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
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
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
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