The Descent of the Branch into the Waters of Sorrow, to Bring up the Election of Grace / Being the Substance of a Sermon, Preached by J. Church, of the Surrey Tabernacle

Transcribed from the 1817 R. Thomas edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org Many thanks to the British Library for allowing their copy to be consulted.
BEING THE SUBSTANCE OF A Sermon,
PREACHED BY J. CHURCH, OF THE SURREY TABERNACLE .
“AND HE CRIED UNTO THE LORD, AND THE LORD SHEWED HIM A TREE, WHICH WHEN HE HAD CAST INTO THE WATERS, THE WATERS WERE MADE SWEET.” “AND IF WE ARE AFFLICTED IT IS FOR YOUR CONSOLATION.”
Southwark: Printed by R THOMAS, No, 11, RED LION STREET, Borough.
1817.
2 Kings, 6th Chap. v. 6. And the Man of God said , Where fell it ? And he shewed him the place , and he cut down a stick , and cast it in thither , and the iron did swim .
All scripture is written for our instruction in the knowledge of the Person and Work of God our dear Saviour, as the only foundation of our hope, the object of our faith and love, the only refuge of guilty man, the brightness of the Father’s glory, and the express image of his love, his wisdom, and his infinite condescension. Holy men of old spake, and wrote the sacred scriptures, under the divine influence of the Holy Ghost. Christ is the main object they all believed in, looked to, hoped for, and held forth to succeeding generations. Christ is the substance of the whole Bible; every passage, in some way or other, like the Star of Bethlehem, points to him; and the most wise and spiritual children of the Most High, as divinely taught, must be ever upon the look-out for Jesus in every part of the divine word. Christ is in every doctrine, in every sacred illustrious character, in every type, in every ordinance, and in every precept, in every promise, and every Old Testament history, as well as every New Testament parable: and where the mind is sweetly influenced by the love of Jesus, it gladly receives Christ wherever it is given by the Spirit to see him.
I would not be wise above what is written, nor would I attempt to force the meaning of the blessed Spirit, or misapply it to answer any purpose; but I must humbly beg to remark, that in reading the circumstance which I have selected for a text, my mind was at first forcibly struck with the account; and looking up for wisdom to preach on it, and having been favored with the gracious presence of my Lord in handling it, I could no longer suppress my own feelings, with the earnest solicitations of many that heard it, who were apparently blessed by this feeble testimony, I present it in the simple form, as in part preached. I have tried to retain the substance, though I am not able to write verbatim, what was delivered: I only aim at setting forth the glory of the dear Saviour, as held forth in this passage, to the Church; that by comparing spiritual truths with spiritual experiences, some of God’s tried people may be built up in their most holy faith, and sweetly led to see that they have not believed in vain.