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…

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 ⟨p. 70⟩speak a few words unto it. First then, This Water of Life is the very ground-work of Life in us, tho not the ground-work of Life for us. The ground-work of Life for us is the Passion and Merits of Christ, this is that for the sake of which Grace is given unto us, as is intimated by the Text: It proceeds from the Throne of God, 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 'tis clear that the Spirit and Grace come from God 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 ground-work of Life: For tho we may be said before to live virtually in the Person of Christ before God; yet we are dead in our selves, and so must be, until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high; for the Spirit is Life and its ⟨p. 71⟩Graces are Life, and when that is infused by God from the Throne, then we live, and not till then.