or, A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL, AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, THE WATER OF LIFE. BY JOHN BUNYAN. "And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'—Rev. xxii. 17. Loudon: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1683. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Mr. Doe. It is called, The Saint's Privilege and Profit. The way in which he alludes to this, as if it had been printed, shows that he had fully determined to publish it shortly, and this, if it was needed, would confirm our confidence in those treatises. He thus refers to it: Because I have spoken of this thing, more particularly upon that text, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace," I shall therefore here say no more.' OFTEN, and in every age, the children of God have | pared for the press, and afterwards published by dared to doubt the sufficiency of Divine grace; whether it was vast enough to reach their condition to cleanse them from the guilt of all their sins-and to fit their souls to dwell with infinite holiness in the mansions of the blessed. To solve these doubts-to answer these anxious inquiries, Bunyan wrote many of his works; for although he was a Boanerges, or son of thunder, to awaken the impenitent, he was eminently a Barnabas-a son of consolation-an evangelist to direct the trembling inquirer to Christ the way, the truth, and the life. He proclaims first, from his own experience, that there is Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners;' then he proclaims Good News for the Vilest of Mcn, the Jerusalem Sinner is Saved''Christ is an Advocate'-' Christ is a complete Saviour.' Every one is invited with a 'Come and welcome to Jesus Christ.' There is 'Justification by his Righteousness'-'Salvation by his Grace.' He is a Throne of Grace' to which all are freely invited. Even The Broken Heart is an acceptable sacrifice.' There is The Holy City, New Jerusalem,' to receive such at the end of their pilgrimage, and directions amply given to the pilgrim to guide him in his progress to the celestial city; and he now introduces us to a majestic overflowing river, The Water of Life,' sufficient for the refreshment and solace of the myriads of God's saints who have lived from the creation, and will live until the final consummation of all things, when the prophet in holy vision saw 'a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, stand before the throne, and before the Lamb.' This work was the result of the author's mature experience, being published by him during the last year of his eventful life. In it he refers to one of those ten excellent manuscripts left by him at his decease, pro Two things are rather extraordinary with regard to this valuable treatise on the Water of Life. One is, that although inserted in every list of our author's works, both published by himself and by his friends after his decease, it escaped the researches of Doe, Wilson, Chandler, Whitfield, and others who collected and published Bunyan's works, excepting only the edition with Mason's notes, printed for A. Hogg about 1785. The other singular circumstance is, that although the separate treatises of Bunyan were all most wretchedly and inaccurately printed, the Water of Life has in this respect suffered more than any other of his works. A modern edition of this book, published at Derby by Thomas Richardson, is, without exception, the most erroneously printed of all books that have come under my notice. The Scriptures are misquoted-words are altered so as to pervert the sense-whole sentences and paragraphs, and even whole pages in three or four places, and, in one instance, four consecutive pages, are left out!!! I should be grieved if more penal enactments were added to our statutes, but surely there should be some punishment for such a crime as this. The other editions are more reputable, but very incorrect. One of them bears the imprint of London, for James Bunyan, 1760.' Another has ‘London, sold by Baxter, Doolittle, & Burkit,' evidently fictitious names, adopted from those three great authors. The Pilgrim's Progress was twice pub- | lished by D. Bunyan, in Fleet Street, 1763 and 1768; and the Heavenly Footman, London, sold by J. Bunyan, above the Monument.' All these are wretchedly printed, and with cuts that would disgrace an old Christmas carol. Thus the public have been imposed upon, and thus the revered name of Bunyan has been sacrificed to the cupidity of unprincipled men. Had his works been respectably printed they would have all been very popular and useful, and his memory have been still more venerated. To attract his readers to come personally, and partake the blessings imparted by the water of life, Bunyan shows that, as a medicine, it alone is the specific to cure the sin-sick soul-all other applications must fail most fatally-all other remedies come from and return to the Dead Sea' while the water of life issues from, and leads the soul to, the throne of God. It cleanseth from the old leaven. The Divine Physician is ever ready to administer to the wearied soul. Be not misled by worldly-wisemen to take advice of the doctor's boy, but go direct to Jesus; he is ready-he is willing to cure and save to the uttermost. His medicine may be sharp, but merely so as to effect the cure where bad humours are tough and churlish.' 'It revives where life is, and gives life where it is not. Take man from this river, and nothing can make him live: let him have this water and nothing can make him die.' The river of water of life allegorically represents the Spirit and grace of God; thus the truth is mercifully set before us, for what is more free than water, and what more beneficial and more desirable than life?' Vast and majestic rivers convey but a faint idea of the immensity of Divine grace; in comparison with which the most mighty mountain dwindles into the least ant's egg or atom in the world.' A stream of grace issued from the same source during the patriarchal dispensation, and then mankind were directed to it by immediate revelation, or by the tradition of their fathers. It extended under the Jewish or Levitical law, in its course passing through the temple, issuing from under the threshold of God's house, revealed by types, and shadows, and an earthly priest P. 553. hood, and then 'grace ran but slowly because Jesus was not glorified.' p. 546. Now it flows like a majestic river from the throne of God, open to all, without limit of family or nation, revealed to every creature by the volume of inspiration. This water admits no mixture-it is pure and perfect as its origin-free as the air we breathe to sustain life. "There is no grudge, or a piece of an upbraiding speech heard therein.' Any attempt to mix with it human merits destroys all its efficacy. In it, and in it only, spiritual life, exciting to works of mercy, and giving sure hopes of immortal bliss, is to be found. God's children can no more live separated from this river than fish can live out of water. As a fish, by natural instinct, avoids foul and unwholesome water, so a Christian has spiritual powers to judge of the purity of doctrine. Like the manna from heaven, and our daily bread, it must be supplied day by day. No church cistern of works of supererogation can supply this pure water. All such pretended supplies are poisonous. It must come direct from heaven without human interference. Those only who spiritually thirst will seek it. Some prefer wine that perisheth in the using, while this water, once received, becomes a wellspring of living waters, springing up into everlasting life. How marvellous that river which swallows up all the impurities of the myriads of the redeemed, so that they are seen no more for ever. These are the truths pressed upon our attention in this treatise. Well may our venerated Bunyan say, while richly enjoying the blessings of this river of grace, just before he waded through the black river which absorbs our earthly bodies-'0 grace! O happy church of God! all things that happen to thee are, for Christ's sake, turned into grace!' p. 550. It is a river that so reflects the splendour of God, that the first sight of it was to Paul 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. Reader, may your soul and mine be abundantly refreshed from this inexhaustible river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God. GEO. OFFOR. COURTEOUS READER, THE EPISTLE TO THE READER. tongue of men or angels. Yet this I have said, and so saying, said truly, that whosoever shall drink of this water shall find it in him a well of water; and not only so, but a well springing up in him to everlasting life, let his disease be what it will. And as men, in their bills for conviction to readers, do give an account to the country of the persons cured, and the diseases that have been removed by I HAVE now presented thee with something of a discourse of the water of life and its virtues; therefore, thou mayest, if thou wilt, call this book Bunyan's Bill of his Master's Water of Life. True, I have not set forth at large the excellent nature and quality thereof, nor can that so be done by the pen or By Holy Writ liquors and preparations, they have made for that end, so could I, were it not already done by an infallible pen to my hand, give you accounts of numberless numbers that have not only been made to live, but to live for ever, by drinking of this water, this pure water of life. Many of them indeed are removed from hence, and live where they cannot be spoken with as yet; but abundance of them do still remain here, and have their abode yet with men. Only, if thou wouldst drink it, drink it by itself, and that thou mayest not be deceived by that which is counterfeit, know it is as it comes from the hand of our Lord, without mixture, pure and clear as crystal. I know there are many mountebanks in the world, and every of them pretend they have this water to sell; but my advice is, that thou go directly to the throne thyself, He. iv. 16; or as thou art bidden come to the waters, Is.lv. 1; and there thou shalt be s' re to have that which is right and good, and that which will certainly make thee well, let thy disease, or trouble, or pain, or malady, be what it will. For the price, care not for that, it is cheap enough, this is to be had without money or price. I will give,' saith God and the Lamb, unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely.' Re. xxi. 6. Hence he says again, Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.' Re. xxii. 17. So that thou hast no ground to keep back because of thy poverty; nay, for the poor it is prepared and set open, to the poor it is offered, the poor and needy may have it of free cost.1 Is. xli. 17, 18. But let it not be slighted because it is offered to thee upon terms so full, so free. For thou art sick, and sick unto death, if thou drinkest not of it, nor is there any other than this that can heal thee, and make thee well. Farewell. The Lord be thy physician! So prays thy friend, JOIN BUNYAN. THE WATER OF LIFE. 1 AND HE SHOWED ME A PURE RIVER OF WATER OF a LIFE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, PROCEEDING OUT OF THE throne of God and OF THE LAMB.' RE. XXII. 1. THESE words are part of that description that one of the seven angels, which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, gave unto John of the New Jerusalem, or of the state of that gospel church, that shall be in the latter days. Re. xxi. 9. Wherefore he saith, And he showed me; HE, the angel, showed me it. In the text we have these things to consider of, FIRST. The matter, the subject matter of the text, and that is the water of life. He showed me the water of life.' SECOND. We have also here the quantity of this water showed to him, and that is under the notion of a river: He showed me a river of water of life.' THIRD. He shows him also the head, or well-spring, from whence this river of water of life proceeds, and that is, the throne of God and of the Lamb.' He showed me a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb.' FOURTH. We have also here the nature and quality of this water; it is pure, it is clear as crystal: And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. [THE WATER OF LIFE.] [FIRST.] We will begin with the first of these, to wit, with the matter, the subject matter of the text, which is, THE WATER OF LIFE. These words, water of life, are metaphorical, or words by which thing most excellent is presented to and amplified before our faces; and that thing is the Spirit of grace, the Spirit and grace of God. And the words. water of life, are words most apt to present it to us by; for what is more free than water, and what more beneficial and more desirable than life? Therefore I say it is compared to, or called, the water of life. He showed me the water of life. That it is the Spirit of grace, or the Spirit and grace of God, that is here intended: consider, FIRST, the Spirit of grace is in other places compared to water: and, SECOND, it is also called the Spirit of life. Just as here it is presented unto us, 'Ile showed me the water of life.' FIRST. The spirit of grace is compared to water. Whosoever,' saith the Lamb, 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.' Jn. iv. 14. What can here by water be intended, but the Spirit of grace that this poor harlot, the woman of Samaria, wanted, although she was ignorant of her want, as also of the excellency thereof? Which water also is here said to be such as will spring As God gave us existence, so, in his munificence and royal bounty, he gives us his rich grace. We have nothing to give in return but grateful love. He redeems us from the captivity of sin, and death, and hell. Every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills: the world is mine, saith the Almighty, with the fuluess thereof." O to grace how great a debtor; freely bestowed to the poor and needy.-(Ed.) up, in them that have it, as a well into everlasting is cooling: the curse doth burn with hell-fire; cool Yes, the prophets and servants of God in the Old Testament, did take this water of life for the Spirit of grace that should in the latter days be poured out into the church. Hence, Isaiah calls water God's Spirit and blessing, and Zechariah, the Spirit of grace. 'I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring.' Is. xliv. 3. And Zechariah saith, I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, and they shall mourn,' &c. Zec. xii. 10. Behold, in all these places the Spirit of grace is intended, and for our better understanding it is compared to water, to a well of water, to springs of water, and to floods of water. SECOND. It is also called the Spirit of life, [either] more closely, [or] more openly. More closely, where it is called 'living water,' that living water,' and 'water springing up into everlasting life.' Jn. iv. 10, 11, 14; vii. 38. Then more openly or expressly it is called the Spirit of life.' And after three days and an half, the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet.' Re. xi. 11. From hence, therefore, I conclude, that by these terms, water of life, is meant the Spirit of grace, or the Spirit and grace of the gospel. And the terms are such as are most apt to set forth the Spirit and grace of the gospel by: for, [First. The term WATER.] 1. By this term, WATER, an opposition to sin is presented unto us. Sin is compared to water, to deadly waters, and man is said to drink it, as one that drinketh waters. How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?' Job xv. 16. So, then, that grace and the Spirit of grace is compared to water, it is to show what an antidote grace is against sin; it is, as I may call it, counter poison to it. It is that ONLY thing by the virtue of which sin can be forgiven, vanquished, and overcome. 2. By this term WATER, you have an opposition also to the curse, that is due to sin, presented unto you. The curse, is compared to water; the remedy is compared to water. Let the curse come into the bowels of the damned, saith the psalmist, like water, P's. cix. 18. The grace of God also, as you see, is compared to water. The curse is burning; water ing is by the grace of the holy gospel: but they that overstand the day of grace, shall not obtain to cool their tongues so much of this water as will hang on the tip of one's finger.1 La xvi. 24, 25. 3. Water is also of a spreading nature, and so is sin; wherefore sin may for this also be compared to water. It overspreads the whole man, and infects every member; it covereth all as doth water. Grace for this cause may be also compared to water; for that it is of a spreading nature, and can, if God will, cover the face of the whole earth; of body and soul. 4. Sin is of a fouling, defiling nature; and grace is of a washing, cleansing nature; therefore grace, and the Spirit of grace, is compared to water. I will,' saith God, sprinkle clean water upon you, (my Spirit, 27) and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.' Eze. xxxvi. 25. ver. 5. Water; the element of water naturally descends to and abides in low places, in valleys and places which are undermost; and the grace of God and the Spirit of grace is of that nature also; the hills and lofty mountains have not the rivers running over the tops of them; no, though they may run among them.' But they run among the valleys: and God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace unto the humble,' to the lowly.' Ja. iv. 6. 1 Pe. v. 5. Pr. iii. 34. 6. The grace of God is compared to water, for that it is it which causeth fruitfulness; water causeth fruitfulness, want of water is the cause of barrenness; and this is the reason why the whole world is so empty of fruit to Godward, even because so few of the children of men have the Spirit of grace in their hearts. But, [Second. The term LIFE.] As there is a great special signification in this term WATER, so there is in this term LIFE, water of life. 'He showed me the water of life.' In that, therefore, there is added to this word water, that of life, it is, in the general, to show what excellent virtue and operation there is in this water. It is aquæ vitæ, water of life, or water that hath a health and life in it. And this term shows us, 1. That the world of graceless men are dead; dead in trespasses and sins. Jn. v. 21, 25. Ep. ii. 1. Col. ii. 13. Dead, that is, without life and motion Godward, in the way of the testament of his Son. 2. It also shows us that there is not any thing in the world, or in the doctrine of the world, the law, that can make them live. Life is only in this water, death is in all other things. The law, I say, which is that that would, if anything in the whole world, give life unto the world, but that yet killeth, condemneth, and was added that the offence might abound; wherefore there is no life either in the world or in the doctrine of the world. It is only in this water, in this grace of God, which is here called the water of life, or God's aquæ vitæ.2 3. It is also called the water of life to show that by the grace of God men may live, how dead soever their sins have made them. When God will say to a sinner, live,' though he be dead in his sins, he shall live.' • When thou wast in thy blood, I said unto thee, Live; yea, when thou wast in thy blood, I said, Live.' Eze. xvi. 6. And again, 'The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.' Jn. v. 25. That is, when he speaks words of grace, and mixeth those words with the Spirit and grace of the gospel, then men shall live; for such words so attended, and such words only, are spirit and life. The words that I speak unto you,' saith Christ, they are spirit, and they are life.' Jn. vi. 63. · 4. In that this grace of God is here presented unto us under the terms of water of life, it is to show that some are sick of that disease that no thing can cure but that. There are many diseases in the world, and there are also remedies for those diseases; but there is a disease that nothing will, can, or shall cure, but a dram of this bottle, a draught of this aquæ vitæ, this water of life. This is intimated by the invitation, let him take the water of life freely.' Re. xxii. 17. And again, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.' Re. xxi. 6. This is spoken to the sick, to them that are sick of the disease that only Christ, as a physician, with his water of life, can cure. Mar. ii. 17. But few are sick of this disease, but few know what it is to be made sick of this disease. There is nothing can make sick of this disease but the law and sin, and nothing can cure but the grace of God by the gospel, called here the water of life. 3 Reliance upon an imperfect obedience to God's holy law, united with a hope, through Christ or some other means, of forgiveness for not having kept some parts of that law, is the doctrine of the world,' and of devils. It is a refuge of lies, which death will fearfully sweep away. We must rely wholly upon Christ, or perish.-(Ed.) 2 Aque Vite was a cordial-water well known in Bunyan's time, and much used in compounding medicines, but now almost forgotten. It was distilled from brewed beer, strongly hopped, and well fermented. The French have an intoxicating liquour called eau de vie; this is distilled from the refuse of the grapes after the wine is made.—(Ed.) 3 Although all mankind are fatally diseased, they only feel it that are made sick of sin; this the law work, and when it takes place, then comes the new birth and salvation by the efficacy of this water of life.-(ED.) [THE GREATNESS AND ABUNDANCE OF THE WATER OF LIFE.] [SECOND.] We come now to discourse of the second thing with which we are presented by the text, and that is, the quantity that there is of this water of life. It is a RIVER 'He showed me a river of water of life.' Waters that are cordial, and that have in them a faculty to give life to them that want it, and to maintain life where it is, are rare and scarce, and to be found only in close places and little quantities; but here you see there is abundance, a great deal, a RIVER, a river of water of life. In my handling of this point I will show you, FIRST. What a river of water of life this is. SECOND. And then draw some inferences therefrom. FIRST. What a river this is, this river of water of life.* First. It is a deep river. It is a river that is not shallow, but deep, with an O the depth!' no. xi. 33. 'I will make their waters deep, saith God.' Eze. xxxii. 14. And again, they have drunk of the deep waters.' Eze. xxxiv. 18. A river of water of life is much, but a deep river is more. Why, soulsick sinner, sin-sick sinner, thou that art sick of that disease that nothing can cure but a potion of this river of the water of life, here is a river for thee, a deep river for thee. Those that at first are coming to God by Christ for life, are of nothing so inquisitive as of whether there is grace enough in him to save them. But, for their comfort, here is abundance, abundance of grace, a river, a deep river of the water of life, for them to drink of. Second. As this river is deep, so it is wide and broad. Ep. iii. 18. Job. xi. 9. Wherefore, as thou art to know the depth, that is, that it is deep, so thou art to know its breadth, that is, that it is broad; it is broader than the sea, a river that cannot be passed over. Eze. xlvii. 5. Never did man yet go Sin from one side of this river to the other when the waters indeed were risen; and now they are risen, even now they proceed out of the throne of God and of the Lamb too. Hence this grace is called 'the unsearchable riches of Christ.' Ep. iii. 8. ner, sick sinner, what sayest thou to this? Wouldst thou wade? wouldst thou swim? here thou mayest swim, it is deep, yet fordable at first entrance. And when thou thinkest that thou hast gone through and through it, yet turn again and try A RIVER inexhaustible, to supply the pure and unmixed joys of heaven to all the myriads of happy glorified souls, and applied by the Spirit of grace to quench the thirst of the soul on earth. This grace is fixed and permanent, springing up into everlasting life.' Blessed Jesus, 'give me this water, that I thirst not ever.'-(ED.) |