Conscience and ready to sinke in the gates of death they have lookt up to Christ and intreated him to remember them Christ hath shewne them mercy which shews the forwardness and willingness of Christ to save sinners Yet let not any presume to doe so for likely late Repentance is seldome true a death-bed Repentance usually is a dead Repentance when feare of hell shall drive men to look after heaven they may thanke hell for looking after God and Christ but that by the way Fisteenthly and lastly It is cleerely evident that the Lord Christ hath a strong Inclination to save sinners by his giving out of Scripture in that way and manner as he hath done the Lord Christ hath given out Scripture so as to Answer the objections of men and women to Answer all the eavills of their hearts all the pleaâ—s of corruption and of a guilty Conscience and of the Devill himselfe The Lord hath given out Scripture so as to Answer all that might hinder their coming in unto him In the 12 of Math All manner of sins and Blasphemies shall be forgiven to the sons of men What hath a sinfull heart here to say what canst thou object against this he tells thee All manner of sins shall be forgiven all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven Are thy sins beyond blasphemy are they such as come not within the compasse of all manner of sin Let thy sins be slight or great let them be old or new let them be against Law against Gospel against promises all manner of sins shall be forgiven Christ saith The sin against the Holy-Ghost shall not be forgiven But if thou have a heart to look to Christ for mercy it 's an argument thou art free from that sin for where that is there 's impenitency thereâ—s hardness of heart no thinking of Repentance nor coming to God But all manner of sin and blasphemies shall be forgiven Is not here incouragement enough unto poore sinners So here in the next words Whosoever will let him come and drinke of the water of life freely Itâ—s laid downe so as to answer all your objections and to take away all your plea's you have to stave you off from Christ So then you see cleere evidences that Christ is willing to save sinners But why is Christ so willing to save sinners First Why Christ is so willing to save sinners from his owne experience and sence of what it is to be under the displeasure of God he was once tempted he was once forsaken he cryed out in that condition and he knew what the wrath and displeasure of God meant And now being full of compassion he pitties all those that are under the disfavour of God he knows sinners have broken the Law deserved the curse the wrath of God eternall death and now his compassions being stirr'd within him his Bowels yearne he desires that sinners may come to him if any thirst let him come let him come he shall be freed from the wrath of God from the curse of the Law from guilt and condemnation it 's a sad condition I am senceable of it I was in the share and round of sinners and I know what it is to be in such a condition Secondly Christ is so desirous that so he may see of the travaile of his owne soule and that men may see the end of his coming to save sinners was reall for if Christs end was to seeke and save that which was lost unlesse he desire and use meanes to save them you may say it was not reall therefore Christ to make it out that it was really his end and that he might see of the travaile of his soule in suffering he desires sinners may come in he gives out the Gospel he appoynts Ministers he invites them extraordinarily and ordinarily he calls upon them and would have sinners to come unto him to be saved Thirdly and lastly Christ doth this that so the freenesse of Gods Grace and of his love may appeare and may be magnified Christ is wonderfull desirous that sinners should come in and when they doe come in they will magnifie the riches of Grace then they will stand and wonder at the Love of God and of Christ and that he should waite upon the beseech and intreat them to come and accept of mercy and favour Vse 1. First we may see here that the way of the Lord Christ is for sinners to come in to him and to the Father freely Whosoever is athirst let him come he doth not say let him be compelled to come forc't to come but let him come he holds out such riches of Grace and mercy such treasures and excellencies that certainly if a soule do but consider and well weigh them it will come Christ himselfe came freely to us and he would have us come freely to him There is no forcing in the Act of Convertion but all is free though God puts forth a mighty power in the hearts of people yet he overcomes them with sweetnesse and lovingnesse Let him that is athirst come But it may be said they are bidden in the 14 of Luke to compell them to come in That is not an outward compulsion he doth not speake of force of Armes but goe and compell them to come in with force of Argument propound unto them such motives in the Gospel as may compell them to come in tell them of the Beauty of holinesse tell them of the Riches of Grace tell them of the Love of God and Christ tell them of the pardon of sins and answer their objections There 's no forcing in the work of Grace no forcing men to come unto God and Christ but it 's all a free worke God draws but he drawes with coards of love he carries not men against their wills to Christ and forces them to beleive in Christ no but he sweetens their wills and overcomes them with kindnesse and Truth the Majestie Glory and loveliness of truth overcomes their wills so that men come willingly to Christ Secondly Christ being desirous that sinners should come unto him then let us not goe to any other many seeke out to others and say with them in the 4th Psal Who will shew us any good there is no releife for poore sinners in any other but in Christ t is not running to Moses nor to David nor to Prophets nor to any but to Christ 't is not friends 't is not honours 't is not Riches 't is not gifts and Talents 't is not any thing in the creature can releive a thirsty soule but Christ If any man thirst let him come come whither come to Christ all other things doe proclaime unto you 't is not in them saith the wedge of Gold 't is not in me saith house and land 't is not in us say the ships on the Sea 't is not in us and so say all other creatures 't is onely in Jesus Christ to releive a poore soule Math 11.28 Come
so long by Satan no but he saith who ever will let him take the waters of life freely what will you stand out then and not receive waters of life ô come in this day come in to Christ come in and drinke waters of life come in and live come and live comfortably come and live eternally Thirdly Againe in the next place If the water of life be freely offered to sinners then you that barren and dead hearted and complaine of unfruitfullnesse and unprofitablenesse waite upon the Lord Christ in the use of means for here is water and water of life and Christ gives it out in the use of meanes Are you dry barren and fruitlesse have you a dead heart Christ hath water of life to quicken you Christ hath water of life to make you more lively I am come saith Christ in the 10th of Joh 10. that ye might have life and that ye might have it in more abundance I am come for that very end to give life and to give life more abundantly to give out these waters freely and fully You know when the Raine falls from heaven upon the mountaines and barren places it will make them looke Greene so when Christ gives out these waters to mountanous hearts to barren spirits this water of life will soke into you soften you make you grow flourish and bring forth fruit Lam 3.25 26. The Lord is good unto them that waite for him to the soule that seeketh him 't is good that a man should both hope and quietly waite for the salvation of the Lord The Lord is good to them that waite for him If you will waite for Christ in his Ordinances he will be good unto you he will water you and make you like a watered Garden In the 40 of Isa 28 29.31 Hast thou not knowne hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength they that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not faint Waite up-upon the Lord Christ he hath virtue for you he hath water of life for you And in the 64 of Isa 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteousnesse Those that remember thee in thy wayes he will meete them he will water them and refresh them and they shall be fruitfull You made the Lord Christ to waite for your teares he waited a long time before you shed one teare of Repentance and will not you waite upon him that hath water of life for you waite upon him in the use of meanes and he will give water of lise Fourthly You that have received water of life Remember how little it cost you give the honour and the Glory unto God It cost you nothing you had it freely Psal 115.1 Say not unto us not unto us but to thy name be the praise and Glory yea all the praise and all the Glory Did wee Contribute ought unto this worke of Grace and Salvation then we might Sacrifice to our owne Netts but we Contribute nothing Ephes 2.8 By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves marke it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast The Lord knew what man would doe if he should come in and be a Co-worker with God therefore saith By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God If you have faith if you have Grace if you have salvation water of life it is the gift of God Not of workes least any man should boast therefore let no man Glory in himselfe but give the honour and Glory to God In the 9th of Jer 23 24. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither the mighty man in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exerciseth loving kindnesse and Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sins I doe not doe it for thy sake saith God but for mine owne sake for the honour of mine owne name I blot out thy sinnes freely I pardon thee I give thee water of life So then let us give God the honour and the Glory and say as 't is in Micha 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the Remnant of his heritage he reteineth not his anger for ever because he delights in mercy and who is a God like unto our God that pardoneth Iniquitie sins and transgressions and why because he delights in mercy not because he delights in thee or delights in me but because he delights in mercy he delights to shew mercy he blotts out sins freely for the honour of his owne name If therefore you have pardon of sin peace of Conscience if you have any Grace any Comfort of the Spirit if you have any drops of this water of life give God the Glory of it he hath freely given it unto you and that in abundance when others have none or puddle water onely Lastly If God doe give us water of 〈◊〉 freely then this should unite and Indere our hearts unto him and make us serve him freely As he freely gives to us so we should freely serve him many they are hardly brought of to seeve God the Sabboths are tedious unto them and when will the Sabboth be gon prayer Reading of Scripture hearing of Scrmons and to discourse of heavenly things is tedious unto them they cannot Indure them It 's an argument they are flesh and corrupt that they have none of this water of life If they had they would serve God freely cheerefully willingly In the 2 Phil It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure Doe all things without murmuring and disputing When God workes in men according to his good pleasure the Will and the Deede Then men will doe all things without murmuring and disputing they will come off roundly and readily to doe the worke of God they will be then like to David who fullfilled all the Wills of God and gave Counsell to Solon his Son 1 Chron. 23.9 And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde c. God regards not any of your services that come off heavily dully and with murmurings but God loves a cheerefull giver
are said to be maidens who are sent forth to allure and to draw poore soules in to Jesus Christ So that the great worke of the Ministry is to make knowne the willingness of Christ and to bring sinners unto Christ that they may have mercy from him In the 2 Cor 5.19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation now then wee are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray ye in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God Saith Paul I am an Ambassador of God and God doth beseech you by us God doth beseech sinners and therefore wee beseech you saith he we beseech ye for the Lords sake be ye reconciled to God doe not stand out with God and Christ any longer but come in to God and come in to Christ and so God will receive you and Christ will receive you God doth beseech you by Ministers God doth intreat you The Commission was Goe teach all Nations he commands them for to teach all nations to acquaint them with the riches of Grace by Christ the wonderfull love and kindness of God in Christ and what 's to be had by Christ that people might come to him and have mercy and releife from him Eighthly This willingness of Christ to doe sinners good will appeare yet further in that he doth accept of the least and lowest degrees of Faith and will not discourage the weakest soule that comes unto him Math 12.20 A bruised reede shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth Judgement unto victory Christ will be very tender of a bruised reede very tender of smoaking flax he will not breake one he will not quench the other he will not deale harshly and roughly with them but he will send forth Judgement unto victory He will give them power over all their corruptions over all their feares doubts he will make them to judge all their Enemies and be victorious over their Enemies So in the 45 Isa 22. Looke unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth Looke unto me and be saved If I have but a good looke from you saith Christ I will entertaine you looke unto me but with the weakest eye of Faith though it be a dim eye be but halfe an eye looke unto me and be saved In the 40 of Isa 11. He shall feede his Flocke like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his Armes and carry them in his bosom and shall Gently leade those that are with young See how tender the Lord Christ the good Shepherd will be of those that are weake Hee will gather the Lambs with his Armes as a Shepherd when he goes abroad and a Lamb is newly yeaned and it 's weake and feeble and the weather is cold and frosty hee takes up the Lamb in his Armes and carries it home and gives it milke So the Lord will deale by a poore weak feeble soule he will carry it in the Armes of his providence in the Armes of his Spirit in those Everlasting Armes of his that never faile he will carry the Lambs in his bosom and Gently leade those that are with young Thus will he deale with them Hence he saith in the 14 Rom Him that is weak in the Faith receive ye but not to doubtfull disputations Receive him that is weake in the Faith if there be never so little Faith receive him if there be but one dram of Faith receive him Ninthly The willingness of the Lord Christ to doe sinners good appeares in this That he shutts not up this water of Life though he knowes but few will come unto him for it and those of them that doe come unto him they doe oft abase it and abase him too People doe hasten more to the waters for their bodyes to the Bath Epsum Tunbridge and to new drinkes that they have now they flock to have these for the body and can magnifie them and speak wonderfully well of them but few come to Christ and when they do come they will hardly drinke as I have told you before they speak evill of those doctrines he gives them these are hard sayings Peter himselfe denies Christ his Master denies him once twice thrice Thus Christ is dealt withall by sinners and notwithstanding all this Christ doth not shut up the water nor lock up the water but the waters stand open for any to come let whosoever will come let him come and drinke of the waters of life freely If Christ had not had a minde wee should have these waters he would have taken a course to deprive us of them he could soone dry up the waters dry up the Gospel But the waters are not dryed up they are not taken from us there is freedome for any to come notwithstanding they have abused the waters Tenthly It is strong Evidence that the Lord Christ is willing to save sinners and to doe sinners good In that he is greived troubled and affected very much that sinners will not come to him for these waters ô Jerusalem Jerusalem saith Christ weeping over it how oft would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens and ye would not ô Jerusalem Jerusalem that thou hadest knowne in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes Christ is greived at the heart that men and women doe not come to him though they have no money though they have nothing to buy the water with yet that they will not come and fetch the water Christ is greived and troubled at the very heart to see it ô that these publick places should be so empty upon a Lords day so empty upon a week day there 's water of life and none will come and drinke the water how oft how oft may Christ say would I have sav'd such a Towne such a Nation such a people and they would not Christ weepes over soules and familyes and Cities Eleventhly It 's wonderfull perspicuous and cleere that Christ would doe sinners good in that he doth press them with the strongest Arguments that can be to pertake of the good is to be had by himselfe What promises doth he make what evills doth he threaten There are two great Arguments that doe prevaile with all the world yet will not prevaile here he setts lise and death before men If you will come here 's life for you if you will not come you are dead men people will not keepe within doores when these are the Arguments my life is at the stake and if I goe I am a made man if not I am a lost man an undone man Why will ye dye ô house of Israel I am not willing ye should dye why will ye dye why will ye dye turne unto me and live come unto me and live In the 55 of Isa Incline your â—are and come
you shall have peace of Conscience that passes understanding you shall have found Illumination and know God and Christ which is life eternall you shall have Christs wisdome Christs righteousnesse Christs sanctification Christ to be your Redemption you shall have the hidden Manna you shall have the white Stone you shall have the new name you shall be made a pillar in the Temple of God you shall be made a member of Christ you shall be made a Temple of the holy Spirit you shall have the Inhabitation of the Father and the Son and Spirit everlastingly in your soules would you have any thing that heaven hath that God hath that Christ hath come to Christ and you shall have it Againe Consider who it is that Invites you to Christ 't is not Moses 't is not Abraham 't is not Ahasuerush 't is not Hester but a greater then any of these a greater then all these when Moses spake to Pharaoh he prevailed with him to let the people goe to Mount Sinai Abraham and Lot prevailed with Angells to come in and eate and drinke with them Ahasuerush prevailed with the Nobles of 127 Provinces to come and feast with him Hester prevailed with Ahasuerush to shew mercy to Mordecai and the Jewes and to destroy Haman shall these prevaile and shall not the Lord Jesus Christ who is greater then all these prevaile Why Christ was greater then Moses Moses was a servant but Christ was a Son in the house Abraham rejoyced to see the day of Christ and he saw it Ahasuerush he was but an Earthly Prince but Christ is the Prince of life the Prince of all the Kings of the earth an eternall Prince Hester a poore captive and Christ is the Master of the marriage-feast And shall the Lord Christ now intreate Invite and beseech you to come in to come to him and will ye not hearken Pharaoh hearkens to Moses will not you hearken to Christ Angells hearken to Abraham and Lot will not you hearken to Christ Nobles hearken to Ahashuerush will not you hearken to Christ Ahasuerush hearkens to Hester and will not you hearken to Christ Let him that is athirst come come saith Christ 't is I that speake to you who am the Son of God who am the Saviour of the world who am the Everlasting Father who am the Lord of Glory who have Heaven at my dispose come come ô come in then to the Lord Jesus let not your sins let not Devills let not world let not your lusts keepe you backe from the Lord Jesus And what is it Christ calls you for why doth he Invite you is it for your hurt is it to upbraid you for your sin is it to check you for your infirmities is it to revile you and reproach you for any miscariages If it were so then you might demurre then you might argue the case then you might give a deniall but 't is for none of all these it is for your good and wholly for Your good God and Christ have no designes upon men as here men have designes one upon another If they invite you to a feast they have many times a designe upon you but God and Christ have no designes upon you 't is purely meerly totally for your good The Lord Invites you that you may pertake of his righteousnesse that you may have his wisdome his Spirit his fullnesse his Grace his Glory that you may be happie as he is happie Christ gets nothing by it you have all the gaine and all the benefit Againe Consider that Christs tendering himselfe unto you it is the greatest mercy that heaven hath to tender unto poore sinners what hath God in heaven now to doe your poore soules good withall besides Christ The Spirit comes not unless Christ send The Father hath promised him the sending of the Spirit But God he houlds out Christ to you God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son c. 't is the greatest mercy I say that heaven hath to tender unto you And this day in the name of the great God I do tender Jesus Christ unto you all come in and receive Christ come in and receive Christ receive the Lord Jesus Christ to be your husband to be your King to be your Prophet to be your high Priest to be your Saviour to be all in all unto you and know that if you doe refuse and will not receive Christ now offered to you if you will not let goe your lusts your drunkenness whoredome envie malice slandering and the like if you will not let goe these for Christ your damnation will be upon your owne heads salvation is brought to your doores Christ is laid before you he is held out unto you The Golden Scepter this day is held out unto you ô receive the Lord Jesus Christ And if you doe not know you provoke God more in refusing of Christ then by all the sins that you ever committed This will be the sin that will be your damnation John 3. This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darknesse rather then light c. They love darknesse they love sin sinfull wayes sinfull lusts sinfull company and sinfull practises These you love this is The Condemnation when men will not receive Christ they make God a lyar and what an injurie is this to God that you will put the lie upon God as if God did not love the world as if God not hold out Christ to save sinners And if you receive him not you doe not bare witness to the truth of God and sett to your seales that God is true and so honour him Therefore be perswaded to come in and honour the Lord Jesus Christ What will make it so hard with those of Capernaum with those of Jerusalem at the last day but because Christ was their Prophet and there offered unto them and they would none of him We will not have this man to rule over us This is the Heire come let us kill him ô therefore it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Judgement easier it shall be for Constantinoble at the day of Judgement then for Stepney that will not leave your sinfull courses and fall in with Christ and live as Christ and looke for Glory hereafter Why you shall not be alwayes here and then comes an eternall condition and why will you loose Eternitie for momentary pleasures and momentary riches why will you loose Glory and loose all and have that which will a thousand times more aggravate your misery for had you not liv'd where the Gospel is preached when you come to die it would not have been so bad but when as you might have had Christ and might have had salvation and heaven and you have neglected this it will trouble you and lie sad upon you to all Eternitie and this will sinke you deeper into hell That mercy is your torment that mercy is your hell that mercy is
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
objections scruples and feares out of the mindes and hearts of men and women doth freely tender water of life freely hold out the Golden Scepter freely offer pardon peace Grace and salvation Thirdly The Lord doth this that so he may indeare our hearts the more unto him when a thing comes freely from others how doth it worke what hold doth it take of the heart it knitts the heart much unto them In the 2 Sam 7. the Lord there comes to David and tells him what great matters he would doe for him and for his house and v 18. Then went King David in and sat before the Lord and said Who am I ô Lord God and what is my Fathers house that thou hast brought me hitherto and this was yet a small thing in thy sight ô Lord God But thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come and is this the manner of men ô Lord God What will God deale thus by man to come to him and offer him such kindnesse and such mercy to deale so bountifully and freely with him is this the manner of men even this is the manner of God to deale with man that so he may indeare their hearts unto him And so Elizabeth saith Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me What Mary the Mother of the Lord Jesus Christ to come unto mee and give me a visit that am a poore despised creature When things are done freely and unexpectedly they doe indeare and ingage the heart abundantly Lastly The Lord doth freely hold out Grace and mercy to sinners to prevent pride boasting were there any free-will power or qualification in man which might move or draw God to bestow and give these waters man would be ready to attribute the thing to himselfe and to glory and boast now that man may not glory nor boast the Lord doth freely bestow and give the water of life 1 Cor 1.27 God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty The base things of the world and things which are despised hath he chosen and things which are not to bring to nought the things which are That no flesh should Glory in his presence God would have none to Glory in his presence therefore he takes things that are most unlikely foolish and weake contemptible despised Application First of all Doth the Lord freely tender water of life unto us Then this serves to reproove those that doe refuse to receive this water But you will say are there any such in the world what will any refuse water of life can there be any such living Yes beloved too many the world is full of them alwayes was and now is full of such And that I may not give you words onely take Scripture looke into the 81 Psal 11. But my people would not hearken to my voyce and Israel would none of me Marke My people saith God would not hearken to my voyce I came and told them of water and water of life and set life and death before them but my people would not hearken to my voyce they would none of me the Fountaine of living water Though God were the Fountaine of living waters they would none of him Israel it selfe would none of him And in the 65 of Isa 2. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a Rebellious people which walketh in a way which is not good after their owne thoughts I have all the day spread out my hands to them and held out water of life unto them and they would none of me So in the 1 of Pro 24. I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hands and no man regarded but set at naught all my Counsells and would none of my Reproofe It was very frequent in those dayes they would none of the water of life And was it not so in Christs time and in the Apostles times 23 of Math 37. ô Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee as a hen doth her chickens and ye would not I would have had you to receive water of life and to have liv'd but ye would not He came to his owne and they received him not In the 23 of the Acts 46. It was necessary that the Gospel should first have been preached unto you but seeing ye put it from you we turne to the Gentiles So in all Ages the greatest sort of people refuse the water of life they choose strange waters 2 Kings 19.24 Heb 13. They follow strange Doctrines strange opinions strange Blasphemies puddle waters poysoned waters but as for the waters of life they will have none of them Now see the evill of this in Refusing the waters of life First This will appeare The evill of refusing the waters of life if you Consider what it is they doe refuse It is water of life If it were ill bitter corrupt poysoned water it were something but it 's water of life that begets life maintaines life increases life brings unto life everlasting the more excellent any thing is that is refused the greater the evill To refuse a bag of dust To refuse a bottle of some musty liquor were nothing but to refuse a wedge of Gold a bottle of Spirits this shews folly and weakness Who that hath a right minde would refuse Gold when it 's offered water of life when it 's offered it's the most excellent thing and yet men refuse it Secondly It is that which is freely offered if it were put upon hard termes if men were to buy it at deare rates if they were to bring bags of money for it there were some pretence for refusing for every one hath not bags of money as Symon Magus had but it 's not to be sould for money it 's freely given and when such a Commoditie of such infinite worth is offered freely to you and you will have none of it your sin is great it was freely offered and you would have none of it Thirdly Consider who it is offers it it is offered by Christ by the Ministers of Christ it is offered unto you dayly but here in the Text it 's offered by Christ Now shall Christ who is the Son of God the Prince of life the Heire of the world who is worshipped by Angells who is the great Commander of Heaven and Earth shall he come and offer you water of life and will you have none of it shall he that loves sinners and laid downe his life for them and would wash them in his blood shall he come and tender the Gospel and Grace to you and will you have none thereof your sin is great exceeding great Fourthly Consider it is the greatest Ingratitude that ever was in men and women that Christ should bring water of life and freely offer it unto you and you have extreame need of it and yet will
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