said of John likewise that hee was a burning and a shining light Anso It is granted Saints are Stars and Angels are Stars and they may bee morning Stars too and yet this doth not at all disadvantage Christs being here a bright and morning Star for 1 These Stars their light is Derivative it is derived from Christ and derived from God both what Angels have and what the Saints have it is borrowed the Angels are the Creatures of God and of Christ they made the Angels and so they had their light whatsoever it is from them And the Saints Ephes 5.8 Yee were darkness but now are yee light in the Lord they have their light from the Lord from Christ and from God so that this is no disadvantage unto Christ Christs light it is essential unto him it is no derived light 2 Their light is diminutive a little light it is Candle light they do understand little to what Christ doth In him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge in him is all the fulness of God which is not so in any of these these Stars the Brethren of Joseph had but a little light and Angels have but little light to God and Christ What is the light of a Torch to the light of the Sun such is the light of these to the light of God and Christ 3 The light of these is dependent light If God and Christ with-draw their influences a little how dark are they Psal 103.20 The Angels stand hearkening what God will say to them they do not know what to do but God must give them out a word of command and give them light and they depend upon him for light and so all the Saints depend upon God and Christ for light and if God do but with-draw his influences how dark are Saints and Angels so that you see the light of these is no way derogatory to the light of Christ hee is a bright and a morning Star Quest But now a Question here If Christ be a bright and a morning Star why do so few follow the light of this Star and so many follow Sathan who is the Prince of darkness and Antichrist who is darkness it self Ans The only and great Answer to this is because men are darkness themselves and love darkness Joh. 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lesh his deeds should be reproved And in vers 19. Men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil they love darkness they hate light and love darkness if men hate light they care not for the light of Christ that is convincing light reproving light condemning light now they hate the light and they love darkness and if the Devil and Antichrist turn themselves into Angels of Light sometimes yet that light is but darkness and they love that darkness they love Delusions love Errors love Heresies and Lyes 2 Thes 2.10 because men receive not the truth with the love of it therefore God sends them strong delusions and gives them up to beleeve the lyes of Sathan and the lyes of Antichrist that pretend light but they are lyes and they are darkness no marvel then that they follow the Beast and follow Sathan and follow the World and run the contrary way Thus you see the Point opened 1 If Christ be a bright and morning Star Application then surely it is evil and their end will be fearful and dreadful that will not follow after light but go on in sin and works of darkness whereas the very rising of this Star and shining of this Star was to dispel darkness and to shew unto men the way they should walk in Tit. 2.11 12. The grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men this Star is risen hath appeared to the whole World full of grace And to what end hath it appeared To bring Salvation and to teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Now if men will not see this light but will live ungodly unrighteously unjustly wickedly If men will follow the courses of the World then they refuse this light and what will be the issue of it 2 Cor. 4.4 If our Gospel be hid saith he it is hid to them that are lost If they will not see this light now that is so bright the Gospel is hid and Christ is hid and the Star is in a Cloud and the Devil hath cast a mist before their eyes and before their mindes and they are lost and undone Creatures and in Joh. 3.19 This is the Condemnation this will be the Condemnation That light is come into the world the morning Star is up the glorious Gospel is gotten out but men love darkness rather than light they love Sin they love Antichrist they love Sathan they love their Lusts and is it not a grievous thing that this Star should shine among us which the Jews have not and we should be worse than Jews that Heathens have not we should be worse than Heathens for Drunkenness for Swearing for deceiving and for defrauding one another and for all manner of wickedness O this will be the Condemnation It will be easier for Jews and Turks that have not the Gospel neither own it han for Christians that have this light this bright morning Star shining among them and walk not after it 2 If Christ be a bright and a morning Star then let us all look unto this Star for light for direction It is not good to be in the dark if you have but a little light in the dark you account it a great matter this World is full of darkness now let us look to this Star and the light of this Star You that are Mariners when you are at Sea if you can see but a Star especially the Pole-Star you think it a great priviledge and know where you are and how to steer your course and to avoyd Sands and Rocks and dangers this World is a sea of trouble a sea of sin and of affliction and wil you not look to this Pole-Star If you will look to this Star this bright and morning Star you will sayl safely you will avoyd Shipwrack you will avoyd the losing of your Souls which is the greatest loss of all O look to this Star to direct you and to guide you over the sea of this World that you may go safely to the Haven of Happiness if you sayl not by this Star you will never get to Heaven It is not sayling by your own Lusts your own Wills Humours and fancies and to live as you please If you will not live according to the light that hee hath given you out you are undone Creatures look to it wee are all sailing either down to Hell or towards Heaven well let us take our directions from this bright and morning Star and wee shall never sail the wrong way 3 If Christ bee the bright
after Christ nor use the means these do not thirst 3 Again no unregenerate man doth Spiritually thirst after Christ 1 Cor. 2.14 The Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned And if he do not know them it is the old rule There is no desire of that Now men that have not the Spirit as appears ver 12. they cannot thirst So in Jude it is there They are sensual not having the Spirit Now what a multitude of men and women are there in the world that have not the Spirit they jear at the Spirit and others know not whether there bee a Spirit of God or no Oh! multitudes the greatest part are in the broad way These now do not Spiritually thirst after Christ 4 Again those that do live and go on in any known way of wickedness they do not desire Christ nor cannot desire the Lord Jesus Christ And do not most men and women go on in some way of wickedness or other and they make their Lusts their god and they would not have that god destroyed they say to Christ as the Devils did Why dost thou come to torment us before the time When men and women walk in any way of wickedness and it is their ordinary practise they do not desire the coming of Christ neither can they Many things I might instance in this way but it is too evident there are few that do Spiritually thirst after Christ Q But whence is it that so few do so Spiritually thirst after Christ Whence is it that so few do thirst after Christ A. First It is from the ignorance of men and women the Law of God hath never entered into their Souls for had the Law of God entred to convince them of sin for by the Law comes the knowledge of sin had the Law ever entred to convince them of the sinfulness of sin that is in them of the pollution of sin how it defiles them of the distance sin hath set them at from God of the Curse hangs over their heads by reason of their sin they would then begin to inquire and to thirst after Christ but the Law hath never entred into them they are ignorant of the Law of God ignorant of the truths of God and where there is blindness and ignorance there can be no true thirst Secondly This is from the conceitedness of men and women most men and women are conceited of their own goodness they have good hearts good natures lead honest lives they are civil and just they walk unblameably and these things they rest upon and so they feed upon these husks Solomon saith Every man is first in his own cause A man is righteous in his own eyes and a man will judge himself and justifie himself and think himself better than another and we are naturally prone to Hypocrisie to see a mote in anothers eye and not a beam in our own The Church of Laodicea conceited her self to be rich and to be full c. and to want nothing when as she was poor and miserable and blinde and naked and wanted all things This is natural for men and women to conceit well of themselves The Pharisee fasts twice in the week c. And not like this Publican this is incident to us all to think too well of our selves and hence it is that men and women do not thirst after Christ but will be their own Saviours and so undoe themselves Thirdly This is from men and womens mistakes 1 Of God 2 Of the Creature 1 Of God They think God is like unto themselves Psal 50. Thou thoughtest that I was such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee and I will tear thee in peeces and none shall deliver thee unless thou do otherwise then so Wee think God is all Mercy and that he is not so holy so just so severe and ridgid against sin O it is but a saying Lord have mercy upon us and all will do well now here is their mistake about God God is exceeding holy and he is wonderful severe Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts A man judges well of himself but God will send him to Hell for judging well of himself the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness the very appearances of evil God hath cut off men for small sins 2 It is from peoples mistakes about the Creature and the insufficiency of the Creature they do not see an utter insufficiency in all Creatures to releeve them and therefore they stick upon Creatures One man hee trusts unto his estate and riches the rich mans wealth is his strong tower Another man rests upon his Wisdom and policy another trusts to his Strength another trusts to his Almes and good Works and another thinks he shall never dye he is not so old but he may yet live another Month or a Year men are not convinced of the insufficiency of all things to releeve them and deliver them but the Lord Jesus Christ but if they were satisfied no Angel nor Potentate no Action of their own no action of others not all the Saints in the VVorld can deliver one Soul Then they would hunger and thirst after Christ but while they are not convinced of the insufficiency of all these things there is no thirsting after Christ 4 Further This is from their not understanding of the infinite worth and excellency and good that is to be had in the Lord Jesus Christ alone they think they must joyn something with Christ I will do a little and Christ shall do the rest they set up themselves with Christ and make themselves equal to Christ they must save themselves in part and Christ must save them in part But now if men and women did understand the excellency of Christ the fulness of Christ the grace of Christ the mercy and love of Christ and the vertue of Christ how that the only way for pardon for peace for life for strength for comfort for whatsoever their Souls stand in need of it is in Christ then they would be carried out to Christ Is not he held out in the Gospel to be a Sun all Light in him Is not he held out to have life in himself all Spiritual life in him I am come that yee might have life and have it in more abundance Is not Christ held out to be the great High Priest that offered himself a Sacrifice and such a Sacrifice that all other Sacrifices have ceased all lies upon Christ and whatsoever your sins are whatsoever your nakedness and Poverty is there is relief to bee had in Christ hee is Righteousness hee is Strength he is Bread he is all so that peoples not well understanding the worth of Christ and all to be had in Christ for the Lord hath sealed him sent him set him forth and declared
unto me heare and your soules shall live and I will make an everlaesting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Is not here Incouragement enough now to come to Christ Incline your eare and come unto me and your soules shall live you shall have everlasting mercies and everlasting comforts Joh 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Here 's life and death set before you Come thou poore sinner and beleive in the Lord Jesus close with him here 's life for thee everlasting life for thee Refuse to doe it there 's everlasting death for thee thou shalt perish how peremptory is the Lord here In the 16 Mark 15 16. Goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature he that beleiveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleiveth not shall be damned how round is the Gospel he that beleiveth he that comes to Christ that 's the meaning he that beleiveth shall be saved saved from all his sinne saved from the power of death saved from the wrath of God saved from hell-fire saved from the guilt of his owne Conscience he that beleiveth shall be saved over and over and over he that beleiveth not shall be damned how doth he press men now to come to him If there be any weight in heaven or hell it 's laid all upon this your coming to Christ or refusing Christ if you come to Christ all heaven is yours all the glory all the joy all the comfort all the blessings all the happiness there is yours If you will not come to Christ all the terrors of hell are yours all the darkness all the mournings all the howlings all the gnashings of teeth all the misery there will be yours Therefore see how willing the Lord Jesus is that sinners should come and that they should be saved Christ's willingness to save sinners Reve 22.17 Let him that is athirst come 12ly ANother evidence of Christs willingness to save sinners that will come unto him is The Lord doth venture and hazard the loosing many by making knowne his free Grace and willingness to save sinners for when sinners doe heare that Christ is willing to save them and very desirous also many they abuse his free grace this rich mercy this willingness of Christ to doe their soules good If Christ be so willing say they wee will stay a while it will suffice hereafter In the 4th of Jude it 's said They turne Grace into wantonness and thousands of scorners turne Grace into wantonness when they heare Christ dyed and shed his blood for sinners that he is willing sinners should come in that he waites for them that he intreats and presses them to come to him they take advantage from hence to sin more freely to stay it out to the uttermost And thus the Lord runs a hazard of loosing many by making knowne the riches of his Grace the freedome of his mercy and loving kindness which shews there a very strong desire in Christ to save sinners Thirteenthly It is evident that Christ is very desirous of sinners salvation in that he takes sinners when they are at the worst of all at the height of wickedness If a Prince will take into his family those that are sick of the plague of the Leprosie and of the worst diseases 't is an argument he hath a minde to have them live in his family and that he is desirous of their company the Lord Jesus Christ he takes sinners when they are at the very worst Saul he was at the height of his blasphemy at the height of murder at the height of persecution and Christ saith Saul Saul why persecutest thou me thy blasphemies rage and persecutions are come up to heaven and Paul saith in the 1 Tim 1. he was a persecutor a blasphemer and an injurious person but I obtained mercy even when I was so great and notorious a sinner Christ came and tooke him in it 's an argument then that Christ is very desirous of the salvation of sinners that he will take sinners when they are in the height of their wickedness When the Prodigall had run out from his fathers house and had spent yeares in wicked practises in whoredome drunkenness gameing and running in the wayes of the world when he had spent all and spent himselfe now when he was in this height of wickedness it pleases God and Christ to call him to bring him home and to receive him againe had not Christ been desirous of the salvation of sinners he might have shut the doore against the Prodigall and said you shall never come in adores againe had not the Father been desrous for the Sons sake to have savâ—d sinners he would not have entertain'd the Prodigall there is not a velleitie but a strong efficacious desire in God and Christ to save sinners The Jewes when they were at the worst when they had put that innocent one to death when they had said His blood be upon us and upon our Children when they had mockt him reviled him and accused him even after all this Christ takes in many of them three thousand of them converted at one Sermon by Peter Him whom ye have Crucifyed with bloody hands hath God raised here is a cleere evidence of the earnest desire of the Lord Jesus to save sinners he takes them when they are at the worst when they have done the uttermost mischeife spite they can against him and against his wayes Fourteenthly It 's an argument that the Lord Jesus is very desirous to save sinners If you confider that the Lord takes sinners at the last cast at the end of their dayes when they have no time left to serve him he tâ—kes them at the very first intreaty and begging of mercy The Theefe you know that had livâ—d wickedly all his dayes when he came to the last cast and was upon the Laddar or nail'd to the Crosse and ready to breath out his last breath saith he Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome Christ might have said Remember thee why should I remember thee thou hast bin a bloody wretch a Theefe and a murderer all thy dayes and thou deservest nothing now but death and damnation and why should I remember thee No the Lord Christ saith not so but he saith This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise now when there was no time left for him to honour Christ and to serve Christ he onely now intreats this favour of him being on the Crosse saith Châ—ist This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise And doubtless though we have but this one Instance and so men should not presume to put off Repentance till it be too late yet I doe beleive many a soule hath met with mercy when they have been at the gates of death I say many a poore soule that hath been burdened with sin asslicted in
but men would have Christ and live to the world and live to sin and live unto vanity but these cannot stand together he that is Christs he hath crucifyed the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof he hath crucifyed them and accepts of Christ upon his owne termes Fourthly Where the soule doth truly come to Christ and close with him there it gives up it selfe to Christ to be disposed of As a woman when she is married she leaves her fathers house her mothers house and she gives up her selfe to be guided by the Guide of her youth by her husband Therefore in the 45 Psalme saith he Hearken ô daughter and consider and incline thine eare Forget also thine owne people and thy Fathers house so shall the King greatly desire thy beauty For he is Thy Lord and worship thou him Forget thine owne people and thy Fathers house so a soule gives up it selfe to Christ and forgets all former Ingagements former customes practises and wayes it walkt in and gives up it selfe to be ruled now by Christ and by his Lawes saith the soule I am come into a Kings Family I am come into a great Court I must now be ruled by the Lawes of this King by the Lawes of his house and therefore saith Christ My sheepe heare my voyce If I am one in the Fould of Christ and a sheepe of Christ I will heare his voyce and a stranger I will not heare a stranger I will not follow Now how is it with you doe you follow the voyce of the world of the flesh of hell you have not given up your selves to Christ if you had you would follow him and heare him and not strangers In the 14. Revel The 144. thousand follow the Lamb whither soever he goes they doe not follow the Lyons of the world but follow the Lamb whither soever he goes Christ is their head Christ is their Lord Christ is their Guide so the soule that 's come to Christ is guided and led by Christ and followes Christ try your selves there Fifthly A soule that is come to Christ in truth is daily made more and more like unto Jesus Christ the more it is conformed to Christ daily when once it comes to Christ the soule sees such beauty such glory such excellency in Christ such wisdome in Christ that it 's willing to be conformed to Christ in every thing not my will but thy will Lord Jesus not my thoughts but thy thoughts saith the Apostle we have the very minde of Christ and not onely the minde of Christ but the life of Christ for in the 2 Gal 20. I live not saith he but Christ lives in me ô I am conformed to Christ I live the very life of Christ so that a true Christian a true beleiver is conformed by the renewing of his minde into the Image of Christ into the life of Christ into the minde of Christ into the Graces of Christ he is more and more changed into Christ so that in a sence he may be called Christ as the Church is 1 Cor 12.12 The Church is called Christ because the Church is transformed into the Image of Christ so every true beleeving soule is transformed more and more into Christ daily 2 Cor 3. last But we all with open face beholding as in a Glasse the Glory of the Lord that is of the Lord Jesus are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now then beloved reflect upon your selves and deale impartially with your own soules and if you finde these things there 's abundance of comfort will be to you and you will have abundance of peace when you come to dye And if it be not so with you labour to have it so and doe not suffer Satan nor the flesh nor any thing to delude and deceive you in a business of so great concernment saith Christ If any thirst let him come come to me and so much for that use Fourthly The last use is a use of Exhortation Seeing the Lord Christ invites us to come let us come unto him why Lord doest thou say come here I am here I am I come Lord I come with my whole heart I desire it I am sorry I have staid so long from thee I come ô Lord I come I come how would this delight the Lord to see such a frame of spirit in a Congregation that sinners would come unto him You have heard how desirous Christ is of it and why he is so desirous ô well let us come to the Lord Jesus and to propound some things to promote this exhortation First First of all Consider our owne condition what we are out of Christ what are we without Christ are we not all like men of blood You read in the Law of Cities of Refuge and when a man-slayer was pursued by the Avenger unless he got to the Citie of Refuge he was a dead man why all the men in the world are in that case all murderers we by sinning in Adam fell from God and have murdered our owne soules and we are pursued by the Devill there is no Citie of Refuge but Christ that 's the meaning of it The Cities of Refuge were types of Christ and as they flying to the Cities of Refuge were preserved alive so poore sinners flying to Christ shall be preserved from Satan that seekes to murder us to all eternitie Therefore consider what you are without Christ and out of Christ we are men sick and sick unto death and there 's no Phycitian can cure us but Christ we are men that have a Leprosie and it cleaves so to us that it will be our death unless we have the blood of Christ to clense this Leprosie we are blinde and unles we have a Guide we shall fall into the ditch into the ditch of hell out of which there is no Recovery Therefore come to Christ he is a Guide he will Guide you in the way everlasting he will lead us so as we shall never fall into the ditch ô come unto Christ we are all under the Law we are accursed creatures cursed saith the Law is every man and woman that fullfills not all things in the Law to doe the same Cursed be every one that thinks but a vaine thought that speaks but an idle word cursed is every man that hath done amisse that hath deceived his neighbour c. Now who must take off the curse none but Christ who was made a curse by hanging upon the tree ô therefore come to Christ choose Christ close with Christ venture your soules upon Jesus Christ trust in him and him alone resigne up your selves wholly to him Consider what you shall have by coming to Christ have who is able to tell you what you shall have by Christ If a man had the tongue of men and Angells he could not set it out what poore sinners shall have by Christ You shall have pardon of all your sins
no rest I say till you finde this willingnesse in you And a little to excite you unto it and then to shew you how you may come to this willingnesse First Consider that you have a willingnesse to other things and that willingnesse will doe you little good without this nay your willingnesse to other things it may prejudice you and will prejudice you unless you have this willingness men are willing to have honours riches greatness in the world willing to have all things about them in the best manner what will this doe you good unless you have a willingness to the vvaters of life Riches will not deliver in the day of wrath there will be a day of wrath and what will your Riches your honours and all doe then These will doe nothing for you but these may prejudice you 1 Tim 6.9 10. They that will be rich marke they that will be rich that have a willingness that way that see an excellency in Riches choose them and follow them They that will be rich fall into Temptations and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drowne men in destruction and perdition Marke these prejudice you For the love of money is the roote of all evill which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrowes vvhen men have strong vvills to creatures they may prejudice themselves and undoe soule and body But if they have such a will to the water of life that will advantage them So in the 5 Chap 6 v She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth Some their wills carry them to pleasure the pleasures of the body carnall delights and they are dead while they live have they waters of life no their vvills have slaine them They are dead while they live So in the 2d Ephe 3. Among whom we all had our Conversations in time past in the lusts of the flesh fullfilling the desires of the flesh or the wills of the flesh and of the minde vvhen we fullfill the wills of the flesh and of the minde wee are dead in sins and trespasses Children of wrath enemies to God So that to have a will that prizes other things that chooses and makes out after them this may damnifie you and undoe you The second Reason why you should labour to get this willingness is because it 's that which God requires and that which he doth onely require and all he doth requiâ—e under the Covenant of workes there was Doe this and live But now the last motion that Christ makes when he leaves the world and gives out the Scripture is this If any man have a will if there be willingness in you to waters of life that 's the thing I require and all I require and the onely thing I require He doth not require great matters at your hands he doth not say give me house and Lands give me your shops and ware give me your Ships give me your Limbs your blood your lives no saith he If any man will let me have but willingness in you this is all I require Pro 23. My Son give me thy heart Whatâ—s his meaning Let me but see a heart in thee prizing choosing and pursuing of the waters of life that 's all I require my Son give me thy heart he doth not meane that peice of flesh which is in your body that you call your heart But he would have you have so much understanding as to see an excellency in himselfe his Son his Spirit his Word and Grace and then to choose the same and to use the meanes to attaine them This is that that God requires and all he requires shall the Lord onely require your hearts nothing but your hearts and will not you study to have a heart willing to have God willing to have water of life The third and last Reason is because unlesse you are willing you shall have no water of life vvhosoever is willing let him take water of life 't is for him God will never force you to it If you leade a Beast to drinke you doe not force the Beast to drinke and God will never force men But if willingly they will prize Christ if they will choose Christ above all if they will close with him if they will use the meanes that he hath appointed to Injoy him Christ shall be their water of life the Spirit shall be theirs Take take presently saith he then take the water of life 't is for you and for none other By this time me thinks I heare you are ready to say ô that we had this willingnesse in us we hope we have it or if we have it not ô that we had hearts willing now to prize Christ to chuse Christ to close with Christ his Grace his Spirit his wayes and ordinances then we were made how shall we come by it I shall propound severall Considerations unto you whereby this willingnesse may be begotten First Consider your owne Condition Let every man and woman every son and servant seriously Consider with themselves in what Condition are we were we not all lost in Adam are we not all under the Law and the Curse of the Law Are we not all enemies to God through wicked workes in our minds have we not abundance of guilt in our hearts and Consciences Are we not afraid of hell if we should die that we should be damned are we not helpless in our selves and miserable creatures Is not God just holy and righteous doth not the greatest part goe the broad way and why may not I be in the broad way surely I am a wretched miserable a lost and undone creature If any poore soule in the world have need of water of life I am the creature For mine owne part I speake it freely here as in the presence of God I know none of your greater sinners then my selfe and none of you to have greater need of the waters of life then my owne soule let us not deceive our selves vve are all miserable and wretched creatures and we all have need of the water of life need of Christ need of Grace need of the Spirit need of promises need of all When a man sits downe and Considers I am in debt I owe this man 10 l another man a 100 l another man a 1000 and I am in danger of resting every day I have need of some friend to helpe me This is our Condition now if you would but seriously Consider it would make you thinke is there Grace mercy with God redemption salvation for sinners why not for me This would make you begin to have some willingness in you to have waters of life Secondly Consider two things of Christ First Consider the very end of Christs Incarnation the end of his coming the end of his being here in this world why did Christ come I will shew you two or three places of Scripture Math 18.10 For the Son of man is