The Works of William Bridge Volume 2, Title page – To the reader
THE WORKS OF WILLIAM BRIDGE, Sometime Fellow of Emmanuel Colledge in CAMBRIDGE: NOW Preacher of the Word of God at Yarmouth.
The ſecond Volumn.
VIZ.
I. Grace for Grace; or, The overflowings of Chriſts fulneſs received by all Saints.
II. The Spiritual actings of Faith through Natural Impoſsibilities.
III. Evangelical Repentance.
London, Printed by Peter Cole, at the ſign of the Printing-Preſs in Cornhil, near the Royal Exchange. 1649.
To the Reader.
THat we may at leaſt ſtay the longings of many thirſty Souls with a ſweet Relliſh of a promiſing Vintage of new Wine this year, we have ſlipt off this Second ripe Cluſter of Grapes from its fellows, which if it be ſqueezed in the hand of Faith, will prove it ſelf to be ſo rich, fragrant and ſparkling with the the Blood, Juyce and Spirit of the Goſpel, that it needs not the Purple of our Epiſtle Recommendatory to welcom it to any, that are in truth the living Branches of the true Vine; Yet to the end we may happily invite ſome that are without to come in, that they alſo may both ſee and taſte how good the Lord is to the Children of the Bride chamber.
READER, Stand a while at the Well head, with the poor woman of Samaria, admiring the infinite dimenſions of thoſe waters of Life that are fountain'd up in Jeſus Chriſt, of whoſe fulneſs we All receive even gracef or grace.
The Saints may be brim full of the holy Spirit, as Stephen was, but its according to meaſure, a Veſſel-fulneſs; but Chriſt above or without meaſure, a Spring-fulneſs, which is not onelyonly repletive, but diffuſive, unſearchable, unmeaſurable.
The great Ocean is too little to ſhadow out the over flowings of this fulneſs; for take away a drop or two from thence, it preſently ſuffers a diminution: But though this Fountain of Salvation ſhould ſhed abroad his love upon all the world of the Elect (as the waters cover the Sea) yet it is ever full running over: There is not the leſs light or heat in this Sun of Righteouſneſs, though he daily ariſeth with healing in his wings unto them that fear his Name from Eaſt to Weſt; He is reſterday, to day, and for ever the ſame. This is no Hyperbolie, Nec Chriſtus nec Coelum patitur Hyperbolum. Sic Lutheras.but the language of Canaan.
Oh that this unſpeakable Fulneſs of Heaven and Earth, or Saints and Angels, that fills All in All, did now conſtrain thee to caſt thy empty Pitcher into theſe Depths of his Grace, ſo ſhouldſt thou with this beloved Evangeliſt, and the reſt that are included in this, WE ALL receive even grace for grace. To act Faith is the principal uſe which directly flows out from every Doctrine about Jeſus Chriſt.
We ſhall Appeal unto thee (whoſe eye is fixed on this full Book of Grace) Is not fulneſs in other things a Conquering golden Argument? Did not Joſephs treaſure of Corn prevail with good old Jacob and his Sons to go down into Egypt? And ſhall not this one Goſpel Joſeph (who alone is the Bread of Life that once came down from Heaven to feed hungry ſouls) engage thee (almoſt famiſhed) to come unto him for this Staff of Life, that thou mayeſt live? Were they not the Floods of milk and honey that did run down the Promiſed Land, that did ſet the Iſraelites teeth on edge to be there? And ſhall not the overflowings of Chriſts heart in heaven towards ſinners on earth, make thee to hunger and thirſt after his Righteouſneſs, who is the Lord our Righteouſneſs? Was it not the Abundance of Solomons natural wiſdom (which was as a conſtellation of Stars in his Crown) that invited the Queen of Sheba to travel from the utmoſt parts of Arabia to kneel before his Throne? And is there not a greater then Solomon here? who is the brightneſs of his Fathers glory, and the expreſs Image of his perſon, full of grace and truth? Oh where, where then are the Spiritual actings of thy Soul upon him! Abrahams Faith was a very lively, vigorous, and a more then conquering Faith; when the Sentence of Death was apparant on the head of the Mercy, and the womb leading to it, and is thy faith like a tree twice dead, plucked up by the roots? God forbid. Oh remember the fulneſs of the Infiniteneſs of all Perfections that are originally in the Lord! being able to fill up all the empty chinks, void places, the unſatisfied gaſpings and yawnings of the vaſt Spirit of-man. We ſhall ſeal up all with the Evangelical words of that voyce of Chriſt eccho'd in a wilderneſs, as the great Motive of all Motives, The Kingdom of Heaven, of Grace, of Chriſt, and all his Benefits, is at hand, hath approached. Therefore Believe, Repent: Bleſſed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh ſhall finde ſo doing.
Thine, in and for Jeſus Chriſt, and his fulneſs, that thou mayeſt receive even grace for grace,
William Greenhil,
William Adderley,
Iohn Yates.