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
hath not a Will to a thing and he will not take it so present Christ the Spirit of God life eternall Heaven and Glory the great and pretious promises pardon of sin or what you vvill if a man have not a vvill he vvill not take it so that vvillingness is required to the taking If a man have not a mouth it is in vaine to offer him meate If men have not a will they vvill not receive Math 23.37 Acts 13.46 Therefore God requires vvillingnesse that men may receive the vvaters of life Secondly This willingnesse is requir'd that so men may not complaine for if men should be brought to drinke waters of life by a compulsory Act they vvill complaine of vvhat follows Therefore saith Christ in the 16 Math 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me If any man will come if a man have a will saith Christ to follow me let him he vvill meete with hard things and if he be not willing he vvill complaine that I should cause him to follow me Men must deny themselves and take up crosses and indure persecutions and temptations and if they did not come willingly to Gods way they would complaine of it Now God to prevent Complaining of his wayes he requires that men be willing Thirdly This is that so the Communion between Christ and the soule may be the sweeter vvhere there is vvillingnesse on both sides there vvill be the sweetest life If the parties doe not consent on both sides you will say it vvill be an Ill match But if there be a willingnesse and a freenesse on both sides there the Communion will be the sweeter So Christ saith I freely give and I would have them freely receive and so there will be a sweete Communion between Christ and the soule I am my beloveds saith the soule and my beloved is mine There was mutuall Consent and Agreement between them Lastly This willingnesse is required that so the wisdome of God in the Governing of his Church and of the world might not be Questioned for should God force men to his service they would say where 's the goodnesse of God where 's the wisdome of God here 's Tyranny hereâ—s forcing of men into the service of the Lord. Now God will have none to be his servants but those that come freely Psal 110. In the day of thy power thy people shall be willing And when he speakes Compell them to come in It is not by Clubs Law but by strong Arguments tell them what the water of life is tell them what Supper is prepared tell them of the excellency of the provision that so that may compell them no other compulsion doth God use but the Grace of the Spirit and divine Arguments sett on upon the heart But this may seeme contrary to Joh 6.44 saith Christ No man comes to me except the Father draw him It should seeme then that it is not voluntary and free I answer God doth not force a mans will but God doth sweetly and lovingly take away the unwillingnesse of his will the corruption of his will Ezek 11.19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh I will take away the stoninesse the hardnesse that corruption that enmity and opposition I will take away all these out of them and put a new heart and a new Spirit into them So in the 36 of Ezek 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and ye shall keepe my Judgements and doe them He will cause them to walke in his statutes vvhat will hee thrust them on against their wills no see vvhat the Church saith Cant 1.4 Draw me ô Lord we will run after thee When God comes to draw the soule runs willingly and freely So that you see a willingnesse is required The Water of Life Reve 22.17 Whosoever will let him take the water of life freely TO proceed to the Uses of the poynt and so to finish the Text. Vse First If those that are willing shall have the waters of life then here it serves for Conviction and doth convince us that all who thinke and say they have drunke of these waters of life yet have not Every one thinks that he hath Grace and hath the Spirit hath Christ God and that he shall be sav'd but here is cleere conviction to the contrary for have you had this willingnesse in you that is required have men seene such excellency in these vvaters as to prize them above all have you so prized them as to choose them above all things in the world have you so chosen them as to pursue the getting of them to the uttermost of your power few have done so In the 7 of Math 21 22 c. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devills and in thy name done many wonderfull works And then I will professe unto them I never knew you depart foom me ye that worke Iniquitie These men did not see so much worth in the waters of life as they did in Iniquitie they did not prize Christs Grace his Spirit the Gospel and the promises thereof so much as workes of Iniquitie they would drinke puddle water poysonous water they would not let goe their Iniquitie for Christ yet these thought themselves Christians thought themselves safe happie and blessed creatures The five foolish virgins in the 25 of Math they had gotten lamps but they had gotten no Oyle in their lamps they had none of this water of life they had no Grace they had no Christ they had none of the Spirit they had none of the truths of God in their hearts they thought that to professe Christ and professe the Gospel was sufficient they had lamps but where was the oyle where was the water of life where was Grace they had none of it So in the 2 of Tim 3.5 Having a forme of Godlinesse but denying the power They had a forme they came to the Assemblies as you doe and sat there heard the word professe Christ seemed to be Christians and it may be did something in their families but they denied the power they never had this willingnesse to see the excellency of the power of Godlinesse never did they choose the power of Godlinesse never did they pursue after the power of Godlinesse And many in these dayes they live in base and sinfull
come to save that which was lost If any be a lost creature Jesus Christ is come to save that which was lost I hope then he is come to save me a lost creature I am a lost sheepe a lost Son I am a lost Goat surely if Christ came to save that which was lost he came to save Mee So in the 19 of Luke 10. you have it a little more full For the Son of man is come to seeke and to save that which was lost he is come to seeke it out he seekes out the Goat seekes out the lost sheepe he seekes out a lost sinner as he did the man at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole ô Lord I would faine be made whole but I have none to helpe me well saith Christ be thou whole Now see what use Paul makes of it 1 Tim 1.15 This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe ô Lord doest thou come to save sinners here 's good tydings indeed Lord it 's a faithfull saying and it 's worthy of all acception it 's worthy you old ones should receive it you young ones should receive it you afflicted ones should receive it you that are conceited of your owne righteousnesse that you should receive it Jesus Christ came to save sinners what sinners soever they be great sinners old sinners that have liv'd many yeares in a height of wickednesse such as Paul was persecutors injurious persons c. If you seriously weigh this it will make you willing to have these waters of life Secondly Consider in Christ how sweetly he doth Invite you to take these waters of life If an enemy would give you water when you were thirsty would you not take it Give thine enemy to drinke if he thirst But if the dearest friend you have in all the world should say ô friend you are athirst come here 's water here 's wine here 's milke here 's any thing you would drinke you would take this well which is offer'd willingly Now have you a better friend in heaven and earth then Jesus Christ who laid downe his life and shed his blood for you saith Christ who ever will let him come take water even water of life poore soule I have taken thy nature upon me I have borne the wrath of God I have satisfyed the Law I have laid downe my life I come awooing to thee and doe intreat thee doe not damne thy selfe doe not throw thy selfe into hell poore soule take hold of me come I le leade thee to the water of life come I le give thee pardon I le give thee peace I le give thee my Spirit I le give thee my blood why doest thou drinke puddle water and poysoned water why doest thou not follow me but follow the Devill the Beast and thine owne lusts Thus the Lord Jesus Christ doth intreat us to take water of life In the 7 of Joh Christ stood up after a great seast and makes a Proclamation If any man thirst let him come unto me and drinke You have been drinking wine water and such things as doe not quench the thirst of your soules But if there be any one man among you that is athirst for the waters of life let him come unto me my armes are out the waters are ready to give forth unto him let him come and drinke Thirdly Consider the promises and in them Consider three things First Consider the freenesse of the promise the promises are held out freely Whosoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely I require no money no qualifications or dispositions but freely take them onely be willing to take them and here they are So in the 21 Revel 6. I will give unto him that is athirst of the Fountaine of the water of life freely I will give unto him that is athirst that is unto him that is willing of the Fountaine of the water of life freely If a man should freely say to all the poore in a Towne come here 's an Angell apeice for every one that will come would not the poore come would not this beget a willingnesse in them It 's freely he doth not say if you be thus cloathed if your hands and faces be cleane if you be finely drest no but let every one come Though they have Leperous hands scald heads lame leggs and full of soares let them come Thus it is with the Lord Jesus his promise is free whosoever will shall freely have the water of life Secondly Consider the sufficiency and fullnesse of the promise if a promise be free and have not enough in it to releive a man then he would stick But there is a sufficiency and fullnesse in the promise Rom 8.32 He hath delivered up his Son for us all and how shall he not with him freely give us all things The promise hath all things in it all things needfull for soule and body for heaven and earth for this life or the life to come there 's enough in the promise So in the 81 Psal 10. Open thy mouth wide saith God and I will fill it let your desires be never so large there 's enough in the promise to satisfie your desires Math 5. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst they shall be satisfyed they shall have abundance of satisfaction Joh 10.10 I am come that they might have life and have it in more abundance would you have life and be lively Christians there 's abundance of life in Christ abundance of life in the Spirit and in the promise there 's enough to answer all your soules Then thirdly Consider the promise it is Generall it is not limited to the Jew or Gentile to one sort of men or women but it is Generall Whosoever will whosoever is willing If it were made to rich men poore men learned men noble men wise men fooles then some Question might be made but it 's tendered to all If a State offer a pardon to all the Traytors or all the Delinquents therein would not every one come in and say I am a Delinquent but here 's a pardon offered to me so every soule that is willing may come in and say Lord Jesus Thou sayest Whosoever will loe I am willing let me have water of life so that the freenesse the fullnesse and the Generall tenders of the promise unto all is a speciall meanes to beget willingnesse in us to receive the water of Life Fourthly Further Consider the excellency of these waters of life the necessitie of them the use of them these waters of life have a greater excellency in them then any thing you can Imagin there 's nothing in all the world is fit to be compared to the least drop of the water of life all your Gold Silver Diamonds and Pearles all your parts gifts and things of that nature are shaddowes to the water of life Christ with all his
15. he is said to be a quickning Spirit he hath life in him and quickens others Joh. 14.6 he is The life he is life emphatically above all others he is a Root he hath life principally and eminently in him 3 The Root you know bears up the tree the branches and the fruit of the tree the Root bears up all Thou bearest not the root but the root bears thee Rom. 11. So it is the Lord Jesus Christ this Root that bears up all Christ bears up the world Christ bears up the Church Christ bears up heaven he bears up all Heb. 1.3 Vpholding all things by the word of his power The Lord Jesus is the Root I say that bears and upholds all the whole Creation Sion it self and Heaven it self are upheld by this Root the Lord Jesus Christ but especially the Church here in this world especially Sion and the members of Sion beleeving souls Joh. 15. I am the Vine that is I am the Root of the Vine the Church is the Vine and Christ is its Root and he bears up the whole Vine and all the branches and all the clusters upon the Vine hee bears them up he is the Root of the Vine so that Christ is a Root that bears up all he did bear up David his family David and his Kingdome he bears up Sion and all the children of Sion 4 Lastly the Root doth convey life and sap and nourishment unto the whole body to all the branches so it is the Lord Jesus Christ that doth convey sap and life and nourishment unto all his body every branch in the Vine receives the vertue from the root of the Vine and all have life from Christ I am come that ye may have life Joh. 10. all life is from Christ and all light is from Christ He is the morning star which we may speak of afterwards and all nourishment is from Christ he is said to be the Head of the Church and the Head of the Church is the Root of the Church in the Scripture sense And from the Head is all influence of light and of direction and counsel and motion and comfort all is from the Head all is from this Root From Christ is conveyed all Without me yee can do nothing unless yee be in me and have vertue from me and derive all from me you can do nothing Thus you see that Christ is a Root the Root of David But there are some disparities What disparities there are between Christ and a Root or things wherein Christis not like a Root First A Root take it in the litteral sense the roots of trees and plants they are of a dying nature decaying nature and wil grow rotten and consume Job 14.8 Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stock thereof dye in the ground the root of a tree waxes old and will dye and perish and come to nothing but Christ is not like a root in that sense For Christ he lives for ever Heb. 7. This Root never dyes never decayes Christ the same yesterday the same to day the same to morrow and the same for ever The Root of Sion for ever and the Root of David for ever Secondly A root doth bear but one tree suffices one or two or three bodies at most the root of a Corn it may be will suffice for two or three or half a dosen stalks it cannot suffice for all But Christ is a Root that suffices for all for all Sion for the whole world for the Church for Heaven Hee is the Root of David the Root of Jesse the Root of Abraham of Isaac Hee is the Root of all the Prophets and Apostles of all beleevers of all that have spiritual life in them he is the Root of them all so that this Root is of another nature than those roots Thirdly Other roots are subject to the wills and humors and pleasures of men they can dig up the roots of things they can burn the roots and abuse the roots but Christ is not subject to the wills and humors of any to be spoyled to bee consumed The Scribes and Pharisees thought to root out this Root when they put him to death but when he was in the grave he saw no corruption he laid down his life and none took it from him without his leave And he rose again Rom. 1.4 and mightily declared himself to be the Son of God by the Spirit of holiness he declared himself to be a Root that man hath not power over So then you see for the opening of this word Root these things do clear it Object But here is an Objection You say Christ is the Root of David and the Root of all Why had not Christ himself a Root and was not he from a Root and how can he be the Root of all Isa 11.1 And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch shal grow out of his Roots This is meant of Christ that Christ should come out of Jesse and Jesse should be the Root of Christ and in the 10. v. it is said In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse which shall stand for an Ensign of the people The same is said to be the Root of Jesse which is said to be the stem or branch of Jesse How will these things accord Ans As I answered before Jesse is the Root of Christ according to his humane nature and Christ is the Root of Jesse according to his Divine nature or if you will Christ as Mediator was the Root of Jesse and of all the godly The words being opened I shall give you this Observation I am the Root of David Observ That the Lord Christ is the Root of Nature the Root of Grace and the Root of Glory How will that appear why he was the Root of David as a man the Root of David as a Saint and the Root of David as glorified David was now in heaven Hee was the root of David as a man Psal Christ thâ— root of Nature 119.73 Thy hands have made me and fashioned me O Lord saith David I did not make my self and my Parents did not make me But thy hands have made me and fashioned me Thy hand hath made me such a creature thy hand did curiously work me when I was in my mothers womb that framed me and moulded me that ordered all my bones and sinews and joynts and parts and faculties and the like Thy hand hath made me the work of nature was from him He was the Root of Nature And so likewise He was the Root of Grace Christ the root of Grace and Glory and the Root of Glory saith David Psal 110. The Lord said unto my Lord Why was Christ Davids Lord because he had given him Grace and made him his servant Why his Lord because he would give him Glory The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou at my right hand Christ was Davids Lord because he
evil the thoughts of the heart As God is just and will punish sin so God is powerful to do it God he hath a strong Arm and when he comes to punish he can do it to purpose See what Job saith in chap. 16.12 I was at ease but he hath broken me asunder he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to peeces and set mee up for his mark c. Did God deal thus with holy Job what will hee do with sinners Is not God a consuming fire Is not God terrible in righteousness Can any escape the hands of God Yee sinners in Sion can yee escape the hands of God What will yee do in the day of Visitation when God comes Can yee stand it out against the Almighty can yee plead with God and bring forth your Arguments to justifie your selves God will Condemn you he will shake you to peeces God will break your bonâ—s hee will make your reâ—es speak bitter things unto you Now the consideration of Gods Purity of Gods Justice of Gods Power sould make you thirst after Christ who may make you holy and free you from his Justice and from his Power that he might not destroy you The Law Secondly Consider the Law of God the Law of God is in few words in the Ten Commandements there is much forbidden and many things commanded he that is angry without cause he that saith unto his Brother Racha or thou fool is in danger of Hell fire Hee that looks upon a Woman and lusts after her hath committed Adultery and Adulterers shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven you think Thoughts are free and lust free but what saith Paul When the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed the Commandement slew me and if the Law once enter and seize upon your heart it will drink up the moysture of your spirit it will make you restless night and day it will be as an Arrow in your Liver as a hot burning Iron Paul thought himself once that he was righteous blameless civil just and that no man should be saved sooner than himself but he was deceived when the Law came he saw what a sinner he was what vild thoughts vild lusts and practices he had been guilty of and the Law slew him The Law pronounces a Curse over your heads and James tells you He that breaks one is guilty of all therefore do not you see a need of Christ now Have you no thirsting desires after Christ who shall deliver you from the Law who shall free you from the Curse if you have not Christ to do it you will stand and fall by the Law and you cannot be justified the Jews would be saved as it were by the Law but they perished seeking righteousness by the Law and so will all that go that way Sin Again consider something of Sin are you not sinners If there be any here that saith he is not a sinner let him depart but if we be all sinners let us consider the nature of Sin O how doth sin defile us how doth sin black us what ugly loathsome Creatures doth sin make us what Black-a-mores are wee and those that are in their bloud in their filth those that dye in their sin wo bee to them well let us then lay to heart the evil of our sin and I am perswaded there is not one here that hath any understanding about it but sees a great deal of evil at one time or other in sin it is the offence of God it is the death of the Soul it is the breach of the Command Sin is that that separates between God men now what you have in the notion bring it down and reallize it in your hearts follow it with meditation and let meditation bring in the evil of sin bring in the Indictment I am guilty of this and that and the other sin and let Conscience now sit as Judge in you and speak out Conscience will Condemn you and say O thou hast sinned against my Lord and Master I am his Deputy and I sit as a petty god in thy Soul and I tell thee Thou art a Damned lost Creature now when things are brought home thus then will yee thirst after a Pardon then will you look out for Salvation then will you see Christs Bloud Christs Intercession and Christs Merits to bee precious Stout-hearted Sinners and High-way Men when the Sentence of death hath been pronounced over their heads and they have seen that they are Condemned men then they have fallen down upon their knees and have begged mercy so many stout-hearted Sinners if they would but follow home their sin by Meditation and bring the Notion home to their hearts they would see themselves to have need of Christ and to have Mercy and Grace through him Our own Lives Again Consider your own Lives have you any Lease of your Lives as Hezekiah had Do you know you shall live another week another year another night or day Are not your Lives uncertain your breath in your Nostrils Do we not finde in Scripture and in daily experience how suddenly men and women are pulled away by some hand of God or other Senacheribs Army smitten all in a night one hundred fourscore and five thousand men fifty thousand Bethshemites smitten for peeping into the Ark Herod eaten up with Worms the Tower of Shilo fell upon eighteen two Bears out of the Wood tare forty two Children And have we not examples in our days How many are blown up with Powder how many are burnt with fire how many drop down in the streets as they go Why do not you thirst after Christ and his Righteousness There is no way for you but by Christ it is Christ alone that will secure your Souls therefore can you be too early hie forward upon this account If Christ be not yours and you dye wo to you you shall dye in your sins saith Christ This were a sad Sentence to be pronounced over your head to be written upon your doors or hearts Man Woman thou shalt dye in thy sins it had been better thou hadst never been born now unless you get interest in Christ you must dye in your sins Eternity Lastly consider Eternity here you have a being but for a little time but what comes after there is an eternal condition of bliss or wo and the most go the wrong way there is a possibility for thee for eternal Happiness and the way is to thirst after Christ sit down and consider with thy self whosoever thou art that art in the gall of bitterness and hast deluded thy Soul hitherto with an out-side or form of godliness Consider ere long I must go hence and there are thousands go to Hell for one that goes to Heaven well it is time for me now to look to my self I may be gone before next day before next year and is Christ mine what a Swearer a Drunkard a Worldling a Whore-master one that doth rail slander and
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
I had Christ ô that I had the Spirit ô that I had Grace And then outwardly it carries to the use of all meanes to reading to hearing to meditating to prayer conferring and the like to all the ordinances and all the meanes that it may Injoy Christ and meete with him whom it hath chosen this is the willingnesse that is required If you be willing If he hath had such apprehensions and prized the water of life whosoever hath made choice of it whosoever is moov'd and carried out to Injoy it let that soule take the water of Life Quere Now a Quere moveable upon this is Whither can man by his owne abilities make this choice of Christ or of this water of life Answ Men by their naturall abilities may desire the word and be carried out after it Amos 8.11 12. Behold the day is come saith the Lord God that I will send a famine in the Land not a famine of Bread nor a thirst for water but of hearing the word of the Lord and they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East They shall run too and fro to seeke the Word of the Lord and shall not finde it Marke when the word should be taken away they would have a desire and there would be a motion after it in them and yet these it 's conceived were not regenerate Godly but of the ordinary and common sort of people The worke of reason and naturall apprehension of some good to be in the word carried them after it But I conceive no man can by naturall abilities thus will the Lord Jesus Christ as we have spoken There be Scriptures that doe hold it out strongly If you looke into the 7 Rom 11. Sin taking occasion by the Commandement deceived me and by it slew me Sin slew me saith Paul if Paul were slaine a dead man how could he moove in such a manner then towards Christ for marke in the 6 Chap 11 â—â— Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Saith Paul I was slaine through sin But as You have life through Jesus Christ so must I have life through Jesus Christ I have no life naturally and of my selfe and that place 1 Cor 2.14 But the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Some would make this verse to speak to young Christians weake Christians But saith he the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God a young Christian having the Spirit of God would receive the things of the Spirit of God would have some spirituall discerning But the naturall man is a man destitute of the Spirit for he saith We have received not the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God But the naturall man now which hath not the Spirit he receives them not he discernes them not And that this is the meaning of the word looke but into the 19 Jude where you have the same word Sensuall he might Interpret it Naturall Sensuall not having the Spirit Now he that hath not the Spirit he cannot discerne the things of God he cannot desire them he cannot receive them therefore saith Christ unto Peter Blessed art thou Symon Bar-jona For flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee Some boast they come to this by the power of nature but God hath revealed it by the power of his Spirit and in the 1 Cor. 1.21 For after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisdome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve All the wisdome of the world brought them not up to the knowledge of God So then by mans naturall abilitie he is not able to come to this willingnesse Quere To what end then are these waters of life freely offered if a man have not this power to will these waters are they not offered in vaine Answ To this I answer first 'T is not so 't is not in vaine for where the Gospel comes there is so much mercie love and goodnesse of God held out such great pretious and free promises presented unto men as that being heeded they beget a willingnesse in sinners to live there goes a generall vertue and power with the Gospel to doe something in the hearts of men and women which they could not doe before When the Loadstone toucheth the needle it makes an impression and leaves some virtue upon it It 's said in the 47 of Ezek 9. That whithersoever the waters of the Sactuary doe come they heale the waters That is If men and women who are like the dead Sea who are corrupt filthy stinking and loathsome in their naturall condition The waters of the Gospel doe something there and they doe inable men to will and will otherwise then they could before so that men now living under the Gospel if they heed the Gospel there is so much Grace mercy and love of God held out in the Gospel and such breathings of Gods Spirit goes along with it that if men heede the same something is wrought in their hearts that may Inable them to will these weters of life and their not doing of this is sufficient Ground for their condemnation And secondly The Lord he tenders these waters of life unto whosoever will that so these persons might begg of God a will to receive these waters who is ready to give them these waters For when they shall see waters of life held out and it is thus whosoever will let him take of them The soule may well conclude and say Surely God will give me a will to receive these waters if I begg them So that if men and women now having waters of life held out freely doe come to God and begg of God this willingnesse Lord give me a Will give me a will to close with Christ to prize Christ to move out after Christ God that will give them the waters will give them the will Phil 2.13 Pro 16.1 Thirdly Lastly This will Justifie God and this will be Condemnation to the creature that here 's the Gospel offered to men freely that the Gospel if heeded will beget a power and will in men that God if pray'd unto will give them the will and yet they neglect all Mens Condemnation will be upon their owne heads where is God to be blam'd This being so let us give you the reasons why the Lord holds out waters of life to those that are willing to receive them Or why is this willingnesse requir'd at our hands First This willingness is required Why this willingness is required because otherwise men will not take the waters of life let God offer them never so freely or never so long If men be not willing they will not take them present vvhat you vvill to a man that