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
gave him Grace and would give him Glory Hence it is that he saith in Psal 84.11 Grace and Glory will he give and no good thing will hee withhold Well I have grace and I shall have more grace and I have a humane glory I am a King and a Prophet and shall have greater glory I shall have glory in the highest heavens So that you see its true of David Christ is the root of his Nature the root of his Grace and the root of his Glory Now this will appear for the general That hee is the root of Nature and Grace and Glory First It will appear that Christ is the root of Nature How it appears that Christ is the root of Nature from the Creation and making of all things He that makes all things must needs bee the Lord and the Root and the author and fountain of Nature Heb. 1.2 By whom also he made the worlds why the world was made by Christ Christs right hand Christs arm was at work in the making of all the creatures The world was made by him therefore he is the Lord of Nature that hath made all Secondly It appears he is the root of Nature because he can blast nature at his pleasure what saith Christ to the Fig-tree Never fruit grow more upon this tree did it not presently wither away Christ dryed up all the moysture dried up the sap dried up the very root of the tree why he is the very Root and the Lord of Nature Thirdly Farther it appears in regard that he hath the command of all Diseases he cured and healed them What Disease was there ever presented to Christ that he could not cure He cast out Devils cured Leprosies and all manner of diseases the woman that had spent all her estate with Physitians and could do no good the man that lay at the Pool of Bethesday and could not be cured yet Christ cures all Diseases He is the root of Nature Fourthly So likewise it appears from his raising of the dead when men are upon dissolution and nature going downward the breaths gone the soul is gone the body putrified it matters not saith Christ to Martha Thou shalt see the glory of God thou shalt see that I am the root of Nature that I am the root of all that I can call both the soul and breathe breath into him and raise him up These are evidences that hee is the Root and Lord of Nature Secondly Christ hee is the root of Grace Christ the root of Grace all Grace is from him Luke 4.18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel To preach it to the poor he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord Is not here Grace in all these Yes and all comes from Christ Hee was annointed with the Spirit of the Lord to do these things And more fully in Joh. 1.14 16 17. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth but for whom was this Grace and for whom was the Truth saith John And of his fulness have all we received and Grace for Grace Hee had a fulness of Grace hee was the Author the Root of Grace the Fountain of Grace the God of Grace and this Grace was to be communicated and derived unto others Of his fulness have we all received Grace for Grace For the Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ The Lord Christ is the root of Grace Rom. 5.20 21. Where sin abounded Grace did much more abound That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might Grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord Sin abounded I but Grace doth superabound how comes it to superabound by Jesus Christ our Lord Grace must reign as sin hath reigned and it must reign by Christ this Grace will send out so much Grace that Grace will reign and out-reign sin bring under sin So then Christ he is the root of Grace Lastly Christ the rooâ— of Glory Christ he is the root of Glory there is none let into heaven but by Christ none made glorious but by Christ 1 Cor. 2.8 he is called the Lord of Glory They crucified the Lord of Glory The Lord of Glory because he was a glorious Lord in himself The Lord of Glory because he hath all Glory to dispose of The Lord of Glory because he advances whom he pleases to Glory he will advance his Church unto Glory all beleevers unto Glory So that you see now Christ he is the root of Nature the root of Grace and the root of Glory Now what remains but that we should make some use of this point and there are several things which will be observable Use First If Christ be the Root of Nature of Grace and Glory then we may all make use of that which David doth upon this account in Ps 138.8 Thy mercy O Lord indures for ever forsake not the works of thine own hand why may not every one say Lord I am the work of thy hands thou hast made me a creature Thou art the root of my nature Lord do not forsake me but Lord make me gracious as well as to have nature bee the root not only of a natural life to mee but the root of a spriritual life unto me and be the root of Glory unto me why thy hand hath made me Thou hast made me a man given me an immortal soul indued me with understanding and some wisdome and knowledge Lord do not forsake me leave mee not to the Devil to the world to my self But Lord seeing thy hand hath made me a man so Lord let it make me a new man as I have a Natural life so let me have another life a Spiritual life so every one when they are in straights and troubles in darkness and afflictions and think they are left of God and Christ let them use this Argument in Prayer I am the work of thine hands what wilt thou leave the work of thy own hands why men will not desert the work of their own hands thou hast not deserted the Creation the Sun Moon and Stars Night and day Summer and Winter why Lord I am the work of thine own hands do not leave me nor forsake me 2 Is Christ the root of Nature of Grace and of Glory then whatsoever difference you see in men as men in men as Christians what difference soever you read of men in glory it is all from the Lord Jesus Christ it is from the root You know that one Tree is higher than another it is from the root that one tree or branch is higher or bigger than another it is from the root of the Tree that the differences are in the branches and arms and boughes of the tree
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
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
SERMONS OF CHRIST HIS Last Discovery of Himself Of The Spirit and Bride The Waters of Life And His free Invitation of Sinners to come and drink of them From Revel 22.16 17. By WILLIAM GREENHILL an unworthy Servant of the Lords He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul Prov. 15.32 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge Prov. 18. â—5 LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1656. TO ALL His Christian Friends More especially To those the Author of these Sermons walks with in the Fellowship of the Gospel doth he Dedicate the same TO THE READER THat these Sermons see the Light is more from the Auditours than the Author of them Some being affected in hearing were importunate to have them published urging they might bee of use not only to doubting Saints and desponding Christians but also to those were dead in Sins and Trespasses Hereupon after some struglings in my spirit I was willing to expose my self to Censure rather than to grieve my Friends by a denial and with-hold those Truths by which possibly some poor Soul or other might gain some little Spiâ—iâ—ual advantage Reader although these Sermons were taken by the Pen of a ready Writer and printed as they were taken yet look not for that Spirit Power and Life was in them when Preached The Press is a dead thing to the Pulpit A Sermon from thence is like Meat from the Fire and Milk from the Brest but when it is in Ink and Paper it 's only cold Meat and Milk it hath lost its lively taste though it may nourish and become a standing Dish to feed upon daily There is this benefit in Printing that when the Preacher is absent or dead the thing printed may bee at hand and serviceable Reader if thou lookest for high Notions quaint Expressions new Opinions strong Lines inticing words of mans Wisdom or any thing to please a fleshly mind I must say to thee as Peter did to him in the Acts Such silver and gold have I none but what I have I give unto thee viz. plain and naked Truths according to the simplicity of Christ and the Gospel Wouldest thou know what is to be had here If thou be shaken in these staggering times here thou maist see what a Root Christ is bearing up all If thou stumble at Christs meanness in the World here thou shalt understand of what Royal Descent he was If thou be in the dark and know not the right way here maist thou behold Christ a glorious Star to direct thee If thou be dull and sad here mayest thou hear the sweet Voyces of the Spirit and Bride to quicken and comfort thee If thou bee thirsty here is water and Water of Life prepared for thee If thou be sinful and so sinful as thou fearest Christ will not save thee here shalt thou finde many clear demonstrations how willing Christ is to save sinners If thou finde not a willingness in thee to have Water of Life here is discovered how that willingness may be wrought in thee If thou bee secure and sleepy here are tidings of Christs coming of what concernment that is and what preparation thou art to make for it which may help to awaken thee In a word here thou hast the last discovery the Lord Christ gave forth of himself and of his miâ—d He had oft before discovered himself what he was as to be the Messiah Joh. 4.25 26. to be the Resurrection and the Life Joh. 11.25 to bee the Bread of Life Joh. 6.35 to be the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 to be the good Shepherd Joh. 10.11 to be the true Vine Joh. 15.1 to be the Way Truth and Life Joh. 14.6 to be Alpha and Omega and here he saith I am the Root and Off-spring of David c. which being the last declaration of himself doubtless hath something considerable in it as will appear in the Work it self William Greenhil Stepney the fifth of the ninth Month. 1655. TO His dearly beloved Brethren and Fellow Members of that Body the Church at Stepney of which Christ is the Head Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord be multiplied unto you Brethren YOu are here presented with that in Print which before you have heard Preached unto you but I hope the impression of it is not only in these Papers but that it is already in your hearts It was a glorious commendation that Paul gave of his Corinthians 2 Epist 3.2 Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men for as much as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshy tables of the heart What is the end of our faithful Pastors Preaching and of our Hearing but that we may be the Epistles of Christ You have here presented to your view some of the last words of Christ wherein you have a Declaration of what he is the Root and the Off-spring of David Davids root in regard of his Diety and his Off-spring in regard of his Humanity we have need to hear of these Truths again and again especially in such days of Apostacy and falling away from the Faith as we live in many denying the Lord that bought them by which wee may see the Scripture fulfilled that saith In the latter days many shall depart from the Faith and in 2 Pet. 2.1 2. the Apostle plainly speaks that as there were false Prophets of old so there should be false Teachers that should creep in who privily should bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and many should follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth should be evil spoken of You have here likewise a sweet and blessed in vitation of the Lord Jesus to poor thirsty Sinners that they would come and take of the Water of Life freely O therefore let us not stand off but come although we have no mony for little do we think what prejudice our Soâ—uls do receive because we go no freelier to Jesus Christ to receive of the things that hee hath purchased and is ready to give out unto us you are called out of the World even to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ You are the Members of Christ 1 Corinth 6.15 yee are the Temples of the holy Spirit 2 Cor. 6.16 you stand in near relation to God and Christ as being his Friends his Brethren his Children his Spouse Yee are his Portion his Jewels his peculiar Treasure his Vine-yard his pleasant Plant his Glory Isa 4.5 1 Pet. 2.9 Yee are a chosen Generation a Roval Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar People It being thus what flows from hence or what doth this call for at our hands but that we labour to shew forth the Praises of
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
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
it by his Spirit that Christ shall come and come with ten thousands with him he shall come with David and Enoch and Eliah and the rest of them and will you not hearken after the coming of Christ O hearken after his coming and say Come Lord come quickly You see of how great concernment it is it will bee a day of discovery and it will be a day of distress a day of change a day of comfort a day of glory to Christ and it will be a day of separation wherein the wicked and godly shall be separated one from another you shall bee no more troubled with the wicked mark Rev. 22.15 For without are Doggs and Sorcerers and Whore-mongers and Murderers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye they shall be shut out of the new Heaven and the new Earth and chap. 21. ult There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye but they which are written in the Lambs book of life Then there shall be no more a Canaanite a Jebusite a Hittite in the Land none to trouble or molest therefore J say hearken unto the coming of Christ then shall yee see the King in his glory and in his beauty But to winde up all let me tell you There is another coming of Christ which you shall do well to hearken unto and to desire before this personal and glorious coming of Christ I say there is another coming of Christ which wee are to minde and that is Christs Spiritual coming Christs coming in his Ordinances for Christ comes in every Ordinance unto us Behold I stand at the door and knock in every Ordinance Christ comes and hee stands at the door and knocks and he would have entrance Hee that heareth you heareth me and in breaking of Bread in that Ordinance there is the Lords Body to be discerned there is communion with him in his Bloud in the Cup and in his Flesh in the Bread Christ is Spiritually there So in Prayer Christ is there and in all his Ordinances Now let him that heareth say come come Lord Jesus and fill up thine Ordinances with thine own presence otherwise Ordinances are empty things they are Vessels without Wine they are Baggs without Silver or Gold they are Canes without Sugar If Christ do not fill up his Ordinances they will be nothing unto you therefore let him that heareth say Come Lord come Lord afford thy presence fill up thine Ordinances come Lord and do thou bless thine Ordinances and bless us in the use of thine Ordinances for in Acts 3. he is sent of the Father to bless so again Come Lord and do thou counsel he is wonderful in counselling he counsels teaches and instructs in his Ordinances So come Lord and strengthen for he doth strengthen all his I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me In the way of the Lord is strength in the Ordinances of the Lord is strength Ephes 3. Strengthened with all might by his Spirit in the inner man Come Lord and comfort he comforts in his Ordinances he comforts poor feeble Souls doubting Souls and staggering Souls hee comforts them with flaggons of Wine and apples of comfort I let him that heareth say Come Lord and heal hee heals wounded Souls hee heals wounded Consciences in his Ordinances Mal 4. The Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings he hath healing vertue in his Ordinances to heal your Souls therefore let him that heareth say Come come Lord and fill up come Lord and strengthen come Lord and counsel come Lord and heal and so you will finde the coming of Christ to be desirable to you indeed Of Spiritual Thirsting and Thirsters REV. 22.17 And let him that is athirst come THese words are the Voyce of Christ as the Spirit had said come and the Bride had said come And let him that heareth say come So Christ also saith come Let him that is athirst come you would have me come saith Christ and I would have you come you would have me come and compleat all and I would have you come to me who am to compleat all so that the words are an invitation of Christ to those that thirst Let him that is athirst come I shall speak at this time of the Thirst Let him that is athirst c. There is a double thirst a Natural thirst and a Spiritual thirst A Natural thirst you are all acquainted with you know what it is to bee thirsty it is the desire of that which is cool and moyst but this is not the thing here meant a Natural thirst there is a Spiritual thirst which in the general is An efficacious desire after Christ and the good to be received by him Now for the opening of this Thirst let us consider what is in Natural thirst First There is an absence of moysture as David saith My moysture is dried up my moysture is gone Secondly There is a sence of it men and women are sensible that their moysture is spent Thirdly There is the knowledge of something suitable to releeve them And then Fourthly comes actual thirst Upon these Four arises thirst So in this Spiritual thirst There is an absence of moysture there is a want of Grace a want of that is Spiritual a want of Christ 2 The Soul is sensible of it as Sisera said Give me a little water to drink for I am thirsty there was moysture gone and sence of it and water to be had and actual desire so here in this Spiritual thirst there is a want of Gods Image we had his Image but that is gone as Paul saith In our flesh dwels no good there is no Spiritual good dwels in a man or woman And then we must be sensible of this and so know there is some relief to be had and that is Christ proclaims in the Gospel holds out in the Word the water of Life And then the Soul comes actually to desire Christ when Christ told the woman of Samaria of Water of Life Water that she should drink of and thirst no more then she came to desire so a Soul that knows Christ to be the Water of Life and findes and feels an absence of moysture comes actually to desire this Water of Life therefore saith Christ Let him that is athirst come For our further proceeding in this I shall shew you why this thirsting is required 2 The nature and properties of it and then make use Why this thirsting is required where we shall shew some differences in the thirsting of men 1 That this thirsting is required in men to fit them for Christ for till wee come to thirst wee have a fulness of our own but when men and women are once thirsty have a Spiritual thirst then they are empty of what is their own they have puddle waters of their own to drink Cisterns of their own and something of their own that they do refresh
after Christ nor use the means these do not thirst 3 Again no unregenerate man doth Spiritually thirst after Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned And if he do not know them it is the old rule There is no desire of that Now men that have not the Spirit as appears ver 12. they cannot thirst So in Jude it is there They are sensual not having the Spirit Now what a multitude of men and women are there in the world that have not the Spirit they jear at the Spirit and others know not whether there bee a Spirit of God or no Oh! multitudes the greatest part are in the broad way These now do not Spiritually thirst after Christ 4 Again those that do live and go on in any known way of wickedness they do not desire Christ nor cannot desire the Lord Jesus Christ And do not most men and women go on in some way of wickedness or other and they make their Lusts their god and they would not have that god destroyed they say to Christ as the Devils did Why dost thou come to torment us before the time When men and women walk in any way of wickedness and it is their ordinary practise they do not desire the coming of Christ neither can they Many things I might instance in this way but it is too evident there are few that do Spiritually thirst after Christ Q But whence is it that so few do so Spiritually thirst after Christ Whence is it that so few do thirst after Christ A. First It is from the ignorance of men and women the Law of God hath never entered into their Souls for had the Law of God entred to convince them of sin for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin had the Law ever entred to convince them of the sinfulness of sin that is in them of the pollution of sin how it defiles them of the distance sin hath set them at from God of the Curse hangs over their heads by reason of their sin they would then begin to inquire and to thirst after Christ but the Law hath never entred into them they are ignorant of the Law of God ignorant of the truths of God and where there is blindness and ignorance there can be no true thirst Secondly This is from the conceitedness of men and women most men and women are conceited of their own goodness they have good hearts good natures lead honest lives they are civil and just they walk unblameably and these things they rest upon and so they feed upon these husks Solomon saith Every man is first in his own cause A man is righteous in his own eyes and a man will judge himself and justifie himself and think himself better than another and we are naturally prone to Hypocrisie to see a mote in anothers eye and not a beam in our own The Church of Laodicea conceited her self to be rich and to be full c. and to want nothing when as she was poor and miserable and blinde and naked and wanted all things This is natural for men and women to conceit well of themselves The Pharisee fasts twice in the week c. And not like this Publican this is incident to us all to think too well of our selves and hence it is that men and women do not thirst after Christ but will be their own Saviours and so undoe themselves Thirdly This is from men and womens mistakes 1 Of God 2 Of the Creature 1 Of God They think God is like unto themselves Psal 50. Thou thoughtest that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee and I will tear thee in peeces and none shall deliver thee unless thou do otherwise then so Wee think God is all Mercy and that he is not so holy so just so severe and ridgid against sin O it is but a saying Lord have mercy upon us and all will do well now here is their mistake about God God is exceeding holy and he is wonderful severe Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts A man judges well of himself but God will send him to Hell for judging well of himself the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness the very appearances of evil God hath cut off men for small sins 2 It is from peoples mistakes about the Creature and the insufficiency of the Creature they do not see an utter insufficiency in all Creatures to releeve them and therefore they stick upon Creatures One man hee trusts unto his estate and riches the rich mans wealth is his strong tower Another man rests upon his Wisdom and policy another trusts to his Strength another trusts to his Almes and good Works and another thinks he shall never dye he is not so old but he may yet live another Month or a Year men are not convinced of the insufficiency of all things to releeve them and deliver them but the Lord Jesus Christ but if they were satisfied no Angel nor Potentate no Action of their own no action of others not all the Saints in the VVorld can deliver one Soul Then they would hunger and thirst after Christ but while they are not convinced of the insufficiency of all these things there is no thirsting after Christ 4 Further This is from their not understanding of the infinite worth and excellency and good that is to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ alone they think they must joyn something with Christ I will do a little and Christ shall do the rest they set up themselves with Christ and make themselves equal to Christ they must save themselves in part and Christ must save them in part But now if men and women did understand the excellency of Christ the fulness of Christ the grace of Christ the mercy and love of Christ and the vertue of Christ how that the only way for pardon for peace for life for strength for comfort for whatsoever their Souls stand in need of it is in Christ then they would be carried out to Christ Is not he held out in the Gospel to be a Sun all Light in him Is not he held out to have life in himself all Spiritual life in him I am come that yee might have life and have it in more abundance Is not Christ held out to be the great High Priest that offered himself a Sacrifice and such a Sacrifice that all other Sacrifices have ceased all lies upon Christ and whatsoever your sins are whatsoever your nakedness and Poverty is there is relief to bee had in Christ hee is Righteousness hee is Strength he is Bread he is all so that peoples not well understanding the worth of Christ and all to be had in Christ for the Lord hath sealed him sent him set him forth and declared
There is no name under Heaven by which you can have Salvation but Christ it is not in the Spirit of God but in Christ who sends the Spirit the very Spirit comes from Christ so that all is saved in him 5 And lastly Peoples not hungering and thirsting after Christ Spiritually is from hence that they look upon the Doctrin and Discipline of Christ as unsuitable to them Christs Doctrin is a hard Doctrin a severe Doctrin Christs Discipline and Government they will not be under to bear his yoke they will not indure it what for a yoke to come upon their necks that is intollerable what must I give up my self to Christ and follow Christ fare-well all comforts all pleasures and all delights now because Christs Discipline and Doctrin is cross to flesh and bloud therefore they do not Spiritually desire Christ so then there are but few Spiritual thirsters and you see whence it is that there are so few The next use is a use of Examination that we would examine our selves whether we be Spiritual Thirsters yea or no that so wee may have this sweet invitation of Christ Let him that is athirst come Christ will say to thy Soul come come now I say let us examine and make inquiry whether we be Spiritual thirsters yea or no. But before I come to the discovery of it let me tell yee there is a false thirst and there is a true thirst The true thirst doth arise from the sense and feeling of want of moysture throughout the whole man the false is accidental the one is Natural the other is Accidental Accidental thirst you know is when a mans Stomack hath some saltish humour there and his Palate is distâ—sted then there arises a false thirst he hath some ill humour gotten into those parts and causes a drought there So now in his Spiritual thirsting a true thirsting doth arise from a defire of union with the Lord Jesus Christ through a general sense of sin and the false thirst doth arise either from apprehensionâ— of Wrath of Guilt of Condemnation and Punishment and so causes the Conscience to ake and thereupon hee desires Christ or it doth arise from the good in the Gospel propounded which tickles his fansie which is as it were the palate or throat of the Soul and thereupon he desires Christ so that there is a false Spiritual thirst as you may call it in some sense as well as a true Spiritual thirst but then to distinguish between these thirsts 1 If you would know whether you bee true Spiritual â—hirsters Difference between tâ—ue and false thirst inquire whether your thirsts do arise from the whole man the Natural thirst ariseth from the whole man for though the Stomack or Appetite do crave that is because it is the first receptacle and prompts you what Nature wants and must be conveyed that way to Nature for it is not only your Stomack is dry but every Member of your body is dry and there must be a repair of the whole so here in the Soul when the thirst is truly Spiritual it is a thirst of the whole Soul not a thirst of any one Faculty or of the Affections or Conscience or Will alone but it is a thirst from the whole Soul that the whole soul doth thirst after Christ My Soul thirsteth after God saith David but now in another it is a partial thirst his Conscience it may be akes and he thirsts now for Christ to releeve his Conscience and if guilt be taken away he is well or it may be he is athirst in his understanding he thirsts for some more light because he sees some errour in some way or he would have more parts and gifts and so it is a partial thirst but if it be a true Spiritual thirst it is a thirst of the whole Soul the Conscience thirsts and would have the Bloud of Christ to sprinkle it the Understanding thirsts and would have the knowledge of Christ compleated in it it is a total thirst 2 You may distinguish the true Spiritual thirst from the false one from the rise of the thirst both these thirsts may arise from the same cause yet have a differing way the true thirst arises from sin and so doth the other but under several Considerations 1 Hee that doth truly thirst after Christ his thirst rises first from the pollution 2 From the separation sin makes And 3 From the offence sin gives 1 It rises from the pollution of sin sin he sees hath so defiled the Soul so defiled the whole man that he is unmeet for God unmeet for all that are Spiritual and now because hee is so defiled so besooted and besmeared with the blackness of sin his Soul thirsts after the Bloud of Christ after the Spirit of God and Christ his thirst rises from the consideration of the pollution of sin And 2 From the consideration of the separation sin hath made this sin this sin hath made a breach between God and my Soul and separated mee from God who is the infinite good the only good O it hath put me in a great distance from God and therefore thirsts to have communion with God again 3 It rises from the offence O it hath caused God to frown God to be angry now his thirst rises from these and therefore hee thirsts after Christ But another now his thirst rises from the consequence of Sin O Sin will Damn me it will bring Plagues and Judgements sin will make me lye roaring in Hell for ever sin brings shame upon me the like so that this man thirsts after Christ upon this account I desire Christ that this punishment may be taken away that I may be kept out of Hell and the like and that I may not be ashamed so that the thirst arises from sin but upon these grounds and considerations 3 Again we may distinguish between these thirsts by the consideration of what is thirsted after as well as what the thirst arises from where the true thirst is it doth thirst after Grace after Holiness after Communion with God after the excellencies of God and Christ mark where the false thirst is it is after pardon after peace and after ease so I may be pardoned and saved and have peace and ease saith the Soul that is all I look after this is a false thirst but where the thirst is true it thirsts after Holiness and Grace and Communion with God and the excellencies of God and so to be healed as wel as saved saith David Heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee My Soul is athirst saith he Lord heal my Soul why it is not pardon heals the Soul nor peace heals the Soul but it is Grace and Holiness heals the Soul that makes you like to God that makes you such as you should be Now another man he cares not for Holiness nor for Grace he would have pardon ease peace and Salvation but as for Holiness Grace and Communion with God
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
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
backbite others Christ is none of thine the Scripture is clear none such shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven therefore consider there is eternal woe for all those that dye in their Natural condition that have not this thirst in them after the Lord Christ and his Righteousness O therefore give no rest to God nor no rest to thy Soul until thou finde that thou art delivered 2 To you that are godly Direction to those that thirst after Christ and have some thirst in your Souls after Christ many times you grow luke-warm flat dead and secure you had need be quickned and to have your thirst stirred up in you and for that consider 1 Your own infirmities have you no infirmities is there no deadness dulness laziness how do you perform the Worship of God and the duties thereof Are you not more Carnal than Spiritual Do not your hearts wander Are you not sleepy are not you formal Do not you neglect many times your duty do not you come short surely these and many other things you know by your selves And whence came all these from the body of Sin from the Old man that is in you Paul he was sensible of this Rom. 7. he found a Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde he found he was Carnal sold under sin he found he was unspiritual and he is troubled at this and his thirst was increased what saith hee O wretched man who shall deliver me his thirst now is great Who shall deliver me I thank God through Jesus Christ I thirst after Christ and the coming of Christ to deliver me so that the serious consideration of your own infirmities and corruptions and the hinderances and cloggs and lets you have from them in your way of Christianity should cause your thirst to bee greater and greater daily 2 Consider what work you have to do and what little strength you have to do it Christians have a great deal of work to do here in the World they should pray continually they should stand and with-stand the Tempter and all his Temptations overcome the World work the Works of God they should side with Christ and his interest and help on the Gospel and the power of godliness they have their Lusts to mortifie and great things to do Now how will you do these saith Christ Without me you can do nothing will not you thirst after Christ now and strength from him and assurance from him and new influences from him and more of his Spirit daily Many do act in their own strength and therefore so little good comes thereof We pray by our own Natural abilities and Natural parts and through Power and Gifts acquired and therefore I say so little good comes of all but had wee Divine strength to pray and to do all we do did we go out in his Name and in his strength and work the Works of God who could stand before us then 3 Consider the great good that is to be had by Christ have you not wants why there is infinite good to be had by Christ In him is all fulness with him is plentious Redemption hee hath unsearchable riches of Grace he hath the residue of the Spirit he hath whatsoever may make our lives comfortable whatsoever may make our lives happy Christ hath all in his own hands and therefore you should hunger and thirst after Christ more and more 4 Consider what is promised unto you by Christ the Promise is That there shall be times of refreshing when Christ comes Acts 3.19 then the times of restitution of all things shall be there are times for these things And so when the Lamb shall be the Light then the Lamb shall lead you to the Fountain of living Waters then you shall hunger and thirst no more then all tears shall be wiped from your eyes Why do not you thirst after these things and after the Lord Jesus Christ and his coming The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith come And what are your Souls asleep Should not we say Come Lord come quickly The times in which wee live are sad times but the coming of the Lord would change all and rectifie all and satisfie all therefore consider of these things and your thirst after Christ will be increased 5 Lastly If you that thirst would have your thirst more lively and inlarged remember what sweetness you have found in Christ at some time or other when men remember they have drunk admirable Wine the very remembrance of it makes them to thirst after that Wine the more the Wine that Christ made at the Marriage Feast and brought forth the people were so affected with it that they called the Governour and askt him why he kept the good Wine till then they were taken with the Wine so when Christians do remember what ravishments they have had from Christ sometimes what hits of joy what sound peace what sweet communion with the Father through him what out-lettings of his Spirit This will inlarge their hearts and their desires some Christians have had large experiences this way they have had flaggons of Wine to drink and apples of comfort to feed upon and the more they do remember these the larger will bee their thirstings after Christ Christ's willingness to save sinners Reve 22.17 Let him that is athirst come LEt him that is athirst come come Christ doth not say here Let him that is athirst seek out and yet that had been humanity and courtesie Christ doth not say Let him that is athirst goe to Jordan Christ doth not send them to Moses nor to any of the brooks or Cisterns but Christ saith Let him that is athirst come and whither should he come or to what should he come The meaning is let him come to me Let him come to me for drinke for satisfaction let him that is athirst come here 's exceeding kindness choice love peculiar mercy let him that is athirst come Come unto me as it 's said in the 7th of John and Drinke I have drinke for him water of life for him as it 's in the next words And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely To open this word unto you what 's meant by come 't is not meant come bodily so you all know what coming is when the body removes out of one place and goes to another But it is meant spiritually 't is not the feete of the body but the feete of the soule are required and by coming in Scripture is meant beleiving unbeleife is departing from God Heb 9.12 Take heed Brethren least there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleife in departing from the living God An heart of unbeleife is a heart departs from God and goes away from God So in the 10th Chap The Just shall live by Faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him An unbeleiving heart is a heart draws back and departs from God Now to
they should come unto him and be sav'd by him Secondly Consider how the Lord Christ hath fitted himselfe to releive sinners Christ hath indured a great deale of hardship suffered heavie things he trod the wine-press of his Fathers wrath alone You know Corne that makes bread and drinke indures the heate the cold indures the slale and the Mill to be Ground and so the bread and the drinke are made thereof The Lord Christ hath indured all that the Father required of him that so he might be bread of life and water of life to us he hath suffered bitter things an accursed death in the 12th of Luke saith Christ I have a Baptisme to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished I have a Baptisme of Blood to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished I thirst to lay downe my blood that it may be drinke for the world as much as any in the world doe thirst for my blood and to drinke of that I and more then all the world The Lord Jesus hath suffered Circumcision hee hath suffered whipping crowning with Thornes spitting upon reproaches revilings cursing suffered the displeasure of his Father dissertions temptations by Satan suffered Death and all that he might be fit and fitted to save us that he might be bread for us and drinke for us releife for us Is not Christ willing thinke you now that you should eate of his flesh and drinke of his blood that you should come to him and have the benefit of his sufferings I am streightened saith he till it be accomplished I thirst saith Christ upon the Crosse and now it s finished Thirdly From the very end of Christs coming it is evident that Christ is very willing and desirous that sinners should come unto him and be saved by him and be refresht by him what was the ends of Christs coming Mat 18.11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost were not all lost in Adam are not all sinners are not all under the curse of the Law are not all children of wrath by nature are not all enemies of God through wicked workes in their mindes The end now of Christs coming was to save that which was lost and in Luk 10.10 you have it more fully For the Son of man is come to seeke and to save that which is lost It might have been said It 's true Christ will save that which is lost if it will come to him I but Christ is come to seeke out them to seeke and to save that which is lost this is the good Shepherd that goes and seekes out the lost sheepe and takes it up upon his shoulders brings it home A Shepherd when his sheepe are scattered some in one lane some upon one common some in one feild some in another he goes and seekes out the sheepe and brings them home so the Lord Christ came for that very end to seeke out and to save that which was lost art thou a poore thirsty sinfull soule art thou lost in thine owne apprehension art thou at the gates of death and hell the Lord Christ came to save thee and seeke out thee he is willing forward ready to doe it he came for that very end Fourthly Christs willingness and readiness to this worke will appeare if you consider the Cures that he wrought when he was here in the world did not Christ heale all diseases the blinde the lame the sicke the dumb the deafe the possest with Devills did not Christ shew compassion towards them all and heale them Mark 4.23 And Jesus went about all Galile teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the kingdome and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases among the people And his fame went through all Syria and they brought unto him all sicke people that were taken with divers diseases and torments and those which were possest with Devills and those which were Lunatick and those which had the Palsie and he healed them Is not Christ willing and ready to doe good to sinners he doth not forbid them to come to him let the disease be what it will and the party diseased be what he will And it s conceived when Christ heald their bodies he heald their soules too Christ heald all diseases In Math 8. you have two or three remarkeable passages there comes a Leper to Christ and saith Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me cleane he did not come beleivingly but he came doubtingly to Christ and what followes Jesus put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou cleane why doest thou question my will saith Christ I am more willing to heale thee then thou art desirous of it I will saith he be thou cleane here Christ presently shews his willingness and cures the man with a word with a word and a touch he healed him Then afterwards in the Chapter there comes a Centurion to him and sollicits him for his servant and saith Master speake the word onely and my servant shall be healed saith Christ I have not found so great Faith no not in Israel as in this Centurion and v 12. saith Christ Goe thy way and as thou hast beleived so be it unto thee here Christ heales one with a word And then thirdly he comes to Peters house and there his wives mother lay sicke of a Feavour and he touched her hand and the Feavour lest her Christ did but touch her hand and sayes nothing and the Feavour left her Christ is willing to cure sinners and he can easily doe it with a word or a word and a touch or a touch onely Christ is so forward that before it is desired he doth it In John 5. v. 6. when Jesus saw the impotent man lie there and knew that he had been now a long time in that case he saith unto him wilt thou be made whole The man did not aske him the Question Lord wilt thou heale me But Christ comes and finds him out and saith Man wilt thou be made whole ô Sir I have none to put me in when the Angel stirres another steps in before me saith Christ Take up thy bed and walke Christ aske him the Question prevents him and heales him Oh! Christ is willing to doe sinners good to save sinners Fifthly This appeares from the Command of Christ when a thing is commanded those that command would faine have it done now the Lord Christ commands men to come unto him commands them to beleive Joh 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled ye beleive in God beleive also in me Beleive in me there 's ease there 's rest there 's refreshing there 's deliverance there 's salvation for you Beleive in me and in the 1 Joh 3. latter end This is his Commandement that we should beleive in the name of his Son Jesus Christ This is the Commandement of the Father that we should beleive on the name
unto me heare and your soules shall live and I will make an everlaesting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Is not here Incouragement enough now to come to Christ Incline your eare and come unto me and your soules shall live you shall have everlasting mercies and everlasting comforts Joh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here 's life and death set before you Come thou poore sinner and beleive in the Lord Jesus close with him here 's life for thee everlasting life for thee Refuse to doe it there 's everlasting death for thee thou shalt perish how peremptory is the Lord here In the 16 Mark 15 16. Goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleiveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleiveth not shall be damned how round is the Gospel he that beleiveth he that comes to Christ that 's the meaning he that beleiveth shall be saved saved from all his sinne saved from the power of death saved from the wrath of God saved from hell-fire saved from the guilt of his owne Conscience he that beleiveth shall be saved over and over and over he that beleiveth not shall be damned how doth he press men now to come to him If there be any weight in heaven or hell it 's laid all upon this your coming to Christ or refusing Christ if you come to Christ all heaven is yours all the glory all the joy all the comfort all the blessings all the happiness there is yours If you will not come to Christ all the terrors of hell are yours all the darkness all the mournings all the howlings all the gnashings of teeth all the misery there will be yours Therefore see how willing the Lord Jesus is that sinners should come and that they should be saved Christ's willingness to save sinners Reve 22.17 Let him that is athirst come 12ly ANother evidence of Christs willingness to save sinners that will come unto him is The Lord doth venture and hazard the loosing many by making knowne his free Grace and willingness to save sinners for when sinners doe heare that Christ is willing to save them and very desirous also many they abuse his free grace this rich mercy this willingness of Christ to doe their soules good If Christ be so willing say they wee will stay a while it will suffice hereafter In the 4th of Jude it 's said They turne Grace into wantonness and thousands of scorners turne Grace into wantonness when they heare Christ dyed and shed his blood for sinners that he is willing sinners should come in that he waites for them that he intreats and presses them to come to him they take advantage from hence to sin more freely to stay it out to the uttermost And thus the Lord runs a hazard of loosing many by making knowne the riches of his Grace the freedome of his mercy and loving kindness which shews there a very strong desire in Christ to save sinners Thirteenthly It is evident that Christ is very desirous of sinners salvation in that he takes sinners when they are at the worst of all at the height of wickedness If a Prince will take into his family those that are sick of the plague of the Leprosie and of the worst diseases 't is an argument he hath a minde to have them live in his family and that he is desirous of their company the Lord Jesus Christ he takes sinners when they are at the very worst Saul he was at the height of his blasphemy at the height of murder at the height of persecution and Christ saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me thy blasphemies rage and persecutions are come up to heaven and Paul saith in the 1 Tim 1. he was a persecutor a blasphemer and an injurious person but I obtained mercy even when I was so great and notorious a sinner Christ came and tooke him in it 's an argument then that Christ is very desirous of the salvation of sinners that he will take sinners when they are in the height of their wickedness When the Prodigall had run out from his fathers house and had spent yeares in wicked practises in whoredome drunkenness gameing and running in the wayes of the world when he had spent all and spent himselfe now when he was in this height of wickedness it pleases God and Christ to call him to bring him home and to receive him againe had not Christ been desirous of the salvation of sinners he might have shut the doore against the Prodigall and said you shall never come in adores againe had not the Father been desrous for the Sons sake to have savâ—d sinners he would not have entertain'd the Prodigall there is not a velleitie but a strong efficacious desire in God and Christ to save sinners The Jewes when they were at the worst when they had put that innocent one to death when they had said His blood be upon us and upon our Children when they had mockt him reviled him and accused him even after all this Christ takes in many of them three thousand of them converted at one Sermon by Peter Him whom ye have Crucifyed with bloody hands hath God raised here is a cleere evidence of the earnest desire of the Lord Jesus to save sinners he takes them when they are at the worst when they have done the uttermost mischeife spite they can against him and against his wayes Fourteenthly It 's an argument that the Lord Jesus is very desirous to save sinners If you confider that the Lord takes sinners at the last cast at the end of their dayes when they have no time left to serve him he tâ—kes them at the very first intreaty and begging of mercy The Theefe you know that had livâ—d wickedly all his dayes when he came to the last cast and was upon the Laddar or nail'd to the Crosse and ready to breath out his last breath saith he Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Christ might have said Remember thee why should I remember thee thou hast bin a bloody wretch a Theefe and a murderer all thy dayes and thou deservest nothing now but death and damnation and why should I remember thee No the Lord Christ saith not so but he saith This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise now when there was no time left for him to honour Christ and to serve Christ he onely now intreats this favour of him being on the Crosse saith Châ—ist This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And doubtless though we have but this one Instance and so men should not presume to put off Repentance till it be too late yet I doe beleive many a soule hath met with mercy when they have been at the gates of death I say many a poore soule that hath been burdened with sin asslicted in
unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest he doth not say that mountaines can refresh you that Angells can refresh you or any creature can refresh you but come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will give you rest All the virtue that refreshes a guilty soule a thirsty soule a sinfull soule all the virtue is in the Lord Jesus Christ he is water of life he is a fountaine of living water he hath to give you that which will doe your soules good hee can give you his blood to quench the fire of hell to purge away your guilt to remove wrath to come 't is in Christ and in none other Therefore all those that goe to others forsake their owne mercies and imbrace lying vanities but those that come to Christ they goe the right way Thirdly Doth Christ invite us to come unto him then let us examine and make inquiry whether wee are come to Christ or no I beleive here 's hardly any under this roofe but thinkes he is come to Christ that he is a true Christian and its worth the Inquiry then that he may resolve this case so that he may not be deceived for Christ saith in the 7th of Math In that day many shall say Lord Lord have not we done thus and thus in thy presence but Christ shall say unto them depart from me I never knew you you never came to me I say then it may be worth our time to make Inquiry after this case of Conscience whether wee are come to Christ yea or no and I shall in a few particulars cleere it up unto you First The soule that is in truth come to Christ hath seene a sufficiency in Christ to releive it every way and such a sufficiency as hath made it to venture it selfe upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone and nothing else Now apply this to your owne soules have you ever seene such sufficiency in the Lord Jesus as heaven and earth besides hath not And so seene as to make you come off from all and venture upon him alone if you have cleerely seene the suffiency of Christ then your owne righteousnesse is nothing to you your owne civility morality and honesty are as nothing though they are good in regard of men yet they are nothing in regard of God and in regard of your soules You see an allsufficiency in Jesus Christ and an utter insufficiency in your selves Alas what 's my righteousnesse saith the soule that 's come to Christ my righteousnesse is filthinesse and all that ever I can doe is unprofitablenesse before God and though I have learning and wisdome and parts and memory and utterance and riches and honours and follow a calling and doe good in my place and the like alas all these are nothing I account them but as dung saith the soule in respect of Christ there 's an allusufficiency in Christ I but these may damne me and send me to hell now put these to your owne hearts for it 's ill to be deceived in matters of eternity have you seene I say such a sufficiency in the Lord Jesus of wisdome and strength and righteousnesse and the like as you have laid downe all your owne and see it nothing and have ventured your soules nakedly upon Jesus Christ In the 45 of Isa 24. Verily shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength I have none in my selfe It is a prophesie of the last times concerning Christ I have sworne by my selfe the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse and it shall not returne that unto me every knee shall bow every tongue shall sware It 's spoken of Christ and applyed to him in the Philippians Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength even to him shall men come marke in the Lord shall all the seede of Israel be Justified and shall Glory unto him shall they come And all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed what go to Christ saith one there 's nothing in Christ and men speake blasphemously and basely of Christ in these dayes but they shall be ashamed But unto HIM shall men come and in the Lord shall all the seede of Israel be Justifyed and shall Glory they shall be justifyed in Christ therefore deale really with your owne hearts therein there is a fundamentall truth to be taken off from your owne righteousnesse and to build wholly upon Christ those that come to him doe so Secondly The soule that is come unto Christ it doth stay it selfe upon him and rests upon him and goes not out from him as it ventures it selfe upon Christ so it rests it selfe content with Christ You know a Woman when shee hath chosen a Man for her husband she rests content in him above all the men in the world and the soule that hath chosen Christ and come to Christ and beleives in Christ in truth rests content with the Lord Jesus above all in heaven and earth In the 6th of John Christ puts a Question to Peter Jesus said unto the twelve will ye also goe away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Lord to whom should we goe we are satisfied with thee we rest content with thee we looke not beyond thee we have enough in thee and from thee to bring us to eternall life so that a soule that 's truly come to Christ will joyne nothing with Christ but rests satisfied with him alone try your selves thereby Thirdly A soule that is come to Christ in truth doth accept of the Lord Jesus Christ upon his owne termes many they will accept of Christ but it shall be upon their termes so I may have Christ and the world saith one I will be content to be a Christian so I may have Christ and honours saith another so I may have Christ and my lusts satisfied and injoy them I will come to him saith a third so I may live and take my ease and goe to heaven at last I will have Christ saith a fourth man Thus men will have Christ upon their termes but a soule that is thirsty and comes to Christ in truth takes the Lord Christ upon his owne termes If any man saith Christ will be my Disciple he must deny himselfe and take up his Crosse These are Christs termes a man must lay aside his owne wisdome a man must be content to bare a Crosse to meete with reproach prisons temptations persecutions hard measure Christ and a Crosse Christ and a prison Christ and hunger and nakedness and perill and temptations or whatsoever God will For we are slaine all the day long for thy sake in the Psa and in the 8 Rom so that a soule that doth come to Christ in truth takes Christ upon his owne termes Christ and mortification of your lusts Christ and death to the world Christ and death to sin these goe together
and other waters you use which are healing waters The waters of the Gospel are healing waters He sent out his word and healed them Christ said to the Leper I will be thou cleane and he was cleane The word of God will heale all diseases of your soules 't is not onely a patterne of wholsome words but a patterne of healing words Seventhly and lastly Some waters are very Comfortable and Cordiall so are these waters of life They are very Cordiall waters is not this text very Cordiall to thinke upon Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely It 's a very Cordiall the water of this text And so much for the Resemblance between water and it The water of Life Quest Upon what account is it call'd water of Life Answ First of all this water begets life take Christ for the water of life Christ himselfe is life He is the Prince of life and he is life Joh 14 6. And he is our life Col 3.3 When Christ who is our life shall appeare Christ brought life to the dead world he is water of life Take the Spirit for water of life The Spirit begets life in the soule it is a Spirit of life and it 's called living water In the 7th of Joh 38 39. He that beleiveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water and this he spake of the Spirit the Spirit is water of life unto men and women Take it for the Gospel Phil 2.14 't is the word of life the very word begets life in men and women 1 Pet 1.23 Being borne not of Corruptible seede but of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever The word of God liveth and begets life in men and women It 's seede and all true seede hath life in it sow any Corne it hath life in it this is divine and heavenly Corne and when it is sowne in your hearts it begets life there And Grace is life Faith is life all Grace is life It is the life of the soule so that they are called waters of life because these waters beget life Secondly They are waters of life because they doe maintaine life begotten We are nourished of the same things of which we consist saith Philosophie And so saith Divinity wee consist of divine principles a godly man is made up of the word of God of the Divine nature and of the Graces of the Spirit and wee are maintained by the same we are maintained by Christ and by the Spirit and by the word and by this water of life we live upon the same Therefore Christ Grace and Spirit are compared in the Scripture unto things upon which men live Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth c. Water and wine and milke and marrow and bread by such things as these men live Incline your ear and come unto me heare and your soules shall live your life shall be maintained by these things Christ is the bread of life and the water of life and we must live by this bread and water live by the flesh of Christ and live by the blood of Christ live by the promises of Christ and live by the Graces of Christ and so by the Spirit these maintaine life in men and women Thirdly It 's water of life because it makes us more and more lively it doth not onely beget life and maintaine life but Increase life and makes us lively It 's said in the 4 â—h of John that this water shall be a Well of water springing up into everlasting life It increases life and springs up into more and more life This water doth make us lively John 10.10 saith Christ I came that ye might have life and have it in more abundance how lively was Peter after the water of the Spirit came upon him in Acts 2. and Peter it is that writes of living and lively stones Christians should not onely be living but lively this water makes lively full of Spirits Lastly 'T is water of life because it brings unto everlasting life he that hath the Gospel comes to be pertaker of the Spirit and he that hath the Spirit is pertaker of Christ and he that is pertaker of Christ comes to God See how this water of life springs up into everlasting life saith Christ in the 14 of Joh 6. I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes unto the Father but by me so that by Christ we come to the Father And in the 8 Rom 9. He that hath not the Spirit is none of Christs And he that hath not the Gospel hath not the ministration of the Spirit where the Gospel waters come and this water is conveyed to the soule there the Spirit is and there Christ is and there 's coming to the Father so that it springs up from the Gospel to the Spirit from the Spirit to Christ from Christ to the Father as in the 4 â—h of Joh 14. It is a Well springing up Into Everlasting life This water came from the Father and it will carry men up to the Father into everlasting life So then you see what this water of life is and why it 's said to be water of life and how water Let him take the water of life freely There 's something in this word Take of the water of life freely That notes first let a sinner be what he will there is no barre put in against him to keepe him off from this water let a man be a great sinner an old sinner let his sinnes be Crimsen and Scarlet sins God puts in no barre Christ saith not here let a little sinner or a young sinner or a sinner that hath sin'd once or twice or an hundred times or a thousand times onely come but he saith whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely let his sins be what they will All manner of Blasphemies saith Christ shall be forgiven There 's no barre but onely against the Impardonable sin But what sin soever though long continued in though of the most hainous nature cloathed with the most dreadfullest aggravations yet it shall be forgiven let that sinner come and take of this water of life freely A Leper a man leperous all over may as freely goe into the river or sea and wash himselfe as the man that is sound There is no barre in his way Secondly It imports thus much let him come and pertake freely that whatsoever qualification men have let them be honest morall civill sober righteous just and the like have good natures and dispositions yet no man doth deserve or merit any thing not one drop of this water Many thinke and it 's the Popish Doctrine that men may be made meete for this water and that men doe deserve this water and are worthy of it No let men be never so righteous just morall never so civill yet when they have done all that ever they
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
I had Christ ô that I had the Spirit ô that I had Grace And then outwardly it carries to the use of all meanes to reading to hearing to meditating to prayer conferring and the like to all the ordinances and all the meanes that it may Injoy Christ and meete with him whom it hath chosen this is the willingnesse that is required If you be willing If he hath had such apprehensions and prized the water of life whosoever hath made choice of it whosoever is moov'd and carried out to Injoy it let that soule take the water of Life Quere Now a Quere moveable upon this is Whither can man by his owne abilities make this choice of Christ or of this water of life Answ Men by their naturall abilities may desire the word and be carried out after it Amos 8.11 12. Behold the day is come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of Bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord and they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East They shall run too and fro to seeke the Word of the Lord and shall not finde it Marke when the word should be taken away they would have a desire and there would be a motion after it in them and yet these it 's conceived were not regenerate Godly but of the ordinary and common sort of people The worke of reason and naturall apprehension of some good to be in the word carried them after it But I conceive no man can by naturall abilities thus will the Lord Jesus Christ as we have spoken There be Scriptures that doe hold it out strongly If you looke into the 7 Rom 11. Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Sin slew me saith Paul if Paul were slaine a dead man how could he moove in such a manner then towards Christ for marke in the 6 Chap 11 â—â— Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Saith Paul I was slaine through sin But as You have life through Jesus Christ so must I have life through Jesus Christ I have no life naturally and of my selfe and that place 1 Cor 2.14 But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Some would make this verse to speak to young Christians weake Christians But saith he the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God a young Christian having the Spirit of God would receive the things of the Spirit of God would have some spirituall discerning But the naturall man is a man destitute of the Spirit for he saith We have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God But the naturall man now which hath not the Spirit he receives them not he discernes them not And that this is the meaning of the word looke but into the 19 Jude where you have the same word Sensuall he might Interpret it Naturall Sensuall not having the Spirit Now he that hath not the Spirit he cannot discerne the things of God he cannot desire them he cannot receive them therefore saith Christ unto Peter Blessed art thou Symon Bar-jona For flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee Some boast they come to this by the power of nature but God hath revealed it by the power of his Spirit and in the 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve All the wisdome of the world brought them not up to the knowledge of God So then by mans naturall abilitie he is not able to come to this willingnesse Quere To what end then are these waters of life freely offered if a man have not this power to will these waters are they not offered in vaine Answ To this I answer first 'T is not so 't is not in vaine for where the Gospel comes there is so much mercie love and goodnesse of God held out such great pretious and free promises presented unto men as that being heeded they beget a willingnesse in sinners to live there goes a generall vertue and power with the Gospel to doe something in the hearts of men and women which they could not doe before When the Loadstone toucheth the needle it makes an impression and leaves some virtue upon it It 's said in the 47 of Ezek 9. That whithersoever the waters of the Sactuary doe come they heale the waters That is If men and women who are like the dead Sea who are corrupt filthy stinking and loathsome in their naturall condition The waters of the Gospel doe something there and they doe inable men to will and will otherwise then they could before so that men now living under the Gospel if they heed the Gospel there is so much Grace mercy and love of God held out in the Gospel and such breathings of Gods Spirit goes along with it that if men heede the same something is wrought in their hearts that may Inable them to will these weters of life and their not doing of this is sufficient Ground for their condemnation And secondly The Lord he tenders these waters of life unto whosoever will that so these persons might begg of God a will to receive these waters who is ready to give them these waters For when they shall see waters of life held out and it is thus whosoever will let him take of them The soule may well conclude and say Surely God will give me a will to receive these waters if I begg them So that if men and women now having waters of life held out freely doe come to God and begg of God this willingnesse Lord give me a Will give me a will to close with Christ to prize Christ to move out after Christ God that will give them the waters will give them the will Phil 2.13 Pro 16.1 Thirdly Lastly This will Justifie God and this will be Condemnation to the creature that here 's the Gospel offered to men freely that the Gospel if heeded will beget a power and will in men that God if pray'd unto will give them the will and yet they neglect all Mens Condemnation will be upon their owne heads where is God to be blam'd This being so let us give you the reasons why the Lord holds out waters of life to those that are willing to receive them Or why is this willingnesse requir'd at our hands First This willingness is required Why this willingness is required because otherwise men will not take the waters of life let God offer them never so freely or never so long If men be not willing they will not take them present vvhat you vvill to a man that
hath not a Will to a thing and he will not take it so present Christ the Spirit of God life eternall Heaven and Glory the great and pretious promises pardon of sin or what you vvill if a man have not a vvill he vvill not take it so that vvillingness is required to the taking If a man have not a mouth it is in vaine to offer him meate If men have not a will they vvill not receive Math 23.37 Acts 13.46 Therefore God requires vvillingnesse that men may receive the vvaters of life Secondly This willingnesse is requir'd that so men may not complaine for if men should be brought to drinke waters of life by a compulsory Act they vvill complaine of vvhat follows Therefore saith Christ in the 16 Math 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me If any man will come if a man have a will saith Christ to follow me let him he vvill meete with hard things and if he be not willing he vvill complaine that I should cause him to follow me Men must deny themselves and take up crosses and indure persecutions and temptations and if they did not come willingly to Gods way they would complaine of it Now God to prevent Complaining of his wayes he requires that men be willing Thirdly This is that so the Communion between Christ and the soule may be the sweeter vvhere there is vvillingnesse on both sides there vvill be the sweetest life If the parties doe not consent on both sides you will say it vvill be an Ill match But if there be a willingnesse and a freenesse on both sides there the Communion will be the sweeter So Christ saith I freely give and I would have them freely receive and so there will be a sweete Communion between Christ and the soule I am my beloveds saith the soule and my beloved is mine There was mutuall Consent and Agreement between them Lastly This willingnesse is required that so the wisdome of God in the Governing of his Church and of the world might not be Questioned for should God force men to his service they would say where 's the goodnesse of God where 's the wisdome of God here 's Tyranny hereâ—s forcing of men into the service of the Lord. Now God will have none to be his servants but those that come freely Psal 110. In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing And when he speakes Compell them to come in It is not by Clubs Law but by strong Arguments tell them what the water of life is tell them what Supper is prepared tell them of the excellency of the provision that so that may compell them no other compulsion doth God use but the Grace of the Spirit and divine Arguments sett on upon the heart But this may seeme contrary to Joh 6.44 saith Christ No man comes to me except the Father draw him It should seeme then that it is not voluntary and free I answer God doth not force a mans will but God doth sweetly and lovingly take away the unwillingnesse of his will the corruption of his will Ezek 11.19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh I will take away the stoninesse the hardnesse that corruption that enmity and opposition I will take away all these out of them and put a new heart and a new Spirit into them So in the 36 of Ezek 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them He will cause them to walke in his statutes vvhat will hee thrust them on against their wills no see vvhat the Church saith Cant 1.4 Draw me ô Lord we will run after thee When God comes to draw the soule runs willingly and freely So that you see a willingnesse is required The Water of Life Reve 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely TO proceed to the Uses of the poynt and so to finish the Text. Vse First If those that are willing shall have the waters of life then here it serves for Conviction and doth convince us that all who thinke and say they have drunke of these waters of life yet have not Every one thinks that he hath Grace and hath the Spirit hath Christ God and that he shall be sav'd but here is cleere conviction to the contrary for have you had this willingnesse in you that is required have men seene such excellency in these vvaters as to prize them above all have you so prized them as to choose them above all things in the world have you so chosen them as to pursue the getting of them to the uttermost of your power few have done so In the 7 of Math 21 22 c. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devills and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart foom me ye that worke Iniquitie These men did not see so much worth in the waters of life as they did in Iniquitie they did not prize Christs Grace his Spirit the Gospel and the promises thereof so much as workes of Iniquitie they would drinke puddle water poysonous water they would not let goe their Iniquitie for Christ yet these thought themselves Christians thought themselves safe happie and blessed creatures The five foolish virgins in the 25 of Math they had gotten lamps but they had gotten no Oyle in their lamps they had none of this water of life they had no Grace they had no Christ they had none of the Spirit they had none of the truths of God in their hearts they thought that to professe Christ and professe the Gospel was sufficient they had lamps but where was the oyle where was the water of life where was Grace they had none of it So in the 2 of Tim 3.5 Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power They had a forme they came to the Assemblies as you doe and sat there heard the word professe Christ seemed to be Christians and it may be did something in their families but they denied the power they never had this willingnesse to see the excellency of the power of Godlinesse never did they choose the power of Godlinesse never did they pursue after the power of Godlinesse And many in these dayes they live in base and sinfull
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
no rest I say till you finde this willingnesse in you And a little to excite you unto it and then to shew you how you may come to this willingnesse First Consider that you have a willingnesse to other things and that willingnesse will doe you little good without this nay your willingnesse to other things it may prejudice you and will prejudice you unless you have this willingness men are willing to have honours riches greatness in the world willing to have all things about them in the best manner what will this doe you good unless you have a willingness to the vvaters of life Riches will not deliver in the day of wrath there will be a day of wrath and what will your Riches your honours and all doe then These will doe nothing for you but these may prejudice you 1 Tim 6.9 10. They that will be rich marke they that will be rich that have a willingness that way that see an excellency in Riches choose them and follow them They that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition Marke these prejudice you For the love of money is the roote of all evill which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrowes vvhen men have strong vvills to creatures they may prejudice themselves and undoe soule and body But if they have such a will to the water of life that will advantage them So in the 5 Chap 6 v She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth Some their wills carry them to pleasure the pleasures of the body carnall delights and they are dead while they live have they waters of life no their vvills have slaine them They are dead while they live So in the 2d Ephe 3. Among whom we all had our Conversations in time past in the lusts of the flesh fullfilling the desires of the flesh or the wills of the flesh and of the minde vvhen we fullfill the wills of the flesh and of the minde wee are dead in sins and trespasses Children of wrath enemies to God So that to have a will that prizes other things that chooses and makes out after them this may damnifie you and undoe you The second Reason why you should labour to get this willingness is because it 's that which God requires and that which he doth onely require and all he doth requiâ—e under the Covenant of workes there was Doe this and live But now the last motion that Christ makes when he leaves the world and gives out the Scripture is this If any man have a will if there be willingness in you to waters of life that 's the thing I require and all I require and the onely thing I require He doth not require great matters at your hands he doth not say give me house and Lands give me your shops and ware give me your Ships give me your Limbs your blood your lives no saith he If any man will let me have but willingness in you this is all I require Pro 23. My Son give me thy heart Whatâ—s his meaning Let me but see a heart in thee prizing choosing and pursuing of the waters of life that 's all I require my Son give me thy heart he doth not meane that peice of flesh which is in your body that you call your heart But he would have you have so much understanding as to see an excellency in himselfe his Son his Spirit his Word and Grace and then to choose the same and to use the meanes to attaine them This is that that God requires and all he requires shall the Lord onely require your hearts nothing but your hearts and will not you study to have a heart willing to have God willing to have water of life The third and last Reason is because unlesse you are willing you shall have no water of life vvhosoever is willing let him take water of life 't is for him God will never force you to it If you leade a Beast to drinke you doe not force the Beast to drinke and God will never force men But if willingly they will prize Christ if they will choose Christ above all if they will close with him if they will use the meanes that he hath appointed to Injoy him Christ shall be their water of life the Spirit shall be theirs Take take presently saith he then take the water of life 't is for you and for none other By this time me thinks I heare you are ready to say ô that we had this willingnesse in us we hope we have it or if we have it not ô that we had hearts willing now to prize Christ to chuse Christ to close with Christ his Grace his Spirit his wayes and ordinances then we were made how shall we come by it I shall propound severall Considerations unto you whereby this willingnesse may be begotten First Consider your owne Condition Let every man and woman every son and servant seriously Consider with themselves in what Condition are we were we not all lost in Adam are we not all under the Law and the Curse of the Law Are we not all enemies to God through wicked workes in our minds have we not abundance of guilt in our hearts and Consciences Are we not afraid of hell if we should die that we should be damned are we not helpless in our selves and miserable creatures Is not God just holy and righteous doth not the greatest part goe the broad way and why may not I be in the broad way surely I am a wretched miserable a lost and undone creature If any poore soule in the world have need of water of life I am the creature For mine owne part I speake it freely here as in the presence of God I know none of your greater sinners then my selfe and none of you to have greater need of the waters of life then my owne soule let us not deceive our selves vve are all miserable and wretched creatures and we all have need of the water of life need of Christ need of Grace need of the Spirit need of promises need of all When a man sits downe and Considers I am in debt I owe this man 10 l another man a 100 l another man a 1000 and I am in danger of resting every day I have need of some friend to helpe me This is our Condition now if you would but seriously Consider it would make you thinke is there Grace mercy with God redemption salvation for sinners why not for me This would make you begin to have some willingness in you to have waters of life Secondly Consider two things of Christ First Consider the very end of Christs Incarnation the end of his coming the end of his being here in this world why did Christ come I will shew you two or three places of Scripture Math 18.10 For the Son of man is