and other waters you use which are healing waters The waters of the Gospel are healing waters He sent out his word and healed them Christ said to the Leper I will be thou cleane and he was cleane The word of God will heale all diseases of your soules 't is not onely a patterne of wholsome words but a patterne of healing words Seventhly and lastly Some waters are very Comfortable and Cordiall so are these waters of life They are very Cordiall waters is not this text very Cordiall to thinke upon Whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely It 's a very Cordiall the water of this text And so much for the Resemblance between water and it The water of Life Quest Upon what account is it call'd water of Life Answ First of all this water begets life take Christ for the water of life Christ himselfe is life He is the Prince of life and he is life Joh 14 6. And he is our life Col 3.3 When Christ who is our life shall appeare Christ brought life to the dead world he is water of life Take the Spirit for water of life The Spirit begets life in the soule it is a Spirit of life and it 's called living water In the 7th of Joh 38 39. He that beleiveth on me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall slow rivers of living water and this he spake of the Spirit the Spirit is water of life unto men and women Take it for the Gospel Phil 2.14 't is the word of life the very word begets life in men and women 1 Pet 1.23 Being borne not of Corruptible seede but of Incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever The word of God liveth and begets life in men and women It 's seede and all true seede hath life in it sow any Corne it hath life in it this is divine and heavenly Corne and when it is sowne in your hearts it begets life there And Grace is life Faith is life all Grace is life It is the life of the soule so that they are called waters of life because these waters beget life Secondly They are waters of life because they doe maintaine life begotten We are nourished of the same things of which we consist saith Philosophie And so saith Divinity wee consist of divine principles a godly man is made up of the word of God of the Divine nature and of the Graces of the Spirit and wee are maintained by the same we are maintained by Christ and by the Spirit and by the word and by this water of life we live upon the same Therefore Christ Grace and Spirit are compared in the Scripture unto things upon which men live Isa 55. Ho every one that thirsteth c. Water and wine and milke and marrow and bread by such things as these men live Incline your ear and come unto me heare and your soules shall live your life shall be maintained by these things Christ is the bread of life and the water of life and we must live by this bread and water live by the flesh of Christ and live by the blood of Christ live by the promises of Christ and live by the Graces of Christ and so by the Spirit these maintaine life in men and women Thirdly It 's water of life because it makes us more and more lively it doth not onely beget life and maintaine life but Increase life and makes us lively It 's said in the 4 â—h of John that this water shall be a Well of water springing up into everlasting life It increases life and springs up into more and more life This water doth make us lively John 10.10 saith Christ I came that ye might have life and have it in more abundance how lively was Peter after the water of the Spirit came upon him in Acts 2. and Peter it is that writes of living and lively stones Christians should not onely be living but lively this water makes lively full of Spirits Lastly 'T is water of life because it brings unto everlasting life he that hath the Gospel comes to be pertaker of the Spirit and he that hath the Spirit is pertaker of Christ and he that is pertaker of Christ comes to God See how this water of life springs up into everlasting life saith Christ in the 14 of Joh 6. I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes unto the Father but by me so that by Christ we come to the Father And in the 8 Rom 9. He that hath not the Spirit is none of Christs And he that hath not the Gospel hath not the ministration of the Spirit where the Gospel waters come and this water is conveyed to the soule there the Spirit is and there Christ is and there 's coming to the Father so that it springs up from the Gospel to the Spirit from the Spirit to Christ from Christ to the Father as in the 4 â—h of Joh 14. It is a Well springing up Into Everlasting life This water came from the Father and it will carry men up to the Father into everlasting life So then you see what this water of life is and why it 's said to be water of life and how water Let him take the water of life freely There 's something in this word Take of the water of life freely That notes first let a sinner be what he will there is no barre put in against him to keepe him off from this water let a man be a great sinner an old sinner let his sinnes be Crimsen and Scarlet sins God puts in no barre Christ saith not here let a little sinner or a young sinner or a sinner that hath sin'd once or twice or an hundred times or a thousand times onely come but he saith whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely let his sins be what they will All manner of Blasphemies saith Christ shall be forgiven There 's no barre but onely against the Impardonable sin But what sin soever though long continued in though of the most hainous nature cloathed with the most dreadfullest aggravations yet it shall be forgiven let that sinner come and take of this water of life freely A Leper a man leperous all over may as freely goe into the river or sea and wash himselfe as the man that is sound There is no barre in his way Secondly It imports thus much let him come and pertake freely that whatsoever qualification men have let them be honest morall civill sober righteous just and the like have good natures and dispositions yet no man doth deserve or merit any thing not one drop of this water Many thinke and it 's the Popish Doctrine that men may be made meete for this water and that men doe deserve this water and are worthy of it No let men be never so righteous just morall never so civill yet when they have done all that ever they
him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light Therefore let us not walk after our own lusts but walk in the fear of God as the Churches did Acts 9.31 Yee are the children of the light 1 Thess 5.5 therefore let us walk in the light yee have a Spiritual life begotten in you who once were dead therefore let us walk in newness of life Rom. 6.4 let us walk in and after the Spirit Gal. 5.16 in good works Ephes 2.10 in love chap. 5.2 Circumspectly vers 15. yea let us walk honestly towards them that are without 1 Thes 4.12 Let us walk in the truth 3 Ep. Joh. 4. let us walk in the steps of good men Prov. 2.20 yea let us walk even as Christ himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 And that me may do so let us mind our rule Gal. 6.16 and then we shall walk in some measure worthy of our Vocation Eph. 4.1 This will make much for the glory of God and Christ here in the World by it we shall adorn the Doctrin of God our Saviour Tit. 2.10 It will make much for the comfort and joy of him whom God hath set over us that watches for our souls Joh. 3.4 yea your holy walking and godly conversation may be a means for the conversion of others and bringing them in to Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.12 3.1 2. And by doing thus we shall not only maintain our Fellowship one with another but with the Father and the Son 1 Ep. Joh. chap. 1. Beloved Brethren I shall not need to put you on to the ready entertaining of these choice Truths that are here delivered they being already written in your hearts you cannot but receive them with joy and in so doing you answer the end and labours of him who is dear unto you that preacht them and likewise the end of him who did transcribe them Brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace 2 Cor. 1.12 and the God of love and peace shall be with you So prays your dear Brother who affectionately loveth you and is desirous to serve you in the Lord. R. VV. Errata PAg. 8. l. last r. back p. 19. l. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 23. l. last but one r. behold p. 62. l. 7. r. 14. p. 66. l. 6. r. the father l. 12. r. in Zech. l. 20. r. is p. 80. l. 13. after heads r. saying we shal befree l 20 dele have p 106. in marg r. proprieties l. last but one r. velleitie p. 107. l. 10. r. complaintive p. 110 l. 2. r no l 22 r power p. 1 11. l 2 r. of that is unknown p 112 l 26 27 r and is not like the Publican p. 115. l 4 5 r. all salvation is in him p. 122. l. 25. r lentile p 123. l last r bitter p. 125 l 25 make the Comma after the first it p. 328 l. 28 r break l 31 r required p 132 l 8. r are you hungry p 138 l 25 r hast forward p. 140. l 23. r come p 144 l 1 r hints of joy p 157. l. 26 r angry p 170 l 2 ◠room l 28 r will p 181 r Ahashuerosh p 186. in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 194 l 22 r here p 207. l. 4. r. you that are barren p 211 l 9 r have p 220 l 26 r club p. 323 l 26 r. acceptance p. 239 l 23. r let 's Christ the Root of all REV. 22.16 I am the Root and the Off-spring of David c. CHrist having sent his Angel to testifie several things unto the Churches Tells them what he is I am the Root and the Off-spring of David the bright and morning Star These words I am the Root and the Off-spring of David are a Riddle and a seeming contradiction For Christ to bee the Root of David and the Off-spring of David seems very improbable and contradictory much like that speech in the 22. of Matth. latter end where Christ said The Lord said unto my Lord If David call him Lord how is he then his Son They could not tell what to make of it So its probable when many read these words here Christ is the Root of David and the Off-spring of David too they know not how to untie this knot and to reconcile this seeming contradiction But if we plow with the Heifer of the Lord with his Spirit we many easily resolve it Christ is the Root of David as he is God in his Divine nature he is the Off-spring of David as he is man And in some sense Christ as he is man may be also the root of David For Christs Humane nature was as well in Jesse the Father of David as in David himself You see here Christ is termed a Root I am the root of David Of that I shall speak at this time and it is not in vain that the Scripture doth set out Christ by this expression a Root for there are sundry resemblances wherein the Lord Christ is like unto a Root First you know a Root is a thing hidden in the earth Wherein the resemblance lies between Christ and a Root secret and not obvious to any eye so the Lord Christ take him especially in his Divine nature that is a hidden thing As it s said of God He is the invisible God so of Christs Divine nature it is an invisible nature The Angels are not seen souls are not seen and God is not seen and the Deity of Christ was not seen It was hid under flesh under his humane nature And Christs humane nature Christ as man was a hidden thing Joh. 1.10 He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not The world did not know him to be the Messiah to be the root of David So in Joh. 16.3 These things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me They have not known me Christ was not known but a hidden thing a secret thing like a root in the earth as he saith of the Spirit in Joh. 14.17 Whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him the world did not see the Spirit nor know the Spirit so the world did not see Christ nor know Christ why Christs humane nature Christ as man was hidden under afflictions under reproaches under poverty and meanness and under scorn and contempt so that he was a root in the earth he was a hidden thing 2 A Root hath life in it and the life is principally in the root of any thing so in the Lord Jesus there is life and life principally in him Joh. 5.26 As the Father hath life in himself so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself Christ hath life in himself principally and eminently as the Father had Joh. 1.4 In him was light and that light was the life of men In this Root was life in Christ was life 1 Cor.
SERMONS OF CHRIST HIS Last Discovery of Himself Of The Spirit and Bride The Waters of Life And His free Invitation of Sinners to come and drink of them From Revel 22.16 17. By WILLIAM GREENHILL an unworthy Servant of the Lords He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul Prov. 15.32 The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge Prov. 18. â—5 LONDON Printed by R. I. for Livewell Chapman at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley 1656. TO ALL His Christian Friends More especially To those the Author of these Sermons walks with in the Fellowship of the Gospel doth he Dedicate the same TO THE READER THat these Sermons see the Light is more from the Auditours than the Author of them Some being affected in hearing were importunate to have them published urging they might bee of use not only to doubting Saints and desponding Christians but also to those were dead in Sins and Trespasses Hereupon after some struglings in my spirit I was willing to expose my self to Censure rather than to grieve my Friends by a denial and with-hold those Truths by which possibly some poor Soul or other might gain some little Spiâ—iâ—ual advantage Reader although these Sermons were taken by the Pen of a ready Writer and printed as they were taken yet look not for that Spirit Power and Life was in them when Preached The Press is a dead thing to the Pulpit A Sermon from thence is like Meat from the Fire and Milk from the Brest but when it is in Ink and Paper it 's only cold Meat and Milk it hath lost its lively taste though it may nourish and become a standing Dish to feed upon daily There is this benefit in Printing that when the Preacher is absent or dead the thing printed may bee at hand and serviceable Reader if thou lookest for high Notions quaint Expressions new Opinions strong Lines inticing words of mans Wisdom or any thing to please a fleshly mind I must say to thee as Peter did to him in the Acts Such silver and gold have I none but what I have I give unto thee viz. plain and naked Truths according to the simplicity of Christ and the Gospel Wouldest thou know what is to be had here If thou be shaken in these staggering times here thou maist see what a Root Christ is bearing up all If thou stumble at Christs meanness in the World here thou shalt understand of what Royal Descent he was If thou be in the dark and know not the right way here maist thou behold Christ a glorious Star to direct thee If thou be dull and sad here mayest thou hear the sweet Voyces of the Spirit and Bride to quicken and comfort thee If thou bee thirsty here is water and Water of Life prepared for thee If thou be sinful and so sinful as thou fearest Christ will not save thee here shalt thou finde many clear demonstrations how willing Christ is to save sinners If thou finde not a willingness in thee to have Water of Life here is discovered how that willingness may be wrought in thee If thou bee secure and sleepy here are tidings of Christs coming of what concernment that is and what preparation thou art to make for it which may help to awaken thee In a word here thou hast the last discovery the Lord Christ gave forth of himself and of his miâ—d He had oft before discovered himself what he was as to be the Messiah Joh. 4.25 26. to be the Resurrection and the Life Joh. 11.25 to bee the Bread of Life Joh. 6.35 to be the Light of the World Joh. 8.12 to be the good Shepherd Joh. 10.11 to be the true Vine Joh. 15.1 to be the Way Truth and Life Joh. 14.6 to be Alpha and Omega and here he saith I am the Root and Off-spring of David c. which being the last declaration of himself doubtless hath something considerable in it as will appear in the Work it self William Greenhil Stepney the fifth of the ninth Month. 1655. TO His dearly beloved Brethren and Fellow Members of that Body the Church at Stepney of which Christ is the Head Grace Mercy and Peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord be multiplied unto you Brethren YOu are here presented with that in Print which before you have heard Preached unto you but I hope the impression of it is not only in these Papers but that it is already in your hearts It was a glorious commendation that Paul gave of his Corinthians 2 Epist 3.2 Yee are our Epistle written in our hearts known and read of all men for as much as yee are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of Stone but in fleshy tables of the heart What is the end of our faithful Pastors Preaching and of our Hearing but that we may be the Epistles of Christ You have here presented to your view some of the last words of Christ wherein you have a Declaration of what he is the Root and the Off-spring of David Davids root in regard of his Diety and his Off-spring in regard of his Humanity we have need to hear of these Truths again and again especially in such days of Apostacy and falling away from the Faith as we live in many denying the Lord that bought them by which wee may see the Scripture fulfilled that saith In the latter days many shall depart from the Faith and in 2 Pet. 2.1 2. the Apostle plainly speaks that as there were false Prophets of old so there should be false Teachers that should creep in who privily should bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and many should follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth should be evil spoken of You have here likewise a sweet and blessed in vitation of the Lord Jesus to poor thirsty Sinners that they would come and take of the Water of Life freely O therefore let us not stand off but come although we have no mony for little do we think what prejudice our Soâ—uls do receive because we go no freelier to Jesus Christ to receive of the things that hee hath purchased and is ready to give out unto us you are called out of the World even to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ You are the Members of Christ 1 Corinth 6.15 yee are the Temples of the holy Spirit 2 Cor. 6.16 you stand in near relation to God and Christ as being his Friends his Brethren his Children his Spouse Yee are his Portion his Jewels his peculiar Treasure his Vine-yard his pleasant Plant his Glory Isa 4.5 1 Pet. 2.9 Yee are a chosen Generation a Roval Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar People It being thus what flows from hence or what doth this call for at our hands but that we labour to shew forth the Praises of
in your desires a beleeving Soul sees what an honourable Person Christ is Carnal eyes do not see but Spiritual eyes do see this Off-spring of David they see what a Plant he is what a Branch he is And it should make men and women desirous to come in to Christ and close with Christ Women desire honourable Matches and rich Matches and shall not our Souls now close with Christ who is the best Match the Off-spring of David the Heir of the World the Heir of Heaven O therefore let your desires be towards Christ and close with the Lord Jesus and honour him in your thoughts and exalt him in your hearts and lift him up higher and higher every day for there is none like unto him 4 Lastly This may serve to let us see what service and subjection is due unto Jesus Christ hee is the Off-spring of David hee is the Root of David he is God and he is true Man and he is of the most eminent of men in the World therefore all service and subjection is due unto him Psal 2. Kiss the Son lest he bâ—e angry and yee perish from the mid way O kiss him and subject unto him kiss him and serve him kiss him and obey him manifest your respects unto him every way the meaning here is Kiss the Son and serve him serve him with your Souls with your Bodies he hath the right of Redemption O therefore serve him The next Conclusion to be drawn from these words is this If Christ bee the Root and Off-spring of David then whatsoever the Scripture faith upon this account and consideration must be made good and there are two Scriptures worthy your serious and best consideration The first is in Jer. 23.5 Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Justice and Judgement in the earth Hear what the Scripture saith of the Off-spring of David he shall be a King and shall prosper and he shall execute Justice and Judgement in the earth The other Scripture is in Luk. 1.29 He shall be Great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David Whether ever Christ yet had these Scriptures made good unto him is worth your serious consideration was Christ ever yet set upon the Throne of David according to these words When Christ was here it was in a state of Humiliation he came not to be ministred unto but to minister unto others and he did wash his Disciples feet he was in a state of humiliation doth it not remain then that these Scriptures should be made good It is true Christ hath a Throne in Heaven but that is not Davids Throne that is the Throne of God but he shall sit upon his Father Davids Throne And surely there is something in that Rev. 19.11 And I saw heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sate upon him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he doth judge and make Warre his eyes were as a flame of fire and on his head were many Crowns and hee had a name written that no man knew but himself and he was cloathed in a vesture dipt in bloud and his name was called the Word of God who was this but Christ And the Armies which were in Heaven followed him upon white Horses cloathed in fine Linnen white and clean and out of his mouth goeth a sharp Sword that with it he should smite the Nations and he shall rule them with a rod of Iron and he treadeth the Wine-press of the fiercèness and wrath of Almighty God c. Whether this bee yet fulfilled take into your serious consideration and this conclusion that Christ the Off-spring of David must reign and sit upon the Throne or David serves for two speciall things First For preparation Secondly For expectation First for Preparation That people should prepare and sit themselves against the coming of Christ so Revel 19.7 Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the Marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready This was in Vision now it must be made good in reality let every Soul prepare and make themselves ready for the coming of the Lord Jesus you know a Bride doth trim and deck up her self and put on her ornaments and make her self as lovely and amiable as possibly the can so should every Soul purge away sin and deck up themselves with the Graces of Gods Spirit and walk righteously and holily and unblamably and so make themselves ready for Christ The Second is for Expectation saith Christ I am the Root and the Off-spring of David and what follows in the next words And the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him that heareth say come c. presently therâ— is an expectation raised Christ speaks these words to raise the expectations of all that should live after this Book to expect his coming I am the root of Jesse the root of David and the Off-spring of David I have upheld David and he hath had a Kingdom and I am his Son and I must come and I must sit upon his Throne and I must reign The next Conclusion is this That the knowledge of Christ under these Notions or expressions here is of great concernment This is the last Declaration that ever the Lord Jesus made of himself here in the world and what saith he I am the root and the off-spring of David and so leaves it unto the World to consider of This is of great concernment to consider Christ under these Notions now to make it out in two or three particulars 1 Here is held out unto us the two Natures of Christ his God-head his Divine Nature and his Human Nature the Divine Nature I am the root of David his Human nature The off-spring of David and withall a great Mystery for mark I am the root of David and the Off-spring of David and David lyes between both So here Christs Human nature in the Off-spring the Divine nature in the root and Christ Mediator lyes between both for there must be a concurrence of Divine and Human nature to impersonate Christ to be a Mediator which here is held out unto the World in the last Declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ I am God and I uphold you I uphold David and his Kingdom and I am the Off-spring of David I am sensible of any thing is done to my Church and People and I am Mediator and will mediate with my Father for vengeance on those shal wrong them and for assistance of all those he hath given unto me 2 Herein many Scriptures are fulfilled I am the root and Off-spring of David and so wee may see the truth reality and certainty of Scripture Joh. 4.7 Hath not the Scripture said that Christ cometh of the Seed of David and out of the town of
after Christ nor use the means these do not thirst 3 Again no unregenerate man doth Spiritually thirst after Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned And if he do not know them it is the old rule There is no desire of that Now men that have not the Spirit as appears ver 12. they cannot thirst So in Jude it is there They are sensual not having the Spirit Now what a multitude of men and women are there in the world that have not the Spirit they jear at the Spirit and others know not whether there bee a Spirit of God or no Oh! multitudes the greatest part are in the broad way These now do not Spiritually thirst after Christ 4 Again those that do live and go on in any known way of wickedness they do not desire Christ nor cannot desire the Lord Jesus Christ And do not most men and women go on in some way of wickedness or other and they make their Lusts their god and they would not have that god destroyed they say to Christ as the Devils did Why dost thou come to torment us before the time When men and women walk in any way of wickedness and it is their ordinary practise they do not desire the coming of Christ neither can they Many things I might instance in this way but it is too evident there are few that do Spiritually thirst after Christ Q But whence is it that so few do so Spiritually thirst after Christ Whence is it that so few do thirst after Christ A. First It is from the ignorance of men and women the Law of God hath never entered into their Souls for had the Law of God entred to convince them of sin for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin had the Law ever entred to convince them of the sinfulness of sin that is in them of the pollution of sin how it defiles them of the distance sin hath set them at from God of the Curse hangs over their heads by reason of their sin they would then begin to inquire and to thirst after Christ but the Law hath never entred into them they are ignorant of the Law of God ignorant of the truths of God and where there is blindness and ignorance there can be no true thirst Secondly This is from the conceitedness of men and women most men and women are conceited of their own goodness they have good hearts good natures lead honest lives they are civil and just they walk unblameably and these things they rest upon and so they feed upon these husks Solomon saith Every man is first in his own cause A man is righteous in his own eyes and a man will judge himself and justifie himself and think himself better than another and we are naturally prone to Hypocrisie to see a mote in anothers eye and not a beam in our own The Church of Laodicea conceited her self to be rich and to be full c. and to want nothing when as she was poor and miserable and blinde and naked and wanted all things This is natural for men and women to conceit well of themselves The Pharisee fasts twice in the week c. And not like this Publican this is incident to us all to think too well of our selves and hence it is that men and women do not thirst after Christ but will be their own Saviours and so undoe themselves Thirdly This is from men and womens mistakes 1 Of God 2 Of the Creature 1 Of God They think God is like unto themselves Psal 50. Thou thoughtest that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee and I will tear thee in peeces and none shall deliver thee unless thou do otherwise then so Wee think God is all Mercy and that he is not so holy so just so severe and ridgid against sin O it is but a saying Lord have mercy upon us and all will do well now here is their mistake about God God is exceeding holy and he is wonderful severe Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts A man judges well of himself but God will send him to Hell for judging well of himself the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness the very appearances of evil God hath cut off men for small sins 2 It is from peoples mistakes about the Creature and the insufficiency of the Creature they do not see an utter insufficiency in all Creatures to releeve them and therefore they stick upon Creatures One man hee trusts unto his estate and riches the rich mans wealth is his strong tower Another man rests upon his Wisdom and policy another trusts to his Strength another trusts to his Almes and good Works and another thinks he shall never dye he is not so old but he may yet live another Month or a Year men are not convinced of the insufficiency of all things to releeve them and deliver them but the Lord Jesus Christ but if they were satisfied no Angel nor Potentate no Action of their own no action of others not all the Saints in the VVorld can deliver one Soul Then they would hunger and thirst after Christ but while they are not convinced of the insufficiency of all these things there is no thirsting after Christ 4 Further This is from their not understanding of the infinite worth and excellency and good that is to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ alone they think they must joyn something with Christ I will do a little and Christ shall do the rest they set up themselves with Christ and make themselves equal to Christ they must save themselves in part and Christ must save them in part But now if men and women did understand the excellency of Christ the fulness of Christ the grace of Christ the mercy and love of Christ and the vertue of Christ how that the only way for pardon for peace for life for strength for comfort for whatsoever their Souls stand in need of it is in Christ then they would be carried out to Christ Is not he held out in the Gospel to be a Sun all Light in him Is not he held out to have life in himself all Spiritual life in him I am come that yee might have life and have it in more abundance Is not Christ held out to be the great High Priest that offered himself a Sacrifice and such a Sacrifice that all other Sacrifices have ceased all lies upon Christ and whatsoever your sins are whatsoever your nakedness and Poverty is there is relief to bee had in Christ hee is Righteousness hee is Strength he is Bread he is all so that peoples not well understanding the worth of Christ and all to be had in Christ for the Lord hath sealed him sent him set him forth and declared
backbite others Christ is none of thine the Scripture is clear none such shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven therefore consider there is eternal woe for all those that dye in their Natural condition that have not this thirst in them after the Lord Christ and his Righteousness O therefore give no rest to God nor no rest to thy Soul until thou finde that thou art delivered 2 To you that are godly Direction to those that thirst after Christ and have some thirst in your Souls after Christ many times you grow luke-warm flat dead and secure you had need be quickned and to have your thirst stirred up in you and for that consider 1 Your own infirmities have you no infirmities is there no deadness dulness laziness how do you perform the Worship of God and the duties thereof Are you not more Carnal than Spiritual Do not your hearts wander Are you not sleepy are not you formal Do not you neglect many times your duty do not you come short surely these and many other things you know by your selves And whence came all these from the body of Sin from the Old man that is in you Paul he was sensible of this Rom. 7. he found a Law in his members warring against the Law of his minde he found he was Carnal sold under sin he found he was unspiritual and he is troubled at this and his thirst was increased what saith hee O wretched man who shall deliver me his thirst now is great Who shall deliver me I thank God through Jesus Christ I thirst after Christ and the coming of Christ to deliver me so that the serious consideration of your own infirmities and corruptions and the hinderances and cloggs and lets you have from them in your way of Christianity should cause your thirst to bee greater and greater daily 2 Consider what work you have to do and what little strength you have to do it Christians have a great deal of work to do here in the World they should pray continually they should stand and with-stand the Tempter and all his Temptations overcome the World work the Works of God they should side with Christ and his interest and help on the Gospel and the power of godliness they have their Lusts to mortifie and great things to do Now how will you do these saith Christ Without me you can do nothing will not you thirst after Christ now and strength from him and assurance from him and new influences from him and more of his Spirit daily Many do act in their own strength and therefore so little good comes thereof We pray by our own Natural abilities and Natural parts and through Power and Gifts acquired and therefore I say so little good comes of all but had wee Divine strength to pray and to do all we do did we go out in his Name and in his strength and work the Works of God who could stand before us then 3 Consider the great good that is to be had by Christ have you not wants why there is infinite good to be had by Christ In him is all fulness with him is plentious Redemption hee hath unsearchable riches of Grace he hath the residue of the Spirit he hath whatsoever may make our lives comfortable whatsoever may make our lives happy Christ hath all in his own hands and therefore you should hunger and thirst after Christ more and more 4 Consider what is promised unto you by Christ the Promise is That there shall be times of refreshing when Christ comes Acts 3.19 then the times of restitution of all things shall be there are times for these things And so when the Lamb shall be the Light then the Lamb shall lead you to the Fountain of living Waters then you shall hunger and thirst no more then all tears shall be wiped from your eyes Why do not you thirst after these things and after the Lord Jesus Christ and his coming The Spirit saith Come and the Bride saith come And what are your Souls asleep Should not we say Come Lord come quickly The times in which wee live are sad times but the coming of the Lord would change all and rectifie all and satisfie all therefore consider of these things and your thirst after Christ will be increased 5 Lastly If you that thirst would have your thirst more lively and inlarged remember what sweetness you have found in Christ at some time or other when men remember they have drunk admirable Wine the very remembrance of it makes them to thirst after that Wine the more the Wine that Christ made at the Marriage Feast and brought forth the people were so affected with it that they called the Governour and askt him why he kept the good Wine till then they were taken with the Wine so when Christians do remember what ravishments they have had from Christ sometimes what hits of joy what sound peace what sweet communion with the Father through him what out-lettings of his Spirit This will inlarge their hearts and their desires some Christians have had large experiences this way they have had flaggons of Wine to drink and apples of comfort to feed upon and the more they do remember these the larger will bee their thirstings after Christ Christ's willingness to save sinners Reve 22.17 Let him that is athirst come LEt him that is athirst come come Christ doth not say here Let him that is athirst seek out and yet that had been humanity and courtesie Christ doth not say Let him that is athirst goe to Jordan Christ doth not send them to Moses nor to any of the brooks or Cisterns but Christ saith Let him that is athirst come and whither should he come or to what should he come The meaning is let him come to me Let him come to me for drinke for satisfaction let him that is athirst come here 's exceeding kindness choice love peculiar mercy let him that is athirst come Come unto me as it 's said in the 7th of John and Drinke I have drinke for him water of life for him as it 's in the next words And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely To open this word unto you what 's meant by come 't is not meant come bodily so you all know what coming is when the body removes out of one place and goes to another But it is meant spiritually 't is not the feete of the body but the feete of the soule are required and by coming in Scripture is meant beleiving unbeleife is departing from God Heb 9.12 Take heed Brethren least there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleife in departing from the living God An heart of unbeleife is a heart departs from God and goes away from God So in the 10th Chap The Just shall live by Faith but if any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him An unbeleiving heart is a heart draws back and departs from God Now to
merits are water of life The Spirit with all it's Graces are water of life The Gospel with all its promises are water of life and you have great necessitie of these if you have them not you will perish you will die be damned for ever if you drink not of these And of admirable use whosoever drinkes of this water they will be full of spirits and life full of peace and Comfort they will be fitted for Communion with God and man for the service of heaven and earth 7 Joh 38 39. when Christ had said unto them If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke it presently followes This spake he of the Spirit which they that beleive on him should receive and saith he out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water he shall have living water to flow out of his belly and be usefull so as to water others Fifthly Lastly Consider how easie that which the Lord requires at your hands is the Lord requires no hard matters of you onely he saith who ever will let him take the waters of life The Lord might have put hard Conditions and hard tearmes upon men and women as Saul did upon David Give me 200 foreskins of the Philistines and thou shalt have Micha my Daughter to wife as Caleb did If any man will goe and take Kiriahsephar and subdue it he shall have my Daughter Achsah Josh 15.16 He might have put you upon it as he did the young Man in Math 19. Goe and sell all that thou hast and follow me and thou shalt have waters of life but he doth not put you upon such things he saith Whosoever will let him come and drinke of the waters of life so that it is upon an easie account Therefore Consider these things and through the blessing and Grace of God they may prevaile with your hearts to be more willing then ever to have the water of life The next use is to let us see the Infinite goodnesse of God and Condecension to poore creatures That he who is greatnesse and Glory Majestie and excellency should condescend to us who are flesh blood corrupt full of guilt full of deformity having no beauty no excellency no good in us That God should condescend so farre as that upon being willing we should have waters of life as was said before he put no hard tearmes upon us but saith Whosoever will let him take waters of life that is let him take me for his Portion let him take my Son he shall be his Righteousnesse Let him take my Spirit it shall be his Sanctification Let him take my word it shall be his Light Rule and Comfort and he shall be blessed here and hereafter ô the infinite goodness and condescention of God towards poore wretches such as we are Should you have seene Solomon in all his Glory and Royalty to have stooped thus farre to a poore Blackamore full of soares and leperous having no friend to speake for her as to say Come manifest thy willingness to have me I will have thee into my house I will wash thee make thee my Queene and make thee happie had not this been wonderfull condescention in Solomon Thus is it with God We Blackamores that were in our blood and full of soares having no friend to plead for us but all against us we have no good nor worth in us Now Solomon the Prince of peace and life he comes and saith will you be sav'd poore creatures will you be washt in my blood will you goe along with me will you be happy come goe along with me I will carry you to my Father you shall sit upon a Throne and live for ever and Injoy God ô the goodnesse and condescention of God to poore sinners Lastly Here is matter of Comfort unto those that doe desire and thirst after waters of life The Doctrine saith Those that are willing shall have waters of life and the text saith Who ever will let him take the waters of life Waters of life are prepared and reserved for those are willing for those are thirsty therefore he saith in the 21 Revel 6. If any man thirst he will give him of the Fountaine of the water of life freely It may be you thirst and you are willing but you still want the waters of life is it so waite patiently you shall have waters of life in due time and they are worth the waiting for we can waite for a Bottle of wine it may be two or three houres and for a ship of wines many moneths and will not you waite for waters of Life Every promise is a tree of life and the fruit is growing and when it 's ripe for you you shall have it every one is a bottle of wine and when it pleases God he will unstop it powre out the wine into your hearts you shall have Christ and the Spirit to seale you up to the day of Redemption you shall have the blood of Christ to wash you you shall have God himselfe and all that is good therefore waite Doe but Consider a little of the Prodigall in the 15 of Luke And when he came to himselfe he said how many hyred servants of my Father have bread enough but I perish for hunger I will arise and goe to my Father and say c. And he arose and came to his Father Now marke here 's the Prodigall and what saith he there 's bread enough in my Fathers house there 's water of life in my Fathers house here 's none but stones hereâ—s none but swill for swine in my Fathers house there 's bread he prizes it I will goe eat of that bread he chooses it and then he pursues it I le goe saith he and so goes and makes all the speed he can to get to his Fathers house and have it And was he long without it See what followes And he arose and came to his Father but while he was a great way off his Father saw him had Compassion ran and fell on his neck and kisses him the Son saith Father I have sinned c. But the Father saith to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and shooes on his feete and bring hither the fatted Calfe and kill it and let eat and be merry and the like When you are willing thus to have water of life the Father sees you a farr off and saith there 's one a coming to me there is one coming for bread for water of life and what then God will run and meete such an one he shall not be long without his water he will kisse and imbrace him and give him water of life he will give him wine marrow fattnesse and all that is good Therefore be not you discouraged but moove towards your Fathers house towards the water of life and it shall be brought forth unto you and given you in abundance FINIS A TABLE OF The Chief Heads