The water of life, or, A discourse showing the richness and glory of the…The water of life, or, A discourse shewing the richness and glory of the…

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 sate on the ⟨p. 68⟩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.

But I leave this, and proceed to the fourth and last thing; namely, to the Nature and Quality of this Water. 'Tis 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, the other with respect to its Operation. ⟨p. 69⟩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, Aqua vitae, the very Metaphor here made use of, hath a quality inherent in it, but keep it stopped up in a Bottle & 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 'tis 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, tho briefly