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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.s, 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 G.o.d"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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d, to his grace, and to the word of his grace; such, I say, "glorify G.o.d for his mercy" (Rom 15:9). "They glorify G.o.d for your professed subjection to the gospel of Christ" (2 Cor 9:13), which is the gospel or good tidings "of the grace of G.o.d"
(Acts 20:24). They, with Abraham, believe, and give glory to G.o.d (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 G.o.d? 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 d.a.m.ned because they glorified him not as G.o.d, shall not they be more than d.a.m.ned, if more than d.a.m.ned 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 G.o.d, but flatterers of G.o.d. 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d (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 G.o.d, it is as much as to say the wise G.o.d, 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 G.o.d, the only wise G.o.d, 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 h.e.l.l. 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 G.o.d cannot do, but only by the riches of his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. Wherefore, seeing G.o.d 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 G.o.d for his wisdom, praises G.o.d for his wisdom. Such an one saith that G.o.d is only wise, and, bowing his head, saith again, "to G.o.d 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 G.o.d. I could have found out a more safe way to heaven myself; and had I been of G.o.d"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 G.o.d, 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 h.e.l.l, that this "foolishness of G.o.d is wiser than men, and the weakness of G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d. Now here is the wisdom of G.o.d, even wisdom upon the throne. It pleased G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.s in the last days, saith G.o.d, 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 G.o.d, which was promised by the Father and the Son, and now it comes running from the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb. For "being by the right hand of G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d upon Antichrist, by whose means the land of G.o.d"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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 b.u.t.ter (Job 20:17). Let this teach all G.o.d"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). G.o.d 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 G.o.d" (2 Peter 1:1), that is, through the justice of G.o.d, and of Jesus our Lord. Mark, here is the justice of G.o.d, and the justice of Jesus our Lord; and we have our faith from the justice of G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.dliness.
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 G.o.d through Christ (1 Cor 3:22; Rev 3:19; Heb 12:5-7). O grace, O happy church of G.o.d! 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 G.o.d. This, this turns majesty, authority, the highest authority, glory, wisdom, faithfulness, justice, and all into grace. Here is a throne! G.o.d 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 G.o.d."
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 G.o.d. We must also labour for more clear Scripture knowledge of this throne; for the holy Word of G.o.d is the perspective gla.s.s by which we may, and the magnifying gla.s.s 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 G.o.d. 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, G.o.d. 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 G.o.d 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 pa.s.sion 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d, 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 G.o.dly 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d is called for.
It implanteth light, repentance, faith, fear, love, desires after G.o.d, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.dly 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 G.o.dly perseverance and everlasting life. Thus "thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; thou greatly enrichest it with the river of G.o.d" (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 a.s.sembly (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 a.s.surances, brings old comforts to mind, weakens l.u.s.ts, 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.d and from his throne in appearance, and really it comes from his very heart.