the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a Pool of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water Behold here are Rivers and Fountains a Pool and Springs and all to quench the thirst of them that thirst for God. Wherefore as I said such provision for the thirsty intimates their fears of want and the craving appetite of their Souls after God Right Spiritual thirst is not to be satisfied without abundance of Grace And they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the River of thy Pleasures VII The Grace of God is compared to a River To shew the greatness of the Family of God. He has a Family a great Family and therefore it is not a little that must be provided for them When Israel went out of Egypt and thirsted by the way God provided for them a River he made it GUSH out of the Rock For alas what less than a River could quench the thirst of more than Six hundred thousand men besides women and children I say what less than a River could do it When the people lusted for Flesh Moses said shall the Flocks and Herds be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the Fish of the Sea be gathered together for them to suffice them even so could not less than a River sustain and suffice that great People Now his People in Gospel-days are not to be diminished but increased and if then they had need of a River surely now of a Sea but the River is deep and broad full and abounds or rises with water so 't will suffice VII The Grace of God is compared to a River perhaps to show of what a low esteem it is with the rich and the full The destitute indeed imbrace the Rock instead of a shelter and the poor and needy they seek Water but they that can drink Wine in Bowls that can solace themselves with as they think better things they come not to THIS River to drink they never say they shall die if they drink not of this Water 'T is therefore for the poor and needy God will lead THEM to his living Fountains of Waters and will wipe away all tears from THEIR eyes And thus I pass the second and come to the third particular and that is to shew the Head and Spring from whence this River proceeds or springs Rivers have their heads from whence they rise out of which they spring and so accordingly we read this River has wherefore he saith He shewed me a pure River of Water of Life clear as Crystal proceeding out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. 1. God is here to be taken for the whole God-head Father Son and Spirit for that Grace proceeds from them all The Grace of the Father the Grace of the Son and Grace of the Spirit is here included Hence as the Father is called the God of Grace so the Son is said to be full of Grace Grace to be communicated and the Holy Ghost is called The Spirit of Grace So then by this we perceive whence grace comes Were all the World gracious if God were not gracious what was man the better If the Father or the Son or the Holy-Ghost are gracious if they were not all gracious what would it profit but now God is gracious the three Persons in the God-head are gracious and so long they that seek Grace are provided for for that there proceeds from them a River or Grace like a flowing Stream Indeed the Original of Grace to sinners is the Good-Will of God none can imagine how loving God is to sinful man. A little of it is seen but they that see most see BUT a little But there is added And of the Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus as sacrificed Jesus as man and suffering Hence you have the Lamb at the first Vision of the Throne set forth unto us thus that is as slain And I beheld and lo in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts and in the midst of the Elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain Wherefore by this word Lamb we are to understand who or by what means Grace doth now run from the Throne of God like a River to the World. It is because of or thorow the Lamb. We are justified freely by the Grace of God thorow the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation thorow Faith in his Blood. And again We have redemption thorow his Blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of Gods Grace Nor doth the Lamb of God by becoming a means thorow death of the conveyance of Grace to us at all darken the nature or glory of Grace but rather doth set it off the more For wherein can Grace or Love more appear than in his laying down his Life for us I speak now of the Grace of the Son. And wherein could the nature and glory of grace of the Father more appear than in giving his Son to death for us that grace might in a way of Justice as well as Mercy be bestowed upon the World Wherefore as he saith here that the River of Water of Life proceedeth from God so he adds that the Lamb because he would have us while we are intangled and overcome with this River of Gods pleasure not forget what it cost the Lamb of God that this Grace might come unto us For the Riches of Grace and of Wisdom is that Grace comes to us not only in a way of Mercy and Compassion but in a way of Justice and Equity but that could be by no other means but by redeeming Blood. Which redeeming Blood came not from us nor yet thorow our contrivance or advice wherefore whatever it is to the Lamb still all is of Grace to us yea the higher the greater the richer is Grace by how much the more it cost the Father and the Lamb that we might enjoy it When a man shall not only design me a Purse of Gold but shall venture his Life to bring it to me This is Grace indeed But alas what are a thousand such short Comparisons to the unsearchable Love of Christ The Lamb then is he from whom by or through whom the Grace of God doth come to us It proceeds from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. And it proceeds from him now as a Donator from him not only as a means of Conveyance but as one that has power to give Grace Power as he is the Son of Man. For as the Son of Man he is the Lamb and as he is the Lamb it cometh from him The Son of Man had power on Earth to forgive Sin and that before he had actually paid to God the Price of our Redemption But how much more now Wherefore Paul in his Prayer for Grace and Peace for Saints supplicates both God and the Lamb. Grace to you from God the
forth of the Throne of God and of the Lamb. Hence the Spirit is called the Spirit of Faith the Spirit of Love and the Spirit of a sound mind for that the Spirit is the Root and Original of all these things by his operations in and upon the face of the Soul. But again as this living Water this spirit and the Grace thereof doth thus so it also maintains these things once planted in the Soul by its continual waterings of them in the Soul. Hence he saith I will water it every moment Water IT his Vineyard the Soul of the Church the Graces of the Church and so the Soul and Graces of every godly Man. And because it so happeneth sometimes that some of those things where with the Holy Ghost has beautified the Soul may languish to a being if not quite dead yet ready to die therefore he doth not only refresh and water our Souls but renew the face thereof by either quickening to life that which remains or by supplying of us with that which is new to our godly Perseverance and everlasting Life Thus thou waterest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God. For this must be remembred that as the Herb that is planted or Seed sown needs watering with continual Showers of the Mountains so our Graces implanted in us by the Spirit of Grace must also be watered by the Rain of Heaven Thou waterest the Ridges thereof abundantly thou settest the furrow thereof thou makest it soft with Showers thou blessest the springing thereof Hence he says that our Graces shall grow But how I will be as the Dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lily and cast forth his Roots as Lebanon His Branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Olive Tree and his smell as Lebanon They that dwell under his shadow shall return they shall revive as the Corn and grow as the Vine the Scent thereof shall be as the Wine of Lebanon Or as he saith in another place The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy Soul in droughts and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a watered Garden and like a Spring of Water whose Waters fail not There is besides this another Blessing that comes to us by this living Water and that is the blessing of Communion All the warmth that we have in our Communion it is the warmth of the Spirit When a company of Saints are gathered together in the Name of Christ to perform any spiritual Exercise and their Souls be edified warmed and made glad therein it is because this Water this River of Water of Life has in some of the Streams thereof ran into that assembly Then are Christians like those that drink Wine in Bowls merry and glad for that they have drank into the Spirit and had their Souls refreshed with the sweet Gales and strong Wine thereof This is the Feast that Isaiah speaks of when he saith In this Mountain shall the Lord of Hosts make unto all People a Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of Marrow of Wines on the Lees well refined This is called in another place The Communion of the Holy Ghost Now he warmeth Spirits uniteth Spirits enlightneth Spirits revives cherisheth quickeneth strengtheneth Graces renews Assurances brings old Comforts to mind weakens Lusts imboldeneth and raiseth a Spirit of Faith of Love of Hope of Prayer and makes the Word a Blessing Conference a Blessing Meditation a Blessing and Duty very delightful to the Soul. Without this Water of Life Communion is weak flat cold dead fruitless lifeless there is nothing seen felt heard or understood in a spiritual and heart-quickening way Now Ordinances are burdensom Sins strong Faith weak Hearts hard and the faces of our Souls dry like the dry and parched ground This Drink also revives us when tempted when sick when persecuted when in the dark and when we faint for thirst The Life of Religion is this Water of Life where that runs where that is received and where things are done in this Spirit there all things are well the Church thrifty the Soul thrifty Graces thrifty and all is well And this hint I thought convenient to be given of this precious Water of Life that is with reference to the operative quality of it I shall come in the next place to speak of it as to the other descriptions which John doth give us of it He says 't is 1. Pure 2. Clear. 3. Clear to a Comparison And he shewed me a pure River of Water of Life clear as Crystal First You read here That this Water of Life is PURE that is alone without mixture for so sometimes that word PURE is to be understood As where it saith pure pure Oil Olive pure Frankincense pure Gold pure Blood of the Grape and the like so then when he saith he shewed me a pure River of Water of Life it is as if he had said he shewed me a River of Water that was all living all life and that had nothing in it but life There was no death or deadness or flatness in it Or as he saith a little after And there shall be no more Curse A pure River There is not so much as a grudge or a piece of an a upbraiding speech found therein There is in it nothing but heart nothing but love nothing but grace nothing but life Thâ— Gifts and Calling of God are without repentance Secondly Pure is sometimes set in oposition to shew or appearance as where he says The Stars are not pure that is not so without mixture of darkness as they seem to be So again If thou wast pure and upright that is as thou seemest to be or as thou wouldest have us believe thou art Now take pure in this sence here and then the meaning is 'T is Grace without deceit without guile its shew and its substance is the same it has nothing but substance in it it is indeed what it seems to be in bulk 't is a River in shew and a River indeed It comes from God and from his Throne in appearance and really it comes from his very heart The great fear of the Tempted is that there is not so much Grace in God and that he is not so free of it as some Scriptures seem to import But this word PURE is levelled against such Objections and Objectors for the destroying of their doubts and the relieving of their Souls There is no fraud nor guile nor fable in the business for tho God is pleased to present us with his Grace under the notion of a River it is not to delude our fancies thereby but to give us some small illustration of the exceeding Riches of his Grace which as far for quantity out-strips the biggest Rivers as the most mighty Mountain doth the least Ants Egg or Atom in the World. Thirdly But again
thy self while he seeks glory by that by which thou wilt not glorifie him while he displays his Grace before thee in the World from the Throne and as thou goest by with a nod thou callest it fine thing but followest that which leadeth there-from Tremble tremble ye sinners that have despised the riches of his goodness The day is coming when ye shall behold and wonder and perish if Grace prevaileth not with you to be content to be saved by it to the praise of its Glory and to the glory of him who hath set it upon the Throne Fifthly The Throne is the Seat of Wisdom Hence he is called the Ancient of days that sits on this Throne the Throne of God. Infinite in wisdom whose Garments were white as Snow and the hair of his Head like pure Wooll By ancient of days and in that it is said the hair of his Head is like the pure Wooll his wisdom is set forth unto us Wherefore when we read that out of the Throne proceeds a River of Grace when we read this proceedeth out of the Throne of God it is as much as to say the wise God who most perfectly knoweth all ways counteth in his wisdom that to save men by Grace is the best most safe and sure way Therefore it is of faith that it might be by Grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the Seed And again forgiveness is according to the riches of his Grace wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence Wherefore to set Grace upon the Throne to let Grace proceed out of the Throne as a River is by the wise God the only wise God counted the best way the safest way the way that doth best suit the condition of a sinful man and that tends most to the utter disappointment of the Devil and Death and Hell. Grace can justifie freely when it will who it will from what it will. Grace can continue to pardon favour and save from falls in falls out of falls Grace can comfort relieve and help those that have hurt themselves And Grace can bring the Unworthy to Glory This the Law cannot do this Man cannot do this Angels cannot do this God cannot do but only by the Riches of his Grace thorow the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Wherefore seeing God has set Grace on the Throne and ordered that it should proceed from this Throne to the World. Yea seeing he has made it King and granted to it to it only the Authority and Soveraignty of saving Souls he has magnified not only his Love but his Wisdom and his Prudence before the Sons of Men. This then is his great Device the master-piece of all his witty Inventions And therefore it is said as was hinted afore in this thing he hath proceeded toward us in all Wisdom and Prudence So then he that comes to and drinks of this Water glorifies God for his Wisdom praises God for his Wisdom Such an one saith that God is only Wise and bowing his head saith again To God only Wise be Glory both now and for ever Amen But he that shall contemn this Grace confronts the highest Wisdom even Wisdom upon the Throne He saith of himself I am wiser than Daniel than the Judgment of God. I could have found out a more safe way to Heaven my self and had I been of God's Counsel I would have told him so All this so horrible blasphemy naturally proceeds from him that liketh not that Grace should be king on the Throne and should proceed out of the Throne to the World. But shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him he that reproveth God let him answer it The Text says that this very Doctrine to the Greeks to the Wise is foolishness and the preaching of it a foolish thing to them But it will appear even then when the conclusion of all things is come and when these wise ones by their Wisdom have fooled themselves to Hell that this foolishness of God is wiser than Men and the weakness of God stronger than Men. Christ Jesus because he was low in the World is trampled upon by some but he is a glorious Throne to his Father's house For since his Humility was the lowest of all now he is exalted to be the Throne of God yea is made the Fountain whence Grace continually flows like the Rivers and comes down to us like a mighty stream Wherefore I will conclude this with both comfort and caution with comfort and that because of the security that they are under that indeed have submitted themselves to Grace Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace And let it be caution to those that despise take heed 't is dangerous affronting of the Wisdom of God. Now here is the Wisdom of God even Wisdom upon the Throne It pleased God for the glory of his Wisdom to make this the way to wit to set up Grace to reign I have often thought and sometimes said If God will be pleased with any way surely he will be pleased with his own Now this is the way of his own devising the fruit and effect of his own Wisdom Wherefore Sinner please him please him in that wherein he is well pleased Come to the Waters cast thy self into them and fear not drowning let God alone to cause them to carry thee into his Paradise that thou mayest see his Throne Sixthly The Throne is the Seat of faithfulness the place of performing of ingagements and promises When I shall receive the Congregation saith Christ I will judge uprightly that is faithfully And now he has received it and is made head over all things to it and for this cause is he upon the Throne yea is the Throne from whence proceeds all this Grace that like a River doth flow and glide from Heaven into the World. This River then is nothing else but the fulfilling of Promises the faithful fulfilling of Promises If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him unto you This is that which was spoken of by the Prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh c. Now this River is the Spirit the Spirit and Grace of God which was promised by the Father and the Son and now it comes running from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. For being now by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit he hath shed forth that which ye now see and hear Behold then how mindful how careful how faithful our Father and the Lamb of God is 'T is not Exaltation nor Glory nor a Crown nor a Kingdom nor a Throne that shall make him neglect his poor ones on Earth Yea therefore even because he is exalted and