Sermons of Christ, Sermon 11
The Water of Life.
Reve: 22.17.
And whoſoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely.
WEE come now to a uſe of Exhortation. If the waters of life be freely offered, then here's an Invitation to all ſinners to come and accept of theſe waters: Come ye ſinners whoſoever ye be, ye that are in the chambers of Death, ye that are in the broad way, ye that are enemies to God through wicked workes in your minde, ye that have liv'd baſely to the diſhonour of God and man, to your owne prejudice and damnation; If you will come, here are waters and waters of life, waters will give life to the dead, here are waters to increaſe life, here are waters to be had freely, Come to theſe waters; theſe waters are held forth upon ſuch tearmes, that ye may all come and receive them, whoſoever will let him come and take of the waters of life. In the 55 of Iſa: 7. It's ſaid, Let the wicked forſake his wayes, and the unrighteous his thoughts, and turne unto the Lord, and he ſhall have mercy: Pro: 28. It's ſaid, He that confeſſes his ſins and forſakes them ſhall finde mercy: There the termes are ſomewhat hard, who can forſake his wayes, and turne from his evill thoughts, and the like, it's a hard thing to doe: But here it's upon other termes; Whoſoever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely: — You may have them freely, whatſoever your ſins have been, crimſen ſins, ſcarlet ſins, crying ſins, ſins againſt light of nature, againſt Law, againſt heaven, againſt earth, ſins againſt State, againſt Church, againſt ſoule or body, ſins againſt Goſpel, whatſoever your ſins have been, here are waters of life freely for you: Abraham was an Idolater, and yet he had water of life freely: Saul was a perſecuter, and he had water of life freely, and why may not you have waters of life freely. A man may goe and take water at any Well in a Towne, he may goe to the Thames and take water what he will, when the Raine falls who may not have a ſhare of it? here's water, here's raine from heaven, and who will, may come and take water of life. Sometimes money is given in a place for poore people, and it is made knowne for them to come and fetch it, but they muſt firſt get Petitions, Juſtices, Miniſters, and other mens hands, of their honeſty, of their faithfullneſſe, of their ſervice, of their ſufferings, of their loſſes, and a great deale of dooe there is before they can have the money; but it is not ſo here, Chriſt doth not ſay, Let him that is righteous come, let him that is ſo qualified take it, let him that hath ſuffered ſuch hard things, let him that hath been tempted ſo long by Satan, no, but he ſaith, who ever will, let him take the waters of life freely: what will you ſtand out then and not receive waters of life: ô come in this day, come in to Chriſt, come in and drinke waters of life, come in and live, come and live comfortably, come and live eternally.
Thirdly, Againe in the next place: If the water of life be freely offered to ſinners, then you that barren and dead hearted, and complaine of unfruitfullneſſe and unprofitableneſſe: waite upon the Lord Chriſt in the uſe of means, for here is water and water of life, and Chriſt gives it out in the uſe of meanes: Are you dry, barren and fruitleſſe? have you a dead heart? Chriſt hath water of life to quicken you: Chriſt hath water of life to make you more lively: I am come, ſaith Chriſt in the 10th of Joh: 10. that ye might have life, and that ye might have it in more abundance: I am come for that very end to give life, and to give life more abundantly, to give out theſe waters freely and fully. You know when the Raine falls from heaven upon the mountaines and barren places, it will make them looke Greene; ſo when Chriſt gives out theſe waters to mountanous hearts, to barren ſpirits, this water of life will ſoke into you, ſoften you, make you grow, flouriſh, and bring forth fruit. Lam: 3.25, 26. The Lord is good unto them that waite for him, to the ſoule that ſeeketh him; 'tis good that a man ſhould both hope and quietly waite for the ſalvation of the Lord: — The Lord is good to them that waite for him; If you will waite for Chriſt in his Ordinances, he will be good unto you, he will water you, and make you like a watered Garden. In the 40 of Iſa. 28, 29.31. Haſt thou not knowne, haſt thou not heard, that the everlaſting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary, there is no ſearching of his underſtanding, he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaſeth ſtrength, they that waite upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles, they ſhall run and not be weary, and they ſhall walke and not faint: — Waite up-upon the Lord Chriſt, he hath virtue for you, he hath water of life for you. And in the 64 of Iſa: 4. For ſince the beginning of the world, men have not heard, nor perceived by the eare, neither hath the eye ſeene, O God, beſides thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him: Thou meeteſt him that rejoyceth and worketh Righteouſneſſe; Thoſe that remember thee in thy wayes, he will meete them, he will water them, and refreſh them, and they ſhall be fruitfull. You made the Lord Chriſt to waite for your teares, he waited a long time before you ſhed one teare of Repentance, and will not you waite upon him that hath water of life for you? waite upon him in the uſe of meanes, and he will give water of liſe.
Fourthly, You that have received water of life, Remember how little it coſt you, give the honour and the Glory unto God: It coſt you nothing, you had it freely. Pſal. 115.1. Say not unto us, not unto us, but to thy name be the praiſe and Glory: yea all the praiſe and all the Glory. Did wee Contribute ought unto this worke of Grace, and Salvation, then we might Sacrifice to our owne Netts, but we Contribute nothing: Epheſ: 2.8. By Grace are ye ſaved through Faith and that not of your ſelves; marke, it is the gift of God: not of workes leaſt any man ſhould boaſt: — The Lord knew what man would doe if he ſhould come in, and be a Coworker with God, therefore ſaith, By Grace are ye ſaved through Faith, and that not of your ſelves, it is the gift of God; If you have faith, if you have Grace, if you have ſalvation, water of life, it is the gift of God: Not of workes leaſt any man ſhould boaſt; therefore let no man Glory in himſelfe, but give the honour and Glory to God. In the 9th of Jer: 23, 24. Let not the wiſe man glory in his wiſdome, neither the mighty man in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he underſtandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exerciſeth loving kindneſſe: and Iſa: 43.25. I, even I am he that blotteth out thy tranſgreſſions for mine owne ſake, and will not remember thy ſins; I doe not doe it for thy ſake ſaith God, but for mine owne ſake: for the honour of mine owne name I blot out thy ſinnes freely, I pardon thee, I give thee water of life. So then let us give God the honour and the Glory, and ſay as 'tis in Micha 7.18, 19. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquitie, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the Remnant of his heritage: he reteineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delights in mercy; and who is a God like unto our God, that pardoneth Iniquitie, ſins and tranſgreſſions, and why, becauſe he delights in mercy, not becauſe he delights in thee, or delights in me, but becauſe he delights in mercy, he delights to ſhew mercy, he blotts out ſins freely for the honour of his owne name; If therefore you have pardon of ſin, peace of Conſcience, if you have any Grace, any Comfort of the Spirit, if you have any drops of this water of life, give God the Glory of it, he hath freely given it unto you, and that in abundance, when others have none or puddle water onelyonly.
Laſtly, If God doe give us water of … freely, then this ſhould unite and Indere our hearts unto him, and make us ſerve him freely: As he freely gives to us, ſo we ſhould freely ſerve him, many they are hardly brought of to ſeeve God, the Sabboths are tedious unto them, and when will the Sabboth be gon, prayer, Reading of Scripture, hearing of Scrmons, and to diſcourſe of heavenly things, is tedious unto them, they cannot Indure them: It's an argument they are fleſh, and corrupt, that they have none of this water of life; If they had they would ſerve God freely, cheerefully, willingly. In the 2 Phil: It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his owne good pleaſure. Doe all things without murmuring and diſputing: When God workes in men according to his good pleaſure the Will and the Deede, Then men will doe all things without murmuring and diſputing, they will come off roundly and readily to doe the worke of God: they will be then like to David who fullfilled all the Wills of God, and gave Counſell to Solon his Son, 1 Chron. 23.9. And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing minde, &c. God regards not any of your ſervices, that come off heavily, dully, and with murmurings, but God loves a cheerefull giver, a willing minde: he is free himſelfe, and gives water of life freely, and he would have you ſerve him cheerefully and willingly. —
But to proceede to another obſervation; — Whoſoever will, ſaith he, let him take the waters of life freely: Whoſoever will, The willing Man: The obſervation is this.
That man who is willing, or hath a willingneſs to have the waters of life, ſhall have them.
Be the man what he will, high or low, rich or poore, learned or unlearned, young or old, bond or free, whoſoever hath a willingneſſe in them to have the waters of life ſhall have them: — To make it out from the Scripture unto you: —
Joh: 5.40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have life: That ye might have waters of life; were there in you a willingneſſe to have the waters of life, ſaith Chriſt, ye might have them. In the 55 of Iſa: 1.2. Ho every one that thirſteth come ye to the waters, and ye that have no money, come buy and eat, yea come buy wine and milke without money and without price: ſaith Chriſt, are ye willing to have waters of life? are ye willing to have wine and milke without money? there's the ſtick, you ſay you have no money, ſaith Chriſt, will you have them without money, are you willing to have them? If you be but willing, ſaith Chriſt, you ſhall have them; are you athriſt, you ſhall have water, I looke not after your money, I looke not after ſuch qualifications, or diſpoſitions, and preparations; But are you willing to have it?— Wherefore doe you ſpend your money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which ſatisfieth not? And becauſe men will not come to Chriſt, Chriſt comes to them: Pevel: 3.20. Behold I ſtand at the doore and knocke, ſaith he, If any man heare my voyce, and open the doore, I will come in to him, and will Sup with him and he with me: — Chriſt comes and ſtands at the doore and knocks: You know when one comes to the doore of a houſe and knocks, if there be one within, and the party will not open the doore you cannot come in: but if the party will open the doore, you come in preſently: — Chriſt comes and kcocks now, and he would faine come in; but men and women will not open the doore: — What's the opening of the doore? your hearts are the doore, and the opening of your hearts, is your willingneſſe that Chriſt ſhould come in, but men and women keepe the doore ſhut, and ſo Chriſt enters not: they have no willingneſſe in them; there is a Will in all men by nature, but there is not a willingneſs. If a man have a hand to receive any thing, while he keepes his hand ſhut he can receive nothing: but if he will open his hand, then he is fit to receive: a man that keepeth his mouth ſhut, he can take in no water, no wine, no food: This is the caſe, ſinners ſo long as they keepe their hearts ſhut, Chriſt knocks, the Spirit knocks, the Miniſter knocks, the word knocks, God knocks, but they will not open: and ſo there is no enterance: But willingneſſe now is the opening of the heart, and makes way for Chriſts enterance. Lydia was hearing, and her heart was opened, and Chriſt came in, the waters of life came in. And in the 1 of Iſa: 19, 20. If ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eate the fatt of the Land; If ye be willing ye ſhall have the bleſſing: There is a willingneſſe required in ſinners to receive Grace, to receive mercy, to receive the waters of life.
Queſt: Now wherein lies this willingneſſe that ſhould be in ſinners to receive the waters of life, to receive Grace and Mercy?
Anſw: It lies in three things.
Firſt, In a high prizing of this water of life; when a man comes to have apprehenſions of worth and excellency in it, thereupon he prizeth what is ſo apprehended; for you muſt know, that the opperations of the will are according to the apprehenſitions of the underſtanding: If a mans underſtanding have apprehenſions of a great deale of good and worth in a thing, then his will prizes the good that is in the thing anſwerably. When men have weake apprehenſions of things, they have weake prizings of them, and value them accordingly: But if men apprehend things ſtrongly, to have a great deale of worth and excellency in them, then they prize them anſwerably: Now when the waters of life are apprehended to be exceeding good, to be an Infinite mercy, an unſpeakeable mercy, then the will prizes them, and prizes them above all other things: — Take Chriſt he is water of Life: Coll: 1.19 It pleaſed the Father, that in Chriſt ſhould all fullneſſe dwell. There is then all fulneſſe in Chriſt. Coll: 2.3. In him are hid all the Treaſures of wiſdome and knowledge: — Coll: 3.11. Chriſt is all in all. Paul had a large apprehenſion of the excellency of Chriſt, and Paul prizes Chriſt anſwerably, and accounts all dung for Chriſt, loſſe for Chriſt. So that there's the firſt thing in this willingneſſe that the ſoule having ſeene a worth, an excellency a tranſcendency of good, prizes it anſwerably.
Secondly, The ſoule hereupon comes to make choice of this good for it ſelfe: The Will chooſes this good ſo apprehended and ſo prized. As a man, he beholds a perſon beautifull, amiable, and ſutable unto him, he prizes the perſon, and makes choice of the perſon in himſelfe, for himſelfe: So the will upon apprehenſion of water of life, and the Infinite good by it, doth chooſe this water of life for it ſelfe. And thus David in the 73 Pſal: 25 v: Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that my ſoule deſires in compariſon of thee. David ſaw ſuch worth in Chriſt, as that he doth chooſe Chriſt in heaven, and in earth, and none beſides him: Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none that I deſire upon earth beſides thee. So the Spouſe in the 5 Cant: 10. My beloved, there's the choice, is white and ruddy, the cheifeſt of ten thouſand: I know what a one my beloved is, I have ſuch apprehenſions of him, he is white and ruddy, the cheifeſt of ten thouſand, better then all, and therefore I chooſe him he is my Beloved. The will comes to chooſe and take in the object ſo apprehended, for it ſelfe; that is the ſecond thing, the will acting in the chooſing of Chriſt.
Thirdly, The Will mooves and carries the ſoule to the Injoying of the thing prized and choſen: As when a man hath caſt his eyes upon a virgin, and he values her, and in his heart chooſes her; Then he uſes all lawfull meanes to Injoy her, his will carries him to the uſe of meanes: ſo here; The Will mooves the ſoule now towards Chriſt, to cloſe with Chriſt to injoy Chriſt, and doth act both inwardly & outwardly: Inwardly by longings, ſighings deſires, thirſtings, ô that I had water of life, ô that I had water of the well of Bethlehem, as David ſaid, ô that 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 … 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 Barjona, 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, 'Tis not ſo, 'tis not in vaine; for where the Goſpel comes, there is ſo much merciemercy, 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 requiredbecauſe 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 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, here…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.