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wardly" but now eternal mercy working with this or that affliction, makes it profitable to the chosen; "I have seen his ways, and will heal him, and will restore comfort to him and to his mourners ;" as he saith in another place, "Blessed is the man whom thou chastisest, and teachest out of thy law." For eternal mercy doth not look on those who are the elect and chosen of God as poor sinful creatures only, but also as the generation whom the Lord hath blessed, in whom he hath designed to magnify his mercy to the utmost, by pardoning the transgressions of the remnant of his heritage, having predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, wherein also he hath made us accepted in the Beloved. Wherefore I say, the elect, as they do also receive that grace and mercy that may be sinned away, so they have that grace and mercy which cannot be lost, and that sin cannot deprive them of, even mercy that abounds, and goeth beyond all sin; such mercy as hath engaged the power of God, the intercession of Christ, and the communication of the blessed Spirit of adoption, which Spirit also engageth the heart, directs it into the love of God, that it may not depart from God after that rate as the reprobates do. "I will make an everlasting covenant with them," saith God, "that I will not turn away from them to do them good, but will put my fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from me," Rom. viii. 28; Psalm xciv. 12; cxix. 71; 1 Cor. xi. 31, 32; Isaiah, lvii. 17, 18; 1 Peter, ii. 9; Mic. vii. 18, 19; Ephes. i. 5, 6; v. 29, 30; Jer. xxxii. 40.

But now I say, God's dealing with the nonelect is far otherwise, they being under the consideration of eternal justice, even then when in the enjoyment of present grace and mercy. And hence it is that as to their standing before the God of heaven they are counted dogs, and sows, and devils, even then when before the elect of God themselves they are counted saints and brethren: "The dog is returned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." And the reason is, because notwithstanding all their show before the world, their old nature and corruptions do still bear sway within, which in time also, according to the

ordinary judgment of God, is suffered so to shew itself, that they are visible to saints that are elect as was the case of Simon Magus, and that wicked apostate Judas, who went out from us, "but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they should no doubt have continued with us; but they went out from us, that it might be manifest they were not all of us." They were not elect as we, nor were they sanctified as the eleet of God themselves, wherefore eternal justice counts them the sons of perdition when under their profession. And I say, they being under this eternal justice, it must needs have to do with them in the midst of their profession; and because also it is much offended with them for conniving with their lusts, it taketh away from them, and that most righteously, those gifts and graces, and benefits and privileges, that present mercy gave them; and not only so, but cuts them off for their iniquity, and layeth them under wrath for ever.

They have forsaken the right way, saith God, they have followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor; these are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever," 1 John, ii. 19; John, xvii. 12; Matt. xiii. 12; xxv. 29; Mark, iv. 25; Luke, viii. 18; 2 Peter, ii. 5, 16, 17; Jude, 11-13.

These things thus considered, you see, 1. That there is present grace and present mercy, eternal grace and eternal mercy.

2. That the elect are under eternal mercy, and that when under present justice; and that the reprobate is under eternal justice, and that when under present mercy.

3. Thus you see again that the non-elect perish by reason of sin, notwithstanding present mercy, because of eternal justice; and that the elect are preserved from the death (though they sin, and are obnoxious to the strokes of present justice) by reason of eternal mercy. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and compassion on whom he will have compassion."

THE WATER OF LIFE.

THE WATER OF LIFE;

OR,

A DISCOURSE SHEWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL,

AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, "THE WATER OF LIFE.”

REV. XXII. 17 “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

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COURTEOUS READER,

THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.

I HAVE now presented thee with something of a discourse of the water of life and its virtues, therefore thou mayst, 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 as 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 mayst 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, or, as thou art bidden, come to the waters, 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, " to him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely," Rev. xxi. 6. Hence he says again, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely," (chap. xxii. 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. xli. 17, 18.

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.

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"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

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. Wherefore he saith, And shewed me-he, the angel, shewed 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 shewed me the water of life."

Secondly, We have also here the quantity of this water shewed to him, and that is under the notion of a river. "He shewed me a river of water of life."

Thirdly, He shews him also the head, or wellspring from whence this river of water of life proceeds, and that is, the throne of God and of the Lamb. 41 He shewed me a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

Fourthly, We have also here the nature and quality of this water-it is pure, it is clear, it is clear as crystal. "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."

We will begin with the first of these-to wit, with the matter, the subject-matter of the text, which 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." shewed me the water of life.

He

That it is the Spirit of grace, or the Spirit and grace of God, that is here intended, consider,

1. The Spirit of grace is in other places compared to water; and,

2. It is also called the Spirit of life. Just as here it is presented unto us-" He shewed me the water of life."

1. 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, iv. 14. What can here by water be intended but the Spirit of grace, that this poor harlot the woman of Samaria wanted, although she was ignorant of her want, as also of the ex

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cellency thereof? which water also is here said to be such as will spring up in them that have it, as a well unto everlasting life.

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

Yea, 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 thy offspring," Isa. xliv. 3. And Zechariah saith, "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall mourn," &c., Zech. xii. 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.

2. It is also called the Spirit of life. 1. More closely.

2. More openly.

First, More closely, where it is called living water, that living water, and water springing up to everlasting life, John, iv. 10, 11, 14; vii. 38.

Secondly, Then more openly or expressly it is called the Spirit of life. And after three days and a half" the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet," Rev. xi. 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,

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, xv. 16. So, then, that grace and the Spirit of grace is compared to water, it is to shew what an antidote grace is against sin, (Zech. xiii. 1 ;) 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.

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