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.'—Revelation 22:17
Fifth. The grace of God is called a river to show that it is suited only to those who are capable of living therein. Water, though it is that which every creature desireth, yet it is not an element in which every creature can live. Who is it that would not have the benefit of grace, of a throne of grace? But who is it that can live by grace? Even none, but those whose temper and constitution are suited to grace. Hence, as the grace of God is compared to a RIVER, so those that live by grace are compared to FISH: for as water is the element in which the fish liveth, so grace is the life of the saint. 'And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither; for they shall be healed, and everything shall live whither the river cometh' (Eze 47:9). Art thou a fish, O man, art thou a fish? Canst thou live in the water; canst thou live always, and nowhere else, but in the water? Is grace thy proper element? The fish dieth if she be taken out of the water, unless she be timely put in again; the saint dieth if he be not in this river. Take him from this river, and nothing can make him live; let him have water, water of life enough, and nothing can make him die.
I know that there are some things besides fish that can make a shift to live in the water; but the water is not their proper, their only proper element. The frog can live in the water, but not only in the water; the otter can live in the water, but not only in the water. Give some men grace and the world, grace and sin; admit them to make use of their lusts for pleasure, and of grace to remove their guilt, and they will make a pretty good shift, as we say; they will finally scrabble on in a profession; but hold them to grace only, confine their life to grace, put them into the river, and let them have nothing but river, and they die; the word, and way, and nature of grace, is to them as light bread, and their soul can do no other but loath it, for they are not suited and tempered for that element. They are fish, not frogs, that can live in the river, as in their only proper element. Wherefore, the grace of God, and Spirit of grace, is compared to a river, to show that none but those can live thereby whose souls and spirits are suited and fitted thereto.
Sixth. The grace, and Spirit of grace of God, is called or compared to a river, to answer those insatiable desires, and to wash away those mountainous doubts that attend those that indeed do thirst for that drink. The man who thirsts spiritually fears nothing more than that there is not enough to quench his thirst. All the promises and sayings of God's ministers seem to such a man like thimbles instead of bowls (Psa 63:1, 143:6), so long as his thirst and doubts walk hand in hand. This promise is not enough; I find it insufficient to quench the drought of my thirsting soul. He that thirsteth aright, nothing but God can quench his thirst. 'My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God' (Psa 42:2, 63:1, 143:6). Well, what shall be done for this man? Will his God humor him, and answer his desires? Mark what follows: 'When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none,' (and they can find none, when all the promises seem to be dry, and like clouds that return after the rain), 'and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the Lord, will hear them.' Aye, but Lord, what wilt thou do to quench their thirst? 'I will open rivers,' saith he, 'in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water' (Isa 41:17,18). Behold! Here are rivers and fountains, a pool, and springs, and all to quench the thirst of them that thirst for God.
Wherefore, as I said, such provision for the thirsty intimates their fears of want and the craving appetite of their souls after God. Right spiritual thirst is not to be satisfied without abundance of grace. And 'they shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house, and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures' (Psa 36:8).
Seventh. The grace of God is compared to a river, to show the greatness of the family of God. He has a family, a great family, and, therefore, it is not a little that must be provided for them. When Israel went out of Egypt and thirsted by the way, God provided a river; he made it gush out of the rock; for, alas! what less than a river could quench the thirst of more than six hundred thousand men, besides women and children? (Psa 78:20).
I say, what less than a river could do it? When the people lusted for flesh, Moses said, 'Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them?' (Num 11:22). Even so, could not less than a river sustain and suffice that great people. Now his people in gospel days are not to be diminished, but increased; and if then they had need of a river, surely now of a sea; but the river is deep and broad, full, and abounds, or rises with water, so it will suffice.
Eighth. The grace of God is compared to a river, perhaps to show how low an esteem it is with the rich and the full. The destitute indeed embrace the rock instead of a shelter, and the poor and needy, they seek water: but they that can drink wine in bowls, that can solace themselves with, as they think, better things, they come not to this river to drink; they never say they shall die if they drink not of this water. It is, therefore, for the poor and needy, God will lead THEM to his 'living fountains of waters,' and will 'wipe away all tears from THEIR eyes' (Rev 7:17). And thus I pass the second and come to the third particular, and that is, to show the head and spring from whence this river proceeds, or springs.
