Sermons of Christ, Sermon 10
The Water of Life.
Reve: 22.17.
And whoſoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
THis is the laſt Invitation of Chriſt unto ſinners in the whole book of God, and as ſweet an Invitation as ever ſinners mett with; — And whoſoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
You have here in theſe words, — firſt the thing tendered, water of life; — Secondly, the perſons to whom the tender of it is made, whoſoever will; — Thirdly, the manner of this tender, and that is freely; — and then the Invitation it ſelfe, let him take; Let whoſoever will, take of the water of life freely.
To open the words.
Whoſoever will; foreign.The willing man, the willing one; ſaith Chriſt in the 5th of John to the man that had laine long at the poole of Betheſda, Wilt thou be made whole? ſaith the man, I am very willing to be made whole, but I cannot get into the poole, I have not might and power to get into the poole, I am a lame man, and when the Angel ſtirrs the poole one or other gets in before me, and ſo I can get no benefit: ſaith Chriſt, art thou willing to be healed? yes, then I am willing to heale thee: This willingneſſe that Chriſt requires, doth not ſuppoſe any power of free-will in man, but a willingneſſe in man to receive; for man hath not this willingneſſe in him naturally: Chriſt requires a willingneſſe, but this willingneſſe is not in man naturally: For Rom: 8. It's ſaid, The carnall minde is enmity to God; for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: and 2 Cor: 3.5. We are not ſufficient of our ſelves to thinke a good thought; there's no willingneſſe in us: Coll: 1.21. You are Enemies to God through wicked works in your minds: If the minde be at enmitie with God, there is no willingneſſe to cloſe with God: Phil: 2.13. The will, and the deede are of God: Then, how comes this willingneſſe here that Chriſt requires? — this willingneſſe ariſes from the promiſe, when a promiſe is made freely and generally of ſome choice and great mercy, the very promiſe doth beget a willingneſſe in man: When a Prince ſhall propound ſome great reward unto men to doe ſuch and ſuch a thing, they had no willingneſſe to the thing before, but when the promiſe is made, it begets a willingneſſe in them: ſo when God or Chriſt propounds water of life, ſalvation, eternall happineſſe unto men, and tells them of ſuch a good, and promiſes it unto them, the very promiſe begets a willingneſſe in men, where it was not before: But we may have occaſion to ſpeake of this more hereafter. And ſo much for the word, whoſoever will; the willing man.
Let him take the water of life freely.
Let him take; — What, with his hand, no; This water of life is not to be taken with your hands, but it is to be taken by faith; Praecibus deum ſollicitet, fide accipiat; we are to ſollicite God by our prayers, & to take it by our Faith: God doth not thruſt water of life upon men unwillingly, or upon people that are ſloathfull and ſleepy, but he tenders water of life to thoſe are willing and induſtrious, that doe ſeeke it, let them take it.
Let him take the water of Life.
What's this water of life? There be variety of Interpretations of theſe words;—Some make this water of life, to be Chriſt the Fountaine of living water, the Fountaine of Grace and Glory; — Some make this water to be the Spirit, who is called water frequently in the Scripture; —Some make this water to be the Doctrine of the Goſpel; — Some make this water to be Grace; — And I thinke none of all theſe are out, but all theſe may be taken in: — Chriſt is water of life;—The Spirit is water of life;—The Doctrine of the Goſpel, or the Goſpel it ſelfe is water of life; — The gifts and Graces of the Spirit are water of life. —
And why are they likened unto water; I might ſpend here much time in ſhewing you the reſemblances; I will onelyonly name them.
Firſt, Water clenſes from filth and pollution, and ſo doth the word of Chriſt; ſo doth the Goſpel; ſo doth Grace; ſo doth the Spirit; ſo doth Chriſt; You are cleane through the word that I have ſpoken, ſaith Chriſt in the 15th of John.
Secondly, Water ſoftens and mollifies the hard earth, ſo the Doctrine of the Goſpel, that heavenly dew, The Graces of the Spirit, The Spirit it ſelfe, Chriſt himſelfe, doth ſoften the heart where he comes; Paul was a ſoure peice, a ſtubborne hearted ſinner, but when he met with Chriſt, and ſome of this water fell upon his heart, ſaith he, What wilt thou have me to doe Lord? he was ſoft, mollified, and melted.
Thirdly, Water it is of a cooling nature; it cooles the heate of the Aire, and the heate of the Earth; So this water of life, it cooles the heate of Temptations, the heate of perſecution, the heate of your luſts, the heate of anger and paſſion; where any of this water comes, it cooles your unnaturall heate, and thoſe ſinfull heates that we have contracted.
Fourthly, Water doth make the earth to be fruitfull, the earth doth fructifie by the waters, dewes, and raines; ſo where any of this water comes, it makes men and women fruitfull; when Chriſt ſaid to Zacheus, This day is ſalvation come to thy houſe, how fruitfull was he preſently; The halfe of my goods I give to the poore; wonderfull fruitfull doth the water of the Goſpel and the Spirit make men and women.
Fifthly, This water doth ſatisfie thirſt, this water of life is the onelyonly water that ſatisfies thirſty ſoules; when you have a promiſe given in, and Chriſt comes, and the Spirit comes, and divine truths are let in to your hearts, how are you ſatisfied and refreſhed?
Sixthly, Water doth cure and heale diſeaſes and diſtempers of body; you goe to the waters, to the Wells, to the Bath, and other waters you uſe, which are healing waters: The waters of the Goſpel are healing waters: He ſent out his word and healed them: Chriſt ſaid to the Leper, I will, be thou cleane, and he was cleane: The word of God will heale all diſeaſes of your ſoules: 'tis not onelyonly a patterne of wholſome words, but a patterne of healing words.
Seventhly, and laſtly, Some waters are very Comfortable and Cordiall: ſo are theſe waters of life; They are very Cordiall waters, is not this text very Cordiall to thinke upon; Whoſoever will, let him come and take of the water of life freely? It's a very Cordiall the water of this text. — And ſo much for the Reſemblance, between water and it.
The water of Life.
Queſt: Upon what account is it call'd water of Life?
Anſw: Firſt of all this water begets life; take Chriſt for the water of life, Chriſt himſelfe is life; He is the Prince of life, and he is life: Joh: 14 6. And he is our life, Col: 3.3. When Chriſt who is our life ſhall appeare; Chriſt brought life to the dead world; he is water of life.
Take the Spirit for water of life; The Spirit begets life in the ſoule; it is a Spirit of life; and it's called living water: In the 7th of Joh: 38; 39. He that beleiveth on me (as the Scripture hath ſaid) out of his belly ſhall ſlow rivers of living water; and this he ſpake of the Spirit; the Spirit is water of life unto men and women.
Take it for the Goſpel; Phil: 2.14. 'tis the word of life: the very word begets life in men and women; 1 Pet: 1.23. Being borne, not of Corruptible ſeede, but of Incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever: The word of God liveth, and begets life in men and women; It's ſeede, and all true ſeede hath life in it; ſow any Corne, it hath life in it; this is divine and heavenly Corne, and when it is ſowne in your hearts it begets life there.
And Grace is life, Faith is life; all Grace is life; It is the life of the ſoule; ſo that they are called waters of life, becauſe theſe waters beget life.
Secondly, They are waters of life, becauſe they doe maintaine life begotten; We are nouriſhed of the ſame things of which we conſiſt, ſaith Philoſophie; And ſo ſaith Divinity; wee conſiſt of divine principles, a godly man is made up of the word of God, of the Divine nature, and of the Graces of the Spirit, and wee are maintained by the ſame, we are maintained by Chriſt, and by the Spirit, and by the word, and by this water of life, we live upon the ſame; Therefore Chriſt, Grace, and Spirit, are compared in the Scripture unto things upon which men live: Iſa: 55. Ho every one that thirſteth, &c. Water, and wine, and milke, and marrow, and bread, by ſuch things as theſe men live: Incline your ear and come unto me, heare and your ſoules ſhall live, your life ſhall be maintained by theſe things: Chriſt is the bread of life, and the water of life, and we muſt live by this bread and water live by the fleſh of Chriſt, and live by the blood of Chriſt, live by the promiſes of Chriſt, and live by the Graces of Chriſt, and ſo by the Spirit, theſe maintaine life in men and women.
Thirdly, It's water of life, becauſe it makes us more and more lively; it doth not onelyonly beget life, and maintaine life, but Increaſe life, and makes us lively: It's ſaid in the 4•h of John, that this water ſhall be a Well of water ſpringing up into everlaſting life: It increaſes life, and ſprings up into more and more life: This water doth make us lively. John 10.10. ſaith Chriſt, I came that ye might have life, and have it in more abundance: how lively was Peter after the water of the Spirit came upon him, in Acts 2. and Peter it is that writes of living and lively ſtones; Chriſtians ſhould not onelyonly be living but lively: this water makes lively, full of Spirits.
Laſtly, 'Tis water of life, becauſe it brings unto everlaſting life: he that hath the Goſpel comes to be pertaker of the Spirit, and he that hath the Spirit is pertaker of Chriſt, and he that is pertaker of Chriſt comes to God: See how this water of life ſprings up into everlaſting life; ſaith Chriſt in the 14 of Joh: 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes unto the Father but by me; ſo that by Chriſt we come to the Father. —
And in the 8 Rom: 9. He that hath not the Spirit is none of Chriſts: — And he that hath not the Goſpel, hath not the miniſtration of the Spirit where the Goſpel waters come, and this water is conveyed to the ſoule, there the Spirit is, and there Chriſt is, and there's coming to the Father, ſo that it ſprings up from the Goſpel to the Spirit, from the Spirit to Chriſt, from Chriſt to the Father, as in the 4•h of Joh: 14. It is a Well, ſpringing up Into Everlaſting life: This water came from the Father, and it will carry men up to the Father, into everlaſting life. So then you ſee what this water of life is, and why it's ſaid to be water of life: and how water?
Let him take the water of life freely.
There's ſomething in this word; Take of the water of life freely.
That notes firſt, let a ſinner be what he will, there is no barre put in againſt him to keepe him off from this water: let a man be a great ſinner, an old ſinner, let his ſinnes be Crimſen and Scarlet ſins, God puts in no barre: Chriſt ſaith not here, let a little ſinner, or a young ſinner, or a ſinner that hath ſin'd once, or twice, or an hundred times, or a thouſand times, onelyonly come; but he ſaith, whoſoever will, let him take of the water of life freely: let his ſins be what they will; All manner of Blaſphemies, ſaith Chriſt, ſhall be forgiven: There's no barre but onelyonly againſt the Impardonable ſin; But what ſin ſoever, though long continued in, though of the moſt hainous nature, cloathed with the moſt dreadfulleſt aggravations, yet it ſhall be forgiven, let that ſinner come, and take of this water of life freely. A Leper, a man leperous all over, may as freely goe into the river or ſea and waſh himſelfe, as the man that is ſound: There is no barre in his way.
Secondly, It imports thus much, let him come and pertake freely; that whatſoever qualification men have, let them be honeſt, morall, civill, ſober, righteous, juſt, (and the like) have good natures, and diſpoſitions, yet no man doth deſerve or merit any thing, not one drop of this water. Many thinke (and it's the Popiſh Doctrine) that men may be made meete for this water, and that men doe deſerve this water, and are worthy of it; No, let men be never ſo righteous, juſt morall, never ſo civill, yet when they have done all that ever they can, they doe not deſerve one drop of this water; But whoſoever will let him come and take it freely; there's no merit of thine, there's no deſert of thine, there's no meetneſſe in thee, but it's water that is freely prepared, and freely given.
Thirdly, It imports thus much likewiſe, That men may come and take abundantly of this water; As when you Invite perſons into your Orchard, Gardens, into your Wine-ſellers, you ſay, come, eate and drinke what you will, that notes your freedome, and that they may take abundantly; ſo here, whoſoever will, let him come and take freely, let him eate, let him drinke, let him ſatisfie himſelfe, there is no meaſure ſet you ſhall have ſo much and no more, you ſhall have a pint, a quart, a pottle, or a veſſell full, and the like: No, here's no limitts are ſet, but take as much as you will, as much as you can carry away, Joh: 10.10. James 1.5.
And laſtly, It imports this, That what indeavours ſoever men uſe, let men ſtrive and indeavour never ſo much, yet it is not for their indeavours that they have this water. Men muſt ſtrive, muſt read, heare and pray; They muſt digg for wiſdome as for Silver and Gold; but when they have done all, it's God that gives in this water: God gives it, but in the uſe of meanes, in their digging, in their labouring, in their waiting, not for their digging, for their labouring, for their waiting. Rom: 9.16. It's not in him that willeth, or in him that runneth, but in God that ſhews mercy: It is water freely given. Thus you ſee the words opened: — Now I come to the poynt I ſhall inſiſt upon.
Doct: That the offer, or the tender of the water of life, is free.
Whoſoever will let him take the water of life freely: It is freely offered unto men: Take Chriſt for the water of life, and Chriſt is freely offered unto the world: Jo: 3.16. God ſo loved the world, that he gave his onelyonly begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him ſhould not periſh: What's freer then gift: God hath given him, therefore Chriſt ſaith in the 4th of Joh: 10. to the woman of Samaria, Dideſt thou know the gift of God, and who it is that ſaith unto thee, give Me to drinke, thou wouldeſt have asked of him, and he would have given thee water of life. Chriſt is the gift of God, he is freely given, freely tendered unto the ſons of men. Rom: 8.32. He that ſpared not his owne Son, but delivered him up for us all: God did not ſpare him, but freely delivered him up for us all, ſo that this water of life is freely tendered and given unto you.
The Spirit, is not that freely tendered unto men; Ezek: 26.25. I will ſprinkle cleane water upon them, and waſh them from all their filthineſſe, I will put my Spirit into them. In Joel, I will powre out my Spirit upon all fleſh: the Lord tenders this water of life freely. In the 11th of Luke, ſaith Chriſt, If ye that are evill, can give good gifts unto your children, how much more ſhall my Father give the Spirit to them that aske him?
The Goſpel is freely given; ſaith Chriſt to his Diſciples, Freely ye have received, freely give: and in the 16 of Mark: Goe preach the Goſpel to every creature. The Goſpel is the miniſtration of Grace, the miniſtration of the Spirit: So that all the water of life is freely given: Revel: 21.6. And he ſaid unto me, it is done, I am Alpha, and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give unto him that is athirſt, of the Fountaine of the water of life freely: I will give freely. As this water of life is freely given: — ſo 'tis freely revealed: God made it knowne freely: Math: 13.11. To you its given to know, &c. none elſe made it knowne: God might have kept this Fountaine ſhut up in heaven, and never have diſcovered the Fountaine, never have made knowne to the world any ſuch water, any ſuch Grace, any ſuch mercy as here is held out to you; hence is it that Chriſt ſaith to Peter in the 16th of Math: 16, 17. When Peter ſaid, Thou art the Son of the living God, ſaith he, Bleſſed art thou Symon Bar-Jona, for fleſh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, &c. God revealed it unto him: and in the 21 of Math: I thanke thee ô Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou haſt hid theſe things from the wiſe and prudent, and haſt revealed them unto Babes: — God reveales this water and makes it knowne: —And as God reveales it, ſo it is the Lord that bleſſes this water, and makes it a bleſſing to one and not unto another: This water was a bleſſing unto Peter, it was not a bleſſing unto Judas: Judas had no bleſſing by the Goſpel, no bleſſing by Chriſt: So thoſe of Capernaum and other places, they had no bleſſing; it's God gives the water, reveales the water, and bleſſes this water to whom he pleaſes.
Queſt: Why doth the Lord freely offer and tender this water of life unto the world, unto ſinners?
Anſw: This water of life is freely tendered, firſt, that ſo God might make knowne his goodneſſe, and make way for his Glory. Things that come freely, doe diſcover the goodneſſe of any, and redound moſt to their praiſe, moſt to their honour: when a parent ſhall out of his owne good will give unto a childe great matters, unlookt for, unſought for, unthought of, this argues the goodneſſe of the parent, and drawes more honour: When a Prince ſhall give unto his Subjects out of his owne bounty and good will, not being mov…d by his Nobles or Princes, or others about him, this declares his goodneſſe and makes way for his honour: and every one ſaith, What a good Prince is this, or what a good King is this, and how honourable is this: he doth it freely, none mooves him to it? when men are moov'd to doe good, thoſe that moove them they ſhare in the good, they ſhare in the honour, had not the party moov'd, it had nor been done: Now God will have none to ſhare in his honour: God doth it freely, according to the Counſell of his owne will, for his owne name, that ſo his goodneſſe may be knowne, and his honour may be great; Be it knowne unto you, ſaith God in the 36 of Ezek: that not for your ſakes doe I this, but for mine owne Name ſake: I doe it not becauſe you moove me, or any moove me, but from within, for mine owne will, and ſo his goodneſſe appeares, and his honour is the greater.
Secondly, The Lord tenders water of life freely to ſinners, that ſo he may take away all objections, all ſcruples and feares which uſually lie in the hearts of ſinners, when people have ſinn'd againſt God, are guilty, and unholy, they are affraid of God; Adam runs from God and hides himſele: they have hard thoughts of God, and thinke God will not be pacifyed towards them. Now the Lord to prevent this, and take away all ſuch objections, ſcruples, and feares, out of the mindes and hearts of men and women, doth freely tender water of life, freely hold out the Golden Scepter, freely offer pardon, peace, Grace and ſalvation.
Thirdly, The Lord doth this, that ſo he may indeare our hearts the more unto him: when a thing comes freely from others, how doth it worke, what hold doth it take of the heart, it knitts the heart much unto them. In the 2 Sam: 7. the Lord there comes to David and tells him what great matters he would doe for him, and for his houſe, and v: 18. Then went King David in and ſat before the Lord and ſaid, Who am I ô Lord God, and what is my Fathers houſe, that thou haſt brought me hitherto, and this was yet a ſmall thing in thy ſight ô Lord God; But thou haſt alſo ſpoken of thy ſervants houſe for a great while to come, and is this the manner of men ô Lord God. What will God deale thus by man, to come to him and offer him ſuch kindneſſe, and ſuch mercy, to deale ſo bountifully and freely with him, is this the manner of men, even this is the manner of God to deale with man, that ſo he may indeare their hearts unto him. And ſo Elizabeth ſaith, Whence is it that the Mother of my Lord ſhould come unto me? What Mary, the Mother of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to come unto mee, and give me a viſit that am a poore deſpiſed creature? When things are done freely, and unexpectedly, they doe indeare and ingage the heart abundantly.
Laſtly, The Lord doth freely hold out Grace and mercy to ſinners, to prevent pride & boaſting, were there any free-will, power, or qualification in man, which might move or draw God to beſtow and give theſe waters, man would be ready to attribute the thing to himſelfe, and to glory and boaſt: now that man may not glory nor boaſt, the Lord doth freely beſtow and give the water of life. 1 Cor: 1.27. God hath choſen the fooliſh things of the world to confound the wiſe, and hath choſen the weake things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; The baſe things of the world, and things which are deſpiſed hath he choſen, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things which are; That no fleſh ſhould Glory in his preſence. God would have none to Glory in his preſence, therefore he takes things that are moſt unlikely, fooliſh, and weake, contemptible, deſpiſed.
Application.
Firſt of all, Doth the Lord freely tender water of life unto us: Then this ſerves to reproove thoſe that doe refuſe to receive this water.
But you will ſay, are there any ſuch in the world, what will any refuſe water of life, can there be any ſuch living?
Yes beloved, too many, the world is full of them, alwayes was, and now is full of ſuch: And that I may not give you words onelyonly, take Scripture, looke into the 81 Pſal: 11. But my people would not hearken to my voyce, and Iſrael would none of me: Marke, My people, ſaith God, would not hearken to my voyce, I came and told them of water, and water of life, and ſet life and death before them, but my people would not hearken to my voyce, they would none of me the Fountaine of living water; Though God were the Fountaine of living waters they would none of him: Iſrael it ſelfe would none of him. And in the 65 of Iſa: 2. I have ſpread out my hands all the day unto a Rebellious people, which walketh in a way which is not good, after their owne thoughts: I have all the day ſpread out my hands to them, and held out water of life unto them, and they would none of me. So in the 1 of Pro: 24. I have called and ye refuſed, I have ſtretched out my hands, and no man regarded, but ſet at naught all my Counſells, and would none of my Reproofe: It was very frequent in thoſe dayes, they would none of the water of life: — And was it not ſo in Chriſts time, and in the Apoſtles times, 23 of Math: 37. ô Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, how often would I have gathered thee, as a hen doth her chickens, and ye would not: I would have had you to receive water of life, and to have liv'd, but ye would not: He came to his owne and they received him not. In the 23 of the Acts 46. It was neceſſary that the Goſpel ſhould firſt have been preached unto you, but ſeeing ye put it from you we turne to the Gentiles. So in all Ages, the greateſt ſort of people refuſe the water of life: — they chooſe ſtrange waters, 2 Kings 19.24. Heb: 13. They follow ſtrange Doctrines, ſtrange opinions, ſtrange Blaſphemies, puddle waters, poyſoned waters, but as for the waters of life they will have none of them.
Now ſee the evill of this in Refuſing the waters of life.
Firſt, This will appeare, The evill of refuſing the waters of life.if you Conſider what it is they doe refuſe; It is water of life: If it were ill, bitter, corrupt, poyſoned water, it were ſomething, but it's water of life, that begets life, maintaines life, increaſes life, brings unto life everlaſting: the more excellent any thing is that is refuſed, the greater the evill: To refuſe a bag of duſt, To refuſe a bottle of ſome muſty liquor were nothing, but to refuſe a wedge of Gold, a bottle of Spirits, this ſhews folly and weakneſs: Who that hath a right minde would refuſe Gold, when it's offered, water of life when it's offered? it's the moſt excellent thing, and yet men refuſe it.
Secondly, It is that which is freely offered, if it were put upon hard termes, if men were to buy it at deare rates, if they were to bring bags of money for it, there were ſome pretence for refuſing, for every one hath not bags of money, as Symon Magus had, but it's not to be ſould for money, it's freely given, and when ſuch a Commoditie of ſuch infinite worth is offered freely to you, and you will have none of it, your ſin is great; it was freely offered, and you would have none of it.
Thirdly, Conſider who it is offers it, it is offered by Chriſt, by the Miniſters of Chriſt it is offered unto you dayly; but here in the Text it's offered by Chriſt. Now ſhall Chriſt who is the Son of God, the Prince of life, the Heire of the world, who is worſhipped by Angells, who is the great Commander of Heaven and Earth; ſhall he come and offer you water of life, and will you have none of it? ſhall he that loves ſinners, and laid downe his life for them, and would waſh them in his blood, ſhall he come and tender the Goſpel, and Grace to you, and will you have none thereof? your ſin is great, exceeding great.
Fourthly, Conſider, it is the greateſt Ingratitude that ever was in men and women, that Chriſt ſhould bring water of life, and freely offer it unto you, and you have extreame need of it, and yet will have none of it: he doth it out of love, and aymes at your good, and the ſaving of your ſoules, and yet you will have none of this water, what Ingratitude is this? Chriſt may ſay, I brought water to your doore, and ſuch water as was water of life, it would have quickned you, maintain'd life in you, & brought you to Eternall life, and you would none of it; heare ô Heavens, and hearken ô Earth, was there ever ſuch Ingratitude!
Fifthly, Conſider, that this water of life is the onelyonly remedy can doe your ſoules good: It's the mercy of God in Chriſt, its Chriſts merits, the Spirit and the Graces thereof muſt doe ſinners good, if any thing in heaven and earth can doe them good; There is nothing in Heaven and Earth beſides free Grace and mercy, this water of Life, which can doe your ſoules good: If you will not drinke of this water, you muſt die: you muſt die and periſh for ever, as in Jonah; They imbrace lying vanities, and forſake their owne mercies; ſo all men and women in the world imbrace lying vanities, who forſake theſe waters, they will drinke the muddie waters of the world, the filthy waters of ſin, of the ditches of Rome, of the puddles of Egypt, and Babylon, but of theſe waters which would ſave their ſoules, they will not drinke: this is an evill againſt the Remedy.
Sixthly, Conſider that the refuſall of theſe waters provokes God and Chriſt greatly to wrath, you cannot provoke God more then by refuſing his kindneſſe; you greive you vex the Spirit, you reſiſt the Spirit, and ſo provoke God bitterly: Pſal: 81.11, 12. ſaith he, My people would not hearken to my voyce, and Iſrael would none of me; ſo I gave them up to their owne hearts luſts: I will ſcourge them no more, but give them over to the ſaddeſt Judgements in the world, they ſhall be left to their owne luſts, their own wills and humours: I will leave them now to drinke waters will poyſon them, waters will ripen them for hell. So in the 14 of Luke, thoſe that were Invited to the Supper, they made excuſes all and would not come, ſaith Chriſt, not one of them ſhall taſt of my Supper: The meaning is, they ſhall not onelyonly not taſt of the dainties I have prepared, but they ſhall taſt of the ſeveritie of my wrath: In ſtead of cups of vvine, they ſhall have cups of Brimſtone & fire: The vengeance written they ſhall have executed upon them. When God offered Canaan to the Jewes, and they reſuſed it, and would goe back to Egypt, God was ſo mooved, that he ſware in his wrath, If they ſhall enter into my Reſt, If they enter into my Reſt, let me be thruſt out of heaven; And the ſierceneſſe of Gods anger never came upon the Jewes till they had refuſed Chriſt, and theſe vvaters of life; But then the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermoſt, to perfection it came upon them.
Seventhly, Laſtly, Thoſe that refuſe the vvaters of life, The Lord Chriſt, and God, doth keepe account of all ſuch paſſages, and will bring them in againſt them, and urge them as aggravations of their miſery at laſt: The Lord keepes account: I have ſtretched out my hands all the day long, ſaith God; A whole day, the day of their lives I waited upon them, Fortie yeares long was I greived with this Generation: Revel: 3.20. Chriſt ſaith, Behold I ſtand at the doore and knock; Chriſt keeps account how long he ſtood there, how many knocks he hath made there; how many tenders of Grace have been preſented to you? how often you refuſed and turned them away? He will come at laſt and ſay, At ſuch a place I ſtood and knockt twenty or thirtie yeares, And in ſuch a place I tendered Grace to them a thouſand times, and my Spirit preſented good motions to them ten thouſand times, and yet they refuſed: All theſe vvill be brought in at laſt, and then vvhen you ſhall ſee this black bill, this will ſinke you into the bottome of hell. Grace offered, peace offered, heaven offered, Chriſt and his righteouſneſſe offered to be your portion, and you would none of all theſe: and what did you chooſe, chaffe, earth, puddle water, your miſery will be exceeding great?