The ti'orth ofthe Water ofL, /. zòs Mans deuotion for his reliefe Heecommeth toone, and he makes wifentitto hearer toanother , and he biddethhimcome againe another time ; toathird, and he faith he hathno money abouthim; toa fourth, and he would glue if hee had wherewith toexchange : to a fifth,andhe Lich flee is a poore man himfelfeq and hathas much neede to aske asbee And thus eúeryvnwMing mindefinding an encore , hce pickerh out bona few poo a pence outofa great and populous congregation. -.So it farethwith the gracesòf,Godoffered to vs in the ordinarie Miniltery of the word. They paffe (as itwere) fromCrate to fente, from pue to pile; from one end ofthe Church ',taroanother , humbly filing and forcibly per_ (wading, to beentertained : But (alas) there is filcha generali benumniedneffe andfrozendnadne(Te, polTell'eththe heartsofnhegneatelh pal t, that (I knownot how)grace, the more kindly it isoffered, the leffe it is efieemed, and though the water of life doe rune (as it were thorough our fireetes, yet men willfcarcely fioope toreceiucit., I am even woe to thinke upon it, howmen andwoman,that now thinke allis well inough,and doe i receine thegrace ofGod in vaine,andkneg. i'.Coe Cr. leilf greatfaluation, (hall oneday with teares ofblood befuters for onedropof k Heb.:; grace, and yet (hall not beableobtaineit. Well rhen,ifwewoulddrinkeofthe hroúhrto water which Chtift hath to giue vs,letvs labour to thirftafter it: you Will fay vn- rhr.ft f.e tome, how(hall we come to thisfpirituall chi, ft? Jwill (hewyou how. There be ehrd, two thingsefpecially beget thirft:the one is Labour. I needenot prooneit, yee know it well enoughby experience o fo then a fpiritualllabour will begeta (ptri- tuall thirfi. But what is this fpirituall Labour ;itis this : a trauelling ender the watghtand burthen ofa mans owne fins: Ifthoucant}once fay with Danid,t doy f pfil 32 4, fi net are likke afore barden too heany for mee to brace, thouwilt quickly Mid} after the rightcoufüeffe ofChrifi leafs. Anotheroccafionofthirltis fait , yota know that by experience alto. Now marke whatChrili faith. he telleth the A- poftles and their fuccelfors, that in rerpea,Oftheir Mtnillery,n theyaràthe mMácb t; fah of the Earth. Salt hath akinde of bring nature , fo hath the wordwell applyed; it is (harpe and eager, and heewho is well exercifed ender ir, and well rebooted by the erging of the law vpon his confcience, "bee &gill loose thiell after the Caivation o(fred in Chrifl Iefus. The Gofpell will bee glad tidings to him, and as cold waters to awearie foule.. Take this tenure which nreoa.agaf I haue prefcribed thee , !carne to (cele the weight of finne, frequent the poweriull miniltcry of the word , and thou )haltfoone thirfi for the water of life. The next point is the beneficeofenioying thiswater. Her thatdrinker!, ofit fhall neuer be m°rea thirfi. And the realm is,becaufe the waterfhadbee inhim, a wellof water fpringingwe intocosmiafling life. This is warily to beends flood t for it is not fo tobe taken,as though the childrenofGodbeeing once feafoned with grace,were glutted (as it were)and had too moredefile fortheencreafeofgrace; for it is deine otherwife; the more grace a manhath, the morehelongechro have grace tobee euenheaped(ifitwere po(fible) vponhis foule. But themea- ningis this ; that whereas this outwardelement ofwater, which we daily vie,is foone wafted and turned to nothing, and a man that bath vied ìt, is within a whileas new tofeeke, as ifheneuer had had thereof, this water oflife is ofano- ther nature; beeing once receiued , it is néber dryed vpagaine , it is liketo a li- ning fpring which thall perpetually fireame , and as it were bubble out enter eternall life: it isa fountaine that can neuer be drawn dry, an euerlafting (hocke that can neuer bee wafted,a (tore which can neuer bee fpenr, as a lampe fed with byte of immortality which can neuer beeconfumed. Wee fearne an excellent Doc rmtt. point fromhence,.and it is this : that thegraces, whichGod oncebeftoweth on his, childrenare neuer taken from them: this is Chrifts true meaning : and it is a5lint eafilyptooned by the Scripture oThegifts andcullingofGod areWithout' oRom,troq repentance, that is, God neueraltereth hispurpofe touching the bringingofany T mau
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