Works of John Bunyan Volume III Part 107

The great fear of the tempted is, that there is not so much grace in G.o.d, and that he is not so free of it as some scriptures seem to import. But this word PURE is levelled against such objections and objectors, for the destroying of their doubts, and the relieving of their souls. There is no fraud, nor guile, nor fable in the business; for though G.o.d is pleased to present us with his grace under the notion of a river, it is not to delude our fancies thereby; but to give us some small ill.u.s.tration of the exceeding riches of his grace, which as far, for quant.i.ty, outstrips the biggest rivers, as the most mighty mountain doth the least ant's egg or atom in the world.

3. But, again, this word PURE is set in opposition to that which is hurtful and destructive: 'I am pure from the blood of all men,' that is, I have hurt n.o.body (Acts 20:26). 'The wisdom that is from above is first pure,' it is not hurtful (James 3:17). Do you count them pure with the wicked balances? how can that be, since they are hurtful? (Micah 6:11).

Now take PURE in this sense here, and then it intimates, that the grace of G.o.d, and the doctrine of grace, is not a hurtful thing.

It is not as wine of an intoxicating nature. If a man be filled with it, it will do him no harm (Eph 5:18). The best of the things that are of this world are some way hurtful. Honey is hurtful (Prov 25:16,27). Wine is hurtful (Prov 20:1). Silver and gold are hurtful, but grace is not hurtful (1 Tim 6:10). Never did man yet catch harm by the enjoyment and fulness of the grace of G.o.d.

There is no fear of excess or of surfeiting here. Grace makes no man proud, no man wanton, no man haughty, no man careless or negligent as to his duty that is inc.u.mbent upon him, either from G.o.d or man: no, grace keeps a man low in his own eyes, humble, self-denying, penitent, watchful, savoury in good things, charitable, and makes him kindly affectionated to the brethren, pitiful and courteous to all men.

True, there are men in the world that abuse the grace of G.o.d, as some are said to turn it into wantonness and into lasciviousness (Jude 4). But this is, not because grace has any such tendency, or for that it worketh any such effect; but because such men are themselves empty of grace, and have only done as death and h.e.l.l hath done with wisdom, 'heard the fame thereof with their ears'

(Job 28:22). It is a dangerous thing for a man to have the notions of grace, while his heart is void of the spirit and holy principles of grace; for such a man can do no other than abuse the grace of G.o.d. Alas, what can be expected of him that has nothing in him to teach him to manage that knowledge of grace which he has, but his flesh, his l.u.s.ts, and l.u.s.tful pa.s.sions? Can these teach him to manage his knowledge well? Will they not rather put him upon all tricks, evasions, irreligious consequences and conclusions, such as will serve to cherish sin? What Judas did with Christ, that a graceless man will do with grace, even make it a stalking horse to his fleshly and vile designs; and rather than fail betray both it, and the profession of it, to the greatest enemies it has in the world.

And here I may say, though grace is pure, and not hurtful at all, yet one altogether carnal, sinful, and graceless, having to do with the doctrine of it, by the force of his l.u.s.ts which tamper with it, he will unavoidably bring himself into the highest ruin thereby. An unwary man may destroy himself by the best of things, not because there is in such things an aptness to destroy, but because of the abuse and misuse of them. Some know the way of life, the water of life, by knowledge that is naked and speculative only; and it had been better for such if they had not known, than to know and turn from what they know; than to know, and make the knowledge subservient to their l.u.s.ts (2 Peter 2:20-22). Some receive the rain of G.o.d, and the droppings of his clouds, because they continually sit under the means of his grace. But, alas!

they receive it as stones receive showers, or as dunghills receive the rain; they either abide as hard stones still, or else return nothing to heaven for his mercy, but as the dunghills do, a company of stinking fumes. These are they that drink in the rain that comes often upon them, and that instead of bringing forth herbs meet for the dresser, bring forth briers and thorns; and these are they who are nigh unto cursing, whose end is to be burned (Heb 6:7,8).

By this word PURE I understand sometimes the chiefest good, the highest good. There are many things that may be called good, but none of them are good as grace is good. All things indeed are pure, that is, all creatures in themselves are good and serviceable to man, but they are not so good as grace (Rom 14:20; Gen 1:31).

'There is a generation that are pure,' that are good in their own eyes (Prov 30:12). There are good men, good consciences, good works, good days, good angels, &c., but none so good as grace, for it is grace that has made them so. Grace, this water of life, therefore is good, superlatively good, good in the highest degree, for that it makes all things good, and preserveth them good. And whatever it be that this water of life washeth not, it is soil, and given to the curse, as the prophet intimates where he saith, 'But the miry places thereof, and the marshes thereof, shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt' (Eze 47:1).

But who understands this, who believes it? Its goodness is kept close from the fowls of the air. Men, most men, are ignorant of the goodness of it, nor do they care to inquire after the enjoyment of this pure, this good water of life. The reason is, because though it is good in itself, good in the highest degree, and that which makes all things good, yet it is not such a good as is suited to a carnal appet.i.te. There is good; and there is suitable good.

Now suitable good is of two sorts: either such as is spiritual, or such as is temporal. That which is spiritual, is desired only of them that are spiritual; for temporal good will satisfy a carnal mind. Now grace is a spiritual good; this river of grace is the goodness of spiritual good. It is the original life of all the grace in our souls. No marvel, then, if it be so little set by of those that are carnally minded. They will serve a horse, and mire will serve a sow; so things of this life suit best with the men of this world; for their appet.i.te is gross and carnal, and they savour not the things that be of the Spirit of G.o.d. 'The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of G.o.d,' the things that be of this river of G.o.d; 'for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned'

(1 Cor 2:14). This is the river of OIL which the prophet speaks of, the river of SPIRIT. Were it a river of gold and silver, there would be old fis.h.i.+ng on the banks thereof. But it is a river that runs 'like oil, saith the Lord G.o.d' (Eze 32:14). This rock pours us out 'rivers of oil' (Job 29:6)--'fresh oil' (Psa 92:10)--'soft oil' (Psa 55:21)--'the oil of joy' (Isa 61:3)--'the oil of gladness'

(Psa 45:7)--oil to anoint the head withal (Eccl 9:8)--oil to make the face to s.h.i.+ne (Psa 104:15)--oil by which thou wilt be made able to honour both G.o.d and man in some good measure as becomes thee (Judg 9:9).

I might have enlarged upon this head, and have showed you many more particulars wherein this term of pure might serve for the better setting forth of the excellency of this water of life, but I shall proceed no further upon this, but will come to that which remains.

[Second. The clearness of this water of life.]

As this river of water of life is said to be pure, so it is said to be CLEAR. 'He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear.'

This term has also its particular signification, and, therefore, ought to be heeded.

1. CLEAR is set in opposition to dark; therefore some are said to be 'clear as the sun' (Cant 6:10). And again, 'the light shall not be clear nor dark' (Zech 14:6). In both these places, clear is to be taken for light, daylight, sunlight; for, indeed, it is never day nor suns.h.i.+ne with the soul, until the streams of this river of water of life come gliding to our doors, into our houses, into our hearts. Hence the beginning of conversion is called illumination (Heb 10:32). Yea, the coming of this river of water of life unto us is called the day-spring from on high, through the tender mercy of our G.o.d (Luke 1:78). It is also called the dawning of the day (2 Peter 1:19). And hence, again, these men unto whom this river of water of life comes not, are said to be dark, darkness. 'Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord' (Eph 5:8). Wherefore, this water is like Jonathan's honey; it hath a faculty to open the eyes, to make them that sit in darkness see a great light (1 Sam 14:27; Matt 4:16). The light of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the faith of Jesus Christ; 'G.o.d, who commanded the light to s.h.i.+ne out of darkness, hath s.h.i.+ned in our hearts to give the light'; the Spirit that enlighteneth and giveth the light, 'of the knowledge of the glory of G.o.d in the face of Jesus Christ' (2 Cor 4:6). This river casteth beams where it goes, like the beams of the sun; it s.h.i.+nes, it casts out rays of glory unto those that drink thereof. The streams of this grace were they that overtook Saul when he was going to Damascus; they were the waters of this flood that compa.s.sed him round about.

And if you will believe him, he saith this light from heaven was a great light, a light above the brightness of the sun, a light that did by the glory of it make dark to him all the things in the world (Acts 9:3, 22:6, 26:13).

2. CLEAR is set in opposition to that which is not pleasing. For to be clear is to be pleasant. Hence it is said, 'truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun' (Eccl 11:7). I read of rivers that looked red as blood, that stank like the blood of a dead man, but this is no such river (Exo 7:19,20; 2 Kings 3:22,23). I read of rivers whose streams are like streams of brimstone, fiery streams, streams of burning pitch, but this is none of them (Isa 30:27-33; David 7:9-11; Isa 34:9).

'There is a river' besides all these, clear and pleasant, 'the streams whereof shall make glad the city of G.o.d' (Psa 46:4).

There are the waters that the doves love to sit by, because by the clearness of these streams they can see their pretty selves, as in a gla.s.s (Cant 5:12).

These are the streams where the doves wash their eyes, and by which they solace themselves, and take great content. These streams are instead, as I said, of a looking-gla.s.s; their clearness presents us with an opportunity of seeing our own features. As in fair waters a man may see the body of the sun, and of the moon, and of the stars, and the very body of heaven; so he that stands upon the bank of this river, and that washeth his eyes with this water, may see the Son of G.o.d, the stars of G.o.d, the glory of G.o.d, and the habitation that G.o.d has prepared for his people. And are not these pleasant sights? is not this excellent water? has not this river pleasant streams?

3. CLEAR is set in opposition to dirty water and muddiness. I read of some waters that are fouled with the feet of beasts, and with the feet of men, yea, and deep waters too. Yea, saith G.o.d to some, ye 'have drunk of the deep waters,' and have fouled 'the residue with your feet'; and again, 'As for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet' (Eze 34:18,19). These waters are doctrines contained in the text, muddied and dirtied by the false glosses and s.l.u.ttish opinions of erroneous judgments, of which the poor sheep have been made to drink. And, verily, this is apparent enough by the very colour and hue of those poor souls; for though the truth of G.o.d was in them, yet the very stain of tradition and superst.i.tion might be also seen in their scales. For as the fish of the river receive, by being there, the changeable colours of the waters, so professors, what doctrine they hear and drink, do look like that. If their doctrines are muddy, their notions are muddy; if their doctrines are b.l.o.o.d.y, their notions and tempers are b.l.o.o.d.y: but if their doctrines are clear, so are their notions, for their doctrine has given them a clear understanding of things.[15]

Now, here we have a river of water of life that is clear--clear without dirt and mud--clear without the human inventions and muddy conceptions of unsanctified and uninstructed judgments; yea, here you have a river the streams whereof lie open to all in the church, so that they need not those instruments of conveyance that are foul, and that use to make water stink, if they receive it to bring it to them that have need.

4. By clear we sometimes understand purgation; or that a thing has purged itself, or is purged from those soils and imputations of evil wherewith sometimes they have been charged. 'Then thou shalt be clear from this my oath'; or, 'How shall we clear ourselves?'

(Gen 24:8-14, 44:16). Something of this sense may be in the text; for if men are not afraid to charge G.o.d with folly, which is intimated by 'that thou mightest be clear when thou judgest' (Psa 51:4), will they, think you, be afraid to impute evil to his Word, and grace, and Spirit? No, verily; they are bold enough at this work. Nay, more than this, even from the foundation of the world, men have cast slanders upon, and imputed based things into the blessed grace of the gospel. But not to look so far back. Paul was one of the pipes through which G.o.d conveyed this grace to the world; and what was he counted for his so doing, but 'a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition--throughout the world' (Acts 24:5,6).

But, behold, no imputation can stick on the grace of G.o.d--not stick long; for that, like honey, will purge itself of what filth is put upon it, and of all bad imputations of evil men's springs, and rivers are of a self-purging quality. Now, here we have to do with a river--a river of water of life; but a river more slandered than ever did Naaman the Syrian slander the waters of Israel in preferring those of Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, beyond them (2 Kings 5:10-12). But behold now, at last, when all the world have done what they can, and cast what reproaches and slanders upon it they are able, it is a river pure and clear. It has purged itself before kings--it has purged itself before princes and judges, and all the Naamans in the world; it is still a river--a river of water of life--a river of water of life CLEAR.

5. By clear we sometimes understand purity manifest, or innocency and goodness made known. 'In all things ye have approved yourselves to be CLEAR in this matter' (2 Cor 7:11). That is, you have made it appear, and stand upon your justification, and are willing to be searched and sounded to the bottom by those that have a desire to undertake that work. So this river of water of life in the fountain, and in the streams thereof, offer themselves to the consideration and conscience of all men. To this end how often doth G.o.d, the head of this river, and he out of whose throne it proceeds, call upon men to challenge him, if they can, with any evil or misdoing towards them, either by presence or doctrine; hence he says, 'Put me in remembrance; let us plead together; declare thou,' if thou canst, 'that thou mayest be justified,'

and I condemned (Isa 43:26). So again: 'What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?' (Jer 2:5). So Christ: 'Which of you convinceth me of sin?' (John 8:46). And 'If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil' (John 18:23). So Paul: We 'have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of G.o.d deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of G.o.d' (2 Cor 4:2). All these sentences are chiefly to be applied to doctrine, and so are, as it were, an offer to any, if they can, to find a speck, or a spot, or a wrinkle, or any such thing in this river of water of life.

Some men fly from it as from a bear; and some are afraid to drink of it, for fear it should be poison unto them. Some, again, dare not take it because it is not mixed, and as they, poor souls, imagine, qualified and made toothsome by a little of that which is called the wisdom of this world. Thus one shucks,[16] another shrinks, and another will none of G.o.d. Meanwhile, whoso shall please to look into this river shall find it harmless and clear; yea, offering itself to the consciences of all men to make trial if it be not the only chief good, the only necessary waters, the only profitable, for the health of the soul, of all the things that are in the world, and as clear of mischief as is the sun of spots.

[Third.--this river is clear to the most perfect comparison.]

As John saw this river pure and clear, so he saw it clear to a comparison. Clear to the best of comparisons, clear as crystal.

Crystal is a very clear stone, as clear as the clearest gla.s.s, if not clearer; one may see far into it, yea, through it; it is without those spots, and streaks, and smirches that are in other precious stones. Wherefore, when he saith that this river is clear as crystal, it is as if G.o.d should say, Look, sinners, look to the bottom of these my crystal streams. I have heard of some seas that are so pure and clear, that a man may see to the bottom though they may be forty feet deep. I know this river of water of life is a deep river; but though it is said to be deep, it is not said we can see no bottom. Indeed, as to the wideness of it, it is said to be such as that it cannot be pa.s.sed over; but I say, it is nowhere said that we cannot see to the bottom; nay, the comparison implies that a man with good eyes may see to the bottom. It is clear, as clear as crystal. So, then, we will a little look down to the bottom, and see, through these crystal streams, what is at the bottom of all.

1. Then the bottom of all is, 'That we might be saved' (John 5:34).

'These things I say,' saith Christ, 'that ye might be saved'; and, again, 'I am come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly' (John 10:10). This is the bottom of this great river of water of life, and of its proceeding from the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb: it is that we might be saved; it is that we might live. What a good bottom is here! what a sound bottom is here! But few deep rivers have a good bottom. Mud is at the bottom of most waters in the world; even the sea itself, when it worketh, casts up mire and dirt, and so do the hearts of sinners; but the bottom of this grace of G.o.d, and of the Spirit and Word thereof, is that we might be saved, consequently a very good bottom.

2. As the bottom of all is, 'that we may be saved,' so that we may be saved by grace, and this is a bottom sounder and sounder.

Our salvation might have been laid upon a more difficult bottom than this. It might have been laid on our works. G.o.d might have laid it there, and have been just, or he might have left us to have laid it where we would; and then, to be sure, we had laid it there, and so had made but a muddy bottom to have gone upon to life. But now, this river of water of life, it has a better bottom; the water of life is as clear as crystal, look down to the bottom and see, we are 'justified freely by his grace' (Rom 3:24). 'By grace ye are saved,' there is the bottom (Eph 2:5,8).

Now, grace, as I have showed you, is a firm bottom to stand on; it is of grace that life might be sure (Rom 4:16). Surely David was not here, or surely this was not the river that he spake of when he said, 'I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink' (Psa 69:2,14). I say, to be sure this could not be the river. No, David was now straggled out of the way, was tumbled into some pit, or into some muddy and dirty hole; for as for this river it has a good bottom, a bottom of salvation by grace, and a man needs not cry out when he is here that he sinks, or that he is in danger of being drowned in mud or mire.

3. The bottom of all is, as I said, that we might be saved, saved by grace, and I will add, 'through the redemption that is in Christ.'

This is still better and better. We read that, when Israel came over Jordan, the feet of the priests that did bear the ark stood on firm ground in the bottom, and that they set up great stones for a memorial thereof (Josh 3:17, 4:1-3). But had Jordan so good a bottom as has this most blessed river of water of life, or were the stones that Israel took out thence like this 'tried stone,'

this 'sure foundation?' (Isa 28:16). O the throne! this river comes out of the throne, and we are saved by grace through the redemption that is in him. We read that there is a city that has foundations; grace is one, Christ another, and the truth of all the prophets and apostles, as to their true doctrine, another, &c. (Heb 11:10). And again, all these are the very bottom of this goodly river of the water of life (Eph 2:19,20).

4. There is another thing to be seen at the bottom of this holy river, and that is, the glory of G.o.d; we are saved, saved by grace, saved by grace through the redemption that is in Christ to the praise and glory of G.o.d. And what a good bottom is here. Grace will not fail, Christ has been sufficiently tried, and G.o.d will not lose his glory. Therefore they that drink of this river shall doubtless be saved; to wit, they that drink of it of a spiritual appet.i.te to it. And thus much for the explication of the text.

[THE APPLICATION OF THE WHOLE.]

I now come to make some use of the whole.

You know our discourse has been at this time of the water of life, of its quant.i.ty, head-spring, and quality; and I have showed you that its nature is excellent, its quant.i.ty abundant, its head-spring glorious, and its quality singularly good.

FIRST. Let this, then, in the first place, be a provocation to us to be more free in making use of this water. There are many, now-a-days, that are for inventing of waters, to drink for the health of the body; and to allure those that are ill to buy, they will praise their waters beyond their worth. Yea, and if they be helpful to one person in a hundred, they make as if they could cure every one. Well, here you have the great Physician himself, with his water, and he calls it the water of life, water of life for the soul: this water is probatum est.[17] It has been proved times without number; it never fails but where it is not taken (Acts 26:18; Isa 5:4,5). No disease comes amiss to it; it cures blindness, deadness, deafness, dumbness. It makes 'the lips of those that are asleep to speak' (Cant 7:9). This is the right HOLY WATER,[18] all other is counterfeit: it will drive away devils and spirits; it will cure enchantments and witchcrafts; it will heal the mad and lunatic (Gal 3:1-3; Mark 16:17,18). It will cure the most desperate melancholy; it will dissolve doubts and mistrusts, though they are grown as hard as stone in the heart (Eze 36:26).

It will make you speak well (Col 4:6). It will make you have a white soul, and that is better than to have a white skin (Eze 36:25,26). It will make you taste well; it will make you disrelish all hurtful meats (Isa 30:22). It will beget in you a good appet.i.te to that which is good; it will remove obstructions in the stomach and liver. It will cause that what you receive of G.o.d's bread shall turn to good nourishment, and make good blood. In a word, it preserveth life (John 4:14). They that take this water shall live longer than did old Methuselah, and yet he lived a great while (Gen 5:27).

Wherefore, let me continue my exhortation to you. Be more free in making use of this water; it is the wholesomest water in the world; you may take it at the third, sixth, ninth, or eleventh hour, but to take it in the morning of your age is best (Matt 20:3-6).

For then diseases have not got so great a head as when they are of long continuance, consequently they will be removed with far more ease; besides, those that thus do will receive endless life, and the comfort of it betimes; and that, you know, is a double life to one (Eccl 11:1-4).

This water gently purges, and yet more effectually than any others.

True, where bad humours are more tough and churlish, it will show itself stronger of operation, for there is no disease can be too hard for it. It will, as we say, throw the house out of the windows; but it will rid us of the plague of those most deadly infections that otherwise will be sure to make us sleep in death, and bring us, with the mult.i.tude, down to h.e.l.l. But it will do no hurt; it only breaks our sleep in security, and brings us to a more quick apprehension of the plague of our heart and flesh. It will, as I said before, provoke to appet.i.te, but make us only long after that which is wholesome. If any ask why I thus allegorize, I answer, the text doth lead me to it.

SECOND. I advise, therefore, in the next place, that thou get thee a dwelling-place by these waters. 'The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long' (Deut 33:12). If thou ask where that dwelling is, I answer, in the city of G.o.d, in and among the tabernacles of the Most High. This river comes from the throne to water the city of G.o.d; and to that end it is said to run 'in the midst of the street of it' (Rev 22:2). If ye will inquire, inquire, return, come. 'The seed also of his servants shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein' (Psa 69:36). Get thee a dwelling in Jerusalem, in the midst of Jerusalem, and then thou wilt be seated by this river.

In old times, the ancients had their habitations by the rivers; yea, we read of Aroer that stood upon the brink of the river Arnon (Josh 13:9). Balaam also had his dwelling in his city Pethor, 'by the river of the land of the children of his people' (Num 22:5).

O! by a river side is the pleasantest dwelling in the world; and of all rivers, the river of the water of life is the best. They that dwell there 'shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them' (Isa 49:10). Trees planted by the rivers, and that spread out their roots by the rivers, they are the flouris.h.i.+ng trees, they bring forth their fruit in their season (Psa 1:3; Jer 17:8). And the promise is that men that take up their dwellings by this river of water of life, shall be fruitful as such trees.

If thou art a Christian, thou hast more than an ordinary call and occasion to abide by these waters; thy things will not grow but by these waters. Weeds and the excellencies of most men we may find in the barren wilderness, they grow under every hedge; but thine are garden, and so choice things, and will not thrive without much water, no, without the water of G.o.d's river. Dwell, therefore, here; that thy soul may be as a watered garden (Jer 31:12; Isa 12:1-3). And when thou seest how those that are loath to die,[19]

make provision at Tunbridge, Epsom, the Bath, and other places, and what houses they get that they may have their dwellings by those waters, then do thou consider of thy spiritual disease, and how nothing can cure thee but this blessed water of life; be also much of desires to have a dwelling-place in Jerusalem, that thou mayest always be nigh to these waters. Be often also in watering thy plants with these waters. I mean the blessed graces of G.o.d in thy soul; then shalt thou grow, and retain thy greenness, and prove thyself to be a disciple indeed. And herein is G.o.d, and thy Father, glorified, that thou bear much fruit (John 15:8).

THIRD. My third word is, bless G.o.d for providing for man such waters. These only can make us live; all others come out of the Dead Sea, and do kill; there is no living water but this. I say, show thy acceptation of it with thanksgiving; if we are not to receive our bread and cheese but with thanksgiving, how should we bless G.o.d for this unspeakable gift! (2 Cor 9:15). This is soul life, life against sin, life from sin, life against the curse, life from the curse, life beyond h.e.l.l, beyond desert, beyond thought, beyond desires. Life that is pleasing, life that is profitable, life everlasting.

O my brethren, bless G.o.d! who doth good and gives us such rain, filling our hearts with food and gladness.[20] When Moses would take the heart of Israel, and took in hand to raise up their spirits to thankfulness, he used to tell them that the land that they were to go to was a land that G.o.d cared for, and that was watered with the dew of heaven. Yea, 'a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; a land that flowed with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands' (Deut 8:7; Exo 3:8, 13:5; Lev 20:24; Num 14:8). But yet in his description he makes no mention of a river of water of life; a river the streams whereof make glad the city of G.o.d.

This river is the running out of G.o.d's heart; the letting out of his very bowels, for G.o.d is the living G.o.d. This is his heart and soul. 'Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land a.s.suredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole soul' (Jer 32:41). I say, if ever G.o.d's heart and soul appeared, it showed itself in giving this water of life, and the throne from whence it proceeds. Wherefore [there is] all the reason of the world, that in the reception of it thy heart and soul should run out and flow after him in thanksgiving. See how David words it in Psalm 103:1-5, and do likewise.