THE WATER OF LIFE;
OR,
A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND
GLORY
OF THE
GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL,
AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM,
THE WATER OF LIFE.
BY JOHN BUNYAN.
London: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in
the Poultry, 1688.
"And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely." - Revelation 22:17
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
Often, and in every age, the children of God have dared to
doubt the sufficiency of divine grace; whether it was vast
enough to reach their condition - to cleanse them from the
guilt of all their sins - and to fit their souls to dwell with
infinite holiness in the mansions of the blessed. To solve
these doubts - to answer these anxious inquiries, Bunyan
wrote many of his works; for although he was a Boanerges,
or son of thunder, to awaken the impenitent, he was
eminently a Barnabas - a son of consolation - an evangelist
to direct the trembling inquirer to Christ the way, the truth,
and the life. He proclaims first, from his own experience,
that there is "Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners";
then he proclaims "Good News for the Vilest of Men, the
Jerusalem Sinner is Saved" - "Christ is an Advocate" -
"Christ is a complete Saviour." Every one is invited with a
"Come and welcome to Jesus Christ." There is
"Justification by his Righteousness" - "Salvation by his
Grace." "He is a Throne of Grace" to which all are freely
invited. Even "The Broken Heart is an acceptable
sacrifice." There is "The Holy City, New Jerusalem," to
receive such at the end of their pilgrimage, and directions
amply given to the pilgrim to guide him in his progress to
the celestial city; and he now introduces us to a majestic
overflowing river, "The Water of Life," sufficient for the
refreshment and solace of the myriads of God’s saints who
have lived from the creation, and will live until the final
consummation of all things, when the prophet in holy
vision saw "a great multitude which no man could number,
of all nations, and kindreds, and people, stand before the
throne, and before the Lamb." This work was the result of
the author’s mature experience, being published by him
during the last year of his eventful life. In it he refers to one
of those ten excellent manuscripts left by him at his
decease, prepared for the press, and afterwards published
by Mr. Doe. It is called, The Saint’s Privilege and Profit.
The way in which he alludes to this, as if it had been
printed, shows that he had fully determined to publish it
shortly, and this, if it was needed, would confirm our
confidence in those treatises. He thus refers to it: "Because
I have spoken of this thing, more particularly upon that
text, ‘Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of
grace,’ I shall therefore here say no more."
Two things are rather extraordinary with regard to this
valuable treatise on the Water of Life. One is, that although
inserted in every list of our author’s works, both published
by himself and by his friends after his decease, it escaped
the researches of Doe, Wilson, Chandler, Whitfield, and
others who collected and published Bunyan’s works,
excepting only the edition with Mason’s notes, printed for
A. Hogg about 1785. The other singular circumstance is,
that although the separate treatises of Bunyan were all most
wretchedly and inaccurately printed, the Water of Life has
in this respect suffered more than any other of his works. A
modern edition of this book, published at Derby by Thomas
Richardson, is, without exception, the most erroneously
printed of all books that have come under my notice. The
Scriptures are misquoted - words are altered so as to
pervert the sense - whole sentences and paragraphs, and
even whole pages in three or four places, and, in one
instance, four consecutive pages, are left out!!! I should be
grieved if more penal enactments were added to our
statutes, but surely there should be some punishment for
such a crime as this. The other editions are more reputable,
but very incorrect. One of them bears the imprint of
"London, for James Bunyan, 1760." Another has "London,
sold by Baxter, Doolittle, & Burkit," evidently fictitious
names, adopted from those three great authors. The
Pilgrim’s Progress was twice published by D. Bunyan, in
Fleet Street, 1763 and 1768; and the Heavenly Footman,
"London, sold by J. Bunyan, above the Monument." All
these are wretchedly printed, and with cuts that would
disgrace an old Christmas carol. Thus the public have been
imposed upon, and thus the revered name of Bunyan has
been sacrificed to the cupidity of unprincipled men. Had his
works been respectably printed they would have all been
very popular and useful, and his memory have been still
more venerated.
To attract his readers to come personally, and partake the
blessings imparted by the water of life, Bunyan shows that,
as a medicine, it alone is the specific to cure the sin-sick
soul - all other applications must fail most fatally - "all
other remedies come from and return to the Dead Sea" -
while the water of life issues from, and leads the soul to,
the throne of God. It cleanseth from the old leaven. The
Divine Physician is ever ready to administer to the wearied
soul. Be not misled by worldly-wisemen to take advice of
the doctor’s boy, but go direct to Jesus; he is ready - he is
willing to cure and save to the uttermost. His medicine may
be sharp, but merely so as to effect the cure "where bad
humours are tough and churlish." "It revives where life is,
and gives life where it is not. Take man from this river, and
nothing can make him live: let him have this water and
nothing can make him die." The river of water of life
allegorically represents the Spirit and grace of God; thus
the truth is mercifully set before us, for "what is more free
than water, and what more beneficial and more desirable
than life?" Vast and majestic rivers convey but a faint idea
of the immensity of Divine grace; in comparison with
which "the most mighty mountain dwindles into the least
ant’s egg or atom in the world." A stream of grace issued
from the same source during the patriarchal dispensation,
and then mankind were directed to it by immediate
revelation, or by the tradition of their fathers. It extended
under the Jewish or Levitical law, in its course passing
through the temple, issuing from under the threshold of
God’s house, revealed by types, and shadows, and an
earthly priesthood, and then "grace ran but slowly because
Jesus was not glorified." Now it flows like a majestic river
from the throne of God, open to all, without limit of family
or nation, revealed to every creature by the volume of
inspiration. This water admits no mixture - it is pure and
perfect as its origin - free as the air we breathe to sustain
life. "There is no grudge, or a piece of an upbraiding
speech heard therein." Any attempt to mix with it human
merits destroys all its efficacy. In it, and in it only, spiritual
life, exciting to works of mercy, and giving sure hopes of
immortal bliss, is to be found. God’s children can no more
live separated from this river than fish can live out of water.
As a fish, by natural instinct, avoids foul and unwholesome
water, so a Christian has spiritual powers to judge of the
purity of doctrine. Like the manna from heaven, and our
daily bread, it must be supplied day by day. No church
cistern of works of supererogation can supply this pure
water. All such pretended supplies are poisonous. It must
come direct from heaven without human interference.
Those only who spiritually thirst will seek it. Some prefer
wine that perisheth in the using, while this water, once
received, becomes a well-spring of living waters, springing
up into everlasting life. How marvellous that river which
swallows up all the impurities of the myriads of the
redeemed, so that they are seen no more for ever. These are
the truths pressed upon our attention in this treatise. Well
may our venerated Bunyan say, while richly enjoying the
blessings of this river of grace, just before he waded
through the black river which absorbs our earthly bodies -
"O grace! O happy church of God! all things that happen to
thee are, for Christ’s sake, turned into grace!" It is a river
that so reflects the splendour of God, that the first sight of it
was to Paul above the brightness of the sun; a light that did,
by the glory of it, make dark to him all the things in the
world.
Reader, may your soul and mine be abundantly refreshed
from this inexhaustible river, the streams whereof make
glad the city of God.
GEO. OFFOR.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER
COURTEOUS READER,
I have now presented thee with something of a discourse of
the water of life and its virtues; therefore, thou mayest, if
thou wilt, call this book Bunyan’s Bill of his Master’s
Water of Life. True, I have not set forth at large the
excellent nature and quality thereof, nor can that so be done
by the pen or tongue of men or angels. Yet this I have said,
and so saying, said truly, that whosoever shall drink of this
water shall find it in him a well of water; and not only so,
but a well springing up in him to everlasting life, let his
disease be what it will. And as men, in their bills for
conviction to readers, do give an account to the country of
the persons cured, and the diseases that have been removed
by liquors and preparations, they have made for that end, so
could I, were it not already (by Holy Writ) done by an
infallible pen to my hand, give you accounts of numberless
numbers that have not only been made to live, but to live
for ever, by drinking of this water, this pure water of life.
Many of them indeed are removed from hence, and live
where they cannot be spoken with was yet; but abundance
of them do still remain here, and have their abode yet with
men.
Only, if thou wouldst drink it, drink it by itself, and that
thou mayest not be deceived by that which is counterfeit,
know it is as it comes from the hand of our Lord, without
mixture, pure and clear as crystal. I know there are many
mountebanks in the world, and every of them pretend they
have this water to sell; but my advice is, that thou go
directly to the throne thyself (Heb 4:16); or as thou art
bidden come to the waters (Isa 55:1), and there thou shalt
be sure to have that which is right and good, and that which
will certainly make thee well, let thy disease, or trouble, or
pain, or malady, be what it will. For the price, care not for
that, it is cheap enough, this is to be had without money or
price. "I will give," saith God and the Lamb, "unto him that
is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely" (Rev
21:6). Hence he says again, "Whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely" (Rev 22:17). So that thou hast no
ground to keep back because of thy poverty; nay, for the
poor it is prepared and set open, to the poor it is offered, the
poor and needy may have it of free cost (Isa 41:17,18).[1]
But let it not be slighted because it is offered to thee upon
terms so full, so free. For thou art sick, and sick unto death,
if thou drinkest not of it, nor is there any other than this that
can heal thee, and make thee well. Farewell. The Lord be
thy physician! So prays thy friend,
JOHN BUNYAN.
THE WATER OF LIFE.
"AND HE SHOWED ME A PURE RIVER OF WATER
OF LIFE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, PROCEEDING OUT
OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB."
Revelation 22:1
These words are part of that description that one of the
seven angels, which had the seven 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 (Rev 21:9). Wherefore he saith, "And he showed me";
HE, the angel, showed me it.
In the text we have these things to consider of,
FIRST. The matter, the subject matter of the text, and that
is the water of life. "He showed me the water of life."
SECOND. We have also here the quantity of this water
showed to him, and that is under the notion of a river: "He
showed me a river of water of life." THIRD. 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."
FOURTH. We have also here the nature and quality of this
water; it is pure, it is clear as crystal: "And he showed me a
pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out
of the throne of God and of the Lamb."
[THE WATER OF LIFE.]
[FIRST.] We will begin with the first of these, to wit, with
the matter, the subject matter of the text, which is, THE
WATER OF LIFE. These words, water of life, are
metaphorical, or words by which a thing most 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 words most apt to present it to us
by; for what is more free than water, and what more
beneficial and more desirable than life? Therefore I say it is
compared to, or called, the water of life. He showed me the
water of life.
That it is the Spirit of grace, or the Spirit and grace of God,
that is here intended: consider, FIRST, the Spirit of grace is
in other places compared to water: and, SECOND, it is also
called the Spirit of life. Just as here it is presented unto us,
"He showed me the water of life."
FIRST. 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 springing up into
everlasting life" (John 4:14). 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." But of what? Why of his rivers of
living waters. But what are they? Why he answers, "This
spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him
should receive" (John 7:37-39).
Yes, the prophets and servants of God in the Old
Testament, did take this water of life for the Spirit of grace
that should in the latter days be poured out into the church.
Hence, Isaiah calls water God’s Spirit and blessing, and
Zechariah, the Spirit of grace. "I will pour water upon him
that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour
my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine
offspring" (Isa 44:3). And Zechariah saith, "I will pour
upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, - and they
shall mourn," &c. (Zech 12:10). Behold, in all these places
the Spirit of grace is intended, and for our better
understanding it is compared to water, to a well of water, to
springs of water, and to floods of water.
SECOND. It is also called the Spirit of life, [either] more
closely, [or] more openly.
More closely, where it is called "living water," "that living
water," and "water springing up into everlasting life" (John
4:10,11,14, 7:38).
Then more openly or expressly it is called "the Spirit of
life." "And after three days and an half, the Spirit of life
from God entered into them, and they stood upon their
feet" (Rev 11:11).
From hence, therefore, I conclude, that by these terms,
water of life, is meant the Spirit of grace, or the Spirit and
grace of the gospel. And the terms are such as are most apt
to set forth the Spirit and grace of the gospel by: for,
[First. The term WATER.]
1. By this term, WATER, an opposition to sin is presented
unto us. Sin is compared to water, to deadly waters, and
man is said to drink it, as one that drinketh waters. "How
much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh
iniquity like water?" (Job 15:16). So, then, that grace and
the Spirit of grace is compared to water, it is to show what
an antidote grace is against sin; it is, as I may call it,
counter poison to it. It is that ONLY thing by the virtue of
which sin can be forgiven, vanquished, and overcome.
2. By this term WATER, you have an opposition 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, saith the
psalmist, like water (Psa 109:18). The grace of God also, as
you see, is compared to water. The curse 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 finger (Luke
16:24,25).[2]
3. Water is also of a spreading nature, and so is sin;
wherefore sin may for this also be compared to water. It
overspreads the whole man, and infects every member; it
covereth all as doth water. Grace for this cause may be also
compared to water; for that it is of a spreading nature, and
can, if God will, cover the face of the whole earth; of body
and soul.
4. 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, [my Spirit, v 27] and ye shall be
clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will
I cleanse you" (Eze 36:25).
5. Water; the element of water naturally descends to and
abides in low places, in valleys and places which are
undermost; and the grace of God and the Spirit of grace is
of that nature also; the hills and lofty mountains have not
the rivers running over the tops of them; no, though they
may run "among them." But they run among the valleys:
and "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the
humble," "to the lowly" (John 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Prov 3:34).
6. The grace of God is compared to water, for that it is it
which causeth fruitfulness; 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,
[Second. The term LIFE.]
As there is a great special signification in this term
WATER, so there is in this term LIFE, water of life. "He
showed me the water of life." In that, therefore, there is
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 aquae vitae, water of life, or water that hath a
health and life in it. And this term shows us,
1. That the world of graceless men are dead; dead in
trespasses and sins (John 5:21,25; Eph 2:1; Col 2:13).
Dead, that is, without life and motion Godward, in the way
of the testament of his Son.
2. 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 is only in this water, death is in all other things.[3]
The law, I say, which is that that would, if anything 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 life either in the world or in the
doctrine of the world. It is only in this water, in this grace
of God, which is here called the after of life, or God’s
aquae vitae.[4]
3. It is also called the water of life to show that by the grace
of God men may live, how dead soever their sins 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" (Eze 16:6). And again, "The dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall
live" (John 5:25). That is, when he speaks words of grace,
and mixeth those words with the Spirit and grace of the
gospel, then men shall live; 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, and they are life"
(John 6:63).
4. In that this grace of God is here presented unto us under
the terms of water of life, it is to show that some are sick of
that disease that nothing can cure but that. There are many
diseases in the world, and there are also remedies for those
diseases; but there is a disease that nothing will, can, or
shall cure, but a dram of this bottle, a draught of this aquae
vitae, this water of life. This is intimated by the invitation,
"let him take the water of life freely" (Rev 22:17). And
again, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of
the water of life freely" (Rev 21:6). This is spoken to the
sick, to them that are sick of the disease that only Christ, as
a physician, with his water of life, can cure (Mark 2:17).
But few are sick of this disease, but few know what it is to
be made sick of this disease.[5] 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.
[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.[6]
First. It is a deep river. It is a river that is not shallow, but
deep, with an "O the depth!" (Rom 11:33). "I will make
their waters deep, saith God" (Eze 32:14). And again, they
"have drunk of the deep waters" (Eze 34:18). 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 (Eph
3:18; Job 11:9). 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 (Eze 47:5). 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" (Eph 3:8). 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 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.[7] 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" (Psa 65:9). 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" (Eze 47:4). Hence, the Holy Ghost saith, God
causeth the waters to flow (Psa 147:18). 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" (Joel 3:18).
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" (Psa
78:20). 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 inference 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 (Jude 3), 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
(Rev 22:17). 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 (Zech 13:1). 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 (Eze
47:8). 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 steeples 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.[8] 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" (Psa 104:10).
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. (Isa
55:1). And again, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me
and drink" (John 7:37). 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,
thither they return again" (Eccl 1:7).[9] 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" (Micah 7:19). 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.[10] 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 watercourse 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
yieldeth 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 form 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 vessel to vessel, and filled with fresh
grace from this river (Jer 48:11). 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" (Eze 47:9). 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,[11] 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 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 (Psa 63:1, 143:6). 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" (Psa 42:2, 63:1,
143:6). 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 faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them." Aye,
but Lord, what wilt 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" (Isa 41:17,18).
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" (Psa
36:8).
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? (Psa 78:20).
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?" (Num
11:22). 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, 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" (Rev 7:17). 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.
[THE HEAD OR WELL-SPRING OF THE WATER OF
LIFE.]
[THIRD.] Rivers have their heads from whence they rise,
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."
[GOD.] 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, and the
grace of the Spirit is here included. Hence, as the Father is
called "the God of grace" (1 Peter 5:10): so the Son is said
to be full of grace, grace to be communicated (John 1:14-
16), and the Holy Ghost is called "the Spirit of grace" (Heb
10:29). 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 seek
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 see most, see but a little.
[THE LAMB.] But there is added, "and of the Lamb." The
Lamb is, Jesus as sacrificed, Jesus as man, and suffering.
Hence you have the Lamb, at the first vision of the throne,
set forth unto us, that is, as slain. "And I 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 slain" (Rev
5:6). Wherefore, by this word Lamb, we are to understand
who, or 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 Christ Jesus, whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his
blood" (Rom 3:24). And again, "We have redemption
through his blood," even "the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of God’s grace" (Eph 1:7).
Nor doth the Lamb of God, by becoming a means, through
death, of the conveyance of grace to us, at all darken the
nature or glory of grace, but rather doth set it off the more.
For wherein can grace or love more appear than in his
laying down his life for us? I 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 of justice as well as mercy,
be bestowed upon the world? Wherefore, as he saith here,
that the river of water of life proceedeth from God, so he
adds that the Lamb, because he would have us while we are
entangled and overcome with this river of God’s pleasure,
not forget what it cost the Lamb of God that this grace
might come unto us.
For the riches of grace and of wisdom are, that grace comes
to us not only in a way of mercy and compassion, but in a
way of justice and equity; but that could be by no other
means but by redeeming blood. Which redeeming blood
came not from us, 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 to me,
this is grace indeed. But, alas! 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, not only as a means of
conveyance, but as one that has power to give grace;
power, as he is the Son of Man. For as the Son of Man he is
the Lamb, and as he is the Lamb it cometh from him. "The
Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins" (Matt 9:6).
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 be to you, from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph 1:2; 1 Cor
1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3).
"Proceeding out of the throne." Formerly this river of water
is said to come from under the threshold of the house of the
Lord (Eze 47:1). And it is, said again, they "shall go out
from Jerusalem," that is, the church or house of God still
(Zech 14:8). In that they are said to come out from under
the threshold, it may be to intimate that they ran but low
formerly, if compared to what they do now. Which might
also be signified by this, that they "issued out," that that
issues out ordinarily comes forth but slowly. Also the
prophet saith, the first time he went through the waters,
they were but up to the ankles (Eze 47:3,4). But what is
ankle-deep to that which followeth after? 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, and type, were in their splendour, only the shadow
of heavenly things were in use, and that then grace ran but
slowly, nor would run much faster, because Jesus was not
yet glorified. For the Spirit and abundance of grace was to
be given not before but after his ascension.
Wherefore, now Jesus is ascended, now he is glorified, now
grace proceeds from the throne, not from the threshold of
the house. "He shewed me a pure river of water of life,
clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of
the Lamb."
THE THRONE. That of which the mercy-seat was a type,
that which is called the throne of grace (Exo 25:17; Heb
4:16). 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? and I shall answer it
is the humanity of Christ. He is the throne, he is the Jacob
in which God sitteth (Isa 22:22,23). And he shall be for a
glorious throne to his Father’s house (Rev 3:7). The fulness
of the Godhead dwells in him bodily; and God was in
Christ reconciling the world unto himself, nor can grace
come to men but by Christ, nor can God rest as to our
salvation but in him. But because I have spoken of this
thing more particularly upon that text, "Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace," &c., I 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.
First. A throne is the seat 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 the throne, it intimates, that in grace and 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 God (Hosea 3:5).
It is that which makes a man fear, it is that which makes a
man tremble, it is that which makes a man bow and bend,
and break to pieces (Jer 32:9). Nothing has that 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 this river of grace proceeds out of the throne of God, it
is to show us what a majesty, what a commanding
greatness, there is in 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 darkness and thunder, &c. But
when he went up the second time thither, "he made haste
and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped." But
why? because it was before proclaimed that "the Lord was
merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth; keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity, and transgression, and sin," &c. (Exo 34:6-9).
There is nothing overmastereth the heart like grace, and so
obligeth to sincere and unfeigned obedience as that.
"Examine me, O Lord," said David, "and prove me; try my
reins and my heart. For thy loving kindness is before mine
eyes: and I have walked in thy truth" (Psa 26:2,3).
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 4:16), that on which it sits and
reigns, as well as that from whence it proceeds: "Grace
reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus
Christ our Lord" (Rom 5:21).
Second. As a throne is a seat of majesty and greatness, and
so can awe, so it is the seat of authority and legislative
power, and so will awe; this is confirmed from what 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 shall be
damned," is a word of power, of law, and of authority, and
the contemner shall find it so. Grace proceeds from the
throne, 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. Is it better that thou
submit to the grace and mercy of God, and that thou
acceptest of grace to reign for thee, in thee, and over thee,
than that thou shouldst run the hazard of eternal damnation
because thou wouldst not be saved by grace? Consider of
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; better speak against twenty than against
one that is in authority. If "the wrath of a king is as
messengers of death" (Prov 16:14), if the wrath of the king
"is as the roaring of a lion," what is the wrath of God?
(Prov 19:12). And you know, to despise grace, to refuse
pardon, to be unwilling to be saved from the 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 favour is as dew upon the grass."
This, therefore, calls for thy most grave and sedate
thoughts. Thou art in a strait, wilt thou fly before Moses, or
with David fall into the hands of the Lord? wilt thou go to
hell for sin, 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" (Rom 5:2).
Third. As the throne is the seat of majesty and authority, so
it is the highest seat 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 faulty; wherefore in some
cases an appeal from such may be lawful or permitted; but
from the throne none can appeal. Now grace is upon the
throne, reigns upon the throne, proceeds from 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, none can appeal, Moses himself has forbid it. For
"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 all things whatsoever he shall say unto
you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will
not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the
people" (Acts 3:22,23).
See here, this NEW prophet judges in the highest court; 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, he allows that men may flee
from himself to this prophet for refuge; but there must be
no appeal from him. Thou must hear him or die. How shall
we escape, "if we turn away from him that speaketh from
heaven?" (Heb 12:25).
This, therefore, is to be duly weighed and deeply
considered by us. It is not a saint, nor a minister, nor a
prophet, nor an angel that speaks, for all these are but
servants, but inferiors; no, it is a voice from the throne,
from authority, from the highest authority; it is the Lord
from heaven. This grace proceeds from the throne, and,
therefore, men must stand and fall by what shall come from
hence. He that comes not hither to drink shall die for thirst.
He that refuses this water now, shall not have so much as
will hang upon the tip of his finger, if it would save his
soul, hereafter. "How shall we escape, if we neglect so
great salvation" (Heb 2:3).
Apostates will, therefore, from hence find gripping pangs
and burning coals, for they have turned themselves away
from this throne, and from the grace that proceeds
therefrom; nor is it to any purpose whatever they plead for
themselves. They are fallen from grace, and what can help
them? Christ is become of none effect unto such,
whosoever is, that is, seeks to be, justified by the law; they
"are fallen from grace" (Gal 5:4).
Fourth. The throne is the seat of glory, "When the Son of
man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him; then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory" (Matt
25:31). And if the throne of judgment is the seat of glory,
much more the throne of grace. We will venture then to say
that the throne of grace is the throne of God’s glory, as the
throne of judgment will be the throne of Christ’s glory, and
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 designed that
grace shall be effectual in, and to the salvation of some,
even "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he
hath made us accepted in his Beloved" (Eph 1:6). He has
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 of the
throne, to its own praise, 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 purpose of him who worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the
praise of his glory" (Eph 1:11,12). So that this throne is a
throne of glory. "A glorious high throne, from the
beginning is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer 17:12). 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 15:9).
"They glorify God for your professed subjection to the
gospel of Christ" (2 Cor 9:13), which is the gospel or good
tidings "of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). They, with
Abraham, believe, and give glory to God (Rom 4:20). And
with the Gentiles they glorify the word of the Lord (Acts
13:48).
But to slight 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? to contemn him when he is on the
throne, when he is on the throne of his glory? I say, it is to
spit in his face, even then 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 as
God, shall not they be more than damned, if more than
damned 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, but flatterers of God. Those
that only talk highly of grace, and submit not themselves
unto it, are but like to those that praise a look, or flatter him
in his own conceits. Grace God has exalted, has set it upon
the throne, and so made it a king, and given it authority to
reign; and thou goest by, and hearest thereof, but wilt not
submit thyself thereto, neither thy soul nor thy life; why,
what is this more than to flatter God with thy lips, and than
to lie unto him with thy tongue? what is this but to count
him less wise than thyself? while he seeks glory by that by
which thou wilt not glorify him; while he displays his grace
before thee in the world from the throne, and as thou goest
by, with a nod thou callest it a fine thing, but followest that
which leadeth therefrom? Tremble, tremble, ye sinners, that
have despised the richness of his goodness; the day is
coming when ye shall behold, and wonder, and perish, if
grace prevaileth not with you to be content to be saved by it
to the praise of its glory, and to the glory of him who hath
set it upon the throne (Acts 13:38-41).
Fifth. The throne is the seat of wisdom. Hence, he is called
"the Ancient of Days," that sits on this throne, the throne of
God (Dan 7:9). Infinite in wisdom, whose garments were
white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. By
Ancient of Days, and in that it is said 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 wise 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: "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, to
the end the promise might be sure to all the seed" (Rom
4:16). And, again, forgiveness is according to the riches of
his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all
wisdom and prudence (Eph 1:7,8). - Wherefore, to set
grace upon the throne, to let grace proceed out of the throne
as a river, is by the wise God, the only wise 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
justify freely, when it will, who it will, from what it will.
Grace can continue to pardon, favour, and save from falls,
in falls, out of falls. Grace can comfort, relieve, and help
those that have hurt themselves. 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, seeing God has set grace on the
throne, and ordered that it should proceed from this throne
to the world; yea, seeing 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. 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 (2 Sam 14:14; Prov 8:11,12).
So then, he that comes to, and drinks of this water, glorifies
God for his wisdom, praises God for his wisdom. Such an
one saith that God is only wise, and, bowing his head, saith
again, "to God only wise, be glory both now and for ever.
Amen." But he that shall contemn this grace, confronts the
highest wisdom, even wisdom upon the throne; he saith to
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; but
"shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him?"
He that reproveth God, let him answer it (Job 40:2).
The text says,[12] that this very doctrine to the Greeks, to the
wise, 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 wise ones, by their
wisdom, have fooled themselves to hell, that this
"foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of
God is stronger than men" (1 Cor 1:21-25).
Christ Jesus, because he was low in the world, is trampled
upon by some, but he is a glorious throne to his Father’s
house: for since his humility was the lowest 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,
and that because of the security that they are under that
indeed have submitted themselves to grace; "sin shall not
have dominion over you; for ye 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.
Now 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 of his
own wisdom; wherefore, sinner, 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.
Sixth. The throne is the seat of faithfulness, the place of
performing of engagements and promises. "When I shall
receive the congregation," saith Christ, "I will judge
uprightly," that is faithfully (Psa 75:2). And now he has
received it, and is made head over all things to it (Eph
1:22,23). And for this cause is he upon the throne, yea, is
the throne, from whence proceeds all this grace, that like a
river doth flow, and glide from heaven into the world. This
river, then, is nothing else but the fulfilling of promises; the
faithful fulfilling of promises. "If I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will
send him unto you" (John 16:7). "This is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the
last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all
flesh," &c. (Acts 2:16-18). Now this river is the Spirit, the
Spirit and grace of God, which was promised by the Father
and the Son, and now it comes running from the throne of
God and of the Lamb. For "being by the right hand of God
exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of
the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see
and hear" (Acts 2:33).
Behold, then, how mindful, how careful, how faithful our
Father and the Lamb of God is! It is not exaltation, nor
glory, nor a crown, nor a kingdom, nor a throne, that shall
make him neglect his poor ones on earth. Yea, therefore,
even because he is exalted and on the throne, 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 far
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 briers and thorns (Isa 32:13-17). But when
the tide is at the lowest, then it is nearest the rising; and this
river will rise, and in little time be no more so low as but
ankle-deep; it will be up to the knees, to the loins, and be a
broad river to swim in (Eze 47). For "there the glorious
Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams"
(Isa 33:21). "And there shall be no more curse" in the
church, "but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in
it, and his servants shall serve him" without molestation
(Rev 22:3-6).
"These sayings are faithful and true," and in faithfulness
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 thereby the
promises yield milk and honey. For now the faithful God,
that keepeth covenant, performs to his church that which he
told her he would. Wherefore, our rivers shall run, and our
brooks yield honey and butter (Job 20:17). Let this teach all
God’s people to expect, to look, and wait for good things
from the throne. But, O! methinks this throne, out of which
good comes like a river! who would not be a subject to it?
who would not but worship before it? But,
Seventh. A throne is "the seat of justice." "Justice and
judgment are the habitation of thy throne" (Psa 89:14). 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 him
(Rom 3:24). God declares that he can justly justify, and
justly forgive (1 John 1:9). Now, if he can justly justify and
justly forgive, then can he give grace, and cause that it
should proceed to, yea, flow after us as a river (1 Cor 10:4).
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 that followed them; the rock was
not removed out of his place, but the flood followed them
whither they went. "He opened the rock and the waters
gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river" (Psa
105:41). This rock, saith he, was Christ, that is,
figuratively: and this throne is Christ really: and the water
gushing out of the rock, and following of them in the
wilderness, was to show how, when Christ became a
throne, grace and goodness should follow us in the
wilderness from thence so long as here we abide.
Wherefore David, considering this, said, "Surely goodness
and mercy shall FOLLOW me all the days of my life, and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever" (Psa 23:6).
But whence must this come? The text says from the throne;
from the throne, the seat of justice; for from thence, by
reason of what HE hath found in Christ for us, 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 infinite heart beyond thought.
All is paid for both US and grace (John 7:39). We are
bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20). He has obtained eternal
redemption for us (Heb 9:12). Yea, and as we are made his,
and heaven made ours thus, so this river of grace has been
also obtained by him for us (John 7:38). Wherefore, all
comes to us in a way of justice and righteousness. Hence
we are said to obtain "faith through the righteousness of
God" (2 Peter 1:1), that is, through the justice of God, and
of Jesus our Lord. Mark, here is the justice of God, and the
justice of Jesus our Lord; and we have our faith from the
justice of God, because of the righteousness of Jesus our
Lord; that is, Jesus answered with works of justice the
demands of justice; and therefore, in a way of justice, grace
reigns, and comes to us like a river, as is signified, for that
it is said to come to us out of the throne.
Again, grace is said "to reign through righteousness unto
eternal life" (Rom 5:21). Through what righteousness? the
righteousness or justice of God by Jesus Christ our Lord.
By Jesus Christ, or for his sake. For for his sake, as I said,
we are forgiven; and for his sake have all things pertaining
to life and godliness. Which all things come to us, through,
or down, the stream of this river in a way of justice; and,
therefore, it is said to come from the throne.
Eighth. This throne is the seat of grace and mercy; and,
therefore, it is called the mercy-seat 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 (2 Sam 21:10,14).
And it may be said of us there is nothing suffered to come
near us, until it is washed in that water that proceeds from
the throne of grace. Hence afflictions flow from grace (Psa
119:67), persecutions flow from grace; poverty, sickness,
yea, death itself is now made ours by the grace of God
through Christ (1 Cor 3:22; Rev 3:19; Heb 12:5-7). O
grace, O happy church of God! all things that happen to
thee are, for Christ’s sake, turned into grace. They talk of
the philosopher’s stone, and how, if one had it, it would
turn all things into gold. O! but can it turn all things into
grace? can it make all things work together for good? No,
no, this quality, virtue, excellency, what shall I call it,
nothing has in it, but the grace that reigns on the throne of
grace, the river that proceeds from the throne of God. This,
this turns majesty, authority, the highest authority, glory,
wisdom, faithfulness, justice, and all into grace. Here is a
throne! God let us see it. John had the honour to see it, and
to see the streams proceeding from it. O sweet sight! O
heart-ravishing sight! "He showed me a pure river of water
of life proceeding out of the throne of God."
Indeed, as was hinted before, in the days of the reign of
Antichrist there are not those visions of this throne, nor of
the river that proceedeth therefrom. Now he holdeth back
the face of his throne, and spreadeth a cloud upon it; but the
preserving, saving benefits thereof we have, as also have all
the saints, in the most cloudy and dark day. And since we
can see so little, we must believe the more; and by
believing, give glory to God. We must also labour for more
clear Scripture knowledge of this throne; for the holy Word
of God is the perspective glass by which we may, and the
magnifying glass that will cause us to behold, "with open
face, the glory of the Lord" (2 Cor 3:18).
But, methinks, I have yet said nothing of this throne, which
is indeed none other but the spotless and glorified humanity
of the Son of God. This throne is the Lord Jesus, this grace
comes from the Divine Majesty, as dwelling bodily in the
Lord Jesus. Wherefore let us fall down before the throne,
and cast our crowns at the foot of the throne, and give
thanks to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for
ever and ever. O how should Jesus be esteemed of! The
throne of the king is a royal seat: it is said of Solomon’s,
"there was not the like made in any kingdom" (1 Kings
10:20). But of this it may be said there is not its like in
heaven and earth. At the setting up of this throne, the
angels flocked round about it, and the beasts and the elders
gathered together to see it (Rev 4). When this throne was
set in heaven, there was silence, all the heavenly host had
no leisure to talk; they were surprised with sight and
wonder. When this throne was set in heaven, what talk
there was! it was as the music of the trumpet.[13]
"And behold," says John, "a door was opened in heaven;
and the first voice which I 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 behold 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 four beasts,
and the elders, and all the angels in heaven. "A throne was
set in heaven, and one sat upon 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 seeing? Yea, if John had taken the pains to
go up thither upon his hands and knees, I say, to see 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," [how richly would he have been rewarded for his
pains].
[THE NATURE AND QUALITY OF THIS WATER.]
[FOURTH.] But I leave this, and proceed to the fourth and
last 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 of life, clear as crystal."
I know that there is a two-fold quality in a thing, one with
respect to its nature, and the other with respect to its
operation. The first of these is inherent, and remaineth in
the subject being as such, and so for the most part useless.
The other is put forth then when it meeteth with fit matter
on which it may freely work. As to instance aquae vitae,
the very metaphor here made use of, hath a quality inherent
in it, but keep it stopped up in a bottle, and then who will
may faint notwithstanding; but apply it, apply it fitly, and to
such as have need thereof, and then you may see its quality
by the operation. This water, or river of grace, is called, I
say, the water of life, and so, consequently, has a most
blessed inherent quality; but its operation is seen 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 not. And thus far, 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.
[The operative quality of this water.]
FIRST. Then this water of life is the very groundwork of
life in us, though not the groundwork of life for us. The
groundwork 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 it 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 come from God through him; therefore, as to the
communications of grace to us, it is the fruit of his merit
and purchase. But, I say, in us grace is the groundwork of
life; for though we may be said before 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 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 to
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; that being life to the soul, as the
soul 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.[14]
Now when this living water is received, it takes up its seat
in the heart, whence it spreads itself to the awakening of all
the powers of the soul. For, as in the first creation, the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, in order to
putting of that creature into that excellent fashion and
harmony which now we behold with our eyes; even so the
new creation, to wit, the making of 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
soul, as the hen doth on cold eggs, till they wax warm and
receive life. The Spirit, then, warmeth us, and bringeth the
dead and benumbed soul - for so it is before conversion -
to a godly sense 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 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, faith, fear, love, desires
after God, hope, sincerity, and what else is necessary for
the making the 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.
Hence the Spirit is called the Spirit of faith, the Spirit of
love, and the Spirit of a sound mind; for that the Spirit is
the root and original of all these things, by his operations
in, and upon, the face of the soul (2 Cor 4:13; Gal 5:22; 2
Tim 1:7).
But, again, as this living water, this Spirit and the 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 saith, "I will water it every moment"; water
IT - his vineyard, the soul of the church, the graces of the
church; and so the soul and graces of every godly man (Isa
27:3).
And because it so happeneth sometimes, that some of those
things wherewith the Holy Ghost has beautified the soul
may languish to a being, if not quite dead, yet "ready to
die" (Rev 3:2), therefore he doth not only refresh and water
our souls, but renews the face thereof, by either quickening
to life that which remains, or by supplying of us with that
which is new, to our godly perseverance and everlasting
life. Thus "thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; thou
greatly enrichest it with the river of God" (Psa 65:9).
For this must be remembered, that as the herb that is
planted, or seed 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
settlest the furrows thereof: thou makes it soft with
showers: thou blessest the springing thereof" (Psa 65:10).
Hence he says that our graces shall grow. But how? "I will
be as the 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" (Hosea 14:5-
7). Or, as he saith in another place, "The Lord shall guide
thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make
fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and
like a spring of water, whose waters fail not" (Isa 58:11).
There is, besides this, another blessing that comes to us by
this living water, and that is, the blessing 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, run into
that assembly (Jer 31:12,13). Then are Christians like those
that drink wine in bowls, merry and glad; for that they have
drank into the Spirit, and had their souls refreshed with the
sweet gales and strong wine thereof. This is the feast that
Isaiah speaks of, when he saith, "In this mountain shall the
Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a
feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of
wines on the lees well refined" (Isa 25:6). This is called in
another place, "the communion of the Holy Ghost" (2 Cor
13:14). Now he warmeth spirits, uniteth spirits,
enlighteneth spirits; revives, cherisheth, quickeneth,
strengtheneth graces; renews assurances, brings old
comforts to mind, weakens lusts, emboldeneth and raiseth a
spirit of faith, of love, of hope, of prayer, and makes the
Word a blessing, conference a blessing, meditation a
blessing, and duty very delightful to the soul. Without this
water of life, communion is weak, flat, cold, dead, fruitless,
lifeless; there is nothing seen, felt, heard, or understood in a
spiritual and heart-quickening way. Now ordinances are
burdensome, sins strong, faith weak, hearts hard, and the
faces of our souls 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 faint 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 thrifty, the soul
thrifty, graces thrifty, and all is well. And this hint I thought
convenient to be given of this precious water of life, that is,
with reference to the operative quality of it.
[The other qualities of this water.]
SECOND. I shall come, in the next place, to speak of it, as
to the other descriptions which John doth give us of it. He
says it is, First, pure; Second, clear; Third, clear to a
comparison: "And he showed me a pure river of water of
life, clear as crystal."
[First. The purity of this water.]
1. You read here that this water of life is PURE, that is,
alone without mixture, for so sometimes that word PURE is
to be understood. As where it saith, pure, "pure olive oil"
(Exo 27:20). "Pure frankincense" (Exo 30:34). "Pure gold"
(Exo 25:11,17). "Pure blood of the grape" (Deut 32:14),
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 had nothing in
it but life. There was no death, or deadness, 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 heart, nothing but love, nothing but grace,
nothing but life. "The gifts and calling of God are without
repentance" (Rom 11:29).
2. PURE is sometimes set in opposition to show or
appearance; as where he says, "the stars are not pure" (Job
25:5). That is, not so without mixture of darkness, as they
seem to be: so again, "If thou wert pure and upright" (Job
8:6): that is, as thou seemest to be, or as thou wouldst have
us believe thou art.
Now, take pure in this sense here, and then the meaning is,
it is grace without deceit, without guile; its show and its
substance are 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 very heart.
The great fear of the tempted is, that there is not so much
grace in God, and that he is not so free of it 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 fable 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 exceeding riches of his grace,
which as far, for quantity, outstrips the biggest rivers, as the
most mighty mountain doth the least ant’s egg or atom in
the world.
3. 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," that is, I have hurt nobody (Acts 20:26). "The
wisdom that is from above is first pure," it is not hurtful
(James 3:17). Do you count them pure with the wicked
balances? how can that be, since they are hurtful? (Micah
6:11).
Now take PURE in this sense here, and then it intimates,
that the grace of God, and the doctrine of grace, is not a
hurtful thing. It is not as wine of an intoxicating nature. If a
man be filled with it, it will do him no harm (Eph 5:18).
The best of the things that are of this world are some way
hurtful. Honey is hurtful (Prov 25:16,27). Wine is
hurtful (Prov 20:1). Silver and gold are hurtful, but grace is
not hurtful (1 Tim 6:10). Never did man yet catch harm by
the enjoyment and fulness of the grace of God. There is no
fear of excess or of surfeiting here. Grace makes no man
proud, no man wanton, no man haughty, no man careless or
negligent as to his duty that is incumbent upon him, either
from God or man: no, grace keeps a man low in his own
eyes, humble, self-denying, penitent, watchful, savoury in
good things, charitable, and makes him kindly affectionated
to the 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
lasciviousness (Jude 4). But this is, not because grace has
any such tendency, or for that it worketh any such effect;
but because such men are themselves empty of grace, and
have only done as death and hell hath done with wisdom,
"heard the fame thereof with their ears" (Job 28:22). It is a
dangerous thing for a man to have the notions of 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 lusts, 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 did 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 fail betray both it, and the
profession of it, to the greatest enemies it has in the world.
And here I may say, though grace is pure, and not hurtful at
all, yet one altogether carnal, sinful, and graceless, having
to do with the doctrine of it, by the force of his lusts which
tamper with it, he will unavoidably bring himself into the
highest ruin thereby. An unwary man may destroy himself
by the best of things, not because there is in such things an
aptness to destroy, but because of the abuse and misuse of
them. Some know the way of life, the water of life, by
knowledge that is naked and speculative only; and 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 the
knowledge subservient to their lusts (2 Peter 2:20-22).
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 the rain; they either abide as hard
stones still, or else return nothing to heaven for his mercy,
but as the dunghills do, a company of stinking 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 briers and thorns; and these are they
who are nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned (Heb
6:7,8).
By this word PURE I understand sometimes the chiefest
good, the highest good. There are many things that may be
called good, but none of them are good as grace is good.
All things indeed are pure, that is, all creatures in
themselves are good and serviceable to man, but they are
not so good as grace (Rom 14:20; Gen 1:31). "There is a
generation that are pure," that are good in their own eyes
(Prov 30:12). 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 of life, therefore is good, superlatively good, good in
the highest degree, for that it makes all things good, and
preserveth them good. And whatever it be that this water of
life washeth not, it is soil, 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" (Eze 47:1).
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, because though it is good in itself, good in
the highest degree, and that which makes all things good,
yet it is not such a good as is suited to a carnal appetite.
There is good; and there is suitable good. Now suitable
good is of two sorts: either such as is spiritual, or such as is
temporal. That which is spiritual, is desired only of them
that are spiritual; for temporal good will satisfy a carnal
mind. Now grace is a spiritual good; this river of grace is
the goodness of spiritual good. It is the original life of all
the grace in our souls. No marvel, then, if it be so little set
by of those that are carnally minded. They will serve a
horse, and mire will serve a sow; so things of this life suit
best with the men of this world; for their appetite is gross
and carnal, and they savour not the things that be of the
Spirit of God. "The natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God," the things that be of this river of God;
"for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14).
This is the river of OIL which the prophet speaks of, the
river of SPIRIT. Were it a river of gold and silver, there
would be old fishing on the banks thereof. But it is a river
that runs "like oil, saith the Lord God" (Eze 32:14). This
rock pours us out "rivers of oil" (Job 29:6) - "fresh oil"
(Psa 92:10) - "soft oil" (Psa 55:21) - "the oil of joy" (Isa
61:3) - "the oil of gladness" (Psa 45:7) - oil to anoint the
head withal (Eccl 9:8) - oil to make the face to shine (Psa
104:15) - oil by which thou wilt be made able to honour
both God and man in some good measure as becomes thee
(Judg 9:9).
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 shall proceed no further upon this, but
will come to that which remains.
[Second. The clearness of this water of life.]
As this river of water of life is said to be pure, so it is said
to be CLEAR. "He shewed me a pure river of water of life,
clear." This term has also its particular signification, and,
therefore, ought to be heeded.
1. CLEAR is set in opposition to dark; therefore some are
said to be "clear as the sun" (Cant 6:10). And again, "the
light shall not be clear nor dark" (Zech 14:6). In both these
places, clear is to be taken for light, daylight, sunlight; for,
indeed, it is never day nor sunshine with the soul, until the
streams of this river of water of life come gliding to our
doors, into our houses, into our hearts. Hence the beginning
of conversion is called illumination (Heb 10:32). 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 (Luke 1:78). It is also called the dawning of the day (2
Peter 1:19). And hence, again, these men unto whom this
river of water of life comes not, are said to be dark,
darkness. "Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye
light in the Lord" (Eph 5:8). Wherefore, this water is like
Jonathan’s honey; it hath a faculty to open the eyes, to
make them that sit in darkness see a great light (1 Sam
14:27; Matt 4:16). The light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the faith of Jesus Christ; "God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts
to give the light"; the Spirit that enlighteneth and giveth the
light, "of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ" (2 Cor 4:6). This river casteth beams where it
goes, like the beams of the sun; 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. And if you will believe him,
he saith this light from heaven was a great light, a light
above the brightness of the sun, a light that did by the glory
of it make dark to him all the things in the world (Acts 9:3,
22:6, 26:13).
2. 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, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to
behold the sun" (Eccl 11:7). I read of rivers that looked red
as blood, that stank like the blood of a dead man, but this is
no such river (Exo 7:19,20; 2 Kings 3:22,23). I read of
rivers whose streams are like streams of brimstone, fiery
streams, streams of burning pitch, but this is none of them
(Isa 30:27-33; David 7:9-11; Isa 34:9). "There is a river"
besides all these, clear and pleasant, "the streams whereof
shall make glad the city of God" (Psa 46:4).
There are the waters that the doves love to sit by, because
by the clearness of these streams they can see their pretty
selves, as in a glass (Cant 5:12).
These are the streams where the 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 fair waters a man may see the body
of the sun, and of the moon, and of the stars, and the very
body of heaven; so he that stands upon the bank of this
river, and that washeth his eyes with this water, may see the
Son of God, the stars of God, the glory of God, and the
habitation that God has prepared for his people. And are
not these pleasant sights? is not this excellent water? has
not this river pleasant streams?
3. CLEAR is set in opposition to dirty water and
muddiness. I read of some waters that are fouled with the
feet of beasts, and with the feet of men, yea, and deep
waters too. Yea, saith God to some, ye "have drunk 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 feet" (Eze 34:18,19). These waters are
doctrines contained in the text, muddied and dirtied by the
false glosses and sluttish opinions of erroneous judgments,
of which the poor sheep have been made to drink. And,
verily, this is apparent enough by the very colour and hue
of those poor souls; for though the truth of God was in
them, yet the very stain of tradition and superstition might
be also seen in their scales. For as the fish of the river
receive, by being there, the changeable colours of the
waters, so professors, what doctrine they hear and drink, do
look like that. If 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, so are
their notions, for their doctrine has given them a clear
understanding of things.[15]
Now, here we have a river of water of life that 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 all in the church, so that they
need not those instruments of conveyance that are foul, and
that use to make water stink, if they receive it to bring it to
them that have need.
4. By clear we sometimes understand purgation; or that a
thing has purged itself, or is purged from those soils and
imputations of evil wherewith sometimes they have been
charged. "Then thou shalt be clear from this my oath"; or,
"How shall we clear ourselves?" (Gen 24:8-14, 44:16).
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 judgest" (Psa 51:4),
will they, think you, be afraid to impute evil to his Word,
and grace, and Spirit? No, verily; they are bold enough at
this work. Nay, more than this, even from the foundation of
the world, men have cast slanders upon, and imputed based
things into the blessed grace of the gospel. But not to look
so far 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 world" (Acts 24:5,6). 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 upon it, and of all bad imputations of evil men’s
springs, and rivers are of a self-purging quality. Now, here
we have to do with a river - a river of water of life; but a
river more slandered than ever did Naaman the Syrian
slander the waters of Israel in preferring those of Abana
and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, beyond them (2 Kings
5:10-12). But behold now, at last, when all the world have
done what they can, and cast what reproaches and slanders
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 clear we sometimes understand purity manifest, or
innocency and goodness made known. "In all things ye
have approved yourselves to be CLEAR in this matter" (2
Cor 7:11). 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; hence he says, "Put me in
remembrance; let us plead together; declare thou," if thou
canst, "that thou mayest be justified," and I condemned (Isa
43:26). So again: "What iniquity have your fathers found in
me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after
vanity, and are become vain?" (Jer 2:5). So Christ: "Which
of you convinceth me of sin?" (John 8:46). And "If I have
spoken evil, bear witness of the evil" (John 18:23). So Paul:
We "have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not
walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God
deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending
ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God" (2
Cor 4:2). All these sentences are chiefly to be applied to
doctrine, and so are, as it were, an offer to any, if they can,
to find a speck, or a spot, or a wrinkle, or any such thing in
this river 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,[16] another shrinks, and another will none of
God. Meanwhile, whoso shall 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 sun of spots.
[Third. - this river is clear to the most perfect comparison.]
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 far into it, yea, through it;
it is without those spots, and streaks, and smirches that are
in other precious stones. Wherefore, when he saith that this
river is clear as crystal, it is as if God should say, Look,
sinners, look to the bottom of these my crystal streams. I
have heard of some seas that are so pure and clear, that a
man may see to the bottom though they may be forty feet
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 wideness of it, it is said to be such
as that it cannot be passed over; but I say, it is nowhere said
that we cannot see to the bottom; nay, the comparison
implies that a man with good eyes may see to the bottom. It
is clear, as clear as crystal. So, then, we will a little look
down to the bottom, and see, through these crystal streams,
what is at the bottom of all.
1. Then the bottom of all is, "That we might be saved"
(John 5:34). "These things I say," saith Christ, "that ye
might be saved"; and, again, "I am come that you might
have life, and that you might have it more abundantly"
(John 10:10). 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 few deep rivers have a good bottom. Mud is at
the bottom of most waters in the world; even the sea itself,
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 bottom.
2. As the bottom of all is, "that we may be saved," so that
we may be saved by grace, and this is a bottom sounder and
sounder. Our salvation might have been laid upon a more
difficult bottom than this. It might have been laid on our
works. God might have laid it there, and have been just, or
he might have left us to have laid it where we would; and
then, to be sure, we had laid it there, and so had made but a
muddy bottom to have gone upon to life. But now, this
river of water of life, it has a better bottom; the water of life
is as clear as crystal, look down to the bottom and see, we
are "justified freely by his grace" (Rom 3:24). "By grace ye
are saved," there is the bottom (Eph 2:5,8).
Now, grace, as I have showed you, is a firm bottom to
stand on; it is of grace that life might be sure (Rom 4:16).
Surely David was not here, or surely this was not the river
that he spake of when he said, "I sink in deep mire, where
there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the
floods overflow me. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me
not sink" (Psa 69:2,14). I say, to be sure this could not be
the river. No, David was now straggled out of the way, was
tumbled into some pit, or into some muddy and dirty hole;
for as for this river it has a good bottom, a bottom of
salvation by grace, and a man needs not cry out when he is
here that he sinks, or that he is in danger of being drowned
in mud or mire.
3. The bottom of all is, as I said, that we might be saved,
saved by grace, and I will add, "through the redemption
that is in Christ." This is still better and better. We read
that, when Israel came over Jordan, the feet of the priests
that did bear the ark stood on firm ground in the bottom,
and that they set up great stones for a memorial thereof
(Josh 3:17, 4:1-3). But had Jordan so good a bottom as has
this most blessed river of water of life, or were the stones
that Israel took out thence like this "tried stone," this "sure
foundation?" (Isa 28:16). O the throne! this river comes out
of the throne, and we are saved by grace through the
redemption that is in him. We read that there is a city that
has foundations; grace is one, Christ another, and the truth
of all the prophets and apostles, as to their true doctrine,
another, &c. (Heb 11:10). And again, all these are the very
bottom of this goodly river of the water of life (Eph
2:19,20).
4. There is another thing to be seen at the bottom of this
holy river, and that is, the glory of God; we are saved,
saved by grace, saved by grace through the redemption that
is in Christ to the praise and glory of God. And what a good
bottom is here. Grace will not fail, Christ has been
sufficiently tried, and God will not lose his glory. Therefore
they that drink of this river shall doubtless be saved; to wit,
they that drink of it of a spiritual appetite to it. And thus
much for the explication of the text.
[THE APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE.]
I now come to make some use of the whole.
You know our discourse has been at this time of the water
of life, of its quantity, head-spring, and quality; and I have
showed you that its nature is excellent, its quantity
abundant, its head-spring glorious, and its quality
singularly good.
FIRST. Let this, then, in the first place, be a provocation to
us to be more free in making use of this water. There are
many, now-a-days, that are for inventing of waters, to drink
for the health of the body; and to allure those that are ill to
buy, they will praise their waters beyond their worth. Yea,
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 calls it
the water of life, water of life for the soul: this water is
probatum est.[17] It has been proved times without number;
it never fails but where it is not taken (Acts 26:18; Isa
5:4,5). No disease comes amiss to it; it cures blindness,
deadness, deafness, dumbness. It makes "the lips of those
that are asleep to speak" (Cant 7:9). This is the right HOLY
WATER,[18] all other is counterfeit: it will drive away
devils and spirits; it will cure enchantments and
witchcrafts; it will heal the mad and lunatic (Gal 3:1-3;
Mark 16:17,18). It will cure the most desperate
melancholy; it will dissolve doubts and mistrusts, though
they are grown as hard as stone in the heart (Eze 36:26). It
will make you speak well (Col 4:6). It will make you have
a white soul, and that is better than to have a white skin
(Eze 36:25,26). It will make you taste well; it will make
you disrelish all hurtful meats (Isa 30:22). It will beget in
you a good appetite to that which is good; it will remove
obstructions in the stomach and liver. It will cause that
what you receive of God’s bread shall turn to good
nourishment, and make good blood. In a word, it preserveth
life (John 4:14). They that take this water shall live longer
than did old Methuselah, and yet he lived a great while
(Gen 5:27).
Wherefore, let me continue my exhortation to you. Be more
free in making use of this water; it is the wholesomest
water in the world; you may take it at the third, sixth, ninth,
or eleventh hour, but to take it in the morning of your age is
best (Matt 20:3-6). For then diseases have not got so great a
head as when they are of long continuance, consequently
they will be removed with far more ease; besides, those that
thus do will receive endless life, and the comfort of it
betimes; and that, you know, is a double life to one (Eccl
11:1-4).
This water gently purges, and yet more effectually than any
others. True, where bad humours are more tough and
churlish, it will show itself stronger of operation, for there
is no disease can be too hard for it. It will, as we say, throw
the house out of the windows; but it will rid us of the
plague of those most deadly infections that otherwise will
be sure to make us sleep in death, and bring us, with the
multitude, down to hell. But it will do no hurt; it only
breaks our sleep in security, and brings us to a more quick
apprehension of the plague of our heart and flesh. It will, as
I said before, provoke to appetite, but make us only long
after that which is wholesome. If any ask why I thus
allegorize, I answer, the text doth lead me to it.
SECOND. I advise, therefore, in the next place, that thou
get thee a dwelling-place by these waters. "The beloved of
the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall
cover him all the day long" (Deut 33:12). 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" (Rev 22:2). If ye will
inquire, inquire, return, come. "The seed also of his
servants shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall
dwell therein" (Psa 69:36). Get thee a dwelling in
Jerusalem, in the midst of Jerusalem, and then thou wilt be
seated by this river.
In old times, the