me no man can see the Father but by the Son and he to whom the Son doth reveal him And then he told me further that the father reveals the sonne and the sonne the father and both the spirit and the river by giving of it to the sonnes of men and so indeed he lead me up and down in a mis-maze for I had never in all my life before heard so much talk of revealing and I know not what of the father sonne and spirit and the river for so he called the spirit saying it was a pure clear and living river still talking of I know not how many lights and I never knew but of one here which rules the day So thought I what doth this man mean by his lights but he turned I know not how about to a light of God and a light and life of Christ or in Christ I think he called it saying it was the surest and safest and the sweetest the happiest best and blessedest life of all lives that the soul lived when it lived in God the fountaine of light and life endlesse light and endlesse life For indeed God is the life of our lives the root of our lives the fountain of our lives we live in our own element said he when we live in God and when we live out of him we pilgrime like wander up and down the world begging preservation of every poore creature which is a sad condition for a noble soul yea we bury our selves as in a grave of darknesse which few loves being nothing but wandering and rottennesse earth turning into earth but in one word I wind up all the river is the Spirit the eternall spirit of God by which he doth all in the world yea all his mighty works he binds Kings and looses Captives breaketh nations and binds them up again and as Kings and Nations private men and persons are bound and loosed comforted and wounded and all by this Spirit Oh then doth it concern all high low rich and poore to embrace this spirit for if ye slight him he can smite you wound you kill you and damne soul and body O then come and kisse this enlightning Sonne as David speaks of Christ in his second Psalm lest that he be angry it s said of this Sun that rules the day that it shall one day break forth in such flames of heat brightnesse that it shall scorch and burn up Mountains the spirit will do the same yea every man and woman in one way or other some in love most in dreadfull wrath and vengeance for neglecting and abusing the love grace and mercy which he once freely tendred them which they little minded being like the old world buying felling marrying all the time of Noahs arkes building yea untill the very flood came but then how did they run and tumble O me thinks I see the whole world shifting some to the hills others to the mountains some climbing trees and cedars and getting up to steeples whilst others wade to Noah yea beg and hang upon his Ark crying Noah Noah Noah for pitie take us in but he is secure and minds not all their skreeks and cryes nor their dolefull mourning for their drowned souls this he little minds for he is safe and his Ark arises by the mighty waters in the which he rides more and more steady the higher that they rise carying him at last over hils and mountaines and all kindes of dangers And now he sings this unto himselfe God hath safely housed me God hath safely kept me in a shelter from the raines which the black and melancholy heavens have weeped day and night for the sinnes of men till they were drowned with teares well Noah is yet safe the hangers on the Ark washt off screeks and cries over all swimme up and down the deluge Well the mighty waters doe beginne to beat and the heavens smile by clearing up againe Noah sends out his Dove shee soone returnes he againe doth the like she brings in an Olive branch an Emblem of peace to all in the Ark. Well this Ark is Christ and none there is but he that can safely shelter from all kinde of danger and yet this Ark is open and ready to receive all that will come in at the Spirits invitation but what if they doe not the Spirit will break forth in dreadfull flames of fire drying up the Seas and burning of the Mountaines none no not one escaping but those in the Ark. Well friend minde this Christ is the Ark the Spirit is the River God the Fountaine too of light life and glory shall all be neglected then thou art undone O unhuppy soul ill betide the time and cursed be the day that ever thou wast born Revel chap. 22.4 And they shall see his face and his name shall be written upon their foreheads O Christians from these words give mee leave to speake a little my thoughts for to you is this promise and if God give in the sweetnesse of it to you it will be as a little hony yea as a lick of that Manna which Christ will give to his Saints to feed on Revelations 2.17 And first these words they are a Promise of God to his people who are the persons to whom this Promise is made Secondly The Promise it selfe which is They shall see my face that is the thing O christian promised heare Thirdly For the time that is a comming they shall not yet but they shall from whence denote the certainty of it And truly friends if you did but consider this promise and the certainty of its accomplishment it would be like Moses little stick which did sweeten the bitter water which the Isralites could not drinke before he had throwne in his stick So I thinke it would sweeten any condition a Saint meets with in this world though never so bitter be thou sick be thou weake be thou poore for these conditions are they subject too as well as any therefore hath God made a thousand of such kinde of promises to his Saints to support them here Sometimes he tels them They shall drinke of the River of his pleasure and be abundantly satisfyed with the fatnes of his house Psa 36.8 A second Promise to them is this They shall eat of the Manna that is hid A third They shall see my face I will speake no more of them pray remember these three in all your troubles by faith feed your soules on them they will not onely comfort your hearts but consolate your troubled soules O they will make you well in sicknesse they will also make you rich in poverty they will make you feast in hunger they will make you sing in prison live in death yea triumph over death yea all kindes of death Christians you know this I know yee know it in some measure but what is the reason you doe not make use of these and such like Scripture sweet promises in the times of troubles You will say you
is he that readeth and he that heareth But I come to the words and will open them or at least will hint something from them according to my weake and glimmering light And first We have the rise of this River and that is the Throne of God and of the Lambe which I conceive to be his own everlasting glory in which he dwels and lives or otherwise the glorious union of the divine nature which sets up one another as a Throne a Prince the Father sets up the Sonne the Sonne reveales the Father the Spirit sets up and is sent forth by both which is the River Secondly For the nature of this River It is pure He shewed me a pure river of water so saith David With thee is the well of life so pure this River is pure pure indeed First In its nature and rise it proceeded from the pure fountaine of Gods Glory or the Throne of God and the Lambe and so it is pure for nature Secondly It is pure for operation it purifieth where it runneth and so it is like the refiners fire and fullers sope purifying the sonnes of Levi which is by washing them in the blood of Christ and leading them in and by the commands of Christ Thirdly It is cleare yea so cleare as it cannot be compared to any thing but the Chrystall O the Chrystall stone it is the clearest of all stones Diamonds are darke and cloudy many but the Christall stone it is the clearest of all you may see through and through it so cleare is this River you may see through and through all eternities by it from eternity to eternity and mystery to mystery Christ in earth Christ in glory Christ in flesh Christ in spirit and all cleare We with open face behold the glory of God as in a glasse and are changed from glory to glory but by the spirit of the Lord the River from the Throne Fourthly He shewed me a pure river of life I that is the well of life saith David 36.8 Here is the excellency of this river it is a living river and a life-giving river so saith Christ He that shall drinke of this water that I shall give him meaning this river shall never thirst againe but shall have a living satisfaction in it and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water O the worth of this living river this life-giving river endlesse life and glory Glorious things are spoken of thee O City of God so may I say of thee O River of God whose streames refresh the City of God Psal 46.4 Well I know yee perceive by this what this river this living river so pure and cleare as Christall flowing from the Throne of God and the Lambe as proceeding from both sent forth by both to water the Paradice of God yea every plant and tree especially those that want most Well are you satisfied what this river means that John tells you is so pure so clear I beleeve you are but take this Scripture too however John 7. v. 37. in the last day the great day of the feast Jesus stood up saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water and this spake he of the Spirit which they should receive beleeving in him Hearken O heavens heare O earth give eare O ye inhabitants of the world O what a proclamation is here for you from a sweet and bountifull Christ to a poore and thirsty sinner what the river of life to any one high low rich poor yong old bond free yea any one that will come by beleeving O free O bountifull Christ inviting sinners to a river yea a living river to drinke their fils and yet a drop is more worth then ten thousand rivers of oyle yea the oyle of spices yea the sweetest spices O christian friend here is the well of life indeed here is the fountaine of life indeed here is the river of pleasure I and the sweetest pleasure too lies in this streame for it is the river of life endlesse endlesse life and glory And heare now O ye sons of men how loudly Christ calls poore sinners to come to this Chrystall river in the Scriptures before John saith Christ stood up in the midst of the feast upon the great day where multitudes were gathered and cried out with a loud voice saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink O sweet Saviour of sinners how doest thou scatter life and pardon to all by standing up and proclaiming loudly a river of life to all thoughts of graces and bounty are free so saith Davids Psalm Free indeed when unto all and see the like proclamation Revel 22. v. 17. the 〈◊〉 of God and Christ the heavenly Jerusalem the misery of soules being spoken of by John that are shut out of this glory A proclamation is again made supposing upon the former considerations carelesse sinners will mind their eternall happinesse being concerned 〈◊〉 Well the Spirit and the Bride saith come and let him 〈◊〉 beareth say come and whosoever is a thirst let him come and take the water of life freely freely O friends mee thinks this proclamation cries room room expecting as it were the whole world would now follow Christ for this water of life the river of life and yet where is the man that stirres if a Prince should ride a circuit with an Herald and make a proclamation of lands and livings to all that would accept them How O how then would all men run and tumble O friends Christ proclaimes both lands and livings jewels crowns and kingdomes nay more ten thousand times more a river of life and glory and men will scarcely stirre arise arise sots and heare if you be not deaf and cannot O the Spirit invites and bids you come too the eternall Spirit of God one with God the third person in the Trinity of God shall this eternall Spirit of God one with God comming down from God inviting you in the name of God and for your own soules sake to accept of this river of God sent forth by God for the glory of God shall this invitation he slighted O must not this be a high contempt of God and a great afront to the Spirit of God sent to thee by God so to be slighted O thou slighting carelesse foolish sinner Sinner this contempt of the Spirits invitation may cost thee thy soule thy soule I say thy everliving soule if thou dost not quickly minde it Secondly the Bride bids you come the Lambs wife the Spouse of Christ united to Christ being married with Christ by the Spirit of Christ in faith divine love and sweet obedience to Christ O she hath drunk of this river well may she say come all that will come come she knowes by experience this to be the river of life and pleasure and therefore she saith come away come away or else you die you die and now O every one
his river and therefore friend sit down it is midnight yet in thy soul if the day break and Christ the starre arise in thee thou shalt see this river yea the depth of it in some measure a depth beyond all depths thou ever metst withall Here one depth calls to another like the eccho to the voice Gods decrees and purposes answered by his Sonne These depths are clearly seen by looking into this river and if thy sight be strong indeed then thou shalt see the sonnes of men like precious stones and pebbles lying in the bottome from thence plummed up by Christ to swim a top as in a sea of pleasure Eightly a river is cool and bathing we go to rivers in Summer heats to cool and bath our bodies O come hither and bath your Souls your heated Souls heated with sinne heated with guilt heated with apprehensions too of wrath heated with Satan and temptations truly many a poore soul is heated by sinne and then chased by Satan for his sin so heard that his soul even fainteh well friend my advice is come unto this river for here thou mayest cool and bath thee Ninthly a river is alwayes moving and working so is the Spirit it is active in the souls of Gods people though sometimes not descerned I sleep but my heart awaketh saith the Spouse in the Canticles Thou art dead and dull in praier many times but the Spirit being wakefull sees thee and after chides thee for it sometimes thou art nodding in the creature but the Spirit wakes and jogges thee by secret calling on thee which if thou refusest to heare then he sayes little for the present but sends some afflictions to thee and if that do not do then he sends another and another every one sharper then the former and so makes thee heare to the purpose agine in the tenth place A river is reflective ye may see your selfe or shadowes in a river and by the Spirit you may see your self your face your souls your hearts your natures and affections the heart saith Salomon who knows it truly none but the Spirit and the Spirit dwelling in it therefore by the by Thou that sayest and complainest of a hard and sinfull heart sure it is the Spirit in thy heart that gives thee thus to see it and all its windings from God which are more then the doores of Solomons Temple Secondly it shows you your nature and corruptions which have more sinne in it then there is poison in the world sinne in nature is like an old running sore which cannot be stopped or if it be it breaks out again so sinne in nature stops pride and out comes covetousnesse stop that and out comes pride and prodigalitie stop up that and then back againe to old unwearied father worldling drunkennesse stopt does the like lust runs as long as it can in old filthy fornicators but when it is spent they turne to baudy talkers I have seen old carnall fellows laugh and wiker at their youthfull pranks in the feasts and Iunkets yea such as have had one foot in the grave poore miserable men did they know their own condition the reckoning they must give for every idle word and every sinfull action which Christ speaks in Matthew one thought one serious thought of that would strike us dead as Belshazzar that great King was at the hand-writing in the midst of his feast with his Nobles dinking healths in bowls of Gold his countenance fell his joynts loosened and his knees knockd one against another no more but remember this filthy sinner Thirdly it showes your affections and which way they stream and run a man by nature can never see how wide they run from God and Christ sometimes biasse drawn by a wife a child a husband sometimes by the world and the worlds pleasures profits which like two strumpets entises all not kept by Christ and as dangerously takes them as that strumpet Salomon acquaints the young man with and how her paths go down to hell Again by the Spirit you may see your name in the Lambes book your wedding robe and Supper with your rest and glory in the Throne of Christ O thou foolish man that spendest thy dayes in gazing up and down the world let me exhort thee to come hither for here 's an object worth the seeing and thou O Christian friend let me intreat thee also to looke into this river this clear and Christall river but stay a little me thinks I heare one say what is it to look into this river First it is not to look into your own light for that is blind and hath no reflection at all Secondly it is not to look with anothers light for that is as if you would look by anothers eyes but to be short if you would see this pure living river First come in Gods light to see and then ye shall see is it not a thousand better lights that will show you the greatest light a thousand candles cannot show the sunne nay a thousand torches nor a thousand starres cannot you must see him by his owne light or not at all but first look into this river by the light of God and then it will be a river of pleasure indeed unto thy soul all its streames will be pleasurable and glad thy very heart Psal 46.4 there is a river the streames thereof shall make glad the City of our God Yea all its turnings will delight thy soul Secondly Looke in this river by the light of Christ he is the true light that enlightens every man that comes into the world and therefore called the light of lights Iohn 8.12 I that is the right way indeed if ye mean to see if men will neglect God and Christs light then let me tell them they shall never see they shall never finde this well of life this river of life let them look their eyes out let them look their lives out wise men have tryed wise men strived but Oh alasse in vaine for they could never find it but rather more were blinded The Father shewes us the Sonne and the Sonne shewes us the Father No man knowes the Father but the Sonne and he to whom the Sonne reveales him no man knowes the Sonne but the Father and he to whom the Father doth the like So likewise the Spirit shewes the Sonne Behold the Lambe of God so saith the Sonne Behold the River of God as in this text and all the world cannot shew us the Father but the Sonne nor all the world cannot shew us the Sonne but the Father Behold this day saith God have I begotten him nor all the world cannot shew us the Spirit nor the River of life the Well of life nor the Fountaine of life but the Sonne therefore saith Christ Buy of me eye salve that yee may see Rev. 3. last v. How blind was Bartholmew till Christ came and opened his eyes just so was thy soule and is thy soule without Christ I am the light
rejoyce in by an eye of faith fore-seeing it a forehand God gives a promise after that the thing so he delt with us by his Sonne first sent him in a promise after that in substance to be our life light and glory rest peace comfort and salvation in all wants and from all wants of all kindes and nature Well this Christ and God that sent him and the Spirit too is the Stream of sweetnesse where all your comfort lyes unlesse it be in the creature which withers like the grasse when it is cut and grows no more if creature comforts be cut off or withering one of these they are or else they are not momentany but induring which I am sure they are not from my own experience no more then a dreame which is but a fancy when the man awakes may fancies riches honours pleasures profits in the dreaming houre thou mayst doe the like and not enjoy at all what thou labourst for whilst thou seekest it in the creature runne thou mayst and win not seek thou mayst and finde not try thou mayst and taste not the sweetnesse thou expectest true some lyes in every flower but the Bee that skips from one to another all the Summer long can scarce fill her Hive but grant that she doe how quickly is she rebl'd and strangled too at last O thou 〈◊〉 Christian after pleasures profits riches lands and livings death will one day strangle thee and râ—b thâ—e to of all those sweet comforts thou ever gâ—therste here the Manna would not keep but in the pot of gold no more will the creature but in God and Christ and therefore what thou hast lay it up 〈◊〉 Christ and lay it out for Christ and the thou shalt be sure to finde it like bread upon the waters after many dayes but thou that seekest none and hast none but God Christ and the Spirit thou hast all already yea more then all the world ten thousand times can give thee for thou hast all All they seek and crave thou hast found in God Christ and the Spirit and hence it is that a poore Christian who hath Gods love Christs pardon and the Spirits seale can beare up his head and smile in his heart though purseless and penyless houseless and homelesse ragged poore and hungry in a chearfull way when many rich and great men complaine of a thousand wants whilst the true Christian in the sence of Gods love wants nothing but if some poore Christian 〈◊〉 as many there are wailing and weeping like to Hagar for want of this or that comfort a Wife a Childe estate pardon this or that comfort light or knowledge loe this seeming want is in thee only thou dost not see it for where Christ is all is and therefore look about thee yea look and if Christ bee in thee I dare say thou shalt finde more sweetnesse and drink too more delight out of this little Booke then in all the creature comforts thou ever yet enjoyest and therefore when the world is still and thy Spirit quiet in a leasure houre tast try read and if yee be deceived pardon me for I am a weake froward doubting Christian and yet I hope a growing though it be but slowly let us pray for one another for I will for you and the Israel of God while my name is William Blake A Word and but a Word to many of my fellow Christians who think they have no ability to raise write or speak to a portion of Scripture in a linct and profitable way for want of learning I dare say to thee whoever thou art if the Spirit of God be in thee lend him thy sleep or meditation when thy businesse of the world is ever and thy Spirit quiet he will feed thy thoughts beyond thy expectation I dare pawn my life for it these few lines was brought to my hand in this way and therefore try and see if William Blakes words be not true A STREAME OF SVVEETNESSE from the Spirits breathing Revelat. chap. 3.21 To him that overcomes will I give to sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne THis is the revelation of God by Jesus Christ unto John and therefore it is said blessed is he that readeth and he that heareth What this mystery or prophecie I blessed is that soul for ever as in the first chap. and the third verse In the seventh verse Christ saith he comes Amen saith the Bride come Lord Jesus quickly In the last of the Revelation and in the second chapter and the seventh vers To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life This tree is Christ and his leaves are for the healing of the Nations Rev. the 22. and the 2. v. And in the last of the 10 v. A Crown of life And in the latter end of the 11. v. A promise of no hurt by the second death In the 17. v. A promise to eat of the Manna that is hid This Manna was the sweet food that the children of Israel fed on in the Wildernesse Christ is this Manna but his sweetnesse is a hidden thing to the carnall world and in the 25. A promise to rule over Nations and further I will give him the morning Star this Star is Christ as Peter tels us saying Wait untill the day dawn and the Starre arise in your hearts In the 15. ver of the 3. chap. Christ tels his Church That he that overcomes shall be clothed in white array I then shall he stand with boldnesse before Christ when Kings and Princes shall cry to the hills and mountains to fall and cover them Revel the 16. And further I will not put out his name out of the book of life and in the 12. ver I will make him a standing Pillar in the house of my God and I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God and my name The name of my God that is he shall be so filled with his divine nature that it shall be as visible as a name in his forehead And now in the 21. ver which I first mentioned a further promise is laid downe as if Christ had not enough yet spoken to engage his Church against hers and his enemies namely the world flesh and devill Well according to my light I shall hint at the meaning of Christ in these words and first Observe The universallity of the promise it is a promise to him any him high low rich poor young old bond or free man or master maid or mistresse O but the world does not alwayes so one gaines the victory and another gets the honour or reward many times But secondly What is meant by overcomming surely to get the masterdome or upper hand with those we encounter with this masterdome is got two wayes by a Captain or a souldier by a Captain or a Champion so David engaged with Goliah and his slaying him
and Devils let all now rejoyce now let the Song of Moses be sung again Revel 15.3 Great and merveilous are thy work Lord God almighty just and true are thy wayes O thou King of Saints Who shall not feare thee give glory to thee and glorifie thy name for thou onely art holy and all Nations shall come and worship thee for thy judgements are manifest How glad was Israel when David had slaine and spoiled Goliah O friend this David was a tipe of our David our Christ who hath foyld and slaine all for his Israel Let her therefore be glad and rejoyce in God her Saviour yea let her rejoyce now with Timbrell and Harp let the high praises be had in their mouthes and let them sing aloud his praises who hath now redeemed them from off the earth out of every kindred tongues and nations a people for his praises O Israel created for his praises praise thou the Lord O Jacob formed of God praise thou the Lord O all ye Saints of his praise him day and night O all ye Angels Archangels Cherubims and Seraphims praise ye the Lord for he hath magnified you Seventhly this sitting down in the throne of Christ or Gods glory denotes abiding we bid friends sit down when we would have them abide With us so by this sitting in the throne of Christ it denotes that Christ is willing thou shouldest abide and sit with him for ever I remember Peter having but a glimps of Moses and Elias glory in the mount saith thus to Christ O Master let us build here Tabernacles marke Peters desire was sure to live and die here O precious Christian thou shalt live and never die in this mount Sion where thou shalt see Moses and Elias again yea ten thousand times ten thousand glorious Saints as well as with as many Angels and God and Christ excelling all ten thousand times over and over again now Peter how much better will this be then thy wish to sit down in the glory of this God and throne of Christ One thing saith David I have desired of the Lord That I might dwell all the dayes of my life in thy house to behold the beauty of thy temple this is the wish of every gracious heart as well as Davids but here is more promised far more then this wish namely an abiding not onely in the house of God but a sitting in the glory of God with Christ where thou shalt sit time time out of minde Christ will never bid that soul sit up whom he once sets down in his throne Christ tels his Disciples because I live ye shall live also John 17. As if Christ should have said I cannot live without you and whilst I have a throne I must have your company O christian wert thou to be in heaven a few moments it would be a reward sufficient for all thou didst or ever sufferedst for Christ O happy christian thou shalt sit not onely moments but dayes moneths nay years nay ages yea more then ages as much longer then ages as all ages are longer then one moment one bare moment time shall be no more nor sin be no more nor sorrow shall be no more but thou shalt remain and be for ever with Christ in the throne of Christ O saith Daniel his Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome so may I say his throne is an everlasting throne David saith Though the heavens be changed and rouled up like a scrowle yet thou remainest the same so may I say of this throne O happy christian Princes would thinke themselves happy might they but sit but a few days more then ordinary in their thrones to reign in glory O friends Christ saith He that overcommeth shall sit with me in my throne as I have overcome and am set with my Father in his throne so that thou shalt sit with Christ and reigne as it were within the eternity of Christ O eternity O eternity when I think on thee how is times and worlds swallowed up and lost like little rivers in the ocean how are joyes griefs and sorrowes swallowed up by thee O Eternity like little fishes by the whales here one age passeth and another commeth all mouldering into eternity like flesh to dust here saith Paul we have noe abiding city but we have one to come aluding to what Christ hath promised O that can never be shaken all things here are and must be shaken yea the earth and heavens as Paul speaketh We see it we see it how are all earthly Monarchs shaken now in our dayes O me thinks Christ is now a shaking all powers in the world do not you see it nay do not you see them fall like our ripe fruit truely me thinks I see Christ hewing down Kings and Princes with a voice as loud as thunder crying room room for my selfe and my Gospel O how have these kingdomes been shaking and the mighty men overturned overturned by the voice which is still abroad thundring that the world round about may heare and make room for Christ and his Gospel and all that will embrace it but the heavens must be shaken the heavens that cover this earth and the heavens that covers Gods glory the glory of his free grace in Jesus Christ I mean mans righteousnesse that is now a shaking by the Spirit of the Lord by proclaiming Christ and his righteousuesse to the worst of sinners Men have thought by way of works to find life and salvation neglecting Christ at least in part by resting as it were on two propes Christ and their own works but know this Christ is all and now will be all or nothing at all your former Popish ignorance he winked at but now he wills that all men repent of this sinne self-conceitednesse O! Christ must be all in all but I shall step a little aside the thing I aime at is to tell you what that is that remaines and cannot nor shall ever be shaken by men or devils well heaven and earth must be but these two things cannot be First The righteousnesse of Christ in which he clothes sinners yea the worst of sinners that comes to him and makes them Saints O sinner sinner come to Christ honour him by comming and he will honour thee by giving his righteousnesse unto thee O this righteousnesse is the long white Robe in which all the Saints are clothed Revelations Sinner come and take this Robe come yee may have it come it is free yee may have it come it is free to all yea free to all that will accept it O come then come sinners all sorts of sinners high low rich poore young old bound free but if yee do not come then remember this I say remember this yee shall cry one day to the rocks and mountaines to fall on you and runne to the dennes and caves to hide your naked soules naked for want of Christs righteousness which yee once refused Secondly As the righteousness of Christ cannot be shaken so the throne
Spirit inviting thirsty sinners crying come come to me ye weary sinners ye thirsty sinners and so forth and then he was speaking of that of Mat. 5. v. 3 4. Blessed are they that thirst for Christ and mourne for sinne which my soul then did and truely this proved a great deal of comfort to mee But I remember many a time besides this I have had much comfort by the word when ministers have clearly opened the Gospel-promises but sometimes yea many times I hear such sweet Gospel-texts and precious things held from them which hath filled me even as with marrow and fatnesse and I haue even thought with my selfe all these comforts held forth by them belong to mee But as soone as hee had held forth his comforts now saith he I will give you some markes and signes how a poore soule may know this belongs to him I remember I gave great attention to him but before he had done with his marks and signes I had lost my comfort againe by thinking none of it belongs to me for I had not so repented me of my sins as he shewed me True repentance there to be which he said was a turning from all sinne to Christ and a forsaking of all my sinne for Christ and a sorrow for all my sinnes by which I had dishonoured Christ This one mark he did so abundantly branch out that before hee had done with this one mark and signe of that sinner to whom this comfort belongs I had lost my comfort I am sure but he went to twenty more marks and signes I think and at last said if these marks and fignes be in you then these comforts belong unto you but if they be not then you deceive your selves but in the conclusion he said indeed if wee would repent and wash away our sinnes by that like David forsake all our sinnes and bring our whole hearts to Christ and denie the world the pleasures and profits of the world and abundance more which I cannot now stand to name but all this I am sure he bad me and others to do before we did presume to lay hold of any comfort so that whereas I was in hopes of being comforted I was not but rather cast down but at some other time Christ served me freely with comfort from his word for which I blesse his name and thus I have told you what comfort Christ hath given me ere now But yet I will tell you of one or two wayes more by which Christ uses to come and serve mee with comfort giving the water of life to mee One way in Christian meetings commonly called conventicles heretofore but I have in these meetings found much of Christ and comfort to my poore soule at our last meeting I think there was some twenty of us all met in a friends house purposely to discourse of Christ and wait on Christ expecting all comfort from Christ and whilst we were speaking and discoursing of Christ in that place I think verily we were every one refreshed onely by telling how Christ useth to serve us sometimes presently and sometimes not at all but seemed to be angry with us for asking some carnall things so at last wee found many things Christ would never grant to any of us but rather seemed to frown upon us for asking some things which we had all been a craving of him so at that time we considered what might be got by begging and parted but this I do remember a scoffing Ishmael called it a tub preaching And one time which I shall never forget I was walking all alone by Christs doore in a way of meditation of his bounty love and franknesse to such poore fellowes as I and while I was walking thinking nothing God knows Christ stept out and puld me in set me down and himself by me and supt with me we had whole flagons of wine then of which I drank very freely and I dare say I shall never forget this bout So the next day I told half a dozen Christians waiting at Christs door in a sermon how I had sped the day before they bade me thank God saying they had never such good fortune nor such discoveries of Christs love Friend friend I rejoyce to heare these sweet relations of your experience but let me tell you I am ashamed and so may you well be but however I am to think how you complaind nay murmured but now and said Christ had never served you of the water of life but you had waited so long and so long and I cannot tell how long you made me beleeve how Christ had served thousands and not you Friend I am ashamed to thinke how you have abused Christ by your false complaints of Christ surely it is a great sinne in you I pray doe so no more But now mee thinks I heare one say but I am a poore thirsty soule I doe not know when in prayer sermon christian conference either I was so refreshed and therefore what would you have me doe who am even scorcht with heat and thirst I thirst for Christ and would rather have him then the world a thousand times if I know my own heart What would you have me doe dost thou say Let me tell thee first how well I like this complaint of thine Surely by this complaint of thine and the high prising of this river it doth argue his streames strongly running in thy soule Yea let me tell thee my thoughts This I doe beleeve t is from the presence of Christ and the Spirit in the soule that any soule living is drawne forth to desire Christ or the Spirit you know the naturall man desires not the things of God but is dead to every good worke or desire and sure cannot indeed desire any thing in a spirituall way before God workes it in his soule Now friend if God or Christ hath wrought a strong desire after the well of life the river of life the spirit let me tell thee I verily beleeve he hath given it thee already for this desire in thy soule is to me a strong evidence of it I for my part doe firmly conclude when I heare any soule complaine for want of Christ and the Spirit saying of Christ and the Spirit his soule had rather have Christ and the Spirit then all the pleasures profits of the world I say I doe conclude this to be the work of God in the soule This is true a naturall man may have a heart quame and a heart wish to die the death of the righteous as wicked Balaam once said O that I might die the death of the righteous and that my last end may be like theirs I say A wicked man may desire to bee ownd of Christ nay more to give all the world for Christ at the last hower when they come to see a necessity and their souls damn'd for want of Christ O how will a carnall man dying mourn and beg and cry for Christ and howl for Christ too
though all in vain but as these men have lived without him all their lives so must they die without him too for I believe he will scarce own thē now who never regarded him before but yet as I said at first so I doe conclude there is comfort yea abundant deale of comfort belongs to thy soule or any soule in thy condition and for this read Isaiah 41.17 When the poore and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will heare them and I will open Rivers in the tops of Hils and Fountaines in the midst of the Valleys and in her Wildernesse make pools of water her waste places Springs of water Marke this sweet and full promise when the poore and needy seeke water and there is none their tongues cleaveth for thirst Friend this Promise is to thee as sure as the Lord lives and such as thee for marke when the poore and needy seek water art not thou poor yes it was thy very objection against thy selfe O saidst thou I am a poore soule and doe not know when I dranke of the water of life and so forth Well thy very complaint doth argue thee a needy soule yea thou seest the need of Christ yea absolute need of Christ for thou seest thy soule undone without him and this need of Christ makes thee so complaine after Christ Well Is it not so yes truly my soule stands in need of Christ and is a thirst as David speaketh Yea it panteth for Christ like the Heart after the water Brooks in a barren wildernesse so panteth my soule after him whom my soule thirsteth for Truly friend you must learne to beleeve that that shall be which seemes most unlikely to be so did Abraham he beleeved in hope against hope and obtained the promise O poore complaining sinner beleeve this promise of God to thy soul so much against hope and reason I say beleeve God will not onely give thee the water thou desirest of him but will open rivers of water in the tops of the Hils and Fountains in the valleys Well friend you see here is Gods Promise to open up to a soul a river of water in Christ who is the hill of our salvation therefore saith David I will looke to the hils from whence commeth my salvation or I will open rivers in the tops of the hils that is I think poore soules that are as far from any springs of consolation as tops of hils are from springs of water but I will open fountains in low grounds or spirits in humble soules that is the vallies here meant O friend beleeve thou this that the Lord will open fountaines of living water by making peace or joy or comfort flow like living fountaines in thy soule I say beleeve this Promise which shall be fulfilled in its season and then shalt thou sing and say Sing yee waste places of the earth for the Lord hath comforted his people by making her wildernesse become a Pool and her wast land springs of waters But why is the Spirit compared to a river I Iohn saw a pure river of water Why is it for these and such like reasons I think First reason is a river is strong and powerfull no stopping a river but it will overflow yee know if yee stop a river it will do so so are the workings of Gods Spirit in his people see in Daniel in whom they would have stopped the Spirit of prayer by the ungodly decree of the King but see how Daniels spirit rises like a River and now he will call upon his God with more boldnesse then before Many would have in our dayes dammed up this river by a Form of prayer but O these men are drownd these foolish men are carried clean away like dry leaves by a mighty Land-flood and what the Spirit is in prayer the same it is in preaching to a strong river see in Peter who was forbid by the Scribes and Pharisees to preach Christ but saith he I cannot but must speak the things of Christ Many have in our dayes paid dear for their boldnesse this way Secondly how powerfull is this river in its conviction when it runs in a way of discovering Sin and wrath who can stand before it truly none it bears down young and old strong and stout yea oakes and ceders as well as strawes Doth this spirit like a flood beare away when it runs in a way of conviction See in the Gaoler who I am perswaded was a stubborn crabbed knave see how he abuseth the poore Disciples over-night even fleaed the skin off their backs well the same night the flood breaks in upon his Spirit and he cryes out what shall I do to be saved to the Disciples Poore souls they tell this fellow notwithstanding their usage how he may escape drowning by wrath and sinne and so Paul was overturned by this river and carried back to Damascus like a dead drownd man yea so suddenly did this river break in upon his spirit that he was turned by it like a straw in a whirlwind Thirdly a river is powerfull in its progress a river is of that nature that it beats down all dammes ye can throw up or else overflow as I said before c. So did the Apostles bear down al opposition from threats and scorns scoffes whips stones and the like Fourthly a river is pleasant and delightful ye chuse a river side to walk by whose streames with silence sweetly glides trinkling along and makes the walk delightfull so is the Spirit in its discoveries especially in such as these First the love of Christ which is seen passing by this river or rather looking in this river where you see his love like a circle and your Souls in the midst where is no way in nor out I say by the Spirit ye shall see such a love a love from eternity to eternity thy Soul looking both wayes like Janus two faces especially forward But as his love so his lovelinesse the spirit streaming in the soul presents Christ over and over to the Soul Christ rides in this river as in a barge of State whose various streams sweetly rowes him up and down The spirits of his Saints like a Princes in her barge of pleasure O how lovely is Christ in the Soul when in his glory discovered to the Soul by the Spirit then is he indeed the fairest of ten thousand the chiefest of ten thousand the sweetest of ten thousand yea altogether lovely Thirdly it shows you your union to which you may see walking by this river yea all your relations to Christ and his to you he the vine you the branches he the head you the members he the husband you the spouse I say this union you may see by the Spirit the strength length glory and sweetnesse of it O saith the Spirit thy union is strong O Christian nothing can dissolve or untie it men cannot Devils cannot sinne cannot nay death it self cannot
for relations sake O friends there is such a neere relation between Christ and a Christian he is the head and you the members he is the Bridegroome and you the Bride he is the vine and you the branches Christ cannot but bid you wellcome nor the father neither for you are all his children how wellcome is a friend a childe a husband after seven yeares voyage when returned what love what embraces doth then passe between them powring heart into heart as it were How sweetly did Josephs and his brethrens bowels yerne one towards another O friends Christ will one day embrace you in his armes with his rowling bowels like a husband his beloved wife after seven yeares absence and you him with teares and kisses of joy and love How glad was Dide queene of Carthage when she had Aeneas prince of Troy to look on and embrace Well friends time will come when thou shalt have thy Christ to embrace and look on who hath endured more broiles ten thousand times then all Aeneas feigned ones Here Christ to look on is admirable and lovely too in broiles O saith the Spouse Who is this that coms from Bozrah with his garments dipped in blood Isaiah 63.1.2 travelling in the greatnes of his strength Christ the prince and Captain of our salvation comes from the fields of slaughter like some noble champion and hath his bloody armes which doth declare him conquerour so Christ here travels from Bozra a field of slaughter this I take to be the crosse of Christ on which he might be well said and did conquer all the Churches enemies yea naild them to the crosse as Paul speaketh by triumphing over them openly upon the crosse Well in this field Christ slayes the law sinne and death making this saying good O death I will be thy death 1 Cor. 15.55 And now comes in warlick vestures which are dipped in this blood declaring him to be the mighty conquerour Well the Spouse sits and sees him at her window comming from the field which is the Spirit in the soule through which she lookes upon these mighty champions Christ Sinne Death and Devils Well Christ foyls and spoyles all by trampling on all which being done he leaves them dead and comes away to refresh himselfe in glory the Spouse spies him in the way and cries out who is this not that shee did not know Christ well enough but she is taken with Christ in the beholding of Christ thus bravely wins the field which Christ never quited til all foild spoild the day his own Well Is the Soule now so taken with the gallentry of Christ that she cryes out for joy and wonder O then how wilt thou be taken when thou shalt see this Christ againe which heare is promised yea stroak the face of this Champion Christ the Prince of our salvation how will she be taken with him then saying O my deare Christ it was my enemies thou ingaged in Bozra and if thou hadst not conquered my soule and thousands more had been undone for ever but seeing thou didst win the day we will name and stile thee most high and excellent and mighty Conquerour King of Saints Prince and Captaine of our salvation which thou for ever shalt be called by Saints and Angels men and Devils poore drooping sinner what dost thou think of this day and this Christ who is thy Champion thy Captaine and Salvation I say what dost thou thinke O malencholy Christian of this day when thou shalt see the face of this Prince and Saviour wilt thou not make one to sing his prayses to sing his victories over sinne death hell men and devils which Angels now are doing and so shalt thou and this shall be thy reward too a full reward indeed for all thou ever didst or suffredst In the mean time bear up bear up thy head O drooping Christian Christ hath conquered sinne death men and devils and yet it may be thou fearest all O foolish sinner weake in faith men are bound sinne and satan wounded yea death and sinne slaine too and all by Christ in Bozra what meanst thou to be troubled O but Sir Sir me thinks I see sinne alive and Satan loose yea both in me I will not deny but thou mayst think so but all is not true that men doe thinke but grant both these be in thee yet if sinne be wounded and Satan bound one cannot long live nor the other doe much mischeife if sinne be wounded it is to the heart be sure of that And when Christ was wounded there by sinne he straight died well I am sure Christ hath wounded sinne there too and it cannot live long O Sir Sir it is livelier then ever it struggles more then ever O friend that is to me as cleare as the day that sinne is just a dying every thing in nature will doe the like what dost thou see dying willing but a Saint and he I must confesse on this consideration that he shall live with God and Christ and behold the face of God and Christ as in the first words I say on this consideration happily he may with a great deale of willingnesse die But who besides the Saint will will man or beast or fish or foule or any other creature No no the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast beats it selfe and yels though bound and musled man mournes and cries alas alas why must I die and leave my hopes my wife my childe my lands and livings nay friends and all fetch the Doctor quickly fetch the Doctor save me if it be possible I faine would live a little longer and thus he mournes to think on death and when it comes and drawes neere to him then he growns and gasps and grinnes and stares still striving with it while breath doth last Well friend the fish yawns and gapes the fowle flutters the beast yels man mournes and cries alas what shall sinne doe nothing it were contrary unto nature if it should die without its throwes in thy soule But stay you said Satan was bound I I did so and so he is in two respects Christ hath bound him up from hurting thee Christ hath bound him up from forcing thee First From hurting thee you know if the most notorious theeving rogue in the world lyes bound in a lone womans house hand and foot there was no ground nor cause of feare he is bound hand and foot what can he now doe but curse and swear well she being a weak woman is troubled and frighted notwithstanding but when her husband comes home her feares ceaseth and are gone Well friends know this Christ hath bound Satan for a thousand yeares yea for ever from mischeiving his Saints and Servants and if he be in thee he is bound O no me thinks he is loose he doth so tempt me and accuse me I doe not know what to doe it may be so he doth tempt and accuse thee I did not say Christ had bound Satans tongue no