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…

IV. It is called a River, to show that it yields a continual supply, as I may call it, of new and fresh Grace. Rivers yield continually fresh and new Water. For tho the Channel or Water-course in which the Water runs, is the same, yet the Waters ⟨p. 23⟩themselves are always new. That Water that but one Minute since, stood in this place or that of the River, is now gone, and new and fresh is come in its place. And thus it is with the River of God, which is full of Water; it yieldeth continually fresh Supplies, fresh and new Supplies of Grace to those that have Business in these Waters. And this is the reason that when Sin is pardoned, it seems as if it were carried away. These Waters have with their continual Streams, carried away the filth of the Sinner from before his Face. It is not so with Ponds, Pools and Cisterns; they will be foul and stink, if they be not often emptied, and filled again with fresh water. We must then put a difference between the Grace that dwelleth in us, and this River of Water of Life. We are but as Ponds, Pools and Cisterns that can hold but little, and shall also soon stink notwithstanding ⟨p. 24⟩¹the Grace of God is in us, if we be not often emptied from Vessel to Vessel, and filled with fresh Grace from this River. But the River is always sweet, nor can all the filth that it washed out of the World, make it stink or infect it: It's water runs with a continual gliding Stream, and so carries away all annoyance, as was said, into the depth of the Sea.

IV. It is called a River, to shew that it yields a continual supply, as I may call it, of new and fresh Grace. Rivers yield continually fresh and new Water. For tho the Channel or Water-course in which the Water runs, is the same, yet the Waters ⟨p. 23⟩themselves are always new. That Water that but one Minute since, stood in this place or that of the River, is now gone, and new and fresh is come in its place. And thus it is with the River of God, which is full of Water; it yieldeth continually fresh Supplies, fresh and new Supplies of Grace to those that have Business in these Waters. And this is the reason that when Sin is pardoned, it seems as if it were carried away. These Waters have with their continual Streams, carried away the filth of the Sinner from before his Face. It is not so with Ponds, Pools and Cisterns; they will be foul and stink, if they be not often emptied, and filled again with fresh water. We must then put a difference between the Grace that dwelleth in us, and this River of Water of Life. We are but as Ponds, Pools and Cisterns that can hold but little, and shall also soon stink notwithstanding