truly said that this 119 Psalme is the liuely representation of a regenerate man in regard that it so fully and so effectually maketh knowne what ought to be the meditations of his soule the thoughts and affections of his heart the courses and exercises of his life So that the liker by viewing the inward partes a man shall find himselfe to be to Dauid in this Psalme the more he may assure himselfe that he is a new creature and the further he shall perceiue himselfe to come short of this patterne the farther he is to thinke that he is from newnesse of life Of this worthie Psalme the true image of a renewed soule I haue chosen one almost of the lowest but not of the basest branches to treate of vnto you which as for the generall meaning thereof it is agreeing to the rest of the holy and heauenly matter of the Psalme so in particular The diuision it is an expresse witnesse vnto vs of two things first Dauids longing secondly Dauids loue His longing was for saluation O Lord I haue longed for thy saluation his loue was the lawe And thy law is my delight Of these two in order In the former we are briefely to examine two things The first part first what is saluation secondly what it is to long for saluation By saluation is ment here no other thing but that which in the Scripture is somtime called a Math. 19 29. life eternal sometimes the b Math. 5.3 kingdome of heauen sometimes c Rom. 8.18 the glory which shal be shewed hereafter sometimes d Psal 27.13 the goodnes of the Lord in the land of the liuing sometimes e Phil. 3.14 the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus sometimes f 1. Pet. 1.4 an inheritance immortall and vndefiled which fadeth not in a word g 1. Cor. 2.9 those vnspeakable and not to be conceiued blessings which God hath prepared for those that loue him This was as we say the obiect the marke of Dauids longing This saluation he calleth the Lords thy saluation because as for vs it is neither an inheritance which we are borne vnto nor a purchase which by any desert we can compasse so it is the Lords euery way it is he which hath h 1. Cor. 2.9 first prepared it it is he which hath freely disposed it according to the i Mat. 11.26.1 God pleasure of his owne will it is he which k 1. Pet. 1.4 reserueth it in heauen for those who are l Iud. 1. reserued vnto Iesus Christ Now what it is to long we doe all well inough conceiue either by experience in our selues or by obseruation in others we know it to be the stretching of the desire vnto the highest straine it affecteth the heart in that measure that all delaies are euen a very killing to the soule neither can there be any contentment or true satisfaction but onely in the fruition of that which is longed for Dauid himselfe describeth this affection of his by very passionate and effectuall termes m Psal 4.2 My soule thirsteth for God as the Heart brayeth for the riuers of water n Ps 84.2 My soule fainteth for the courts of the Lord o Ps 119. ver 20. My heart breaketh for the desire it hath p ver 131. I opened my mouth and panted He was as one who needes to gape for a new supply of breath such was the heate and egernes of his perfult These things shew that Dauids longing was no slight desire arising in some passion which kinde of desire many times is as soone quenched as kindled but it was an ardent affection springing from a deede apprehension of the good of the thing desired and being in a manner impatient of delaies till the thing it selfe were enioyed Adde hereto that whereas there are in saluation two things the one the possession of it in heauen which S. Peter calleth q 1. Pet. 1.9 the end of our faith the other the assurance of it here on earth which S. Paul termeth r Rom. 8.23 the first fruites of the spirit Dauids longing was extended vnto both for to vse Pauls phrase he did euen Å¿ 2. Cor. 5.2 sigh in himselfe desiring to be clothed with that house which is from heauen and he longed also for t Eph. 1.13.14 the earnest of the spirit to be a pledge to his soule of the future inheritance Thus haue I briefely and truly opened to you the true sense of Dauids longing the first part of my text Let vs now come to see what this is to vs that Dauids desire was so feruent for saluation The doctrine It doth teach vs thus much and this is the point which I will insist vpon viz. That in the hearts of all that shal be saued there is a vehement desire and an vnfained longing to be saued I pray marke well this point and be not ready to thinke it a slight obseruation till you haue heard it well prooued and well pressed First of all touching the sense thereof it must be vnderstood with this caution and limitation namely that I doe not extend it to such infants and litle ones which doe belong vnto the election of grace but onely to such as are of yeares of discretion which are of power and ability to conceiue and vnderstand and are come to haue the vse of these naturall powers of desiring and longing which are in all For as touching the rest as God hath his part in many such u Moth. 19.14 for of such is the kingdome of God so his manner of drawing them into the state of grace and of their apprehending it is knowne onely to himselfe This is the meaning of the Doctrine Now for proofe of it this one example of Dauid is a sufficient ground for seeing al Gods children are guided by one spirit and like the children of one family sprong of one father and bred vp after one fashion are of one disposition in respect of spirituall things it must needs folow that the longing after saluation which was in Dauid is though not happily in the same measure yet for the generall nauâ—…e thereof in all that shall be saued and they are able in the witnes of a good conscience to say as he did here O Lord I haue longed for thy salvation Yet left ignorance in the course of holy Scripture should make vs to behold Dauid in this moode like a Pellicane in the wildernes supposing him to be alone herein and so should become negligent to frame our selues to so good a Paterne let vs see whether the like affection be not to be found in others of gods saints Begin first with Abraham the father of the faithfull without likenes to whose faith there can be no saluation what saith Christ of him * Ioh. 8.56 your Father Abraham reioyced to see my day he saw it and was glad We knowe what our
is the effect of the Prophets reproofe If he were aliue now he would as he well might vse the same words There is indeede much to doe in the world at this day much travailing much plotting much contending we do all bestir our selues as though the Dust of the earth were not sufficient for euery man to take a handfull one man buyeth and purchaseth and g Isa 5.8 ioyneth House to House and Field to Field that he may be placed by himselfe to be a litle King in his owne Territories another couets h Mic. 2.2 fieldes and taketh them by Violence houses takes them away so oppresseth a man his house euen a man his heritage a third he i Am. 2.7 ca. 3.10 gapeth ouer the Heades of the poore and doth euen store vp violence In a word each man almost hath enlarged his Desire as the Hell and is as Death cannot be satisfied and is neuer well in his Conceipt till he hath euen k Hab. 2.5 laded himselfe with thicke Clay and we are all trudging like this woman with l v. 6. our pitchers in our neckes to some one well or other and if it be neuer so deepe it shall goe very hard but we will get it out But alas fooles that we be when we haue done all we doe but euen weary our selues m v. 13 for very vanity when we haue drunke of this Well againe and againe yet in the End our desire is as it was rather stretched out to receiue more then filled with that which it hath obtained when we haue reached euen to the vtmost of our first desires we are then but like the n Is 29.8 Hungry man who dreameth and behold he eateth and when he awaketh his soule is empty or like the thirstie man who dreameth and loe he is drinking and when he awaketh behold he is faint and his soule longeth So it is but an imagination of comfort which commeth by all these things and no true contentment I beseech you let this short and yet full discouery of our common folly who for the mpst part doe nothing but o Hos 8.7 sow the wind and if we so continue shall reape nothing but Corruption make vs to say as Iohn Baptists hearers did when they perceiued by his preaching they were cleane out of the way p Luk. 3.10 what shall we doe then If hitherto we haue aimed at a wrong Marke in our desires shew vs I pray you how to reforme it and let your hearts I pray you say now to me as Cornelius said to Peter q Act. 10.33 We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commaunded thee of God which I doe wish so much the rather because that which I am now next to speake of is that which Salomon in one place calleth r Prov. 8.18 Durable Riches in another Å¿ Ecc. 12.13 the End of all which Christ termeth the t Luk. 10.42 One needfull Thing for which the soule of Dauid panted u Ps 42.1 in comparison whereof Paul * Phil. 3.8 counted all things but as Dung. Marke first the wordes then see the order of them But whosoeuer drinketh of this water c. The points to be in order opened in the handling of this verse are these 1. What this water is 2. that there is both power and will in Christ to bestow it 3. by what meanes he conferreth it 4. to whom he giues it 5. the Benefite of enioying it 6. the meanes by which each man may know himselfe to haue receiued it All these pointes as they are needefull so in the seuerall handling of them you shall finde them to arise directly from the Text. what is meant by the water which Christ giueth First what is meant by the water here mentioned It is a true saying that the Scripture is the best interpreter of it selfe and one place must be expounded by another We see the Light by the Light and we doe vnderstand the true meaning of the scripture by the scripture We can therefore haue no better exposition vpon this place then Christs owne words els where to which the Spirit of God hath annexed an explanation of the true meaning x Ioh. 7.38.39 He that beleeueth in me as saith the scripture out of his belly shall flow riuers of water of life This spake hee saith Saint Iohn of the Spirit which they that beleeued in him should receiue so that by water here are vnderstoode the gifts and graces of the spirit which the Lord is pleased to bestow vpon his children It is not inough for me to tell you thus much in generall Termes but I must proceede a litle further least I should leaue you vncertaine in that which my cheife desire is to resolue you This therefore I must tell you that though it be true that by water are here meant the gifts of the spirit yet there are certaine gifts graces of the spirit which a man may haue Some gifts oâ— the spirit are common some proper onely to Gods children and yet be a Reprobate So that you must learne to put a difference betwixt the common gifts of the spirit and those gifts which are proper onely to Gods children The world is as it were Gods great House in which there are both seruants and sonnes the one as Christ saith y Ioh. 8.35 to be cast out the other to abide euer Now in a family we know there be some coÌ„moÌ„ fauours which the seruaÌ„ts drudges doe enioy as well as the heire so some graces there be which eueÌ„ the reprobate haue which is meet we should know least we be deceiued and they are these The first is The common-gifts the gift and dexterity of practizing a particular calling For whatsoeuer men careleslly and profanely doe imagine that the skill and art which they haue in any knowledge as husbandry marchandize c. is from their owne industry yet certaine it is that the cunning which any man hath in any faculty whatsoeuer is the sole and onely gift of Gods spirit and therefore the power which Bezâ—aleel and Aholiab had to worke in blue silke and purple and carued worke is called a z Exod. 31.3 filling by the spirit of God The second common gift is the gift of enlightening whereby a man being naturally ignorant in the things of God is enabled to conceiue the will of God reuealed in the scripture yea euen the sweetest points thereof as of saluation and grace in Christ Iesus A third common gift is the power of preaching and expounding the scripture for the common good behoofe of Gods Church A fourth is an ability to restraine and temper the affections so that they shall not breake forth into outrage and notorious euils in the behauiour A fift is a power to heare the word with ioy and to seeme to take some delight and to finde
Christianity requireth at the hands of a Christian which a Christian of himselfe is not able to performe as for example when a man seeeth the hideousnes of sinne yet in the midst of this sight to lift vp the hand of his faith and to lay hold vpon the mercy of God in Christ Iesu when a man is tempted to sinne to resist the Temptation in persecution to endure in penurie to trust vpon Gods Prouidence these and such like are beyond the Reach of Mans power yet the spirit of God maketh Gods children able to effect them p Phil. 4.12 I am able to doe all Things saith the Apostle through the Helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me and the spirit for this cause is termed q Isay 11.2 the spirit of strength These are the graces of the spirit peculiar to the elect and signified by water in this place briefly thus 1. The gift of Regeneration to become Gods Child 2. The gift of faith to beleeue Gods promses 3. The gift of obedience to doe Gods will 4. The gift of Prayer to seeke Gods Presence 5. The gift of comfort to endure Gods Trials 6. The gift of strength to hold out and continue gods seruant How these things sauour with you I know not how sweet they ought to be vnto you I know wel It is said of Christ that to the eyes of the world r Is 53.2 he had neither forme nor beautie there seemed to be nothing in him why men should desire him yet all the children of God Å¿ Ioh. 1.14 saw his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth So though these things happily do no whit affect those t Rom. 8.5 which are after the flesh but do seeme euen vile in their eyes yet they whose hearts God hath touched to them they seeme exceeding precious and I doubt not but they say in their hearts as Mephibosheth did to Dauid after his returne from the battell when Dauid bad him and Ziba diuide the goods betwixt them nay saith he to testifie his ioy for the Kings victorie v 2. Sa. 19.30 Let him take all seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace so I say all that feare God say in the truth of their soules comparing the base things of the world with these graces Take all for me who will so that my barren soule may be replenished with these sweet graces of Gods spirit Well hoping the best as in charitie it becommeth me of you all and that as you do prize these graces this water of life as it doth deserue so you will be glad to know the meanes of obtaining them I come now to the next point Which is that Christ hath both power and will to bestow them He saith here Christ is able and willing to giue this water he will giue them it is meet therefore that we do enquire into his abilitie whether it be in his power to make good that which he promiseth in this place Touching his power the Scripture is a plentifull witnesse w Is 36.9 With thee saith Dauid is the well of life He is the x Zach. 13.1 fountaine opened in the house of Dauid for sinne and for vncleanenesse It hath pleased the Father that y Col. 1.19 in him all fulnesse should dwell In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge z Col. 2.3 and it is ordained that a Ioh. 1.16 of his fulnes we should receiue grace for grace What better witnes would we of his power His will is no lesse then his power b Math. 11.28 Come vnto me all ye that are wearie c. He made an open Proclamation he stood and cryed saying c Ioh â—7 37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drinke and he hath renued his offer d Reu. 22.17 Let him that is a thirst come and let whosoeuer will take of the water of life freely nay e Is 55.1 The vse without siluer and without money What reason haue we I pray you but vpon his word to beleeue him Well then what followeth vpon this We that are Ministers of the Gospell are appointed by him that hath sent vs to do as Iohn Baptist to point with the finger and to say to you f Ioh. 1 3â— Behold the Lambe of God see the man that hath the treasures of all grace runne ye to him that as was prophecied of old you may with ioy draw waters out of the g Isa 12.3 welles of saluation Take heed you forsake not him who is the h Iere. 2.13 fountaine of liuing waters to digge you pits euen broken pits which can hold no water Get you to Christ seeke to him if you wish to be releeued This is the end of our preaching this is the drift of all our Sermons You will say vnto me perhaps this is a needles exhortation you talke of going to Christ but where is he If he were preaching in our Churches and working miracles in our streets you should see how we would flocke about him how much we would make of him and how we would runne to him here be good words I pray God the performance be according Hearken therfore in the feare of God I say to thee as Paule spake in a case not much vnlike i Rom. 10.6.7 Say not in thine heart Where Christ is to be found who shall ascend into heauen that is to bring Christ from aboue or who shall descend into the deepe that is to bring Christ againe from the dead There is no such difficultie in the matter for behold he is neere thee k Pro. 8.2 he standeth in the toppe of the high places saith Salomon Iohn saw him in l Reu. 1.13 the midst of the golden candlestickes He is in the middle of his Church he dwelleth in the congregation of the faithfull m Math. 18.20 where two or three are gathered together in his name there is he It is no such hard matter to find Christ n Pro. 8.33 Watch daily at the gates of the Lords house and giue attendance at the postes of his doores there thou shalt find him When Ioseph and Mary having bene lately at Ierusalem had as it were lost him o Luc. 2.45.46 they went backe to the Temple and there they found him Go thou and do likewise seeke him in his word there thou shalt haue him We saith the Apostle speaking of himselfe and of his fellow Ministers stand among you in Christs steade p 2. Cor. 5.20 and God doth beseech you through vs. Thou wilt say vnto me yet againe it may be thou art litle the nearer thou wilt yeeld that Christ is the Well of life and that the congregation is the place where to find him but thou wilt adde withall as this woman did in scorne to Christ the Well is deepe and thou hast nothing to draw with Marke therefore