The Water of Life

"And he Jhowed me a sure river of water of life, t/ear »* as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and "of the Lamb"—Rev. xxii. I.

THESE words arc part of that description that ia ver. 9, one of the seven angels, which had the teven vials full of the seven last plagues, gave unto John of the New Jerusalem, or of the state of that gospel church that shall be in the latter days.— *» Wherefore he saith and showed me ; HE" the angel showed me;

In the text we have these things to consider of: I. The matter, the subject matter of the text, and what is, the water of life. "He showed me the water of Jife."

H.. We have also here the quantity of this water fliowed to him, and that is, under the notion of a river he showed me a river of the water of life.

III. He shows him also the head, or well-spring from whence this river of water of life proceeds, and that is, "the throne of God," and of the Lamb. "He showed me a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb."

IV. We have also here the nature and quality of this water, 'tis pure, 'tis clear as crystal. *' And he Ihowed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." -

We will begin with the first of these, to wit, with the matter, the subject matter of the text, which »,

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the water of life. These words (water of life) are metaphorical, or words by which a thing- moft excellent is presented to, and amplified before our faces: and that thing is the spirit of grace, the spirit and grace of God. And the words, water of life, are tvords most apt so present it to us by j for what is more free than water, and what more beneficial, and mor desirable than life? Therefore I say if is cotn, pared to, or called, the water of life. He showed me the water of life.

This it is the spirit of grace, or the spirit and grace of God that is here intended. Consider,

First, the spirit of Grace ;s in the other places compared to wa|er: and,

Secondly, it is also 'called the spirit of life. Just as here it is presented'* unto us, he showed me the water of life.

i. The spirit of grace is compared to water.— »' Whosoever," saith the Lamb, " drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water spring up into everlasting life," Job iv. 14. What can here by water be intended, but the spirit of grace that this poor harlot, the woman of Samaria, wanted, although she was ignorant of her want* as also of the excellency thereof? Which water also is here said to be such as will spring up in them that, have it, as a well into everlasting life.

Again, in the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, " If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink," John yii. 37, 38, 39. But of what? why, of his rivers of living waters. But what are they ? why, he answers, "This he spake of the spirit, which they that believe in him should receive." .-'Yea,

filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water,t" Jo/m xv. 16 : so then that grace and the spirit of gr^ce,is. compared to water, itis to show what an antidote grace is against sin j it jyas I may call it, counterpoison to it. It is the only thing by the virtue of which fin can be forgiven, vanquished, and overcome.

Secondly, by this term Water, you have an op-, position also to the curse that is due to sin presented unto you. The curse is compared 'to water, the remedy is compared to water. "Let the curse come into the bowels of the damned," Psal. cix. 18, saith the psalmist, like water. The grace of God also, as - you fee, is compared to water. The curie is burning, water is cooling; the curse doth burn with hell-fire, cooling is by the grace of the holy gospel ; but they, that overstand the day of grace, shall not obtain to cool their tongues so much of this water as will hang on the tip of one's singer.

Thirdly, water is also of a spreading nature, and so is sin; wherefore sin may for this also be compared to water, Luke xvi. 24, 25. It overspreads the whole man, and infects every member; it covereth all as . doth water. Grace for this cause may also be compared to water, for that is of a spreading nature, and can, if God will, cover the sace of the whole earth j of body and foul.

Fourthly, sin is of a fouling, defiling nature, and grace is of a washing, cleansing nature; therefore grace, and the spirit of grace is compared to water. "I will," saith God, " sprinkle clean water upon you (mjfcspirir, ver. 27) and ye shall be clean, and from all your filth i nefs, and from all your idols will I cleanse you," Ezek. xxxvi. 25.

Fifthly, water j the element of water naturally descends to and abide* in low places, in valleys and

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places which are undermost : anc! the grace of God, and the spirit of grace, is of that nature also ; the hills and lofty mountains hare not the rivers running over the tops of them: no, though they may run "among them," Prov. iii. 34. James iv. 6 : but they run among the vallies: "and God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble, to the lowly," 1 Pet. v. 5.

Sixthly, the grace of God is compared to water, for that it is which causeth fruiffulnefs ; water causeth fruitfulness, want of water is the cause of barrenness, and this is the reason why the whole world is so empty of fruit to Godward, even because so few of the children of men have the spirit of grace in their hearts. But,

Secondly, as there is a special signification in this term (water), so there Js also in this term (life) water of life. "He showed me the water of life." In that therefore there w added to this word (water) that of (life), it is, in the general, to show what excellent virtue and operation there is in this water. It is aqua -vita:, water of life, or water that hath a health and life in it. And this term shows us,

First, "that the world of graceless men are dead:" dead in trespasfes and fins, John v. 21, 25. Epk. ii. 1. Col. ii. 13. Dead, that is, without life and motion Godward, in the way of the testament of his Son.

Secondly, it also shows us, "that there is not any thing in the world, or in the doctrine of the world, the law that can make them live." Life « an*y in this water, Death is in aH other things. The law, I say, which is that that would if any thing in the whole world, give life unto the world, but that yet killeth, condemneth, and was added that the offence might abound : wherefore there is no "te eitner in the world, or in the doctrine of the-r/orld . tw \ .

only in this water, in this grace of God, which is her>e called the water of life, or God's aqua vita.

Thirdly, it is also called the water of life, to show, "that by the grace of God men may live," how dead soever their fins have made them. When God will say to a sinner, " live," though he be dead in his sins, "he shall live." "When thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee, live ; yea, when thou wast in thy blood, I said, live/' Ezek. xvi. 8, 9. And again, "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they* that hear shall live," Jokn v. 25.

That is, when he speaks words of grace, and mixeth those words with the spirit and grace of the gospels then men shall live j for such words, so attended, and such words only, are spirit and life. "The words that I speak unto you," saith Christ* " they are spirit, aud they are life," John vi. 63*

Fourthly, in that this grace as God is here presented unto us under the terms of water of life, it is to ihow that some arc sick of that disease that nothing can cure but that. There are many diseases in the world, arid there are also remedies for those diseases 5 but there is a disease that nothing will, can, or shall cure, " but a dram of this bottle," a draught of this aqua vil#, this water of life. This is intimated by the invitation; "let'him take the water of life freely," JSdark ii. 17. And again, " I will give to him that is at hirst of the fountain -of the water of life, freely." This b spoken to the sick, to thSm that are sick of the disease that only Christ, as a physician, with his water of life, can cure.

But few are sick of this disease, but few know what it is to be made sick of this disease. There is nothing can make sick of this disease, but the law and sin, and nothing can cure but the grace of God by the gospel, called here the water of life. V?«

We come now to discourse of the second thing with which we are presented by the text ; and that is, "the quantity that there is of this water 6f life." It is a nver—** He showed me a river of water of life."-— Waters^hat are cordial, and that have in them a saculty to give life to them that want it, and to maintain life where it is, are rare and scarce, and to be found only in close places, and little quantities j but kere you fee there is abundance, a great deal, a river, a river of water of life. In my handling of this point, I will show you, . First. "What a river of water of life this is."

Secondly, " And then draw some inferences therefrom.";

i. What a river this is ; this river of water of life.

i. It is a deep river. It is a river that is not shahlow, but deep, with an "O the depth! I will make their waters deep," saith God. And again, "They have drunk of the deep waters," Ezek. xxxii. 14. and xxxiv. 18. A river of water of life is much; but a a deep river is more. Why, foul-sicks sinner, sin-sick &nner, thou that art sick of that disease that nothing can cure but a portion of this .river of the water of life : Here is a river for thee, a deep river for thee. Those that at first are coming to God by Christ for life are of nothing so inquisitive, as of whether there Is grace enough in him to save them. But for their cemfort, here is abundance, abundance of grace : a river, a deep river of the water of life for them to drink of.

2. "As the river is deep, so it is wide and broad," Æphes. iii. 18. Job\\. 9. Wherefore as thou art to k"^w the depth, that is, " that it is deep so thou 1 . u to know its breadth, that is, " that it is broad," > < tk. xlvii. 5. It is broader than the fea, " a river that cannot be pasted over." Never did man yet go from one side of this river to the other, when the waters indeed were risen; "and now they are risen," even now they proceed out of the throne of God and •f the Lamb too. Hence this grace is called the "unsearchable riches of Christ," Eph. iii. 8.' Sinner, sick sinner, what sayest thou to this? wouldeft thou wade, wouldest thou swim ? here thou mayest swim, 'tis deep, yet fordable at first entrance. And when thou thinkest thou hast gone through and through it, yet turn again and try once more, thou shalt sind it deeper than hell, and a river that cannot be passed over. If thou canst swim here thou mayest roll up and down, as the fishes do in the sea. Nor needest thou fear drowning in this river? it will bear thee up, and carry thee over the highest hills, as Noah's waters did carry the ark. But,

3. As this river of water of life is deep and large, so 'tis a river that is full of waters. A river may be deep and not full. A river may be broad and not deep. Ay, but here is a river deep, and broad, and full too. Thou waterest it ; thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water, Psal. lxvi. 9. Full of grace and truth. Fill the waterpots, saith Christ, up to the brim. The waters of a full cup the wicked shall have, and a river full of the water of life, is provided for those who indeed has a desire thereto.

4. As this river is deep, broad, and full, so it still aboundeth with water, Ezek. xlvii.5. Psal. cxlvii. 18. The waters, says the prophet, were risen. Hence the Holy Ghost saith, God causeth the waters to flow: and again, it shall come to pass in that day (the day of the gospel) that the mountains shall drop with new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the that this river is said to " go down to the desert and to the sea;" Ezek. xlvii. 8. where all kinds of fishes are. By sea is meant the world, and by fish the people, and t,hither shall run this river of water of life. But,

Secondly, though a river, in the streams of k, is common, yet a river, as it pastes through a country or province, will choose its own way. It will also fetch its compasses and circuits; it will go about and reach hither and thither ; and according to its courses, it will miss by its turnings, what places and people it lists ; yet it is common, for that it lies open ; yet it is common for all the beasts of the field. There is therefore a difference to he put .betwixt the common* ness of a thing and its presence. A thing may be common, yes tar enough off of thee. Epsom, Tunbridge waters, and the Bath, may be common, but yet a gre»' "&y off of some that have need thereof. The same^iiay be said of this river, it. is common in the stream*, but it runs its own circuit, and keeps its own water courses. *f He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which r,un among the hills,'' Psal. civ. to. Indeed, he openeth his river in high places, in his throne and of the Lamb, but still they ru? in the midst of the vallies to water the humble and the lowly. Wherefore they that thirst, and would drink, are bid to come down to the waters; V Ho, every one that jthirsteth, come ye to the waters ; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy," &c. And again, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink," John vii. 37. Th^e waters are common, but you must come to them where they are, or you will be nothing thebetter for them. Come ye to the waters.

Thirdly^this water of life is called a river^o intimate to you, by what stare of the same it is supplied. #11 rivers have the fca for their original; "AU the eth continually frefh supplies, frefh and new supplies, of grace to those that have business in these waters. And this is the reason that when sin is pardoned, it seems as if it "were carried away." Those waters have with their continual streams, carried away the filth of the sinner from before his sace. It is not so >with ponds, pools, and cisterns,; they will often be foul and stink, if they be not often emptied, and filled again with frefh water. We mast then put a difference between the grace that dwelleth in us, and this xiver of water of life. We are but as ponds, pools, and cisterns that can hold but little, and shall also soon stink, notwithstanding the grace of God is in us if we be not often emptied from vessel to vessel, Jer. Ixviii. Ii. and filled with frefh grace from this river. But the river is always sweet, nor can all the filth that is washed out cf the world make it stink, cr infect it: its water runs with a contiaual gliding stream, and so carries away all annoyance, as was said, into the depth of the sea.

5. The grace of God is called a rjyer, to show, *< that it is only suited to those who are capable of jiving therein." Water, though it is that which every creature desireth, yet it is not an element in which every creature can live. Who is it that would not have the benefit of grace, of a throne of grace-? even none but those whose temper and constitution is suited to grace. Hence, as the grace of God is compared to a river, so those that live by grace are compared to Fish ; for that as water is the element in which the fish liveth, so grace is that which is the life of the saint_: "And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither; for they shall be healed, and every thing sliall live whither the river cometb," Ezsk. xlvii. 9. Art thou a fish, man, art thou a fish ? canst thou live in the wafrer? canst thou live always, and no where else but in the water ? Is grace thy proper element? the fish dieth if the be taken out of the water, unless she be timely put in again ; the saint dieth if he be not in this river. Take him from this river, and nothing can make him live; let him have water, water of life enough, and nothing can make him die.

I know that there are some things besides fish, thai: can make a shift to live in the water ; but the water is not their proper, their only proper element. The f rog can live in the water, but not- in the water only. Give some men grace and the world, grace and fin; admii them to make use of their lusts for pleasure, and of grace to remove tneir guilt, and they will make a pretty good shift, as we say ; >jjfiey will finely scrabble on in a profession; bur hold them to grace only,^confine their life to grace, put them into the river, and Jet them have nothing but river, and they die ; -th>z word and way, and nature of grace, is to them as light bread, and their soul can do nothing but loath it, for they are not suited and tempered for that element. They are fish, not frogs, that can live in^e river, as in their only proper element : Wherefore the grace of God, and spirit of grace is compared to- a rftxr, to show, that none but those can live thereby, whose souls andispirhs are suited and fitted thereto.

6. The grace, and spirit of grace of God is called •r compared to a river, to answer those unsatrable defires, and to waih away those mountainous doubts, which attend those that indeed do thirst for that drink. The man that thirtieth with spiritual thirst, fears nothing more^than that there is not enough to quench his thirst:: All the-promises and sayings of Gotl 5 ministers to such a man, seem but w tbunbl^mstead of bowls, P/a/, xlii. z. Ixiii. r. exliii. 6. I mean so long as his thirst and doubts walk hand and band together. There is not enough in this promise; I sind not enough in that promise to quench the drought of my thirsting soul. He that thirsteth aright, nothing but God can quench his thirst, "My foul thirsteth for God, for the living God." Well, what mail be done for this man ? Will his God humour him, and answer his desires? Mark what follows: "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none," (and they can sind none, when all the promises seem to be dry, and like clouds that return after the rain) "and their tongue sails for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." Ay, but, Lord, what wilt thou do to quench their thirst i "I will open rivers," saith he, " in high places, and foun» tains in the midst the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." Behold ! here are rivers and fountains, a pool, and springs, and all to quench the thirst of them that thirst for God.

Wherefore, as 1 said, such provision for the thirsty, intimates their fears of want, and the craving appetite of their fouls after God. Right spiritual thirst is not to be satisfied without abundance of grace* "And they shall be abundantly satisfied with the satness ot thy house, and thou (halt make them drink of the river os thy pleasure !" Psal. xxxvi. 8.

-j. The grace of God is compared to a river, " to show the greatness of the samily of God." 'He has a samily ₅^a great family, and therefore it is not a little that must be provided for them. When Israel went out cf Egyp'V and thirsted by the way, God provided for them a river, he made it gufli out of the rock; for, al» i what than a river, P/al, Ixxviii. 20.

could could quench the thirst of more than six hundred thousand men, besides women and children t

I say, what less than a river could do it? When the people lusted for flefh, Moses said, "Shall the flocks and herds be flain for them to suffice them, or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them ?" Even so could not less than a river sustain and-suffice that great people. Now his' people 10 gospel-days are not to be diminished, but increased ; and if then they had need of a river, surely now of a sea j but the river is deep and broad, full, and abounds, or rises with water, so it will suffice.

8. The grace of God is compared to a river, perhaps to show of what a low esteem it is with the rich and the full. The destitute indeed embrace the rock instead of a shelter, and the poor and needy, they seek water j but they can drink wine in bowls, that can solace themselves with, as they think, better things, they come not to this river to drink they never say, they shall die if they drink not of this water. 'Tis therefore for the poor and needy, God will lead them to his living fountains of waters, and will wipe away all tears from their eyes, Rev. vii. 7. And thus I pass the second, and come to the third particular, and that . is, to show the head and spring from whence this river proceeds, or springs.

Rivers have their heads from whence they rife, out of which they spring, and so accordingly we read this river has; wherefore he saith, " He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding-out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb."

1. God is here to be taken for the whole-Godhead, Father, Son, and Spirit, for that grace proceeds from them all; the'grace of the Father^the grace of the Son, aad grace of the Spirit, '» here ^1RCg^ Hence, as the JFather is called " the God of Grace,** i Pet.v. To. John '1.14.16. Heb.s... to. so the Son is said to be full of |race, grace to be communicated ; ana the Holy Gb&st is called "the Spirit of Grace." So then by this we perceive whence grace cOmes. Were all the world gracious, if God were not gracious, what was man the better? if the Father or the Son, or the Holy Ghost are gracious, if they were not all gracious, what would it- profit ? But now God is gracious, the three persons in the Godhead are gracious, and so long they that feck grace are provided for; for that there proceeds from them a river, or grace like a flowing stream, indeed the original of grace to sinners is the good-will of God! none can imagine how loving God is to sinful man. A little of it is seen, but they that fee most, fee But a little.

But there is added, "and of the Lamb." The Lamb is, Jesus as sacrificed, Jtfus as man, and fufferiag. Henec you haye the Lamb, at the first vision of the Throne, let forth unto us, that is, " as stain j and 1 beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been stain," Rev. v. 6. „ Wherefore by this word Lamb, we are to understand who, er by what means grace doth now run from the throne of God, like a river to the world. It is because of, or through the Lamb. *' We are justified freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom God hath, set forth to be a propitiation, through saith in his blood. And again, we haye redemption through his 1 lood,even the forgiveness of sins, according to the richnes s oi God's grace," Rom. iii. 24. Efh. i. 7.

Nor doth the Lamb of God, by b coming a means, through death, of the conveyance grace to us, at all

darken the nature or glory of grace, bus rather doth set it off the more. For wherein can grace or love more appear, than in his laying down his life for t>s? 1 speak now of the grace of the Son.- And wherein could the nature and glory of grace of the Father more appear than in giving his Son to death for us, that grace might, in a way ef justice as well as mercy, be bestowed upon the world ? wherefore, as he saith here, that the river of water of life proeeedeth from God, so he adds, that the Lamb, because he would have us, while we ave entangled and overcome with this river of God's pleasure, not to forget what it cost the Lamb of God, that this grace might come to us.

For the riches of grace and of wisdom is, that grace comes to us not only by a way of mercy and compassion, but in the way of justice and equity: but that could be by no other means, but by redeeming blood. Which redeeming blood came not from us₅ nor yet through our contrivance or advice; wherefore, whatever it is to the Lamb, still all is of grace to us. Yea, the higher, the greater, the richer is grace, by how much the more it cost the Father and the Lamb,, that we might enjoy it. When a man shall not only design me a purse of gold, but shall venture his life to bring it me, this is grace indeed. But alas 1 what are a thousand such short comparisons to the unsearchable love of Christ.

The Lamb then is he from whom, by, or through whom the grace of God doth come to us. It proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb. And it proceeds from him now as a donator; from him nou only as a means of conveyance, but as one that has power to give grace; power, as he is the Son of Man. For the Son of Man, he is the Lamb ; and as he is the Lamb, it cometh from him- "^{The Son of}

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had power on earth to forgive sin," Mat. ix. 6. i CV.»v f. 3. 2 Cor. i. 2. 2 G.z/. i. 3. and that before he had actually paid to God the price of our redemption.— But how much more now ? Wherefore Paul, in his prayer for grace and peace for saints, supplicates both God and the Lamb. "Grace to you from God the father, and from our Ltrd Jesus Christ," Eph. i. 2.

*i Proceeding out of the throne." Formerly this river of waters is said to come from under the threfhold' of the house of the Lord, Ezek. xlvii, 1. And it is said again, they (hall go out from Jerusalem, that is the church or house ©f God still, Zech. xiv. 8. In that they are said to come from under the threfhold-, it may be to intimate that they ran but stow formerly, if compared'to what they do now.- Which might' also be signified by this, ** that they issued out;" that that issues oot ordinarily comes forth but flowly.; Also the prophet saith, the first time he went through the waters, they were but up to the ancles, Ezek-. xlvii. 3-, 4. But what is ancle-deep to that which followed! f.fter? It is said also' to come out from Jerusalem, where, I perceive,, were no great rivers, to intimate, that as long as the first priesthood, first temple, arici type, were in their splendor,- only the shadow of heavenly things were in use, and that then grace rail but flowly, nor would run much saster, because Jesus was not, yet glorified. For the spirit and abundance of grace was to be given not before, but alter his ascension, /

Wherefore, now Jesus is ascends d, now he is glorified; now grace proceeds "from the throne, nc« from the threstiold of the house. He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from or out of the throne of Cod, and of the Lamb," Exodr xxv. 171

Th

//&rc»e.] That of which the mercy-seat m$ a .type; that which is called the throne of grace, Hek. iv. 16. And it is called the throne of grace even therefore, because it is that from, or out of which proceeds this river of water of life, this overflowing grace of God. .Now.it may be asked, What is the throne of grace? Isa. xxii. 22, £3. .and I shall answer, It is th« humanity of Christ. He is the throne, he is the Jacob in which God sitteth. And he shall be for a glorious throne to his Father's house, Rev. iii. 7. The tulness of .the Godhead dwells in him bodily; and God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, nor ca.n grace gome to men but by Christ, nor can God rest as to our sal vat ion but in him. But because I have spoken of this thing more particularly upon that text, " Let us therefore come boldly to the throne ©f grace," &c. 1 shall therefore here say no more.

Only, methinks, it is a glorious title that the Holy Ghost has given to the humanity of Christ, in that he calls it the throne of God ; and methinks he gives it the highest preference, in that he saith, out thence proceeds a pure river of water of life: we will a little, therefore, speak something to this word, the Throne, the Throne of God.;

1. A Throne is the feat of majesty.and greatness; it is not for things of an inferior quality to ascend or assume a throne. Now, then, since this river of water of life proceeds from she throne, it intimates, that in grace aud mercy there is great majesty; for grace, as it proceeds, has a voice from the throne. And indeed there is nothing in heaven or earth that can so Awe the heart, as the grace of Godj Hosea iii. 5. It is that which makes a man sear, it is that which makes a man tremble, it is that which makes a man bow and bend, and break to pieces, Jer.. xxxhi. 9- ^Nothl"g

majesty, and commanding greatness in, and upon the hearts of the sons of men, as has the grace of God.

So that, I say, when he saith, that the river of grace proceeds out of the .throne of God, it is to mow us what a majesty, what a commanding greatness, there is ija grace. The love of Christ constraineth us.

When Moses went up to the mount the first time to receive the law, he did exceedingly fear and quake. Why? because of the fire and smoke, thick darknefs and thunder, &c. iBut when he went up the second time thither, " he made haste and bowed his head towards the earth, and worshipped." But why? because «it was before proclaimed, that " the Lord was gracious apd merciful, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth \ keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin," &c

There is nothing overmastereth the heart like grace, and so obligeth so .sincere and unfeigned obedience as that. "Examine me, O Lord," said David, "prove me, and try my reins and my heart, for thy loving kindness is before my eyes, and I have walked in thy truth," Psalm xxvi. 2* 3. Therefore he saith again, "O Lord, our God, how excellent is thy loving kindness in all the earth! and that loving kindness is marvellous ;" for it has that majesty, and that excellent glory in it, as to command the heart, and subdue sin, -And therefore grace has given to it the title of sovereignty, or of one that' reigns. The throne is called "the throne of grace," -Heb, iv. 16. that on which it sits and reigns, as well as that from whence it proceeds. "Grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. v. 21.

2dly. As a throne is a feat of majesty and greatness, and so can awe, so it is the feat of authority and legislative.power, and so will awe j this is confirmed from

what ivhat was said but now, grace reigns. Wherefore it is expected, that they that hear the word of God's grace should submit thereto, and that at their peril. "He that believes not (hall be damned," is a word of power, of law, and of authority ; and the contemner shall sind it so. Grace proceeds from the ihrone, from the throne of God, and of the Lamb. Wherefore, sinner, here is laid a necessity upon thee, one of the two must be thy lot, either thou must accept of God's Grace, and be content to be saved freely thereby, notwithstanding all thy undeservings, and unworthiness, or else thou must be damned for thy rebellion, and for thy rejecting of this grace. Wherefore consider with thyself, and think what is best to be done. It is better that thou submit to the grace and mercy of God, and that thou accept of grace to reign for thee, in thee, and over thee, that thou shouldeft run the hazard of eternal damnation, because thou wouldest not be saved by grace? Consider this I say, for "grace is now in authority, it reigns and proceeds'from the Throne." Now, you know, it is dangerous opposing, rejecting, despising, or disowning of them in authority ; bette.r speak against twenty, than against one that is in authority. If the wrath of a king " is as messengers of death," Prov. xvi. 14. chap. xix. 12. if the wrath of the king "is as the roaring of a lion," what is the wrath of God? and you know, to despise grace, to refuse pardon, to be unwilling to be saved from guilt and punishment due to treasons, the king's way, since that also is the best way, how will that provoke? how hot will that make wrath? but to accept of grace, especially when it is free grace, grace that reigns, grace from the throne_; how sweet is it ?" His savour is as dew uponjhe

grafs.".

This,

This, therefore, falls for thy most grave and fe? date thoughts. Thou art in a strait, wilt thou fly before Moses, or with David sall into the hands of the Lord ? wilt thou go to hell for fin, or to life by grace ? One of the two, as was said before, must be thy lot; for grace is king, is upon the throne, and will admit of no other way to glory. In and by it,thou must stand, if thou hast any hope, or canst at all rejoice in hope of the glory of God, Qcm. v. 2. '* ''

Thirdly, as the throne is the feat of majesty and authority, so it is the highest feat of authority.—. There is none above the throne, there is no appeal from the throne. There are inferior courts of judicature, there are under governors, and they may sometimes perhaps be saulty, wherefore in some cafes an appeal from such may be lawful or permit- ted i but from the throne none can appeal. Now grace is upon the throne, reigns upon the throne, proceeds frorr^ the throne.'-' A man may appeal from the law to the throne, from Moses to Christ, from him that spake on earth to him that speaks from heaven'; but from heaven to earth, from Christ to Moses, hone can appeal. Moses himself has forbid it.' ^or "Moses truly said unto the Fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, of your brethren like unto me, him shall ye hear in au things whatsoever he shall say unto you : and it mail cdrne to pass, that every foul which will not hear that prophet, mail be destroyed from among the people," AQs iii. 22, 23.

See here, this N6w prophet judges^ ,in the highest r^urt he is master of grace, the throne by which grace reigns ; and even Moses admits that from himself an appeal may be made to this prophet;

yea, Vea, he allows that man may flee from himself to this prophet for refuge; but there must be no appeal . from him; Thou must hear him or die. ^_v "Hpw shall we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven ?" Heb. xii. 25.

This, therefore, is to be duly weighed and deeply considered by us.- It is not a saint; nor a minister* rior a prophet, nor an angel that speaks, for all 'l_, thefe are but servants, but inferiors j no..itisa ** voice from the throne," from authority ; it is the Lord from heaven. This grace proceeds from the throne, and therefore men must stand and sall by what snail come from hence. He that comes not hither to drink /hall die thirsty- He that refuses this water now* shall not have so much as will hang upon the tip of his singer (if it would save his foul) hereafter. *' How shall we escape, if we neglect sa great salvation," Heb. ii. 3;

Apostates will therefore from hence sind griping pangs and burning coals, for they hauve turned themselves away from this throne, and from the grace that proceeds therefrom j nor is it so any purpose whatever they plead lor themselves. They, arc sallen from grace, and what can help tSeaa: Christ is become of none effect {Gal. v. 4.) unta such, whosoever it is that seeks 10. be j ustified. by. the law, " they are sallen from grace."

Fourthly, the throne is the feat of glory, "whe/i_v the son of man Hull come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him ; then he shall sit upon the 'throne of h^!- glory/' And. if the throne of judgment is-the feat of glory, much more the throne of grace. We will venture then to say, that the throne cf grace is the throne of God's glory, as the throne of judgment will be the throne 01 Christ's glory, ana

that grace proceedeth from his throne, that both it and he might have glory, glory in a way of mercy.

1. That it might have glory; therefore has he desined, that grace shall be effectual in, and to the salvation of some ; even to the " praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has .made us accepted in his beloved," Eph. 5, 6.

He hi1s designed, not the glory of man's works, but the glory of his own grace; and therefore has put man's works, as to justification before God, under his feet, and counts them as filthy rags ; but has set his grace up above, has made it a king, given it authority to reign, has provided for it a throne,' and called that throne the throne of grace, from whence it also proceeds to its own praise and glory, in and by the effectual salvation of those that receive it, and receive it not in vain.

2. As grace is exalted, and made to proceed out «f the throne to its own praises, to its own glory, so is it also thus exalted and made flow to us like a river, that we should be the praise of the glory of him that hath exalted it. We that receive it, and submit unto the throne whence it proceeds, have thereby "obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the piirpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory," Ephej. i. 11.12. So that this throne is a throne of glory. "A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place ©four sanctuary;" now what follows from this, but that they that accept of this grace, give glory to God, to his grace, and to the word of his grace; such, I say, glorify God for his mercy, Rom. xv. 9. They glorify God by their professed subjection to the gospel of Christ, 2 Cor, ix. 1,3, which is the gofpel, Or good tidings of the grace of God, Aftsxx- 24. They with Abraham believe and give glory to God; Rom. iv. 20, and with the gentiles they glorify tat ^ Word of the Lord, ABt xiH. 48.

But to flight grace, to do despite to the spirit of. grace, to prefer our own works to the derogating. from grace; what is it but to contemn God > ta contemn him when he is on the throne of his glory j I lay it is to spit in his sace, even when he commands thee to bow before him, to subject: unto him, and to glorify the grace of his glory, that proceeds from the throne of his glory. If men in old time were damned because they'glorified him not asGod, /hall they not be more than damned, if more than <fam nets can be, who glorify him not for his grace? and to be sure, none glorify him for his grace but those that close in therewith, and submit themselves thereto. Talkers of grace are but mockers of God, flatterers of God. Those that only talk highly of grace, and submit not themselves unto it, are but those that praise a look or flatter him in his own -conceits. "Grace God has exalted, has'set upon the throipe, and so made it a Wng, and given it authority to reign and thou goeft by and nearest thereof, but will not submit thyself thereto, neither thy soul not thy life: Why, what is this more than to fiattec tSod with thy lips; and then to lie unto him with thy tongue? what is it but to count him less wife *han thyself, while he seeks glory by that, by which thou wilt not glorify him 5 while he displays b'.s grace before thee in the world from the throne, and as thou goest by, with a nod thou callefl it a fine thing, but followest that which leadeth therefrom . tremble, tremble, ye sinners, that have despised tne riches Of' his goodness: The day » coming when ye shall behold, and wonder, and perish, if grace prevaileth not with you to be content to be laved by it to the praise of its glory, Afts xiii. 38, 39,40, 41, and to the glory of him who hath' let it upon the throne, Dan. vii. 9.

Fifthly, the throne is the feat of wisdom. Hence he is called the Ancient of Days, that fits on this throne, the throne of God. Insinite in wisdom, whose garments were white as snow, and the hair of his head is like the pure wool, his wisdom is set forth unto us. Wherefore when we read that out of the throne proceeds a river of grace, when we read this proceedeth out of the throne of God, it is as much as to say, the wife God, who most perfectly knoweth all ways, counteth in his wisdom, that to save men by grace is the best, most safe, and sure way, Rom. iv. 16. Therefore it is of saith that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be lure to all the seed. And again forgivenesses according to the riches of his grace, wherein he has abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence, Ephes. i. 7, 8. Wherefore to set grace upon the throne, to let grace proceed out of the throne as a liver^ is by the wife God, counted the best way, the safest way, the way that doth best suit the condition of a sinful man, and that tends most to the utter disappointment of the devil, and death, and hell. Grace can continue to pardon, savour, and save from fells, in salls, out of salls. Grace can comfort, relieve, and help those that have hurt tkemselves. And grace can bring the unworthy to glory. This the-law cannot do.'this man cannot do. This angels cannot do, this God cannot do, but only by the riches of his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Wherefore feeing God has set grace

on on the throne, and ordered that it should proceed from rns throne to the world. Yea, feeing he has made it king, and granted to it, to it only, the authority and sovereignty of saving souls ; he has magnified, not only his love, but his wisdom, and his prudence before the sons of men, 2 Sam.xly. 14. This then is his great device, the master-piece of all his.witty inventions ; and therefore it is said, as was hinted before, in this thing he hath proceeded towards us in all wisdom and prudence.

So then he that comes to, and drinks of this water, g'orifies God for his wisdom, praises God for his wisdom. 'Such a one saith, that God is only wife, and bowing his head, saith again, to God only wife, be glory, both now and for ever. Amen.

But he that shall condemn this grace, confronts the highest wildom, even wisdom upon the throne j he saith of himself, I am wiser than Daniel, than the judgment of God. I could have found out a more safe way to heaven myself, and had I been of God's council I would have told him so. All this so horrible blasphemy, naturally proceeds from him that liketh not that grace should be king on the throne, and should proceed out of the throne to the world j "but shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him ? he that reproveth God, let him answer it," John xlix. 2.

The text says, that this very doctrine to the Grseks, to the wife, is foolishness, and the preaching of it a foolish thing to them : but it will appear even then, when the conclusion of all things is come, and when these wife ones,¹ by their wisdom have fooled themselves to hell, that this foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God stronger than J»en, \ Cfor, h ^a2» *3» *4> *J{f,j

Christ Jesus, because he was low in the world, is trampled on by Lome, but he is a glorious throne to his sather's house : for since his humility¹ was the lowed of all, now he is exalted to be the throne of God, yea, is made the fountain whence grace continually flows, like the rivers, and comes down to us like a> mighty stream. Wherefore,' I will conclude this with both comfort and caution; with comfort, aud that because of the security that they are under that indeed have submitted to grace i *' sin- shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace." And let it be a caution to those that despise. Take heed, it' is dangerous affronting of the wisdom of God. No$# here is the wisdom of God, even wisdom upon the' throne. It pleased God, "for the glory of his wisdom," to make this the way §' to wit, to set up grace to reign. I have often^thought, and sometimes said, if God will be pleased with any way, surely he will be pleased with his own. Now this is the-way of his own devising, the fruit and effect; ©f his own wisdom : wherefore, sinners, please Him,^' please him in that Wherein he is well pleased . "Come to the waters, cast thyself into them, and'' fear not drowning ; let God alone to cause them to carry thee into his paradise, that thou mayest see his throne.";

Sixthly* Uje Throne is the feat of saithfulness, the plaice ot performing of'engagements and proipises, "When I shah receive the congregation* saith Christ, I will judge uprightly," Psal lxxv. 2. Efhes. i. 22i 23, that is faithfully, and now he has received it, and is made head over all things to it; and for this cause is he upon th« throne from whence proceeds-all tfeis grace, that like a river doth flow,

¹ :. w4

and glide From heaver, into the world. This river then is nothing else but the fulfilling .of promises; "If I go not away, the comforter-will not come j but if I depart Lwill.fend him unto you," Jo/inxvi, y. A&s'vu 16, 17, 18. "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days (saith God) I will pour out my spirit upon ail flefh," &c. Now this river is* the spirit, the spirit and grace of God, which was promised by the Father and the Son, and now if comes running " from the throne of God and of the Lamb. For being now by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit, he hath shed forth that which ye now see and hear," J3s v. 33*

Behold then how mindful, how careful, how faithful our Father and the Lamb of God is! It is not exaltation, nor a crown, nor a kingdom, nor a throne, that shall make him neglect: his poor ones ou earth. Yea, therefore it is that such a river with' its golden streams, proceeds from the throne to' come unto us— And it shall proceed to be sar higher than ever was the swellings of Jordan. True, it runs not so high now, as in former days, because of the curse of God upon Antichrist, by whose means the land of God's people is full of briars and thorns, Isa. 12, 13, 15, 16, 17; but when the tide is at the lowest, then it is nearest the rising; and this river will rife_v and in a little time, be no more so low as but ancle deep ; it will be up to the knees, to the Joins, Ezek. *lvii. and be a broad river to swim in. "For there *the glorious Lord shall be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, Jsa. xxxiii.'i. Rev. Xzii. 3, 6, and there shall be no more curse in the church, 7* ^xx- ^x7» ^b_t*^e throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and his servant shall serve him, that is without molestation: '.

"These sayings- aje saithful and true," and iri saithfulness shall they from the throne of God and of the Lamb, be performed to the church. Faithfulness in him that rules, is that which makes Sion, rejoice; because the/eby the promises yield milk and honey. For now the saithful God, tlrat keepethi covenant, performs to his church, that which he told her he would. Wherefore eur rivers shall ru&j and our brooks yield-honey and butler, Job xx. i y.

Let this teach ah God's people to expect, to' look, and wait for good things from the Throne.But. oh* methinks, this throne,- out of which good comes like a river! who would not but be a subject to it? who would not but worship before it $

But, ... -y 'V .'. ... ,

Seventhly, a throne is * the seas of justice. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne,'* P/a/, lxxxix. 14.- And it is also from justice that this river of grace flows to us ; justice to Christ, and justice to those that are found in hint.- God declares that he can justly justify, justly forgive; now, if he can justly justify and justly forgive, Rom. iii. 2,4, then can he give' grace,- and cause that it proceed to, yea, flow after us as a river, i John i. 9/. The river that gushed out of the rock in the wilderness ran after-the people there, wherefore they wandered therein. They drank of the rock thai followed them; the rock was not removed out of his place, but the flood followed them whither they went, 1 Cor. %, 3, 4. '.'. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out, they un ia dry places like a river," P/al. cv. 4.1. N

This rock, saith he, was Christ, that is figuratively j and this Throne is Christ really, and the water gushing out of the rock, and following of them ia the wilderness was to show how, when Christ became a Throne, a grace and goodness should follow' *i3 in the wilderness from thence so long as here-we abide. Wherefore David, considering this, said, <' Surely goodness and mercy shall Follow me aH the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever," PJal. xxiii. 6. *

But when must shts come? the rejri says from the Throne: frorn the Throne, the feat of justice j for from f tehee, by season of what Hi hath found in Christ for us i he in a way of righteousness and justice, lets out to us rivers of his pleasures; whose original is that great- and wide sea of mercy that flows in his insinite heart beyond thought. "All is paid for both us and grace, i Cor. vi. 20. . Heb. \x. it. John vii. 30.. \Ve are bought with a price. He has obtained eternal redemption, for us; yea, and as 'we ^re made hjs, and heaven made ours thus, so thisriyer of grace has been also obtained'by him for us. Wherefore all comes to us in a ,way of justice and righ teousness. Hence we are said l toobtain saith through the righteousness of God," 2 Pet. i. ijthat is, through the justice of God, and of Jesus our Lord. Mark, hers: is the justice of God, and the justice of Jeius our Lord ; and we have our saith from the justice of God, because of she righteousness of Jesus our Lord : that is, Jesus answered with works of justice the demands of justice^ j and therefore, in a way of justice, grace reigns, and comes to us like a river, as is signified, for that is said to come to us out of the throne.

⁵ Again,

/(gain, grace is said " to reign through righteousnefs unto eternal life," Rom. v. z u Through what jighteornfncis? the righteousness or justice of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord- By Jesus Christ, or for his sake. For his sake, have I said, we are forgiven; and for his lake have all things pertaining to life and godlinefs. Which all things come to us, thro* cr down the stream ot this river in a way of justice, and therefore it is said to come from the throne.

Sthly, This Throne is the feat of grace and mercy; and therefore it is called the mercy-feat and Throne of grace. This Throne turns all into grace, all .into mercy ! This Throne makes all things work together for good. It is said of Saul's sons, they were not buried after they were hanged, until water dropped upon them out of heaven, z Sam. zi, 10, 10. And it may be said of us, there is nothing suffered to come near us, until it is warned in that water that proceeds from the Throne ofgracev— Hence affi scions flow from grace j persecutions flow from g ce; poverty, sickness, yea, death itself b now cade ours by the grace of God, through Christ, PM. cxix. 6y. i Cor. in. 22. Rev. iii. i>

O happy church
o thee are for 1
talk of the

And behold," says John, *' a door was open in heaven ; and the first that 1 heard, was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit, and hehold A Throne Was Set In Heaven, and one sat upon the Throne."

This Throne was Jesus Christ exalted, Set, that is lifted up, not as upon the cross, to the contempt^: and scorn of his person, but as I said, to the wonderment of the sour beasts, and the elders, and all the angels in heaven, t* A Throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the Throne that is God. And this intimates his desirable rest for ever; for to sit is to rest, and Christ is his rest for ever. Was it not therefore well worth the feeing? yea, if John had taken the pains to go up thither on his hands and knees ; 1 say, to fee the Lord Jesus as a throne, set in heaven, and the glory of God resting and abiding upon him, and giving out by him all things, not only his word, but all his dispensations and providences to the end of the world ; and this blessed thing among the rest, "even a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal." .

But I leave this, and proceed to the fourth thing; namely, to the nature and quality of this water.— It is said to be "pure and clear, pure and clear as crystal ; and he showed me a pure river of water os Use, clear as crystal." I know that there is a twofcld quality in a thing, one with respect to its nature, Slid the other with respect to its operation. The first of these is inherent, and remaineth in the sub-* ject being as such, and so for the most part ufeiess. The other is put forth then when it meeteth with fit matter on which it may freely work. As to instance aqua vita, the very metaphor here made use of, hath a quality inherent in it, but keep it stops, up in a bottle, and then who will may saint notwithstanding; but apply it fitly, and to such as have need thereof, and then you may fee its quality by the operation. This water or river of grace, is called, I fay, The Wattr of Life, and so, consequently, has a most blessed inherent quality 5 but its operation is sceu by its working, the which it doth only then, when it is administered, and received for those ends for which it is administered. For then it revives where life is, and gives life where it is net. And thus sar, in the general, have we spoken to it already. We will therefore, in this place more particularly, though briefly, speak a few words unto it. First, then, this water of life is the very groundwork of life in us. The ground-work of life for us, is the passion and merits of Christ, this is that for the sake of which grace is given unto us, as is intimated by the text; it proceeds from the Throne of God, who is Christ. Christ then having obtained grace for us, must needs be precedent as to his merit, to that grace he hath so obtained. Besides, it is clear that the spirit and grace comes from God through him ; therefore as to the communications «f grace to us, it is the fruit of his merit and purchafe. But I say, in us, grace is the ground-work of life ; for though we may be said to live virtually in the person of Christ before God, yet we are dead in ourselves, and so must be, until the spirit be

poured poured upon us from on high ; for the spirit is life,, and its graces are life, and when that is infused by God from the Throne, then we live, and not till then. And hence it is called, as before, living water, the water of life springing up in us everlasting life. The spirit then, and graces of the spirit, which is the river here spoken of, is that, and that only, which can cause' us to live j that being life ta the foul, as the foul is life to the body. All men, therefore, as was said before " though elect, though purchased by the blood of Christ," are dead, and must be dead, until the spirit of life from God and his Throne shall enter into them ; until they shall drink it in by vehement thirst as the parched ground drinks in the rain.

Now when this living water is received, it takes tip its feat in the heart, whence it spreads itself to the wakening of all the powers of the foul. For as in the first creation the spirit of God moved upon the sace of the waters, in order to putting that creature into that excelknt sashion and'harmony which now we behold with our eyes; even so the new creation, viz. tjie making us new to God, is done by the overspreading of the same spirit also. For the spirit, as I may so say, sitteth and broodeth upon the powers of the foul, as the., hen doth on cold eggs, till they wax warm and receive life. The spirit then warmeth us/and bringeth the benumbed foul, (for so it is before conversion) to a godly fense and understanding of states, of states both natural and spiritual : and this is the beginning of the work of the spirit by which the soul is made capable of understanding what God and himself is.

And this drinking in of the spirit, is rather as

the >₄i

the ground drinks in rain, than as a rational soul does through sense of the want thereof.

The spirit also garnisheth the soul with such things as are proper for it to the making of it live that life that by the word of God is called for*

It implanteth light, repentance, saith, love,defires after God, hope, sincerity, and what else is necessary for making a man a saint: these things, I say, are the fruits and effects of this spirit, which as a river of water of life proceedeth forth of the Throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 Cor. iv. 13. Gal. v. 22. 2 Tim. i. 7. Henca the spirit is called the spirit of faith,the spirit of love, and the spirit ofasound mind; for that the spirit is the root and original of all these things by his operations in, and upon the sace of the ibuJ.

But again, as this living water, this spirit and grace thereof, doth thus, so it also maintains these 'things once planted in the soul, .by its continual waterings of them in the soul. Hence he faith, I will water it every moment," Isa. xxvii. 1, 2,3. Water ir* j his vineyard, the soul of the church, the .graces of the church j and so the soul and graces of every godly man.

And because it so happene*th sometimes, that some ofthese things wherewith the Holy Ghost has beautified the soul, may languish to a being, if not quite dead, yet ready to die, Rev. iii, 1, 2, 3, therefore he doth not only refrefh and water our souh, but renew the sace thereof, by either quickemng to life that which remains, or by supplying of us with that which is new, to our godly perseverance and everlasting life. "Thus thou watertst the earth, and waterest it ; thou greatly enrichest it wuh the liver of God," Psalm lxv. 9^ _tr^_p

For this must be remembered, that as the herb that is planted, or feed sown, needs watering with continual showers of the mountains, so our graces implanted in us by the spirit of grace, must also be watered by the rain of heaven. "Thou waterest' the ridges thereof abundantly, thou fettest the furrow thereof, thou makest it soft with showers, thou blestest the springing thereof," Psal. Ixv. 10.— Hence he says, that our graces shall grow. But how ? "I will be as a dew unto Israel, he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon," Bos. xiv. 5,6, 7, or, as he saith in another place, " The Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in droughts, and make sat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters sail not," JJa. lviii. 11. Jer. xxxi. 12.

There is befides this, another blefsing that comes to us by this living water, and that is the blefsing of communion. All the warmth that we have in our communion, it is the warmth of the spirit. When a company of saints are gathered together in the name of Christ, to perform any spiritual exercise, and their souls be edified, warmed, and made glad therein, it is because this water, this river of water of life, has in some of the streams thereof, ran into that assembly. Then are Christians like those that drink wine in bowls,, merry and glad; for that they have drank into trie spirit, and had their souls refrefhed with the s_Wcet gales, and strong wine thereof. This is. the feast that Isaiah speaks of,

'>. • when when he saith, " In this mountain fliall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of sat things, a feast of wintf on the lees, of sat things full of marrow, of wines^on the lees^well refined," I/a. xxv. 6. This is called in another place* *'the communion of the Holy Ghost," 2 Cer. xiii. 14. Now he warnaeth spirits, uniteth spirits, revives, cherisheth, quickeneth, strengthened graces ; renews assurances,, brings old comforts to mind, weakens, hist, imbolderteth and raiscth a spirit of saith, of love, of hope, of prayer, and makes the word a blessing, conference a blessing, meditation a blessing, and duty very delightful to the foul. Without this water of life, communion is weak, flat, cold, dead, fruitless, lifeJels; the,re is nothing seen, felt, heard, or understood in a spiritual and heart-quickening way. Now ordinances are burdensome, sins strong, saith weak, hearts hard, and the saces of our fouls dry, like the dry and parched ground-

This drink also revives us, when tempted, when sick, when persecuted, when in-the dark, and when we saint for thirst. The life of religion is this water of life ; where that runs, where that is received, and where things are done in this spirit, there all things are well; the church thirsty, the soul thirsty, graces thirsty, and all is well. ^s And this hint 1 thought convenient to be given of this precious water of life, that is with reference to the operative quality of it.

1 shall come, in the next place, to speak of it, as io the other descriptions which John doth give us

Of it. - ,'

He says it is, " 1st, Pure; ad, Clear; 3d, Clear to a comparison. And he showed me a pure river _cf water of life, clear as crystal."'

First, you read here, that this water of life is Pure, that is, alone without mixture, for so .some times that word (pure) is to be understood. As where it saith, pure, pure olive oil, £*W.xxvii. zo. xxx. 34. xxv. 11, 17. JDeut. xxxii. 14; pure frankincense, pure gold, pure blood of the grape, and the like; so then, when he saith, "He showed me a pure river of water of life," it is as if he had said, he showed me a river of water that was all living, all life, and that had nothing in it but life. Th?re was no death, or deadaefs, or flatness in it; or, as he saith a little after, " And there shall be no more curse. A pure river." There is not so much as a grudge, or a piece of an upbraiding speech found therein. There is in it nothing but hears, nothing but love, nothing but grace, nothing but life. "The gifts and calling of God are without repentance," Rom. xi.

Secondly, (pure) is sometimes set in opposition to show or appearance ; as where he says, " the stars are not pure," Job xxv. 5, that is, not so with- • out mixture of darkness, as they seem to be: so again, "if thou wast pure and upright," Job viii. 5, that is, as thou seemest to be, or as thou wouldest have us believe thou art.

Now take pure in this fense here, and then the meaning is, it is grace without deceit, without guile; its show and its substance is the same; it has nothing but substance in it; it is indeed what it seems to be in bulk; it is a river in show and a river indeed. It comes from God and from his throne.in appearance, and really it comes from his •fery heart.

The great fear of the tempted is, that there is act so much grace m God, and that he is not so

free

free of ie-as some scriptures seem to Import. But this word Pure is levelled against such objections and objectors, for the destroying of their doubts, and the relieving of their souls.- There is no fraud, nor guile, nor sable in the business; for though God is pleased to present us with his grace under the notion of a river, it is not to delude our fancies thereby ; but to give us some small illustration of the exceedjgig riches of his grace, which as sar for quantity out-strips the biggest rivers as the most mighty mountain doth the least ant's egg, or atom^; in the world.

Thirdly, but again this word (pure) is set in opposition to that which is hurtful and destructive. I am pure from the blood of all men, Æs xx. 26 that is* I have hurt nobody. The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, it is not hurtful. Do you' count them pure with the wicked balances ? how can that be, since they are hurtful?

Now take (pure) in this sense ibre, and then it :timat. that the'grace of God, and the doctrine of grace, is not a hurtful thing, it is not as wine of an intoxicating nature, Ephes.\. 18. If a man be filled with it, it will dahim no harm. The best of the things that ae of this world; are some way hurtful, wine is hurtful, silver and gold are hurtful, but grace is not hurtful, Prov. xx\. 16, 17. xx. r. 1 Tim. vi. io. Never did man yet catch harm by the enjoyment and fulness of the grace of Gpd.— There is no sear of excess, or of surfeiting here. Grace makes no man proud, no man careless, or negligent as to his duty that is incumbent upon him, either from ::d or man * no, grace keeps a man low ia his own eyes, humble/ self-denying, rnitent, watchful, savoury in gwd^tngs^char!table; and makes him kindly affectionated to thi brethren, pitiful and courteous to all men.

True, there are men in the world that abuse the grace of God, as some are said to "turn it into wantonness, and into Iascivioulnels,'' Jude 4. But this is not because grace has any such tendency, or for that it hath any such effect j but because such men are themselves empty of grace, and have only done, as death and hell hath done with wisdom, ** heard the same thereof with their cars," Jcbxxvn'u %%. It is a dangerous thing for a man to have the notions ©f grace while his heart is void of the spirit and holy principles of grace; for such a man can do no other than abuse the grace of God. Alas,' what can be expected of him that has nothing in him to teach him to manage that knowledge of grace which he has, but his flesh, his kasts, and lustful passions ? can these teach him to manage his knowledge well? Will they not rather put him upon all tricks, evasions, irreligious consequences and conclusions, such as will serve to cherish sin? what Judas d;i with Christ, that a graceless man will do with grace, even make it a stalking-horse to his fleshly and vile designs ; and rather than sail, betray both it and the profession of it to the greatest J enemies it has in the world.

And here I may say, though grace is pure, and fiot hurtful at all j yet one altogether carnal, sinful, and graceless, having to do with the doctrine of ir, by the force of His lusts which tamper with it, he g will unavoidably bring himself into the highest ruins thereby. An unwary man may destroy himself by the best ot things, not because there is such things, an aptness to destroy ; £ut because of the abuse and misuse of them. Some know the

way

way of Life, Pet. ii. 20, 21, 22, the water of Life, by knowledge that is naked and speculative only 5 find it had been better for such if they had not known than to know and turn from what they 'know ; than to know, and make that knowledge subservient to their Justs. Some receive the rain of God, and the droppings of his clouds, because they continually sit under the means'of his grace. But alas! they receive it as stones receive showers, or as dunghills receive rain ; they either abide as hard stones still, or else return nothing to heaven for h4s^ mercy, but as the dunghills do, a company of funking fumes. These are they that drink in the rain that comes often upon them, and that instead of bringing forth herbs meet for the dresser, bring forth briars and thorns; and these are they who are nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned, Heb. vi. 7, 8.

Fourthly, by this word (pure) I understand sometimes the chiefest good, the highest good. There are many things which may be called good, but none of them are good, as grace is good, Rom. xiv. 20. Gen. i. 31. All things indeed are pure, that is, all creatures in themse'ves are good and serviceable to man, but they are net so good as jgrace. There is a generation that are pure, that are good in their own eyes, Prov. xxx. 12. There are good men, good consciences, good works, good days, good angels, &c. but none so good as grace, for it is grace that has made them so. Grace, this water ot Use, therefore,4s good, superlatively good, in the

highest degree; for that it makes all things £?od_; and preservesh them good. And whatever if be that this water of life washeth not, it is evil and given to the curse, as the Prophet intimates where he saith, " but the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed, they shall be given to salt," Ezek. xlviii. 11.

But who understands this, who believes it ? its goodness is kept close from the fowls of the air. Men, most men are ignorant of the goodness of it, nor do they care to inquire after the enjoyment of this pure, this good water of life. The reason is, bee? ^re though it is good in itself, good in the y . '.. iegree, and that which makes all things . * it is not such a good as is suited to a ca >te. There is good, and there is suita

ble _t v suitable good is of two forts, either

such a. \ \]_« or such as is temporal. That which is I) s desired only of them that are

spiritual; . -al good will satisfy a carnal

mind. Now g . . spiritual good ; this river of grace is the • 'spiritual good. It is the original life.of all :: n our fouls : no marvel then, if it be so litt; >-, '-'osc that are ?L iaT minded. Hay will fcrn, \ 'fe, anH w serve a sow ; so things of t¹- W men of this world, for the. and carnal, that savour not the . - of the j

spirit of God. The ns>' ~eiveth not

things that be of the ^r ,' (the things

that be cf this rivf t "y are foolish

ness unto him .• n e know t aem, because

they are spi»' ...ed," i Cor. ii. 14. This

is a river ,e prophet speaks of, the river

of fn^: . a rivYr of gold and silver, there

v .iihing on the banks thereof. But it

-nat runs like oil, saith the Lord God," xxii. 14. This rock pours us out rivers of Jt'tl .lesh oil, soft oil, sweet oil, the oil of joy, the oil of gladness, oil t© anoint the head withal, oil to make the sace to shine, oil by which thou wilt be made able to honour both God and man in the same good measure as become thee, Job xxix. 6. P/a/, xcii. 10. and Iv. zi. Isa. lxi. 4. Psal. xlv. 7. Eccles. 8. Vjkl. dr. 15. Judges ix. 11.

I might have enlarged upon this head, and have showed you many more particulars wherein this term of (pure) might serve for the better setting forth of the excellency of this water of life, but I ihall proceed no further upon this, but will come to that Which remains.

Secondly, as this river of water of life is said to be pure, so it is said to be clear. "He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear." This term has also its particular signification, and therefore ought sto be heeded.

,1. Clear is set in opposition to dark, therefore some are said to be clear as the fun. And,again, "the light Xhall not fee clear nor dark," Song vi. 10. Zech. xiv. 6. In both these places (clear) is to be taken for light, day-light, sun-Jight j for indeed it is never day, nor fun-shine with the soul, until the Æreams of this river of life come gliding t© our doors, into our houses, into our hearts. Hence the beginning of conversion is called illumination ; yea, the coming of this river of water of life unto us is called the day spring from on high, through the tender mercy of our God, Heb', x. 32. It is also called the dawning of the day, Luke i. 78. And hence again»-these men un»j whom this river of water of life comes not, are said "to be dark, darkness. Ye were sometimes darkness, but now ye arc light in the Lord," % Pet. i. 19. Eph.v. 8. Wherefore this water is like Jonathan's honey, Jt hath a

s

saculty to open the eyes, to make them that fit in darkBess see a great light, i Sam. xiv. zj. Mai. iv. 16. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the sace of Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. iv. 6. "God •who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light," (the spirit that enlightenethand giveth the light) "of the knowledge of the glory of God in th^e sace of Jesus ,Christ." This river casteth beams where it goes, like the beams of the fun; it shines, it casts out rays of glory unto those that drink thereof. The streams of this grace were they that overtook Saul when he was going to Damascus, they were the waters of this flood that compassed him round about, Afts ix. 3. xxii. 6. and xxvu ^3. And if you will believe htm, he saith this light from heaven was x great light, aJight above the brightness of the fun, % light that did by the glory of it, make dark to him all the things in the world.

% , Clear is set in opposition " to that which is not pleasing." For to be clear, is to be pleasant. .*' Hence it is said truly the light is sweet, an^l a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the fun," Eccles. xi. 7. 1 read of rivers that looked red as blood, that stunk like the blood of a dead man, 2 Kings iii. 22, 23 ; but this is no such river. I read of rivers, whose streams are like streams of brimstone, fiery streams, streams of burning pitch, Isa. xxx. but this is none of them. There is a river besides all these, " clear and pleasant, the streams "whereof shall make glad the city of God," Dan. vii. 13- #*- xxxiv. 9. Pjal. xlvi. 4.

There are waters that doves love to sit by, because by the clearness of their streams, they can fee their pretty selves as in a glass, Song v. xa.

These

These be the streams where doves wash their eyes, and by which they solace themselves; and take great content; These streams are instead (as I said) of a looking-glass; their'clearness presents Us with an opportunity of seeing our own features. As in sair waters, a man may see the body of the fun, and of the moon, and of the stars, and the very body of heaven j so' he that stands upon the bank of this river, and that wastieth his eyes with this water, may see the Son of God, the stars of God, the glory of' God, and the habitation that God ha* prepared for his people. And arc not these pleasant fights ? is not this excellent water? has not this river pleasant streams?

3. Clear is set' in opposition so dirty water and tnuddinefo f read of some waters that are fouled with the feet of beasts, and with the feet of men, yea, and deep waters too. Yea, {kith God to some, ye have drunken of the deep waters, "and have fouled the residue with your feet," and again, "as for my flock they eat that which ye have trodden, with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feetEzek. xxxiv. 18, 19. These waters are doctrines contained in the text, muddied and dirtied by the salse glosses and fluttish opinions of erroneous judgments j of which the poor lheep have been made to drink. And verily this is apparent enough, by the very colour and hue of those poor fouls i for though the truth of God was in them, yet the very stain of tradition and superstition may also be seen in their scales. For as the fish os the river receive, by being there, the changeable colours of the waters, so professors, what doctrine they hear and drink, do look like ^that* ," their doctrines are muddy, their notions are muddy^ if their doctrines are bloody, their notions and tempers are bloody ; but if their doctrines are clear, fo are their notions, for their doctrine has given then* a clear understanding of things.

Now here we have a river of watet of life, thafi is clear, clear without dirt and mud. Clear'without the human inventions and muddy conceptions of unsanctified and uninstructed judgments ; yea, here you have a river, the ^streams whereof lie open to al! in the church, so that they need not those initruments of conveyance that are foul, and that use to make water stink, if they receive it to bring it lo them that have need.

4. By clear we sometimes understand purgation > or that a thing that has purged itself, or is purged from those foils, and imputations of evil wherewith iometimes they have been charged. "Then shalt thou be clear from this thy oath, or how shall we clear ourselves," Gen. xxiv. 8, 14. xliv. 16. Something of this sense may be in the text, for if men are not afraid to charge God with folly, which is intimated by "that thou mightest be clear when thou art judged," P/a/, li. 4, will they, think you, be afraid to impute evil to his word, and grace, and spirit ? no verily j they are bold enough at this v-'ork. Nay, more than this, even from the foundation of the world, men have cast flandeYs upon, and imputed base things unto the blessed grace of the gospel. But not to look so sar back, Paul was one of the pipes through which God conveyed this grace to the world : and what was he counted for his so doing, but " a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition throughout the whole world," Æsxxiv.

But behold no imputation can stick on the grace of God, not stick long, for that, like honey, will purge itself of what filth is put into it. And of all bad imputations of evil men. Springs and rivers are of a self purging quality : now here we have to do with a river, a river ot water of life : but a river more flandered than ever did Naaman the Syrian flander the waters of Israel, in preferring those of Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, beyond them, 2 Kings x. 11 12. But behold, now it last,' when all the world have done what they can, and have cast what reproaches and flanders upon it they are able, it is a river pure and clear. It has purged itself before kings, it has purged itself before princes and judges, and all the Naamans in the world. It is' still a river, a river of water of life, a river of water of life clear.

• 5. By tlear, we sometimes understand purity manifest, or innocence and goodness made knowru In all things you have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter," 2 Cor. vii. 11. That is, you have made it appear, and stand upon your justification, and are willing to be searched and sounded to the bottom by those that have a desire to undertake that work. So this river of water of life, in the fountain and-in the streams thereof, offer themselves to the consideration and conscience of all men. To this end, how often doth God, the head of this river, and he out of whose throne it proceeds, call upon men to challenge him if they can, with any evil or misdoing towards them, either by "presence or doctrine j" hence he says, "put me in remembrance, let us plead together, declare thou, if thou canst, that thou mayest be justified, and I condemn

ed," Jss. xliii. 26. So again, "What iniquity your sathers found in me, that they are gone sar from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain," Jer. ii. 5. So Christ, " Which of you convinceth me of sin. And if I have spoke evil, bear witness of the evil." So Paul, " We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully ; but by the manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God," John viii. 46. and xviii. 2.3. 3 Cor. iv. 2. All these sentences are chiefly to be applied to doctrine, and so are, as it were, an offer to any, if they can, to sind a speck or a spot, or a wrinkle, or any such'thing in this rirer of water of life.

Some men fly from it as from a bear; and some are afraid to drink of it for fear it should be poison unto them. Some again, dare not take it, because it is not mixed, and as they, poor souls, imagine, qualified, and made toothsome by a little of that which is called the wisdom of this world. Thus one shucks, another shrinks, and another will none jsi God. Mean while, who shall so please to look into this river, shall find it harmless and clear. Yea, offering itself to the consciences of all men to make .trial, if it be not the only chief good, the only necessary waters, the only profitable for the health of the soul, of all the things that are in the world, and as clear of mischief as is the fun of spots.

Thirdly, As John saw this river pure and clear, so he saw it clear to a comparison. Clear to the best of comparisons, clear as crystal. Crystal is a very clear stone, as clear as the clearest glass, if not clearer; one may see sar into it, yea, through it, it is without those spots; and streaks, and smirches that are in other precious stones. Wherefore, wt he saith, that this river is clear as crystal _t it is if God should say, Look sinners, look to the bottom my crystal streams. I have heard of some that aTe so pure and clear, that a man may fee to the bottom though they may be forty fo#t deep. I know this river of water of life, is a deep river: But though it is said to be deep, it is not said we can see no bottom- Indeed as to the widenefs of it, it is said to be such as that it cannot be pasted over : but I say, it is no where said that we cannot see to the bottom: nay, the comparison implies, that a man with good eyes may fee to the bottom. It is clear, clear as crystal. So then we will a little look down to the bottom, and fee through these crystal streams, Wiiat is at the bottom of all.

First, then, the bottom of all is, " that we might' be saved," John v. 34. and x. 10. "These things I say," saith Christ, "that you might be saved," and again, "lam come that ye might have life, / and that ye might have it more abundantly."-— This is the bottom of this great river of water of life, and of its proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb: it is that we might be saved: it is that we might live. What a good bottom is here! what a sound bottom is here! But a few deep rivers have a good bottom. Mud is at the bottom of most waters in the world, even the sea when it worketh, casts up mire and dirt, and so do the hearts of sinners : but the bottom of this grace of God, and of the spirit, and word thereof, is that _We might be saved, consequently a very good bot

^t0?econdly, as the bottom of all is, "that we may be saved i" so that we may be saved by grace, and and if they be helpful to one person in a hundred, they make as if they could cure every one. Well, here you have the great physician himself with his' water, and he caHs it the water of life, water of life for the foul; this water Mpribntum est. It has been proved times without number ; it never sails, but where it is not taken. No disease comes amiss to' it, it cures blindness, deadnefs, deafness, dumbnefs.. "It makes the lips of them that are afleep to speak,^,? Acts xxvi.. 18. Isa. v. 4, 5, Song, vii. 9. This is' the right holy water, (all other is counterfeit) it will' drive away devils and spirits, it will cure inchantments and witchcrafts, it' will heal the mad and lunatic, it will cure the most desperate melancholy, it will dissolve doubts and mistrusts, though they are grown as hard as stone in the heart, Gal. iii. 2, 3. Mar. xvi. 17,. it. Ez. xxxvi. 26. Col. iv. 6. Ez. xxxvi, 25* It will make you speak well, it will make you have a white soul,and that is better than to have a white skin. It will make you taste welly it will make you disrelish all hurtful meats j it will beget in you ^:a good appetite to that which is good, Isa. xxx, 22 ; it will remeve obstructions in the stomach and liver; it will cause that what you receive of God's bread shall turn to nourishment, and make good blood; In a word, it preserves h life; they that take this water shall live longer than did old Methusalcm, and yet he lived a great while, Gen. v. ij.

Wherefore let me costinue my exhortation to you, " be more free in making use of this water,"' Matt. xx. 3, 4, 5, 6. It is the wholesomest water in the world, you may take it; you may take it at the third, sixth, ninth, or eleventh hour, but to taste it in the morning of your age is best, Ecclesias. si. i, 2, 3, 4 » *o^{r tlie}n diseases have not gotten so great a head *»s when they are of Jong continuance, consequently they wjll be removed with fer more ease j besides those that thus do, wHl receive endless life, and the comfort of it betimes j and that,' you know, is a double life•;,to one.

This water gently purges, and yet more effectually than others. True, where bad humours are mere tough and churlish, it will show itself stronger .of operation, for there is no disease can^be_r,too hard for it. It will, as we fay, ** throw the house out of the windows" but will rid us of the plague of those 'most, deadly infections that otherwise will be sure to make fleep in death, and bring us with the multitude down to hell/ But it will do us no hurt, it only breaks our. fleep in security, and brings us to a more quick apprehension of the plague of our heart arid flesh. It will, as I said before, provoke to appetite, but make us long after that which is wholesome. If any ask why I thus allegorize, I answer, the text doth lead me to it.

adly, I advise, therefore, in the next place, $hat thou get thee a dwelling place by these waters? "the beloved of the Lord shall d well in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long," Deut. xxxji. it. If thou ask, where that dwelling is ? I answer, in the city of God, in, and among the tabernacles of the Most High. This river comes from the throne, to water the city of God; and to that end it is said ** to run in the midst of the street of it," Risk xxii. 2. If ye will inquire, return, come. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, "and they that love his name shall dwell therein," Psal, Ixix. 34» 35' 3⁶- ^VellTng dwelling in Jerusalem, in the midst of Jerusalem, and then thou wilt be seated by thi* river.

In old times, the ancients had their habitations by the rivers; yea, we read of Aroer, that stood upon the brink of the river Arnon, Josh. xii. 9. Balaam had also his dwellihg in his city Pethor, " by the river of the land of the children of his people." Gh, by a river side is the pleasantest dwelling in the world, and of all rivers, the river of the water of life is the best. "They that dwell there, shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat or sun smite them, for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them," Isa. xlix. 10. Psal. i. 3. Jer. xvii. 8. Trees planted by the rivers, and that spread out their roots, they bring forth fruit in their season. And the promise is, that men that take up their dwellings by this river of water of life, shall be fruitful as such trees.

If thou bc'st a Christian, thou hast more than an ordinary call, and occasion to abide by these waters, thy things will not grow but by thefe waters.— Weeds, and the excellencies of most men, we may sind in the barren wilderness, they grow under every hedge; but thine are garden, and so choice things, and will not thrive without much water of God's river; dwell therefore here, that thy soul may be as a watered garden, Jer. xxxi. 12. Isa. xxii. 1,2,3. And when thou seest how- those that are loth to die, make provision at Tunbridge, Epsom, the Bath, and other places and what houses they get that they may have their dwellings by those waters, then do thou consider of thy spiritual disease, and hoyr nothing can cure thee but this blessed water of life j be also much of desires to have a dwelling place in

Jerusalem, 5thlr, Doth this water of life run like a river? like a broad, full, and deep river ? then let no man, be his transgressions never so many, sear at all, but there is enough save his soul, and to /pare. Nothing has been more common to many, than to doubt.of the grace of God ; a thing the most unbecoming a sinner of any thing in the world. To break the law is a sact: foul enough ; but to question the sufficiency of the grace of God to save therefrom, is worse than sin, if worse can be. Wherefore, despairing soul, for it is to thee I speak, forbear thy mistrusts, cast off thy flavish fears, hang thy misgivings as to this upon the hedge, and believe thou hast an invitation sufficient thereto, a river is before thy face. And as for thy want of goodnefs and works, let that by no means daunt thee, this is a river of water of life, streams of grace and mercy. There is, as I said, enough- therein to help thee, for grace brings all that is wanting to the foml. Thou therefore hast nothing to do, I mean as to the curing of thy soul of its doubts and fears, and despairing thoughts, but to drink and live for ever, othly, But what is all this to the dead world ? to A them that love to be dead; they toss their vanities . about as the boys toss their ihettle-cocks in the air, till their soot flips, and themselves descend into the pit.

Jerusalem, that thoti thayest always be nigh to these Raters. Be often also in watering thy plants with these waters. I mean the blessed graces of God in thy feul, then shalt thou grow and retain thy greenness, and prove thyself to be a disciple indeed. And herein is God, and thy Father glorified that thou bear much fruit, John xiii. 8. '\$dly_t My third word is, bless God for providing For man such waters. These only can make us live; all others come out of the dead sea, and do kill: there is no living water but this. I say, (how thy 7 acceptation of it with thanksgiving; if we are not to receive our bread and cheese but with thankfi giving, a Cor. ix. 14,15* how should we bsess God 'for this unspeakable gift. This is foul life, life > igainst sin^ sin from sin ; life against the curse, life I beyond hell, beyond desert, beyond thought, beyond * defires. Life that's pleasing, life that's profitable, ¹ 'ife everlasting. Oh j my brethren* bless God ! who i ioth good, and gives us such rain* filling our hearts svith food and gladness. When Moses would take the heart of Israel, and took in hand to raise up iheir spirits to thankfulness, he used to tell them that the land that they were to go to, was a land that God cared for, and that was watered with the dew of heaven. Yea, "a land of brooks of wafer, of fountains and deeps that spring out of the valleys and hills; a ,land that flowed with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands," Dent, viii. 6, 7, 8. Exod. iii. 8. and xiii. 15, Lev. xx. 24. Numb. xiv. 8. But yet in bis description he makes no mention of a river of water of life; a river the streams whereof make glad the city of God.