5G>2 THE HOLY SPIRIT coMPARED To WATER. Book:a. METAPHOR. longing Defire, and remove the intolerable Pains that rife !ram an Excefs of Drought. IX. Water is free and cheap, eafy to conle ar, it doth not coft us much, it is a common Element, none ace barred from it. X . Water is necelfary toquench Fire; when by Treachery of Ene– mies, our Houfes have been fet on fire over our H eads, how fervice– able have we found Water to be to quench it! METAPHOR. I. OTHER Water many Times doth prove prejudicial to the Body ; when it is received at certain Times too freely, it fur. feits, and endangers the Life. I!. Waters, (whether taken in the common Acceptation, elemen· tary Water, or cordial \JI[aters,-or Spirits prepared by Art) are not Waters of Life; no' Water can beget Life, nor give Life to the Dead. PARALLEL. eth of the Water that I fha/1 gjve him, jhall>zever thirjl, &c. 'John iv. 14. It g1eatly farisfies th<: fpmtual Defires of the Soul, giving Peace, inward Contentment and Joy through believino-. IX. The Spirit and the Hleffings thereof are free. Ho, every one that tbirjletb, come ye to tbz Waters. Whoever will, let bim take of tbe JVata· of Life freely, !fa. lv. I. Rev. xxii.' 17. X. The Spirit quenches the Fire of Lt1ft, the Fire of Pride, the Fire of l'affion, which Satan and our own treacherous Heans are ready at every turn to kindle in us, and which would, were it nor for this facred Water, burn and con– fume our Souls, and bring us to utter Defolation. D I S l' A R I T Y. I. THE Spirit never hurts any who drink thereof, though in never fo great a Heat; you may freely rake down this Water, and not be hurt thereby, it furfeits none, no danger of drink– ing to excefs here. Il. The Spirit is called the Spirit of Life, and Water of Life, and may fitly be fo termed. 1. Be– caufe it begets fpiritual Life in all poor dezd Sin– ners. z. Becaufe it maintains Life: That which gives Life and Being to us, as we are Men or Chriftians, preferves the fame, whether it be na– tural or fpiritual. 3· Becaufe it makts the Hearrs of Chriftians lively, and increafes Life in them. 4· It is called Water of Life, becaufe it brings unto everlafting Life. 'I'he Water that I will give him, jhall be in him, a Well of Water, fpringing up into everlafting Life, 'John iv. 14. Ill. Water may be defiled, made muddy, and become un– wholfome and unfit to drink or walh in. III. The Spirit ever remains pure, and admits of no Filth; it is impoffible to defile this Water, or make it unfit for the Souls of Sinners. See River. I N F E R E N C E ~ I. FROM hence we may infer, that thofe who have not received of the Spirit, or drank of this facred Water, have no fpiritual Life in them. If any },![an have not the Spirit o/ Chrift, he is none of his, Rom. viii. 9· Thofe that have not this clean Water fprinkled upon them, their Filthinefs remains. II. What Fools are thofe Men, who refufe to drink of the Water of Life I It is but drinking; and live for ever! III. Be exhorted to pray earneftly, long for, and endeavor after a l'articipation of ' the Spirit. How ready are Men and Women to go to tins Well and that Well to dnnk Water, for the Help and Healing 0f bodily Diftempers, go many Miles, d1fpenfe with all other Affairs, that they may be recovered of external D1feafes: But how few enquire after the Water of Life I or leave all their fecular Bufinefs for the Good and Health of their immortal Souls I To perfuade you to accept of a Word of Counfel, take thefe few Motives. You are invited; Ho, every one that thirfteth, come ye to tbe FVate~s, &c. !fa. lv. 1. Waters are free, you may have them, if you have a Heart and Will 111 you to them; the Well is open, and Chrift ftands with his Arms fpreadforth to call and embrace you. If any Man thirft, let him come to me and drznk, 'John vu. 37· 2
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