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A29282 Living water, or, Waters for a thirsty soul drawn out in severall sermons upon Rev. 21:6 / by W. Bagshavve ... Bagshawe, William, 1628-1702. 1653 (1653) Wing B433; ESTC R2699 66,248 270

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food for the preservation of that life More particularly naturall men want 1. A spiritual knowledge to discern the worth of the Water of life Was grace in oculis it would be in osculis They who know it love it and the reason why any love it not is because they know it not Did our Apprehensions lead our Affections would follow our eyes would affect our hearts A Pibble and a Pearl are both as one in a blinde mans eye That connexion is observable Is 53.1 There is no form nor beauty nor comelynesse in him that we should desire him 2. Naturall men want a spirituall faith whereby to obtaine an interest in this Water of life Propriety is the fuel of affection 'T is but little of life which Saints have in possession the most of it is yet in reversion And faith alone is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 Without faith we can neither truely have that which is laid out on Saints nor surely hope for that which is laid up for Saints 3. Natural men want experience whereby to taste the sweetnesse of the Water of life Did men experimentally know this gift of God Joh. 4.10 they would earnestly ask of God and he would give them of this living Water 1 Pet. 2.2 3 Men would desire the sincere milk of the Word if so be they had tasted that the Lord is gracious Are there not Abnah and Parphar rivers in Damascus say they who never washt in Jordan Earth is not bitter to them in whose experience Heaven was never sweet In the last place I shall shew that the Spirit of God in its usuall method when it comes to work this thirst doth 1. Enlighten the Understanding 2. Encline the Will The Spirit in enlightning the Understanding shews the soul 1. The Want 2. The Worth of this Water of life The Soul comes to see the Want of the Water of life 1. By seeing the fire of Gods wrath burning against sin Sin looked at in the red glasse of the Law appears red and God appeareth as a consuming fire Sin appeareth as a Serpent carrying not heaven as the Poets faigned concerning Atlas but hell on its back The soul which hath been long asleep when it is awakened apprehends it self upon the brink of everlasting torments Isa 27 3 4. and looks upon it self as a bryar and thorne which if set in battle before him God will burn up 'T is true all are not at Conversion put in the fire so long the oven is like Nebuchadnezzar's sometimes seven times hotter then ordinary Yet it is as true that through this Purgatory Saints generally passe and are saved as by fire 2. The soul sees an insufficiency in all other waters as to the quenching of this fire Many waters cannot quench nor the floods drown this spark of divine displeasure Though a man could pray and hear and read through his whole life though rivers of waters should run downe a mans eyes yet these payment to being finite could not fatisfie the Justice of God who is infinite Nay if we set these up as meritorious these waters will rather he as water is to lime they 'l make the fire burn hotter A weary soul which comes to lie down on the pillow of Gods free-grace is a soul not onely weary of sin but of seeking for help in it self God having shewed the soul the want of this Water comes to shew it the Worth of it To the fulnesse freenesse and preciousnesse of this Water I shall not speak having spoke so largely to it elsewhere I shall further shew that the Spirit when it works this thirst doth encline the Will By stirring up strong and ardent breathings in the heart after this Water The strength of these breathings appeareth 1. Inwardly In that in Scripture phrase it is set forth by longing the soul thinks a short time long till it come to this Water till this Water come to it The heart cryeth out Ps 119.18 Why stays the Lord so long and why are the wheels of his chariot so long in coming The heart of a Christian is said to break for the longing that it hath as if these heart-strings were strung so high that they were ready to break in pieces The inward breathing of the soul is set forth likewise by Panting Psa 42.1 as the chased Hart panteth after the water-brooks As also by following hard after God Ps 63.8 or cleaving clasping and clinging to God as the Ivy cleaveth to and claspeth about the Oak The strength of these Breathings appeareth likewise outwardly 1. By the souls crying for this Water of life A poor man speaks supplications others study and compose them 'T is true of those who are poor in spirit as well as of those who are poor in outward things Their wants will dictate words and if not words yet sighes and groans which are unutterable The eloquence of thirsty spirits is not affected Verba pectoris their words are hearty words Christ himself as man cryed out Joh. 19.28 I thirst so unsufferable is thirst to humane nature 2. Such spirits wil as hath been shewed endevour for as well as cry for this Water This thirst will set the hand as well as the heart on work 3. Such spirits will bee restlesse till they have drunk of this Water Give a thirsty man silver or gold or precious stones and all these are nothing except you give him Water Take a thirsty spirit as high as the Devill took Christ and shew is the Kingdomes of the world and the glory thereof and what are all these to it if it goe Christlesse If Grace can fill bags then Gold may fill hearts If bodies can live as by their ordinary food upon things that are not seen then can soules I am sure not before then upon things which are seen I Now come to speak something to the last Doctrine drawn from the last word in the Text. That the grace or Water of life which God bestows upon poor souls Doct. 4 he bestows s●eely I shal first endevour to shew what this phrase imports in that God is said to bestow his grace freely 1. In reference to the principle of Gods bestowing it implyes that God is not moved to bestow from others merits Ez. 36.22 but from his owne mercy that the spring of Gods grace is not in others but in himself The web of mercy is spun out of Gods own bowels not out of mans What God doth he doth it not for our sakes but for his holy Names sake 2. In reference to the manner of Gods bestowing it implyes that God bestows 1. Readily God is said in Scripture to open his hand Psa 86.5 and he is said to be ready to forgive 2. Plentifully God gives liberally Jam. 1.6 He is not straitned though his people be straitned in their owne bowels 3. In reference to the end of Gods bestowing mercy Hee hath mercy because
should receive the grace of God in vain Consider that neglect of the voyce of the Gospel is a more hainous sin and will bring a more heavy suffering then the neglect of the voyce of the Law 1. Thou canst not sin so cheap who thus fin'st against the Gospel as they who sinned in the time of the Law 1. The light in the Gospel is far cleerer Heb. 1.1 'T is exceeding sad that men should goe astray with this torch in their hands Heb. 11.13 Testamentum novum in veteri later vetus in novo patet We that have the light should walk in the light that we might be the children of the light They who lived under the Law though they saw the promises yet they saw them but afar off The Old Testament was the New vailed the New Testament is the Old revealed 2. The task is far easier The yoak is broke off which neither wee nor our Fathers were able to bear in respect of which yoak of Ceremonies Christs yoak is easie 3. The tender is farre sweeter The chariots wherein Christ rides are like Solomons pav'd with love Christ holds forth not a rod of iron but a golden scepter And as the sin is hainouser so the sorrow is heavyer of those who neglect the Gospel when the Lamb turns Lyon 1 Cor. 16.22 he is most fierce The Gospels little finger will be heavyer to such then the Laws whole hand All the Bells of Moses seem to be cast into that great Bell where the Apostle denounceth an Anathema Maranatha They who do not kisse the Son Ps 2. ult will finde that if his wrath be kindled a little a spark of it like a spark of fire will goe far As this Doctrine convinceth of danger So it should quicken to duty In that God gives his grace freely This should teach us 1. To be lesse carkingly carefull and more cordially thankfull 1. Why should not Saints cast their cares upon God who so freely cares for them 1 Pet. 5.7 Why should we take Gods work into our hands Which of us by taking distractfull thoughts can adde one cubit to our spirituall stature There should be a care of diligence as to duty Cura officii non eventus where there should not be a care of diffidence as to successe By committing our wayes to God our thoughts will bee most established Psa 37.3 In stead of committing we are too often caring 2. Again as we freely receive so we should freely give Those streams of grace which flow from God in mercy should carry our hearts back again to God in duty Psa 149.6 The high prayses of God should be in the Saints mouths Doe mercies come from God as water out of a Fountain and shall prayses come from us as fire out of a Flint Are we backward in pursuing Gods glory when he is forward in pursuing our good 2. We should doe duties more and yet trust in duties lesse 1. What cords will hold us to duty if we cast away the cords of love from us If the bands of free-grace will not tie us what bands will tie us The light of the Gospel leads men to the love of the Law Rev. 1.5 6. Unto him who freely loved us be glory and dominion for ever and ever 2. When we have wrought as if we would have earned heaven by working we must yet acknowledge that it is God that worketh in us to will and to doe They may not so much as whisper of merit who speak aloud of mercy The Wine of Gods grace must not bee mixed with Water 3. We should be more dependent on God and more communicative to man 1. Seeing the Water of life runs so freely Isa 55.1 let us still be coming with our vessels to these Waters whilest the dew of heaven is dropping let us hold our hearts under 2. Let us be followers of God as dear children imparting freely in our places to others what God hath freely imparted to us To doe good and communicate forget not Shut not your breasts upon others seeing God hath opened his breast to you Ministers should feed the flock of God not of constraint but with a ready minde 1 Pet. 5.2 God loves a chearful giver to see mens hearts and not onely their hands The last word drawn from this Doctrine is that which naturally and necessarily flows from all the Doctrines If God give his grace freely then here 's comfort for drooping spirits who think that they could fetch comfort from God if they had but such and such degrees of holynesse to carry to God 1. Wouldst thou bring water to the sea Come to free-grace for all but with nothing 2. What personall worthynesse had the most glorious Saint in heaven more then there is in the most vile sinner on earth The emptyer thou art the more thou art invited and the more thou art fitted to come for this fulnesse to this Fountain of the Water of life And herein may souls take comfort that this spring cannot like that in Paradise be stopp'd Eccl. 3.3 this Water is in Christs keeping Our life in point of safety is hid with Christ in God This river as a river of pleasure runs at Gods right hand for evermore THE END