Sermons of Christ, Sermon 12
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.
Ʋſe. 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 wayes, and yet thinke that they have water of life, that they are living Chriſtians; But 'tis with them as with the Church of Sardis; They have a name to live, but they are dead indeed: What reviling are there of one another? what reproaching? what backbiting and ſlandering? what drunkenneſſe, vvhat whoredome, vvhat oppreſſion, vvhat defrauding, vvhat contention is there? brother againſt brother, ſeeking to eate up one another, and to undoe one another, by ill language, by ſeeking to get one from another; and yet deſirous to come to the Sacrament; whereas when men live in hatred and ſtrife, they are murderers in the Scripture account: — A dreadfull thing when thoſe that are of the ſame family, fleſh and blood, walke in thoſe wayes, and pretend that they are Chriſtians, and would have the ordinances, and yet will not lay downe their malice, revenge, and humours, no not for Chriſt, not for waters of life, not for any of his ordinances:—All are not true Chriſtians that thinke ſo, all have not taſted of the waters of life that thinke ſo, all have not Grace that imagine they have. The five fooliſh virgins, afterwards they got oyle as they thought, and they came and knock at the gate of heaven, but they were deceived, they had not true oyle, they would have been let in then: That's the firſt.
Secondly, This ſerves for reproofe, and reproofe of many that ſay they would gladly have waters of life, they are willing, and would faine have Chriſt, Grace, and the Spirit, but it's evident there is no ſuch thing, becauſe they never prize them, ſo as to ſee them better then their earthly ſenſuall and ſinfull injoyments, then their outward eſtates & what ever is deare unto them of that nature, becauſe they never make a reall and actuall claime of them, nor uſe the meanes to attaine them: Corne, wine, and oyle, they prize, they cloſe with, and make out after, and beſtirre themſelves ſo in the purſuit of them, that they hazard their ſoules eternally for them, but as for the waters of life, they care little for them, they have ſome ſluggiſh deſires after them, but no ſtrong no laſting indeavours, Math: 19.16, 17, 18, &c. Luke 13.24.
Therefore 'tis not enough for men and women to ſay they would have waters of life: there are many wiſhers, and many woulders in the world, but few doe truly and really will, they come not up to a prizing of them, to a chooſing of them, and to an uſing of all meanes for them they give not diligence to adde Grace to Grace, to worke out their ſalvation, to ſhake off ſecurity and ſloathfulneſſe, and put forth themſelves as a matter of life and death, as indeed it is a matter of life and death, to get theſe waters of life.
Thirdly, If the willing man ſhall have the waters of life, then here God is excuſed, and juſtifiable in the deſtruction of ſinners: The Lord he holds out waters of life freely; he ſaith, whoſoever will, whoſoever is willing let him take the waters of life, let him live and be bleſſed, whoſoever is willing: now if men periſh where is the fault, who is to be blamed, God hath provided Chriſt, he hath provided Goſpel and ordinances, provided his Spirit, he holds out the promiſes, and ſaith whoſoever will, whoſoever is willing come, come without money, here's water of life freely for you: now if men periſh, where's the fault; Revel: 3.20. Behold I ſtand at the doore and knock, if any man will open, I will come in: — And what if you will not open the doore, if Chriſt doe beate downe the houſe and the doore, and deſtroy him that is in it, who is in the fault? the fault is yours, you are not willing that Chriſt ſhould come in. In the 19 of Luk: 27. Thoſe mine enemies that would not that I ſhould reigne over them, bring hither and ſlay them before me: Thoſe mine enemies that would not have me to reigne over them, I come and tell them that I will caſt out their enemies, and I will reigne ſweetly and lovingly in them, and I will doe them good, I will ſave them, give them waters of life, cordiall comforts, and they will not; vvhat then? Bring thoſe mine enemies and ſlay them before my face. In the 23 of Math: How often would I have gathered thee, even as a hen doth her chickens and ye would not: had ye been willing ye ſhould have eate the fatt and dranke the ſweete; But ye would not; now is your houſe left deſolate; Mans deſtruction is of himſelfe, and God is to be juſtifyed and cleer'd, he makes ſuch tenders of Grace and mercy, and that freely he comes and waites upon men and calls upon them, and yet they will not. You have a remarkeable place, 2 Theſ: 2.10, 11, 12. Becauſe they received not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved; Marke, the truth was ſent forth, the truth came, and the truth wooed them, but they would not receive the Love of the truth, But they received not the love of the truth that they might be ſaved, for this Cauſe God ſhall ſend them ſtrong Deluſions that they ſhould beleive a lie; and this is made good in our dayes exceedingly, for the truth hath come, and knockt at the hearts of men and women, and it hath not been received with the love of it, Therefore God hath ſent them ſtrong Deluſions that they ſhould beleive a lie, That they all might be damned who beleived not the truth, but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe: men and women have pleaſure in unrighteouſneſs, and therefore they will not receive the truths of God: And then God gives them over to ſtrong Deluſions that they might be damned, would they have received the truth, they ſhould not have been damned, nor had ſtrong Deluſions; ſo that here God will be excuſable and juſtifiable in the deſtruction of ſinners at the laſt. Joh: 3.19. This is the Condemnation that light is come into the world, and men love darkneſſe rather then light, becauſe their deeds are evill; This will be their Condemnation, they will ſhut their eyes againſt the light, they will not let truth enter, and if they doe, they withhold the truth in unrighteouſneſſe, and impriſon the truth as Herod did John.
Fourthly, This ſerves for Exhortation: Whoſoever will, let them take of the waters of life freely: Shall all that are willing have water of life freely, let us labour for this willingneſſe, it is a matter of great concernment, it concernes your ſoules and bodies for the preſent, and to all eternity, to ſee that there be this willingneſs in you, willingneſſe to have water of life; for all are not willing, nay vvhen it comes to the tryall, hardly one of a hundred will be found really willing to have waters of life, therefore give your ſelves no reſt night nor day till you finde a reall willingneſſe to have waters of life, to have Chriſt, and the Spirit of Chriſt, to have Grace, ſalvation, peace & pardon to your ſoules, give your ſelves 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 onelyonly require, and all he doth requi…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 onelyonly 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; What…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 onelyonly 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, 'tis 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, 'tis 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 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 Ile leade thee to the water of life, come Ile give thee pardon, Ile give thee peace, Ile give thee my Spirit, Ile 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; onelyonly 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 merits are water of life; The Spirit with all it's Graces are water of life: The Goſpel with all its promiſes are water of life; and you have great neceſſitie of theſe; if you have them not you will periſh, you will die & be damned for ever, if you drink not of theſe.
And of admirable uſe, whoſoever drinkes of this water, they will be full of ſpirits and life; full of peace and Comfort; they will be fitted for Communion with God and man, for the ſervice of heaven and earth: 7 Joh: 38, 39. when Chriſt had ſaid unto them, If any man thirſt, let him come unto me and drinke: it preſently followes; This ſpake he of the Spirit, which they that beleive on him ſhould receive: and ſaith he, out of his belly ſhall flow rivers of living water: he ſhall have living water to flow out of his belly, and be uſefull, ſo as to water others.
Fifthly, Laſtly, Conſider how eaſie that which the Lord requires at your hands is: the Lord requires no hard matters of you, onelyonly he ſaith, who ever will let him take the waters of life: The Lord might have put hard Conditions, and hard tearmes upon men and women, as Saul did upon David, Give me 200 foreskins of the Philiſtines, and thou ſhalt have Micha my Daughter to wife: as Caleb did, If any man will goe and take Kiriahſephar and ſubdue it, he ſhall have my Daughter Achſah, Joſh: 15.16. He might have put you upon it as he did the young Man in Math: 19. Goe and ſell all that thou haſt, and follow me, and thou ſhalt have waters of life; but he doth not put you upon ſuch things, he ſaith, Whoſoever will, let him come and drinke of the waters of life; ſo that it is upon an eaſie account. Therefore Conſider theſe things, and through the bleſſing and Grace of God, they may prevaile with your hearts to be more willing then ever to have the water of life.
The next uſe is to let us ſee the Infinite goodneſſe of God, and Condecenſion to poore creatures, That he who is greatneſſe, and Glory, Majeſtie and excellency, ſhould condeſcend to us who are fleſh & blood, corrupt, full of guilt, full of deformity, having no beauty, no excellency, no good in us, That God ſhould condeſcend ſo farre, as that upon being willing we ſhould have waters of life, as was ſaid before, he put no hard tearmes upon us, but ſaith, Whoſoever will, let him take waters of life, that is, let him take me for his Portion let him take my Son, he ſhall be his Righteouſneſſe; Let him take my Spirit, it ſhall be his Sanctification; Let him take my word, it ſhall be his Light, Rule, and Comfort, and he ſhall be bleſſed here and hereafter: ô the infinite goodneſs and condeſcention of God towards poore wretches, ſuch as we are. Should you have ſeene Solomon in all his Glory and Royalty, to have ſtooped thus farre to a poore Blackamore, full of ſoares, and leperous, having no friend to ſpeake for her, as to ſay, Come manifeſt thy willingneſs to have me, I will have thee into my houſe, I will waſh thee, make thee my Queene, and make thee happie, had not this been wonderfull condeſcention in Solomon? Thus is it with God: We Blackamores that were in our blood, and full of ſoares, having no friend to plead for us, but all againſt us, we have no good nor worth in us. Now Solomon the Prince of peace and life, he comes and ſaith, will you be ſav'd poore creatures? will you be waſht in my blood? will you goe along with me? will you be happy? come goe along with me, I will carry you to my Father, you ſhall ſit upon a Throne and live for ever, and Injoy God: ô the goodneſſe and condeſcention of God to poore ſinners!
Laſtly, Here is matter of Comfort unto thoſe that doe deſire and thirſt after waters of life: The Doctrine ſaith, Thoſe that are willing ſhall have waters of life; and the text ſaith, Who ever will, let him take the waters of life: Waters of life are prepared, and reſerved for thoſe are willing, for thoſe are thirſty; therefore he ſaith in the 21 Revel: 6. If any man thirſt, he will give him of the Fountaine of the water of life freely. It may be you thirſt, and you are willing, but you ſtill want the waters of life:—is it ſo, waite patiently, you ſhall have waters of life in due time, and they are worth the waiting for, we can waite for a Bottle of wine, it may be, two or three houres, and for a ſhip of wines, many moneths, and will not you waite for waters of Life? Every promiſe is a tree of life, and the fruit is growing, and when it's ripe for you, you ſhall have it; every one is a bottle of wine, and when it pleaſes God, he will unſtop it, & powre out the wine into your hearts: you ſhall have Chriſt, and the Spirit to ſeale you up to the day of Redemption; you ſhall have the blood of Chriſt to waſh you; you ſhall have God himſelfe and all that is good, therefore waite.
Doe but Conſider a little of the Prodigall in the 15 of Luke: And when he came to himſelfe he ſaid, how many hyred ſervants of my Father have bread enough, but I periſh for hunger, I will ariſe and goe to my Father, and ſay, &c. And he aroſe and came to his Father: Now marke, here's the Prodigall, and what ſaith he? there's bread enough in my Fathers houſe, there's water of life in my Fathers houſe, here's none but ſtones, here…s none but ſwill for ſwine; in my Fathers houſe there's bread, he prizes it, I will goe eat of that bread, he chooſes it, and then he purſues it, Ile goe, ſaith he, and ſo goes and makes all the ſpeed he can to get to his Fathers houſe, and have it. And was he long without it? — See what followes, — And he aroſe and came to his Father; but while he was a great way off, his Father ſaw him, had Compaſſion, ran and fell on his neck and kiſſes him: the Son ſaith, Father I have ſinned, &c. But the Father ſaith to his ſervants, Bring forth the beſt Robe, and put it on him, and put a Ring on his hand, and ſhooes on his feete, and bring hither the fatted Calfe and kill it, and let eat and be merry, (and the like:) — When you are willing thus to have water of life, the Father ſees you a farr off, and ſaith, there's one a coming to me, there is one coming for bread, for water of life, and what then? God will run and meete ſuch an one, he ſhall not be long without his water, he will kiſſe, and imbrace him, and give him water of life, he will give him wine, marrow, fattneſſe, and all that is good. Therefore be not you diſcouraged, but moove towards your Fathers houſe, towards the water of life, and it ſhall be brought forth unto you, and given you in abundance.
FINIS.