87. [THE GREATNESS AND ABUNDANCE OF THE WATER OF LIFE.]

[SECOND.] 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 of life. It is a RIVER—'He showed me a river of water of life.' Waters that are cordial, and that have in them a faculty 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; but here you see 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. SECOND. And then draw some inferences therefrom.

FIRST. *What a river this is, this river of water of life.*⁴

First. It is a deep river. It is a river that is not shallow, but deep, with an 'O the depth!' *Re. xi. 31.* 'I will make their waters deep, saith God.' *Ex. xxii. 14.* And again, they 'have drunk of the deep waters.' *Ex. xxiv. 18.* A river of water of life is much, but a deep river is more. Why, soul-sick sinner, sin-sick sinner, thou that art sick of that disease that nothing can cure but a potion 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 comfort, here is abundance, abundance of grace, a river, a deep river of the water of life, for them to drink of. Second. As this river is deep, so it is wide and broad. *Ep. iii. 18. Jn. xi. 9.* Wherefore, as thou art to know the depth, that is, that it is deep, so thou art to know its breadth, that is, that it is broad; it is broader than the sea, a river that cannot be passed over. *Ex. xli. 6.* 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 of the Lamb too. Hence this grace is called 'the unsearchable riches of Christ.' *Ep. iii. 8.* Sinner, sick sinner, what sayest thou to this? Wouldst thou wade? wouldst thou swim? here thou mayest swim, it is deep, yet fordable at first entrance. And when thou thinkest that thou hast gone through and through it, yet turn again and try ⁴ A RIVER inhumanistic, to supply the pure and mankind joys of heaven to all the myriads of happy glorified souls, and applied by the Spirit of grace to quench the thirst of the soul on earth. This grace is fixed and permanent, 'springing up into everlasting life.' Blessed Jesus, 'give me this water, that I thirst not ever.'—(ED.)

once more, and thou shalt find 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.¹ 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,

Third. As this river of water of life is deep and large, so it is a river that is full of waters. A river may be deep and not full. A river may be broad and not deep. Aye, 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.' Ps. 117. 9. Full of grace and truth. Fill the water-pots, 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 have a desire thereto. Fourth. As this river is deep, broad, and full, so it still aboundeth with water. The waters, says the prophet, 'were risen.' Ier. 20. 4. Hence, the Holy Ghost saith, God causeth the waters to flow. Ier. 20. 18. And again, 'And it shall come to pass in that day (the day of the gospel) that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.' Ier. 20. 18. When a river overflows it has more water than its banks can bound: it has water. 'Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed.' Ps. 120. 20. This river of water of life, which is also signified by these waters, is a river that abounds and that overflows its banks in an infinite and unspeakable manner. Thus much for the river, to wit, what a river of water of life it is. It is a river deep, broad, full, and abounding with this water, with this Spirit and grace of the gospel. [Inferences to be drawn from this term RIVER.]

SECOND. Now I shall come to draw some inferences from it, that is, from this term, a river. A river of water of life.

First. Then, a river is water that is common, common in the streams, though otherwise in the head. This river proceeds out of the throne, and so, as to its rise, it is special; it is also called the water of life, and as it is such, it is special; but as it is a river it is common, and of common use, and for common good. Hence the grace of God is called the common salvation, Ier. 2. for that by the word there is no restraint, no denial to or forbidding of any that will, from receiving thereof.

And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Re. 2d. 17. What can more fully declare the commonness of a thing? Yea, this river is called, at the very head of it, an 'open fountain,' a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Ier. 2d. 1. And by David or Judah and Jerusalem is comprehended every soul that would drink of the water of life or living water. And hence it is that this river is said to 'go down into the desert and go into the sea,' where all kinds of fishes are. Ier. 2d. 8. By sea is meant the world, and by fish the people, and thither shall run this river of water of life. But, Second. Though a river, in the streams of it, is common, yet a river, as it passes through a country or province, will choose its own way, it will run in the valleys, in the plains, not over steeples² and hills. 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 be put betwixt the commonness of a thing and its presence. A thing may be common, yet far enough off of thee. Epsom, Tunbridge waters, and the Bath, may be common, but yet a great way off of some that have need thereof. The same may be said of this river, it is common in the streams, but it runs its own circuit, and keeps its own water-courses. 'He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run among the hills.' Ier. 2d. 18. Indeed, he openeth his river in high places, in his throne, and of the Lamb, but still they run in the midst of the valleys to water the humble and the lowly. Wherefore, they that thirst and would drink are bid to come down to the waters—'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy,' &c. Ier. 1. And again, 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.' Ier. 2d. 17. The waters are common, but you must come to them, to them where they are, or you will be nothing the better for them. 'Come ye to the waters.' Third. This water of life is called a river, to intimate to you by what store of the same it is supplied. All rivers have the sea for their original: 'All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come,

¹ This water of life is as essential to the spiritual-mindedness of the soul, as natural water is to the life of a fish. The grace of God is the element in which only the renewed soul can live and enjoy a little of that heaven into which, as an ocean of blue, this river carries him. - (L.)

² This is not intended as a reflection upon those who worshipped God in meeting-houses with steeples, and which are erroneously called churches. The word is used because steeples were the most elevated objects with which his hearers were familiar. - (L.)

thither they return again.¹ Ex. 1.7. And so this river of water of life is said to proceed out of the throne, as out of a place where it breaketh out, but the original is the sea, the ocean of grace, which is an infinite Deity. 'Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, into the depth of the sea of thy grace.' Mic. vii. 19. Rivers, when they are broken up, do with their gliding streams carry away a great deal of the filth, which from all parts of the countries through which they run, is conveyed into them; and they carry it away into the sea, where it is everlastingly swallowed up.² And, O! the filth that is cast into this river of God! and, O! how many dirty sinners are washed white therein, for by its continual gliding away, it carrieth that filth into the midst of the sea. A river will take away the very stink of a dead dog: nor doth all the soil and draught that is cast into the rivers, cause that those that can should be afraid to make use thereof: all that have need do betake themselves to this river notwithstanding. But how much more virtue is there in this sweet river of grace that is designed, yea, opened on purpose, to wash away sin and uncleanness in, to carry away all our filth, and to remain as virtuous still!

Fourth. It is called a river, to show that it yields a continual supply, as I may call it, of new and fresh grace. Rivers yield continually fresh and new water. For though the channel or water-course in which the water runs is the same, yet the waters themselves are always new. That water that but one minute since stood in this place or that of the river, is now gone, and new and fresh is come in its place. And thus it is with the river of God, which is full of water; it yields continually fresh supplies, fresh and new supplies of grace to those that have business in those 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 face. It is not so with ponds, pools, and cisterns; they will be foul and stink, if they be not often emptied, and filled again with fresh water. We must then put a difference between the grace that dwelleth in us, and this river 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 ¹ The rain is taken from the sea by water-sports or in vapour; it is wonderfully distilled, and descends upon the earth in fertilizing showers which supply the rivers. In proportion to the rain or melting of the snow, is the quantity of water in the rivers. Buryan was taught all this phenomena of nature, by a single verse in the inspired volume which he quotes. How wonderful is that Book.—(E).

² This is a most astonishing natural phenomenon: that such a river as the Thames, receiving constantly all the filth of a vast metropolis, containing more than two millions of inhabitants, burns it all, and yet partieth itself.—(E).

vessel to vessel, and filled with fresh grace from this river. Jc. stud. 11. But the river is always sweet, nor can all the filth that is washed out of the world make it stink, or infect it: its water runs with a continual gliding stream, and so carries away all annoyance, as was said, into the depth of the sea.

Fifth. The grace of God is called a river, to show that it is only suited to those who are capable of living 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? But who is it that can live by 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 that 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 everything shall live whither the river cometh.' Exc. 2.10. 9. Art thou a fish, O man, art thou a fish? Canst thou live in the water; canst thou live always, and nowhere else, but in the water? Is grace thy proper element? The fish dieth if she 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, that can make a shift to live in the water; but the water is not their proper, their only proper element. The frog can live in the water, but not in the water only; the otter can live in the water, but not in the water only. Give some men grace and the world, grace and sin; admit them to make use of their lusts for pleasure, and of grace to remove their guilt, and they will make a pretty good shift, as we say; they will finally scrabble on in a profession; but hold them to grace only, confine their life to grace, put them into the river, and let them have nothing but river, and they die; the word, and way, and nature of grace, is to them as light bread,² and their soul can do no other but loath it, for they are not suited and tempered for that element. They are fish, not frogs, that can live in the river, as in their only proper element. Wherefore, the grace of God, and Spirit of grace, is compared to a river, to show that none but those can live thereby whose souls and spirits are suited and fitted thereto. Sixth. The grace, and Spirit of grace of God, is

² Light bread is an allusion to Nu. xxi. 5: 'our soul loatheth this light bread.' The heavenly manas, like Christ, is despised and rejected of man.—(E).

called or compared to a river, to answer those unsatiable desires, and to wash away those mountainous doubts that attend those that indeed do thirst for that drink. The man that thirsteth with spiritual thirst, fears nothing more than that there is not enough to quench his thirst. All the promises and sayings of God's ministers to such a man seem but as thimbles instead of bowls. Ps. 100: 1;

cf. 6. I mean so long as his thirst and doubts walk hand in hand together. There is not enough in this promise; I find 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 soul thirsteth for God, for the living

God.' Ps. 100: 2; line 1; cf. 6. Well, what shall 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 find none, when all the promises seem to be dry, and like clouds that return after the rain), 'and their tongue falleth for thirst,

I, the Lord, will hear them.' Aye, but Lord, what will thou do to quench their thirst? 'I will open rivers,' saith he, 'in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.' Is. 10: 17. Behold! here are rivers and fountains, a pool, and springs, and all to quench the thirst of them that thirst for God.

Wherefore, as I said, such provision for the thirsty intimates their fears of want and the craving appetite of their souls after God. Right spiritual thirst is not to be satisfied without abundance of grace. And 'they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.' Ps. 100: 4

Seventh. The grace of God is compared to a river, to show the greatness of the family of God.

He has a family, a great family, and, therefore, it is not a little that must be provided for them.

When Israel went out of Egypt, and thirsted by the way, God provided for them a river; he made it gush out of the rock; for, alas! what less than a river could quench the thirst of more than six hundred thousand men, besides women and children? Ps. 100: 20

I say, what less than a river could do it? When the people lusted for flesh, Moses said, 'Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them?' No. 22. Even so could not less than a river sustain and suffice that great people. Now his people in gospel days are not to be diminished, but increased; and if then they had need of a river, surely now of a sea;

but the river is deep and broad, full, and abounds, or rises with water, so it will suffice.

Eighth. The grace of God is compared to a river,

Vol. III.

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; but they that 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. It is, 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.' Re. 10: 17. 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.