serving God Applicable though to many not amiable is that Jewish proverb Pay tythes that thou mayst be rich I shall onely adde a word more under this head As our earthly employments should not take up too much of our time so they should not take up any of Gods time Wouldst thou bee drawing Water out of the Well of life As thou shouldest have much of the Sabbath on the Week Isa 58.13 so none of the Week upon the Sabbath Every day should be the Lords day but the Lords day not as every day Thou shouldst be heavenly when about the businesse of Earth but not earthly when about the businesse of Heaven On other days God pours out drops on Sabbath days showres of the Water of life then the dew lies most on his peoples fleece then God opens his hand even his right hand and filleth soules with his blessings As you would be Receivers so you must be Givers unto God on the day which is Gods Date Deo quae Dei sunt 2. Direct 2 Labour to see the Necessity and Excellency of this spring of this Fountain of the Water of life In two glasses thou mayst see a Necessity of Abundance of grace or the Fountain of the Water of life 1. In the glasse of the Law and herein thou shouldst look 1. To the rule of the Law The streams of Grace must needs rise high 1 Jo. 5.4 which carry thee to the love and obedience of every precept to the ridge of the Rule to the top of this Mount of Holynesse in respect of thy aim though not in respect of thy attainment If thou keepest the Commandements the Commandements be not grievous If these great burthens seem little ones they must be laid on Free-graces shoulders If thou beest one who hast respect unto all Gods Commandements thou must needs say By the grace of God I am what I am 2. If thou lookest to the rigour of the Law Thou canst not carry fire in one hand and water in the other Thou canst not set thy good works over against thy bad ones thy praving against thy sinning and so think to make even Thou wilt finde that when thou hast shot highest thou hast faln short of the White Isa 64 6. thy very rightâ—ousnesse will appear to be but as rotten rags which will not hide thee from the wrath of the Lamb and of him that sits upon the throne So exact is the Law that if thou couldst make straight paths to thy feet all thy life and yet but take one false step at thy death it would send thee to Hell Therefore if an infirmity would damn thee there must needs be abundance of grace which notwithstanding all thy enormities doth yet save thee 2. Another glasse wherein thou mayst see need of abundance of grace is the glass of Affliction Therein thou shalt or mayst see thy fin probably thy sinfull nature brought to remembrance Therein thou shalt or shouldst see earthly Phycians of no value Then may the wind of temptations be high the wrath of God seem hot and then how needfull will these long robes of grace be to cover thee these living Waters of Gods love to cure thee If thou canst not endure the little finger how wouldst thou bear the loins Isa 33.14 if not a spark how wouldst thou dwell with everlasting burnings Concerning the excellency of this Fountain of living Water I have spoke so much that I leave that and proceed If thou drawest out of this Well Direct 3 thou must bring thy buckets I shall onely name four buckets viz. Two spiritual graces and two secret duties 1. Bring the bucket of humility God giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 The Sun is highest when the shadow is shortest They are highest in Gods eyes who are lowest in their owne To him will God look Is 66.2 even to him who is of a contrite spirit Christ vouchsafed to dwell in the Centurions heart Verba netitiae denotant affectum who thought that he was not worthy that Christ should enter into his house 'T is storyed of the Aegyptians that they dig ditches to contain the water of the River when it overflowes Humility is that ditch which we should â—et digg'd in our hearts to receive the overflowings of this River of God The streams are sweetest where the valleys are lowest 2. Bring the bucket of Faith He that cometh to God must beleeve Heb. 11.6 though he may come to dutie who doth not beleeve This is the Conduit pipe through which that River emâ—ties it self the streames whereof make glad the City of God As wee must have one eye downwards so another upwards as Humility must carry us out of our selves so Faith must carry us unto our Saviour We may lay those Scriptures together With joy shall ye draw and Isa 12.3 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom beleeving you rejoyce and those two will speak this one truth 3. Exercise thy self unto Meditation Though the Water of life descend plentifully into the publique Ordinances yet it is but usually like a landflood some flashes whereof are upon the superficies of the soul for present whiles for want of Meditation it soaks not into the heart for future Eating without digestion neither nourisheth body or soule Col. 3.16 Hereby it is that the Word of Christ dwelleth in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est fixum perenne domicilium habere Otherwise it is but at the best as a way faring man that stayes for a night To chew the cud is a signe of cleannesse reall and not onely ceremoniall 4. Be diligent in the use of secret prayer When thou prayest Mat. 6.5 6. often though not always enter into thy closer Self-love the wind of spirituall pride may carry men to pray with others but that wind doth not usually arise from this point of the compasse which carries men constantly to pray alone The more secresie usually the more sincerity Those duties are most done without suspicion which are done within dores When we are in Closet prayers usually 1. Our hearts are most open our confessions are most free There may wee pour out our hearts like water Lam. 2.19 In publique prayers we rather pour out our hearts like oyl Now you know when oyl is poured out there will yet some stick and remain within but water may be clean poured out In publique confessions wee are more generall and desire to hit upon others sores but in private we touch most upon our owne Here wee strike at the right vein to let the bad blood out 2. In private our petitions are more particular We usually run most where the breach is widest and oftentime there is one thing which we defire of the Lord Psal 27.4 one string upon which wee most strike one nail which we most hammer And as our hearts so Then Gods heart is most open Hypocrites like the Nightingale may winde up their hearts
Living Water OR WATERS FOR A Thirsty SOUL Drawn out in severall SERMONS upon REV. 21.6 By W. BAGSHAVVE Preacher of the Word and Minister at Glossoppe LONDON Printed by E. Cotes for Henry Seile over against S. Dunstans-Church in Fleetstreet 1653. To the Right Worshipfull Col. JOHN BRIGHT Grace and Peace be multiplied Ever Honoured Sir IT is commonly storied concerning one of the Persian Princes that he kindly entertained a Peasant who being destitute of a better Present presented him with a litte Water And I question not but conclude that you will shew your self as truly and more spiritually noble in bidding your deeply engaged servant welcome who is bold to meet you with a little of this Cordiall not common Water So hath the Lord who cals things that are not as if they were honoured me in your eyes that you may as too many do ever-value the messenger And I hope the Lord will so honour himself in your heart that you shall never as the most doe undervalue the message Long may you live to receive a cup of this Water from and to give more then a cup of other Water to a Prophet in the name of a Prophet Blessed be the Fountain of living Waters who hath caused this Dew of Heaven to lye long on the place near you And oh that poor souls may for ever call the Lord blessed who through four such precious though earthen channels causeth this River to empty it self among you the streams whereof make glad the City of God The Lord shewre down this rain of spirituall blessings upon you and yours and continue you to be an owner in disowning times of him and his So prayeth he who desireth ever to entertain you in his heart who hath been so deceptably entertained in your house Sir Your very obliged Servant especially in the Lords Work W. BAGSHAVVE REV. 21. part of the 6. vers I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountain of the Water of life freely THe chief points of this Book are reduced under three heads cap. 1 v. 19. Iohn being commanded to write things past present and to come The last and greatest part is Propheticall referring to the greater and lesser world That which concerns the Church or lesse world is that wherein is foreseen and foresaid the Church her Conflicts her Conquests her Triumphs Whether the former part of this Chapter set forth the state of the Church triumphing on Earth or triumphant in Heaven I shall not absolutely determine Yet though the connexion of this with the precedent Chapter seems to him that this glorious day shall be in the day of Glory after the Great day of Judgement that the time of it shall be after Time And though the 4. verse of this Chapter seems to second this Interpretation seeing that Saints are like to go with tears in their eyes to Heaven gates they being whilest under the Mount in a vale of Bacah I humbly conceive Order of place will neither prove the former argument undeniable neither yet if we understand the verse comparatively will the latter be sufficiently available especially if we consider other phrases in this place 1. Vers 2. The New Jerusalem is said to come down from God out of heaven and so seemeth not to import the state of the Church with God in Heaven 2. Vers 3. The Tabernacle of God is said to be with men which some conceive is an allusion to the Jewish Tabernacle and an intimation that the state here described is unglorified Saints then abiding with God in his Tabernacle and not yet all dwelling in his holy Hill in an estate resembling a Tabernacle which may be changed not Mount Sion which cannot be moved 3. In this estate God is said to be with his Saints not they with God 4. It rather appeareth to be a Prophesie Now with submission I suppose though promises may not be fully accomplished till we come in Heaven yet we may expect the fulfilling of Prophesies on earth and wait till that be seen which hath been foreseen Howsoever 't is safe to say that those who yet are no Millenaries hence may hope for the enjoyment of speciall and evident manifestations of God to his people in the state of grace though the compleat and full discovery be reserved for the state of glory Now because good men cannot hear of these excellent things but they will long for them here is added this free and gracious Proclamation I will give unto him that is athirst c. In these words we may observe 1. The Division of the words A gracious promise proclaimed I will give of the Fountain c. 2. A gracious disposition declared To him that is athirst In the Promise we have included 1. The greatnesse of the Giver I who am Alpha and Omega 2. The graciousnesse of the Gift set forth 1. By the substance of it Water 2. The substantialnesse of it Water of Life 3. The durablenesse of it Of the fountain of the Water of life 4. The freenesse of it in that God gives it and in that he gives of it freely The first Doctrine clearly implyed in Doct. 1 and deduced from the Text is this That there is Water of Life In the prosecution hereos I shall first endeavour to shew what we may understand by this Water of Life viz. 1. The merits of Christ Water in the ceremoniall washings under the Law and in the Sacramentall washing under the Gospel hath been and is used to signifie the Bloud of Christ satiâ—fying as well as the Spirit of sanctifying Heb. 10.19 That Bloud which some are supposed to tread under foot having been herewith sanctified as it cannot be soundly understood of the Bloud of Christ Macula sunt peccata qua estendit lex aqua est sanguis Christi quemosten dit Evangelium as if they were therewith sanctified really and internally so it may be safely understood of Baptismal water representing the Bloud of Christ wherewith they were sanctified visibly and externally And we may therefore by this Water of life under stand his merits and not only his Spirit because that deliverance by his merits in respect of price is the ground of the deliverance by his Spirit in respect of power The foundation of that reconciliation which the works in souls being laid when he wrought â—â—econciliation for souls 2. The Spirit of Christ Christ comes to poor soules by Water and Bloud and not by Bloud alone but by Water and Bloud He who did much for them on earth doth much in them from heaven And in Scripture the Spirit is compared to Water and to Water of Life and the Holy Ghost expounds the Text of Christ having spoken of Rivers of living Water Joh. 7.38 39. that this he spoke of the Spirit 3. Ezek. 47.1 2. The free grace of God the Father flowing through the Sonne by the Spirit We read of Waters of life issuing out of the Sanctuary which as they
a Day 't is the Night that needs many stars Why dost thou go so much to the Conduit-cocks to fetch thy comfort by drops if thou knowest the way to the Fountain Whom have I in heaven but God if I have God or what is there on earth that I can desire besides God If I have God I have all and more then all I cannot have 2. The Water of life is of a Quickning nature As souls are not satisfied without this so neither are they satisfied with a little of this If thou hast tasted of the goodnesse of God which is laid out on souls thou wilt thirst ardently for that goodnesse which is laid out for souls Isa 28.16 He that beleeves cannot make haste after earth because he is so eager in his pursuit of heaven And this falls in with the next head 3. There is an Inconsistency betwixt the eager pursuit of the Cisterns and this Fountain The same eye cannot bee fixed upwards and downwards The streames which run towards the Creature wil dry up the fountain of our desire which should run towards the Creator Lively desires of earth will cause lazy desires of heaven If we love the world 1 Jo. 2.15 the love of the Father is not in us As it is not in us actively our love is not expressed to the Father so it is not in us passively the Fathers love hath not been evidenced to us If thou eagerly pursuest these Waters The third Motive it will sadly speak two things 1. That thou hast a deceived heart otherwise thou wouldst never feed upon Ashes Isa 44.20 The curse of the Serpent lies upon thee upon thy belly thou goest and dust dost thou eat Thou buyest gold too dear Thou makest thy employment where thou shouldest onely take some refreshment Thou abusest the Creatures as weights when thou should'st only use them as wings 2. That thou art a man of this world Ps 17.14 whose portion is in this life It will be sad if thou hast no more Heavens but what thou hast on Earth if thou should'st lose two worlds by catching too greedily at one Thou who with the Mole art rooting here below in the Earth mayst fear lest God should execute upon thee the judgment written in that of Jeremiah lest thy Name should bee written in the Earth Notus nimis omnibus ignotus si bi A Worldling often dies too much known to others unknown to himself leaves nothing behinde him but the memory of his sins whilest Saints like perfumed Gandles leave a sweet sent in the world when they are put out and being dead Extinctus amabituâ— idem by their works yet speak If there be water of life Vse 5 This may exhort us all to endevour after it Exhortat Who would not dig deep if he might finde a Well of living Waters I shall under this Use lay downe some Motives to quicken us in endevouring after this Water Consider the virtue of this Water 1. This Water is of a Quenching nature Water quencheth fire so doth this Water quench the fire of Gods displeasure Gods anger smokes against finners Isa 27.4 and if these briars and thorns were set in battel before him how soon would he burnt them up This spark all the waters in the world cannot quench though wee should bring thousands of Rams and ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle But this Free-grace of the Faclier which flows through Jesus Christ is as a cloud and a thick cloud under the conduct whereof fouls are preserved from the scorching heat of Divine wrath When fire is at the dore of the Tabernacle souls may look to the Propitiatorie when wrath is awed this Mercy-seat may be eyed 2. This Water is of a Refreshing nature Act. 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The time when God comes with mercy is a time of refreshing The soul is often labouring under the convictions of the Law as one who works in an iron furnace til God cause these gales of love these cooling winds to blow on it The spirits are sometimes in a swoon fainting and ready to give up the ghost till God sweetly with the Fan of his Grace blow upon the soul and cause it to return This Free-grace is a Downie pillow whereon sick soules may lay their heads This cloud of Gods mercy resembleth the cloud in St. Tho. Iland Herewith the land of Canaan is watered This is a cloud of the latter rain and as showers on the mowen grasse 3. This Water is of a Cleansing nature Hereby Men may be purified as well as God pacified The waters of Civility may sweep the heart but this Water alone can wash the heart This doth not leave soules who were unclean Ezek. 36.25 unclean still This can fetch out the deepest stains wash out the blackest spots Hereby the Leopards spots may be cleansed the Aeâ—hiopians skin changed The foulest Sinners made fair 4. This Water is of a Healing nature This Water resembleth the water of the Pool of Bethesda when the Angel had moved it Eze. 47.8 By being laid upon this sofe cushion hard hearts are broken In this fire cold soules are thawed Hereby things that remain and are ready to die are strengthened Never did soul die which took this Physick Never was wound mortal to which this Balm was applyed 'T is true of the hearb of Grace which is reported of the hearb Panace it healeth all diseases 'T is a salve for every sore this remedy is universall 5. This Water is of a Satisfying nature The soul like Noahs Dove may fly up and down but can finde no rest for the sole of the foot till shee come to this Ark. 'T is observed that the Raven which went out of Noahs Ark returned no more she saith a sound Pen found Carâ—on on the face of the waters Mr. Shepherd Domine fecisti noâ— prâ— te irrequietum est cornostrum dâ—nec acquâ—escat in â—e 4 Joh. 14. Worldlings as hath been formerly hinted can feed on the Cariâ—â— which they finde on the top of the waters But Sainâ—â— are not satisfied without this Water whereof when they drink they thirst no more 6. This Water is of a Fructifying nature 1. It makes the soult bring forth the first fruit Our hearts are like the barren heath til this rain fall on them but this rain like the rain which comes down from heaven causeth the ground of our hearts to bring forth and bud Our Natural estate is a Winter state dead and fruitlesse but when the Sun of Pâ—ighteousness darts forth the warmth of his grace Malac 4.2 the roots in our hearts are loosned the fruits of holinesse in our lives are produced then we got forth of this Spiritual unactivenesse Every branch in Christ really and not onely visibly Joh. 15.2 by inward implantation and not
onely by outward adhaesion bringeth forth fruit There 's nothing barren in the land of the Living 2. This Water makes the â—oul stil to bring forth more fruit Joh. 15.2 This Water causeth the trees of Righteousnesse to be clagged and laden with the fruits of holinesse This Water like other waters is stil returning toward the Sea Some say that sparks of fire do therefore ascend because they tend towards the element of fire The graces of God like the sparks fly upwards Ps 92.11 12. Glory being Graces center Spiritual men when old as well as Natural men when young are still growing higher This Water is water springing up to Everlasting life 7. This Water is Homogeneall The least drop of this Water is Water Vid. Isa 42.3 'T is a Meiosis Minus dicitur plus intelligitur If thou canst but get grace as a grain of mustard-seed thou art as truely gracious though not as perfectly gracious as the most eminent Christianâ— Though 't is of the nature of true grace to be thriving and if we grow not better 't is to be feared we were never truely good yet at the day of Judgment God will not saith one bring a ballance to weigh thy grace but a touchstone to try it Many have been shut out of Heaven for want of truth of grace but never any for want of degrees of grace We should therefore endevour for the Water of life The secoÌ„d Motive because without endevouring there is no hopes of attaining it The Well of Salvation is deep the Tree of Life is high Jacobs ladder hath many staires This honey must be fetcht out of the rock The gate of Heaven that gate by which the righteous people do enter in is a narrow one Mat. 7.13 and souls must strive to enter in at the strait gate The choycest Mines usually lie lowest Object But some may say How is the Water of life free seeing it must be so laboured for Ans 1. Man not God is advantaged by this labour God makes use of our duties as the Sun draws up vapours not for it self but for the fattening and refreshing of the Earth So the Lord requires our endevours Psal 16.2 not as if our goodnesse extended to him but that his goodnesse may be communicated to us Wee throw not in one mite to the treasury of Gods essentiall glory but he throws in more then many millions into the stock of our eternall good Nothing of Man can be added to God though much of God is evidenced to Man Ans 2. Rom. 8.26 Bona opera fiunt a nobis non tamen ex nobis God not Man is principally assistant in this labour Gods Spirit takes by the heavy end and his little singer doth more then our whole hand in helping our infirmities He who requires that we should come to the Waters gives us feet wherewith to come Isa 26.12 Thus hee works all our works in us and for us Duties in us as well as Mercies for us that which is done by us as well as that which is done to us The next use may therefore be a word of Direction Vse 6 By way of Direction to shew How we should come to and for this Water of life viz. 1. With Compunction They who come to this Pool must come inwardly pinched with their infirmities They must be sin-sick who come to the Physician of Israel for healing Here the weary be at rest Mat. 9.12 They who beleeve are said to cast their burden upon the Lord Now How can they cast their burden on him if it be not a burden to them 'T is observable that Christ asked the blind man what hee would have him to doe not but that Christ knew his infirmity well onely he would have him to know it better Souls must be stung not only prickt with the fiery Serpents who look up unto the brazen Serpent 2. With Contrition with tears in their eyes must souls go towards Sion and these tears will not cloud but clear up their eyes that they may see their way better In this sense we must bring water to the Sea God restores comfort to Sion and to her Mourners Deus non infundit oleum miscricordia nisi in vas tritum Psa 126.5 The best Wine which we read of in Scripture was made of Water Into broken vessells doth God pour the oyle of his mercy Light is sown for the righteous and as the seed-time is often a long time this seed lying long hid so it is usually a wet time they sow in tears 3. They who come for the Water of life must come with resolution Mat. 13.45 1. To part with all for this Water The wise Merchant sold all Most would sell some many would sell much The Bucket wherewith we draw out of the Well of life must be an empty one The Bottle which receives of this Water must not be stopt The Bottles of our hearts must not be stopped with rags nor yet with gold as I have before shewed We must neither be unwilling to part with our sins which are not worth keeping nor yet with our selves seeing that they who seek themselves most lose themselves most and that the ready way to advance our selves is to deny our selves 2. We must come with a resolution to take all of this Water of life We must like this Water as 't is purifying and not onely as it is pacifying We must delight in this Honey not onely as sweet to our souls Act. 5.31 but as as sharp to our sins We must thirst for the Water of Repentance as well as of Remission These two doe not lag one after another but like Jacob and Esau one takes the other by the heels We must so understand that Phrase of Gods Justifying the ungodly that ungodlynesse is the Term from which Gods mercy moveth not the Term wherein it resteth God findeth but leaveth not us ungodly 4. We must come to and for the Water of life Desiringly To this I shall in another Doctrin speak more fully 5. We must come Beleevingly 1. Looking off from our selves 2. Looking unto Christ 3. Looking unto the Father through Christ Fit objects for the Beleever to eye who reads this Use are presented in the former Branch of the first Use And indeed faith is not onely an Eye to see the truth of those things but a Hand to apply the goodnesse of them And this leads me to the last Direction I shall give under this Doctrine 6. Wait for the Spirit 1. In respect of its light to guide thee 2. In respect of its strength to guard thee God must first take hold of us by the hand of his Spirit Isa 49.10 before we can take hold of him by the hand of Faith God hath promised that by the springs of Water he will guide souls HAving laid the foundation in some things spoken to and from the first Doctrine I shall through the help of