that will come come Christ loudly calls you and the Spirit still invites you and the Bride would faine perswade you from her own experience that she hath of this river why will you not then come away and take the water of life you may have it if you will now take it freely so saith the Bride and the Spirit And now friends ye see what this river is how freely you may have it yea you I meane the worst of sinners come away then come away and drinke abundantly come I say for the name of God come and drink For the name of God what is that His goodnesse and his kindnesse his unchangeable goodnesse his transcendent goodnesse his infinite goodnesse O for this his goodnesse sake come and drink for the name of Christ come and drinke For the name of Christ what is that His love his love his bleeding love his dying love his living love his eternall love O for Christ his loves sake sinners come away for the name and sake of the Spirit come and drink The name of the Spirit what is that His freeing name his sealing name his comforting sweet name his leading name his pleading name sake come away O sinner in the name of God and for the sake of God Christ and the Spirit come and drinke O sinner I should invite thee too for thine own soules sake but what is that to God Christ and the Spirits sake but stay me thinks I heare one say what is it to drinke of this river of life First it is to delight your selves in it yea drinke for delight as well as for thirst O then ye sonnes of men why will ye not come hither that your soules might be delighted with draughts of living water Secondly yea drinke to quench your thirst O come and quench your thirst in this pleasant river yea quench all kinds of thirst in your soules your thirsts for profits pleasures and contents come quench them here for here you may and no where else men who have runne to creatures to quench their thirsty soules have found them all a lie and so will you too who run and call for creature waters to quench their feverish soules Thirdly ye drink to coole your selves come hither drinke drinke and then ye shall lay all your heates your worldly heates your lustfull heates your sinfull heats O thou laborious Worldling thy bottle will be empty what shall thy soul then do when death like night comes on thee I say what will you doe O me thinks I heare thee even crying out drink drink or else I die I die Why doe you not give me drink but let me thus lye burning and dying too for thirst of that which once was freely offered to mee but now cannot be bought with prayers teares nor cryes nor all my worldly riches which I once overvalued and thirsted after more then God Christ or heaven have you never heard dying worldlings thus complain surely you have why doe you not that are alive and living come then unto this river and drink of this same water and thee I would too who art heated with lust with burning lust of uncleannesse pride passion and such like fiery distempers burning in thy soul as if hell fire was already kindled in thee O friends those lusts which lye so secret smothering in thy soule will one day breake forth into dreadfull flames burning round about thee Have you never seen a dying sinner dispairing of mercy lie in the midst of these flames burning and dispairing and no friend able to bring him any comfort no not in the least Againe ye drink for comfort to comfort your hearts but poore hearts know this there is no true comfort but in God Christ and the river and unlesse you come to this river of pleasure this soul-comforting water of life ye shall live comfortlesse ye shall die comfortlesse and be damnd for want of it God hath decreed true comfort shall be no where but in himself his Son and river John 15.26 ye know Christ promised his Disciples a comforter and what was that Comforter I pray but the Spirit and the river mentioned O me thinks I might perswade you to this river a drop a drop of it will sweeten any condition art thou poore sick weak what aylest thou man take a drop take a drop of this river I will warrant you comfort but here I would invite and not discourage for a world such poor Christians that are heated with temptations and corruptions that they goe mourning and sighing by reason hereof and Satans temptations filling them with feares and doubts that they cry out like David O I shall one day perish by corruption and temptation such a corruption sayes one and such a corruption sayes another me thinks they grow stronger and stronger and I feare at last will be my ruine O my friend let me tell thee two things and doe thou remember them First no soule is damnd for the presence of sin but for the love of sin marke me I say it is not the presence of sin but the love of sin that damns My second word is this to thee O complaining sinner sinne flutters most when it hath its deaths wound as soon as Christs comes into our hearts he wounds sinne to the heart as I may so say by giving a sight of it a dislike and hatred to it Well thus Christ wounds sinne and it may be now sinne like some fowle whose necke is broken beats the wing and flutters as if it were alive well so doth sinne whose neck Christ hath broken in the soule beates the wing and fluters keepes more sputter now then ever Well friend remember these sputterings are the death pangs of sinne I the death pangs and be but patient thou shalt plainly see them to be no otherwise and therefore doe not fill thy heart with feares of ruine for it shall never be for thou like David shalt overcome Saul thine enemy I meane corruption but in the meane time come away to the river drinke drinke and it will strengthen thee and coole thee O but now me thinks I heare some soule say I would drinke with all my heart but I am an unworthy poore sinner O friend the more poore the more worthy to Christ art thou poore then goe to Christs doore he feeds the poore but the rich he sends empty away Againe Thou art unworthy What dost thou meane by unworthy Thou seest no reason why Christ should give thee the water of life nor the Spirit I beleeve thou dost not I verily beleeve thou art unworty in thy self and cannot see any reason why Christ should give thee the water of life But Friend know there is a worthynesse in Christ and so thou mayst be worthy or any poore sinner who layes hold on Christs worthynesse and so goes to the Father in the worthynesse of the Son for the water of life and the river But to be plaine with thee thou art indeed a proud
was Israels victory and he in this was a type of our David our Christ who hath slain and triumpht openly over our enemies upon the crosse And therefore saith Christ to his Disciples be of good cheare I have overcome as in John the 16 the last Secondly We do overcome likewise when we doe by the strength of Christ oppose and overcome the pollutions of the world In this sence saith John Greater is he that is in you then he that is in this world and yet not but that a poor soule may be foyld and seemingly wholly overcome as David but yet David by renewing grace he gets up and fights and like David in conclusion wholly overcomes Saul and his house Again he may be said to overcome two waies First Comparing himselfe with himselfe I was such a sinner and such a sinner but now I thanke God I am no more the same man Secondly Hee may be said to overcome comparing himselfe with the world who lies lives and wallows in all kinde of polutions and defilements Revel 16. there is a blessing promised to such a one Behold saith Christ I come as a Thief in the night blessed is he that keepes his garments undefiled Thirdly What is meant by Christs Throne and by the Fathers Throne surely here is meant both one thing namely the Glory of God I say the Glory of God is the thing meant the eteruall Glory of God is the Throne on which Christ sits on and in which you must fit also Doth Christ sit in this glory of God Christ your Husband Christ your Head Christ your Vine then must you O Christians too for ye are inseperable Where should the Bride sit but by the Bridegroome Where should the Members be but with the Head Where should the Branches be but with the Vine O poore gentile sinner what glory is design'd for thee But fourthly What is meant by sitting down in Christs Throne or Gods Glory First It denotes a cessation or rest so you know Christ is said to enter into his rest as he is set down with his Father in glory And Paul saith there remains a rest for the people of God aluding to that so that to sit down with Christ in his Throne is to sit with Christ in the Glory of God Moses was but a while in the Mount with God and yet his face shined so that Israel could not behold him O how will thy face shine when thou shalt sit down with Christ in the true glory of God Moses saw him in fire smoake and thunder but thou shalt see him in Christ a loving kinde and tender father a father rejoycing over thee even as a bridegroome rejoycing over his bride to do them good saith the Lord in Isai O how well pleased was Jacob when he had his Joseph O friends God will sweetly please himself as I may so say when Christ shall say he are am I and all the Children thou hast given me make them welcome Father they are my sons and daughters whom I dearly loved dearly bought O seeing now I have them I am at rest while they were in the world tossed with afflictions and troubled with temptations my heart was not at rest but seeing now I have them and from those things have freed them I will set them in my Glory where they shall sweetly sing thus Farewell all sin and sorrow which now shall be no more my work and labour is over and nothing now remains but rest and joy and glory O this is a sweet sitting down indeed for a soul tost and tumbl'd with sinne and sorrow to be brought from all to rest for ever Secondly This setting in Christs Throne or Gods glory denotes a welcome unto Christ we bid them sit down that are welcome unto us take them by the hand and set them down by us O friends Christ will one day take you by the hand lead you to the Father present you as his Spouse the Father will take both Christ and yee and set you both down in his own Glory and in that day saith Christ Yee shall know the Father is in me and I in you then shall yee know the Fathers love too as Christ speakes Iohn 17. last v. O Christians yee will never know this love nor your union the strength glory sweetnesse of it till that day commeth but in that day yee shall know the relation your souls stand in to God to Christ You will know him then to be a Father indeed and not in name onely you will finde so much fatherly love and tenderness towards you that your souls shall lye steeping in it like Sugar in wine If a little taste of Gods love now be so sweet O what will it be when you shall lye night and day soaking in it and wholly melted by it into holy praises Here a gracious heart mourns for want of love to God to Christ but this want shall be supplyed when the Father and you personally meet which day is a comming and I tell you this till this day commeth yee will never know what the love of God and Christ is Now a drop is sweet but how sweet will it be when it shall be like a flowing Fountain in you O friends in that day yee shall be like as a Vessell that 's set under a Fountain Cock alwayes full and alwayes running over Now saith David thy loving kindnesse is better then life O but then he will say nothing but stand stand pore and admire I admire to al eternity when great and undeserved love is shewn unto us by some one unexpected how do we admire and as it were study and wonder why such kindnesse should be shewn unto us O precious christian thou wilt one day admire indeed to think that such love should be shown to such a dead dog as that good man said before the King so wilt thou say O my God and King what am I that thou shouldest love a poor Gentile sinner to keep me in thy presence to have me in thine eye to set me in thy throne that thou maist talk with me and tell me there thy thoughts of old O great and glorious God why art thou so kind to worme Jacob. Thirdly by sitting down in the throne of Christ or Gods glory it denotes respect and estimation we usually bid them sit down whom we best respect and esteem O happy christian how art thou esteemed of the Son and Father that thou shouldest sit down with them the world hates thee so farre as Christ appears in thee yea it cannot but hate thee so farre I say it hates thee though it love thee other wayes as a friend and kinsman or harmlesse man but I say so farre as thou refusest to comply with their wayes and wink at their faults to speak of their folly to sigh at their joy and mourn at their laughter so farre I say they cannot but hate thee but so farre as thou workest by their example and walkest by
rejoyce in by an eye of faith fore-seeing it a forehand God gives a promise after that the thing so he delt with us by his Sonne first sent him in a promise after that in substance to be our life light and glory rest peace comfort and salvation in all wants and from all wants of all kindes and nature Well this Christ and God that sent him and the Spirit too is the Stream of sweetnesse where all your comfort lyes unlesse it be in the creature which withers like the grasse when it is cut and grows no more if creature comforts be cut off or withering one of these they are or else they are not momentany but induring which I am sure they are not from my own experience no more then a dreame which is but a fancy when the man awakes may fancies riches honours pleasures profits in the dreaming houre thou mayst doe the like and not enjoy at all what thou labourst for whilst thou seekest it in the creature runne thou mayst and win not seek thou mayst and finde not try thou mayst and taste not the sweetnesse thou expectest true some lyes in every flower but the Bee that skips from one to another all the Summer long can scarce fill her Hive but grant that she doe how quickly is she rebl'd and strangled too at last O thou 〈◊〉 Christian after pleasures profits riches lands and livings death will one day strangle thee and râ—b thâ—e to of all those sweet comforts thou ever gâ—therste here the Manna would not keep but in the pot of gold no more will the creature but in God and Christ and therefore what thou hast lay it up 〈◊〉 Christ and lay it out for Christ and the thou shalt be sure to finde it like bread upon the waters after many dayes but thou that seekest none and hast none but God Christ and the Spirit thou hast all already yea more then all the world ten thousand times can give thee for thou hast all All they seek and crave thou hast found in God Christ and the Spirit and hence it is that a poore Christian who hath Gods love Christs pardon and the Spirits seale can beare up his head and smile in his heart though purseless and penyless houseless and homelesse ragged poore and hungry in a chearfull way when many rich and great men complaine of a thousand wants whilst the true Christian in the sence of Gods love wants nothing but if some poore Christian 〈◊〉 as many there are wailing and weeping like to Hagar for want of this or that comfort a Wife a Childe estate pardon this or that comfort light or knowledge loe this seeming want is in thee only thou dost not see it for where Christ is all is and therefore look about thee yea look and if Christ bee in thee I dare say thou shalt finde more sweetnesse and drink too more delight out of this little Booke then in all the creature comforts thou ever yet enjoyest and therefore when the world is still and thy Spirit quiet in a leasure houre tast try read and if yee be deceived pardon me for I am a weake froward doubting Christian and yet I hope a growing though it be but slowly let us pray for one another for I will for you and the Israel of God while my name is William Blake A Word and but a Word to many of my fellow Christians who think they have no ability to raise write or speak to a portion of Scripture in a linct and profitable way for want of learning I dare say to thee whoever thou art if the Spirit of God be in thee lend him thy sleep or meditation when thy businesse of the world is ever and thy Spirit quiet he will feed thy thoughts beyond thy expectation I dare pawn my life for it these few lines was brought to my hand in this way and therefore try and see if William Blakes words be not true A STREAME OF SVVEETNESSE from the Spirits breathing Revelat. chap. 3.21 To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne THis is the revelation of God by Jesus Christ unto John and therefore it is said blessed is he that readeth and he that heareth What this mystery or prophecie I blessed is that soul for ever as in the first chap. and the third verse In the seventh verse Christ saith he comes Amen saith the Bride come Lord Jesus quickly In the last of the Revelation and in the second chapter and the seventh vers To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life This tree is Christ and his leaves are for the healing of the Nations Rev. the 22. and the 2. v. And in the last of the 10 v. A Crown of life And in the latter end of the 11. v. A promise of no hurt by the second death In the 17. v. A promise to eat of the Manna that is hid This Manna was the sweet food that the children of Israel fed on in the Wildernesse Christ is this Manna but his sweetnesse is a hidden thing to the carnall world and in the 25. A promise to rule over Nations and further I will give him the morning Star this Star is Christ as Peter tels us saying Wait untill the day dawn and the Starre arise in your hearts In the 15. ver of the 3. chap. Christ tels his Church That he that overcomes shall be clothed in white array I then shall he stand with boldnesse before Christ when Kings and Princes shall cry to the hills and mountains to fall and cover them Revel the 16. And further I will not put out his name out of the book of life and in the 12. ver I will make him a standing Pillar in the house of my God and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God and my name The name of my God that is he shall be so filled with his divine nature that it shall be as visible as a name in his forehead And now in the 21. ver which I first mentioned a further promise is laid downe as if Christ had not enough yet spoken to engage his Church against hers and his enemies namely the world flesh and devill Well according to my light I shall hint at the meaning of Christ in these words and first Observe The universallity of the promise it is a promise to him any him high low rich poor young old bond or free man or master maid or mistresse O but the world does not alwayes so one gaines the victory and another gets the honour or reward many times But secondly What is meant by overcomming surely to get the masterdome or upper hand with those we encounter with this masterdome is got two wayes by a Captain or a souldier by a Captain or a Champion so David engaged with Goliah and his slaying him