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
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
some sweetnes in it All these are gifts and graces of the spirit of God but yet they are not those graces which Christ meaneth by water here in this place because these be such as may befall those who notwithstanding shall neuer be saued Many a reprobate is gifted with admirable skill in crafts and sciences Demetrius seemed to be a cunning workeman yet was he no small enemy to the preaching of the Gospell Secondly the Apostle seemeth to make it a thing possible to be once enlightened and to a Heb. 6.4.5 haue tasted of the heauenly gift yet so to fall away as to be past all hope of being renued againe by repentance Thirdly at the day of Iudgement b Math. 7.22 Many will say to Christ Lord haue we not by thy name prophecied yet it shal be said to them c ver 13. Depart from me Fourthly many wicked men haue power to conforme themselues and to bridle many sinnes and to cary themselues in an outward ciuility so Abimelech the heathen d Gen. 20.6 abstained from committing folly with Abrahams wife and many a-among the gentiles excelled in morall vertues and diuers we see whom we call ciuill men demeane themselues in the eies of the world vnblameably who yet giue small hope of any true conuersion Lastly Christ in the parable sheweth that many hearers for a time belieue e Mat. 13.21 but as soone as tribulation commeth because of the word by and by they are offended Now there are besides these other speciall graces of the spirit which are proper onely to Gods children Paul saith that f 1. Tim. 4.10 God is the sauiour of all men specially of those that belieue so it may be said he giueth graces to all but in speciall manner to elect Christ is pleased in scripture to terme the church his loue his spouse The day of Iudgement is the mariage day and the time present is the wooing time in which he is as it were a suter to his church and the ministers are appointed to prepare the church for her husband g 2. Cor. 11.2 and to present her as a pure virgin vnto Christ Now he which is a suter to a woman himselfe being a man of worship and ability howsoeuer to testifie his bounty and to make knowne his loue to his beloued he will bestowe gifts vpon the seruants of the family yet if he haue any â—ewell of worth and price that he reserueth for her on whom his loue is fixed so Christ Iesus conferreth common fauours euen vpon the reprobate to make knowne his riches and withall for the good of his chosen but the speciall and choise and selected graces these he keepeth onely for the true members of his church And these are the graces meant by christ in this place they are in order these which follow 1. The gift of regeneration which is that whereby a man of a Limme of Sathan is made a member of Christ of a childe of the diuell The proper gifts is become the sonne of God That this is a worke of Gods spirit appeareth by Christ his words Except a man be borne of water and of the spirit h Ioh. 3.5 c. And therefore fitly is the holy Ghost compared to Water because as water doth moisten that which is hard So the holy Ghost doth supple and soften and put the sappe of Grace into the drie and dead and rotten Heart of Man So that where the spirit of God is there the Heart is renued the nature changed the delight in sinne asswaged and a loue of holines and godlines as it were a new iuyce begunne in the soule This is the first proper gift 2. The knowledge of a mans owne Reconciliation to God by the meanes of Christ Iesus Hereof speaketh the Apostle The spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the Children of God It is true i Rom. 8.16 the nature of man cannot attaine to this knowledge But we k 1. Cor. 2.12 haue receiued the spirit which is of God That we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God And indeede it cannot be but that if God haue beene pleased of his goodnes to make any man or woman his Child he will likewise make knowne the same fauour 〈◊〉 him or her especially seing it is so greatly for our comfort For as on the one side it is the greatest miserie for a man to be in continuall suspense not knowing whether his sins are forgiueÌ„ him so what greater coÌ„fort can there be to a man to be assured of Gods fauour toward him 3. The gift of obedience for as a man that dwelleth in a house as the owner of it ordereth it and gouerneth it at his pleasure so the Holy Ghost gouerneth all those in whome he abideth l Rom. 8.14 they are all ledde by the spirit which are the Lords The spirit represseth all badde motions drawing vnto sinne springing from the Corruption of our Nature suggested by Sathan and occasioned by the beguiling entisements of this euill world and withall it stirreth vp good desires holy Thoughts inclining to Pietie and godlines 4. Praier that is a will and abilitie in some good measure to haue recourse vnto the Lord by Praier vpon all occasions and to poure out a Mans wants and necessities before him For this is a generall and a certaine rule that as naturally euery child being pinched with want acquainteth the Father with his necessities building vpon his loue and willingnes to doe him good so he which is the child of God hath alwaies this Property to make Prayer vnto God his first meanes whereby to obtaine that which he doth desire and to be freed from that wherewith he is oppressed Now that which worketh this in vs is Gods spirit For seeing wee of our selues doe neither know our necessities nor knowing them can tell how to bemoane them therefore Gods spirit is giuen to helpe our Infirmities to assist vs in the framing of our suites that so our prayers may be pleasing vnto God and comfortable to our soules And for this the spirit of God is called the m Zach. 12.10 spirit of supplications because it furnisheth a man both with will and knowledge also to powre out his soule vnfeinedly to the Lord. 5. Comfort in distresse For whereas the children of God are subiect to manifold greeuances partly in regard of inward conflicts with sinne and the terrors of their owne Conscience partly in respect of outward annoyances the spirit of God is giuen vnto them to releeue them to minister comfort vnto them to vphold them to make them able with cheerfulnes to hold out in the midst of the greatest extreamities whatsoeuer For this cause the spirit is called the n Ioh. 15.26 Comforter and o Psal 45.7 Oyle of gladnes because he doth refresh and cheere the poore distressed soules of Gods children 6. Strength There are many things which the profession of