The Unbeleevers Preparing for Christ

p. 1PREPARING FOR CHRIST.

Whosoever will, let him taste of the water of life freely.

BEfore the soule of a man can partake of the benefits of Christ, two things are required: First, that the soule bee prepared for Christ. Secondly, that the soule bee implanted into Christ. Concerning preparation, there hath beene two doctrines handled out of Luke, 1.17. The first of which, That the soule of a poore sinner must bee prepared p. 2for the Lord Iesus Christ, before it can receive him, and comfort from him. The second doctrine was, That a powerfull Ministry is the ordinary meanes that the Lord hath appointed to prepare the soule of a poore sinner soundly for Christ. Now we are to proceede in this preparation, and in the handling of this generall preparation, two things are to be considered. First, the generall circumstances that pertaine to preparation: And secondly, the substantiall parts of preparation. For the generall circumstances which are most remarkeable in preparation, they are twofold; some on Gods part, and these are, First, the freenesse of the offer of his grace. Secondly, the universality of this offer of grace, To all. And thirdly, the easinesse of the condition whereupon he offereth it, Whosoever will may receive it, and that freely. On mans part, two things are to be considered. First, he must consider that his owne corruption doth oppose this grace of God. And secondly, he must consider, that God hath appointed to worke this grace in man, and to take away man as corruption which opposeth the same. So that there bee five things considerable in preparation, [Five things in Prepatation.] as generall circumstances thereof, before we come to the substantiall parts of it. The first is this, [1.] namely, That the offer of grace, that God propounds to his, [2.] and will worke in his is free. Secondly, the condition of grace and Gods offer is this, That a man must will to receive Christ and grace, before hee can receive Christ and grace. [3.] Thirdly, H◊ that doth truly will to receive Christ and grace, shall have Christ and grace. [4.] And fourthly, That no man of himselfe naturally p. 3can will that hee may receive Christ. Lastly, That God will work a will in his servants to receive the Lord Iesus Christ, [5.] and then hee will bestow him upon them. And these are the five passages which are generall circumstances of preparation. And three of these points which are the three first, we have in this text, Every man that will let him take freely of the water of life; here is the free offer of Gods mercy and goodnesse. Here also we see that a man must will Christ and grace before hee can have Christ. And thirdly, that he that doth truly will Christ shall have him, and grace and salvation by him.

p. 3Wee will open a word or two in the text, and so proceede. First, wee must see what is meant here by water. Secondly, what is meant by water of life. First, what is meant by water: by water is meant here the Spirituall grace of God, together with the immediate assistance of his holy Spirit in the working of the same upon the soule of man.

In water here wee may conclude two things, not onely the grace which God doth convey to the soules of his people, but also the assistance of the Spirit working the same in the soule; looke for the truth of this, the 7. of Iohn 38, 39. He that beleeveth on me (saith the text) as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now what are these waters here spoken of; in the next verse the text saith, This spoke our Saviour of the Spirit, which they that beleeved on him should receive from him, that is, the working assistance of his Spirit. So that we see in this place of S. Iohn, this phrase is expounded, p. 4and so the 4. of Iohn the 10. verse, the like phrase is used. There our Saviour replieth to the woman of Samaria after this manner. If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, give me to drinke, Thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. And so in the 14 vers. Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. That is, hee that receiveth the grace of Gods Spirit, and the assistance thereof, It shall be a well of water to him, springing up into everlasting life. Hence it is that Christ is called, The fountaine of the garden: and a well of living water, Can. 4.15. Ier. 2.14. He is called, The fountaine of living waters; My people (saith the text) have forsaken the fountaine of living waters, and have hewen unto them Cisternes, even broken Cisternes that can hold no water. So that Christ Iesus is the fountaine; the grace of God are the rivers, and the operation of the Spirit, as the streames, which make glad the City of God: or else, Christ is the Conduit, the graces of God the cocke, and the operation of the Spirit is the drawer of the water which comes into the soules of his servants. So that we see plainly, that by water is meant the graces of Gods Spirit, which God is pleased to convey and worke in the soules of his servants.

p. 4The second phrase in the text is water of life: and wee must see what is meant by that, it is as much as if a man should say quickning grace: and that is said to be the water of life in two regards, p. 5First, because it is that which begets a spirituall life in us …