived with them and swore they should never enter in unto my rest Well sinner happy is it Christ hath so much patience to waight thy leasure do not abuse this patience lest he leave thee and forsake thee and swear against thee by damning of thee for neglecting and abusing his goodnesse many poor souls are in hell now for this very sinne neglecting Christs patience standing at their hearts knocking for admittance
doe you doe quoth he yee doe not to any purpose witnesse your whining pining sithing and continually sorrowing after a husband a wise a childe And how doth another complaine for losse of trading O my poverty comes on me like an armed man mistake me not I know christians have bowels of compassion more then any and may moderately complaine for friends and want but should they should they greive as men unhappy without hope of ever enjoying of that they they have lost No no they should not my Husband is dead but my Christ is alive and lives for ever my Wife is dead yet am I the Spouse of Christ and because he lives I shall live John 17. I have lost my Childe but yet am I the Child of God the Son of God Heires joynt-Heires with Christ my estate is spent and because of that the world will not smile friends look strange because of poverty I was wont but now cānot see their faces in my distresse well what of that art thou troubled at this O happy christian God hath promised that thou shalt see his And they shall see my face saith God Rev. 22.4 the words I first named what is that thou calst thy face O my God what is it this my glory man O Lord how wonderfull is that Heaven and earth is full of thy Glory Psal 8.9 all the glories of this world are but shadowes of thy glory yea all the glory of Heaven Angels and arch-Angels Cherubims and Seraphims are but the reflecting shadowes of thy glory thy uncreated glory thy increated glory O my God when Moses begged to see this thou wouldst not alas poore soule he could not No man can see my glory and live but time is a comming when they shall see my glory my naked glory and live yea live by seeing and see by living by living in it by living to it in singing praises alwayes before it and then O happy Christian shalt thou forget all former things all former sorrows all former feares all former griefs O how then will these things passe away and be forgot as if they had never been I remember Peter having but a glimpse of Moses and Elias glory in the mount desired then to live and to die in that mount but thou O precious Christian shalt live and never dye in this mount mount Sion heavenly Jerusalem where thou shalt see Moses yea a thousand Moses and ten thousand times ten thousand glorious Saints as well as he with as many Angels with God and Christ excelling all ten thousand times over and over againe O but when will that day come that I a poore Gentile sinner shall see this glory Heavens Saints and Angels excelling glory will it come doe thou say it will come and it will make amends for all it is now a comming Paul saith We see now but darkly as in a glasse we shall see him then naked as he is Christ tels thee friend in John 17 22. And the glory that thou hast given me I have given them that they may be one O Father as we are one Here thou seest that Christ prayes for this day and yet thou as kest shall this day ever come O friend know this that what ever Christ prayes for he wils and what he wils shall come to passe as in John 17.24 Father I will that all these thou hast given me may be with me even where I am to behold my glory Christs glory is Gods glory and Gods glory is Christs glory and this wils Christ that yee may see O said the Queene of Sheba once to Solomon Happy are those that tend thee and see thy glory Thrice happy yea ten thousand times thrice happy are they O Christ whom thou wilt shalt see thy glory in thy Kingdome in thy Throne O my Christ it is said that the Kings and the Captaines too shall hide themselves in their dens and among the rocks and mountaines crying to the rocks and calling to the mountaines to fall on them from thy glory and thy presence Revel 6.15 And this I will saith Christ to confound mine enemies which will not that I should reign over them or in them had they hearkened to mee or accepted of mee my righteousnesse when time was they should not have need to be ashamed of their nakednesse or call and cry to the hils to cover their poor soules but this is just seeing they did when time was reject me this in one day shall come on them but when these things shall come on them like travels on a woman ye shall lift up your heads with boldnesse because my glory and yours too drawes neer O frinds no marveile that wicked men shall runne to the caves and dens and rocks to hide themselves in for the Saints shall in that day shine as so many sunnes and Christ as a sunne to all O glorious day O day of dayes that is now a comming this is that day that the righteous shall shine in the kingdome of their Father Matth. 13.43 Then when they see the face of God and Christ and this is nothing but the reflects of Gods glory beaming out on the Saints in the beholding of his face but yet this glory is not all that is implied when God saith Ye shall see my face For it implies as well as his glory his love and delight which you know are most apparant in the face for you judge of mens love and affections by the face and countenance so that to see this face is to see his love and delight in you and on you Delight ariseth out of love and flowes from love as affections from relations But of this love and delight what shall I say and first for this love this pure love flowing from the fountaine of love yea divien love Secondly it is sweet love yea sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe Thirdly it is strong love and long love first it is strong love for it so bindes the Saint yea so strongly binds him by its discoveries to him that as with coards his soul is drawn to love and bound and cannot but love yea love still more and more this is that love that is stronger then death yea then death that kills all things but cannot this love nor never shall O death I will be thy death saith Christ so saith love I am and still will be but thou like fading time shall be no more The Angel swore that time should be no more Revel 10. v. 6. But for love Christ wills that it shall be for ever Iohn 17. v. 23. let the world know saith Christ to the Father that thou hast loved them as thou lovedst me O when God shall cease to love his Christ then Christ shall cease to love his Saints O friend God cannot but love his Son nor he but love his Father nor both but love the Saints and they that be wrapt thus up in love must needs and cannot but love againe and thus this love binds up
seen the shore again lesse if less could be did your souls think to have seen this day which now you see what I can do and bring about that you might prize my face at last But in the fourth place whereas God doth promise they shall see his face It doth imply that great reward by which he will reward his servants that serve him so that Christians doe not fight as if there was no crown nor worke as if no wages O saith Paul I have fought the good fight I have finished the course and henceforth is laid up for me a Crowne of life and not for me onely but for all that love his appearance too And therefore Christian be thou faithfull unto the death and thou shalt have the Crowne of life Revel 2.10 Where Christ promised it unto thee for the incouraging of thee Christminded his owne glorie and so maiest thou as well as Moses see Christ speaks of it yea demands the Crown John 16.1 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now glorifie thy sonne or reward thy son and then it is said I have glorified thee and I will glorifie thee O Friends you are now glorified as you sit by your union with Christ in the glorie of God which shineth round the heavens and makes them to be heavens indeed wel friends this is the glorie into which you must be taken to behold his face and then will not this be a reward a full reward ineeed tenne thousand times beyond all your doings and all your sufferings yea equall unto Christ his merits and to thine hearts desire a Saints desire is to see God and enjoy God nothing doth a Saint desire in comparison of that with our souls have we desired thee saith the Prophet Isaiah yea and this is the desire of every soul everie gracious soul O when the sense of Gods eternall love glorie sweetnesse lies boiling in it how strong doth the desire rise O friends no desire under heaven rises and heaves so like to mighty waters in the Soul as this desire when the sense of Gods love and glorie lies boiling in it and the mightie Spirit stirring of it thunders do not more shake the cloudie aire nor earthquakes move the dungie earth then these desires the soul of man when it is strongly rocking there O saith Moses shew me thy face or glorie while his soul was filled with the sense of it he would fain see it though he died the death for it but God spares Moses his life by hiding him and his glory for the present well-knowing Moses was lesse able for to see this glorie which he requests he might then we to see the Sunne through and through but shall Moses never see this glorie therefore because of weaknesse yes yes he shall he doth he now sees it and so shalt thou O happy Christian ere it be long what was it that took Peter when he had a glimpse of Moses on the Mount but the beames of this glory sparkling on his back like glittering suns and starres Well friends you wish and would but time shall passe and time shall come and you enjoy the thing you wish crave and often breatheth after namely that glory that Moses then appeared in namely on the mount well you shall I say you shall as sure as the Lord lives have it one day have it and be cloathed by it as with a garment down to the ground like the white robe Rev. 19.14 and then like Moses will your appearance be as cloathed with twinkling stars from Phoebus beames And now hearken O heavens and give ear O earth earth earth with all that dwells therin high low rich poor how God will glorifie his Son and his Son his Saints to their hearts desire with men and Angels admirations and astonishments too Well may David say O Lord I have none in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee nay Lord in comparison of thee I scorn crowns and kingdoms yea ten thousand tuns of Jewels marke none in heaven nor in earth saith a David in comparison of thee and thus God rewards a Saint according to his hearts desire when he promiseth to show his face unto them O this reward will make amends for all for all your sufferings for all your sorrows and now in the hopes of this raise your selves your souls in all your troubles and castings down and indeed nothing but this consideration will do it to any purpose for if by the losse of one creature you raise your selves by another What will you then do when all creature-comforts shall be taken away from you which God at first or last will surely doe And then what will ye then do ye all of you whose hearts are bound up in the creatures and things of this life But mourne mourn bitterly like Babylon crying alas alas Revel 18.10 How in one day have I lost all my hopes my creature comforts my friends my children my wife and husband my life and soul and Christ more worth then all ten thousand times over and over againe O unhappy man that I am O unhappy soul how wast thou deluded how was I deceived to think my self happy in a few dying creature-enjoyments O my bewitched soul who deluded thee who deceived thee time was thou heardst of God and Christ and hadst thou then minded him and served him as thou didst thy King thy lust and pleasures hee would not now have left thee as dying Wolsey once said that great Cardinall in his dispaire and horror But thou O precious Christian whose heart and hopes are placed in God shall dying say my hopes my heart and expectation lives for it was not here nor here below in dying things but a living Christ and now my soule shall live with him and because he lives I shall live also John 14.19 ye live in his presence live in his sight and now my soule my happy soule tell thou the world thy friends all that mournes for thy departure thy life thy life for which they mourne its sure and safe it s hid with God in Christ our lives are hid with God in Christ and when he shall appear we shall appear with him also as the Apostle speaks John 1.3.2 O glorious day O day of dayes unthought unminded by most of men now it appears not what we are but then it shall when the dust of this body more precious then the seed of stars and jewels shall be gathered and be carefully picked up by Angels sent forth by Christ from all the winds for that same purpose then my life was hid but now it is found where first it was in God and Christ in my own root and that to my dear souls content and therefore let me go to my home to my father to my husband to my God to my Christ and to my brethren for sure I shall be welcome as Jacob was to Joseph Welcome