David's Guard to break first thrô an Host that encamps against us Psa 27.3 Joh. 4.28 This is a Well where we may leave our water-pot since when we have drank of the Water we carry a well away with us v. 14. It is the Lamb's Fountain and thou mayst wring more out of this Fleece than Gideon's a Judg. 638 Bowl full or Hagar's b Gen. 21.15 bottle or Elijah's four c 1 Kings 18.33 barrels of water This is none of the bitter water that causeth the d Num. 5 22. curse but a Blessing when it comes into the e Ps 109. â—â— Bowels like water Our other Drink is f Hos 4 1â— soâ—â—r but this is a Fountain that yieldeth sweet water g Jam. 3 11 This Precious Liquor this incomparable and true Aqua vitae was set abroach upon the Tree of the Cross when one of the Souldiers with a Spear pierc'd his side and there forthwith came out Blood and (h) Joh. 19.34 water And lo he continues still as a pure River of the water of life running plentifully down the Gospel by his Guests at the Table side In a word he is water to cleanse our Filth Rev. 22.1 and water to quench our Thirst besides 5. Flesh to eat When the mixed multitude in the Wilderness fell a lusting it was to eat Flesh Num. 11.4 insomuch that the Children of Israel wept again and said who shall give us Flesh to eat and can he provide Flesh for his People Psa 78.20 last words But lo he that commanded the Clouds rained down Flesh upon them as Dust and feathered Fowls like as the sand of the Sea v. 27. Who indeed would have looked for such a Shower for when they tempted God in the Desert one might rather have feared he should have turned them to grass with their Flocks and Herds than have rained Flesh out of the Clouds upon them Yet tho' they had provoked God in the day of Temptation in the wilderness he tells them on the morrow ye shall eat Flesh Num. 11.18 But alas what was their Flesh tho' the Flesh of Quails to the Flesh of Jesus Christ What was the Flesh he gave unto all this People in comparison of the Flesh of the Son of God which he gives the Soul to feed upon by Faith Jesus Christ yields a variety to the Faith of God's Elect Num. 21.5 and it doth not follow that their Soul like those Israelites doth loath him as light Bread because their Soul also longeth for his Flesh to eat But we may here lawfully put in that wish in Job Oh! Job 31.31 that we had of his Flesh God doth not call you to eat the Flesh of your Sons Jer. 19.9 but the Flesh of His nor the Flesh of your Friend Zech. 13 7 but the Flesh of the man that is his Fellow What strange Flesh was that which the Poor Woman in Samaria had when she boiled her own Son for meat 2 Kings 6.29 Isa 13.18 She parted with the Fruit of her Womb being stricken thrô for want of the Fruits of the Field Lam. 4.9 But 't is a more astonishing wonder that God parted with the Son of his Bosom that we might eat the Flesh of this Sacrifice And there is no fear of making our Brother to offend by eating this Flesh while the World standeth 1 Cor. 8 1â— This mysterious Delicate the Flesh of Christ contains the Benefits of the Gospel which make up this Royal Entertainment that he purchas'd by his Death and Sufferings in the Flesh when he was put to Death in the Flesh 1 Pet. 3.18 but quickned by the Spirit This Doctrine of the Flesh of Christ given for meat unto our Faith is a further Exposition of the True Bread Joh. 6.51 And the Bread that I will give is my Flesh Now God must be first manifest in the Flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 Rom. 8.3 and in the likeness of sinful Flesh and in this Flesh of ours die to prepare meat for us for as the Creatures that have Life die that we a while in our Bodies by their Death might live so it is the very Flesh of Christ and him crucified that must give Life unto our Souls His Flesh suffer'd his Flesh was pierc'd he was hung upon that Flesh book of the Cross when God gave him to be meat unto us His Flesh was powdered in the very Grave where other Things corrupt but his Flesh did not see Corruption Acts 2.31 to be made ready as a sweet and Dainty Morsel for us The wrath of God broke forth upon the Body he had prepared Heb. 10.5 and kindled a Fire in his Anger that even boil'd him as Flesh within the Caldron Mic. 3.3 and roasted him that his Flesh might be meat indeed for us Joh. 6.55 his Flesh was bor'd thro' and thro' tho' not a Bone of him should be broken Thus was he bruised for our Iniquities Isa 53.5 or there should no Flesh be saved Hence he hath spoken Matth. 24.22 Joh. 6.57 last words He that eateth me even he shall live by me This may serve to answer either the Jew's or the unbelieving Gentile's Question Joh. 6.52 How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat it being not to be understood of a Sacramental eating as the Rhemists gloss it but a spiritual by Faith alone Oh! how may we stand amaz'd at the Provisions in Him whose Name is VVonderful Isa 9.6 This is the Fifth Dish the Flesh of Jesus Christ 6. Blood to drink Perhaps our Ignorant squeazy old man may loath it as the Egyptians did to drink of the water of the River Exod. 7.18 after it was smitten with the Rod of Moses and turned into Blood but our New-man redeemed by Blood will take great Delight in it Alas we have sinn'd our selves into such a Feavour that our own common Drink inflames we have kindled a Burning which nothing but Blood the Blood of Christ will quench if man tryes to put the Fire out by any Works of Righteousness which he hath done Tit. 3.5 the sweat of his Brows will drop in and like Oil still increase the Flame Nay it is not VVater barely separate from Blood will quench our Anguish tho' we trusted that we could Job 40.23 with the Behemoth draw up Jordan into our mouths we must still have Blood to drink Oh! it requires great Faith in the Son of God to see it for otherwise Corruption will make us too nice to be entertain'd with Blood Faith and Faith alone is kept alive by it it cannot it needs not live upon a more Generous and Sprightly Liquor than this pure Blood of the Grape Deut 32.14 last words 1 Pet. 1.2 pâ—â—t it makes every Morsel of the Banquet Savoury that 't is sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ Flesh as before and Blood now do include the whole Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
not make an Application of the Promises because they know not by what Authority they can do these things chap. 11.23 They fear the Feast doth not belong to them but is appointed and decreed for others Mat. 20.23 for whom alone they think it is prepared A Saint may be ready to interpret Christ's words absolutely thou hast no part with me which yet he lays down no more than Conditionally If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Joh. 13.8 They query what if they should be Dogs to whom it doth not appertain to take the Children's Bread Mat. 15.26 but alas why should this hinder or discourage you it did not the Woman of Canaan tho' Christ call'd her Dog expresly Matth. 15.26 It is not meet to take the Children's Bread and cast it to Dogs as if he had said the Bread of the House is too good for such a Dog as thee But this Woman still comes in with a reply of Faith and seeing good store of Provision in Christ tho' she were not a Jew by Birth but a Syro-phenician by Nation Mark 7.26 yet she would not give over or be content to lose all If she were a Dog she would plead with Christ for Crumbs and gather her Meat under his Table v. 27th and she said Judg. 7.1 Truth Lord yet the Dogs eat of the Crumbs which fall from their Master's Table insomuch that Jesus now tells her she was no Dog but a Daughter of the true Faith of Abraham v. 28. Then Jesus answered and said unto her O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt As if he had said thou hast been sueing for Crumbs but now thou mayst take what Meat thou wilt 2. Vnacquaintedness with the True Notion of the Gospel They want Light and therefore walk in Darkness They look more to Qualifications for Christ than to Christ for Qualifications They would fain see more Works in themselves before they dare venture to rely on Him But my Brethren tho' we apprehend never so much unworthiness guilt pollution and misery in our selves yet our work is to come to Jesus Christ as we are that in him and from him we may be made better For if you try to place your own Obedience in the Front and Faith in Jesus Christ at the Foot of the account afterwards that is you would arrive to such a pitch of Holiness to such a measure of Sincerity to such a Degree of Brokenness to so much Fruitfulness in every good word and work Col. 1.10 and then you could safely rest on Christ alas this is to put a Nought in the first place and then a Figure in the next for it is impossible to arrive unto any Degree of acceptable Obedience 'till Faith closeth with him who is the ground of all acceptation This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 There is by Faith an antecedent Union â—to and a Being in Christ as the Foundation of all our acceptance with the Father which I seriously profess was the sweet and prevailing Allurement when the Spirit of God enlightned me in this part of the Gospel and wrought with a Divine Power to bring me to give up my self as a Sinner to believe in him having been a long while deluded by this Fatal and pernicious Mistake that I must be first a Saint and then might set up for a Believer But let none from hence misunderstand me to plead for a vain Faith which never joyns with Holiness I speak only of the order to shew where Holiness must be plac'd not against the thing as prophane Libertines do to exclude it out of all place If we look first to Christ and then to Holiness we need not as some weak Believers are apt under Temptation and the Hidings of the Face of God to question our State while we bewail a Body of Death because our Justification as soon as by Faith we first received Christ brought us into a Compleat State tho' it hath not brought us nor will in this Life to perfect Degrees of Holiness But if we are preposterous and look first to such measures of Holiness and then in the second place look to Christ we overturn all the order of the Gospel which placeth Christ or Faith in Christ at the beginning and then Holiness immediately to be carrying on gradually to our last end It is as much Satan's Art on one Hand to trouble Souls that have been awakened by separating Christ from Holiness as it is the industrious Art of some Men to separate Holiness from Christ The Devil accuseth us because we are not perfect in our selves and become our own Saviours others accuse us because being perfect in a Saviour we will yet talk of pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 2 Pet. 3.18 and growing in Grace and Holiness as if Men in Christ were to make the Church a Monster that is a Holy Head and prophane Filthy Members therefore say some who I am sure have not learnt the Truth as it is in Christ there is no need of an Evangelical Righteousness when we are found in Christ's Righteousness no need of our Obedience poor imperfect rotten because of Christ's which is absolutely compleat and spotless Alas this is no more than to tell us because we are not justifyed by Holiness therefore we must not labour after Holiness nor pray for Holiness nor look for Holiness nor preach up Holiness I would fain know why our Holiness on Earth should impair Christ's Righteousness more than our Holiness shall do in Heaven for we shall there in Person be Holy to Perfection and yet have nothing after we have been millions of Years thus Holy but all of it for and in Christ Now how can an incompleat Holiness that be sure must be justifyed it self by Christ injure Christ's Righteousness on Earth when our perfect and Angelical Obedience in Heaven shall not diminish or eclipse one Ray of this Sun of Righteousness to all Eternity But to return Mal. 4.2 and in a few words close this Hinderance to the Feast in reference to such as err about Holiness and Obedience in the misplacing it as I began the particular Let Christians take heed where they place Faith for if they do not begin with it they will put that and Christ's Merits and their own Obedience too all out of place It is an excellent Passage to this purpose which I have met with in a Divine that hath also wrote very soundly an entire Piece upon the Point of Justification saith he in another (y) Anthâ— Burgess Spiritual Befinings 1st part p. 249. Treatise As in the Holy of Holies every thing was Gold or covered with Gold so all that is accepted with God is either Christ or Duties covered with Christ Again that you may not entertain a wrong Notion of the Gospel take heed that in your view of
a Heavenly Nectar is this Cup of Consolation you may drink it at Ordinances in the Golden Vessels of the Temple Dan. 5.2 Esth 5.6 where there needs at this Banquet of wine to be no * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspectores vini Weemse Christian Synagogue pag. 209. Inspectours or Overseers set to mind you least you prove Spiritual wine-bibbers at these Vessels filled up to the Brim no †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godwins Hebrew-Rites pag. 45. Song 5 1. Eyes of the Feast to see you do not drink too much as is reported to have been customary at the Oriental Feasts among the Jews and Persians But you may drink abundantly of the Love of Christ and yet not be drunk with Wine This Cup of Consolation is most excellently represented in the Cup of Blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 Mat. 26.27 where at the Communion of the Blood of Christ he saith unto his Friends Drink ye all of it Lo Prov. 23.31 1 Cor. 11 26. there it is seen how it giveth its colour in the Cup and moveth it self aright by shewing forth the Lord's Death until he come even a second time to Judgment The Gospel is like those water-pots that stood in Cana at the Marriage-Feast Joh. 2.7.9 they yielded water at the beginning but afforded wine unto the Guests before they rose up So as Christ was represented first by water his Love is now shed abroad like VVine Oh! Blessed is the Benjamin in whose Sack this Silver Cup is found Gen. 44.12 These Consolations of our God abound Psa 23.5 my Cup runneth over Oh! the Depth of these Streams of Love when we swim in the Rivers of his Pleasure how incomparable is the Wine of the Kingdom Dent. 32.14 beyond any other Blood of the Grape 23. The continual Diet of Perseverance 'T is said of Jehoiachim that he was so provided for by the King of Babylon that he did continually eat Bread before him all the Days of his Life and for his Diet there was a continual Diet given him of the King of Babylon every Day a Portion untill the Day of his Death all the Days of his Life Dan. 1.5 Jer. 52.33 34. So in the Gospel there is a Daily Provision of the King's meat Grace to feed thee every Day for new work fresh He will persevere to relieve thee on thy way that thou mayst persevere to come thy Journeys-End home He will continue thy Meat because he will not have thee to break thy Work off before thou hast made a Full end of it He will feed thee because Grace will finish what Grace hath once begun He that hath begun a good work in you shall also confirm you unto the end Phil. 1.6 1 Cor. 1.8 Thou shalt not be kept upon the Corn of Heaven for one Day only or ten Dayes or Twenty Days Num. â—â— 19 or a whole Month as they did eat of the Quails in the Israelitish Camp but thou shalt have Grace to stablish strengthen settle thee to thy Live's end and keep thee on thro' Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 5.10 1 Pet. 1.5 24. Lastly Rev. 2.7 The Fruit of the Tree of Life Fruit is wont at Entertainments to be last served in and so I place it last for Glory which is the Fruit of the Tree of Life shall begin where Grace here ends There may be indeed some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 19.9 some Foretasts of the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and it is enough for an Israelite so long as in the Body Num. 13.23 to have a Cluster or some few at most from the Edge of Canaan he must be caught up into Paradise before he can gather the Full Vintage 2 Cor. 12.4 he must take possession of that better Countrey before he can eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 It is fit my Brethren that both you and I should be now content with Grace tho' I have been enabled to lay before you the Meat and Drink which will enable us to do the Will of God Joh. 4.34 yet I cannot climb the Tree of Life for you Rev. 3.12 Rev. 22.2 to bring down out of the New Jerusalem any one of those Twelve manner of Fruits which grow in Plenty upon this Tree of Life above It will be the work of Eternity when our Days are as the Days of Heaven Psa 89.29 to behold these Precious Things that are put forth by the Sun Deut. 33.14 Mal. 4.2 1 Cor. 2.9 the Sun of Righteousness in Heaven for Eye hath not seen them here save the Eye of Faith only And therefore so much may suffice us at the Threshold of our Father's House Joh. 7.37 on this Great Day of the Feast The Fifth General Thing propounded was to shew what Excellent Properties there are in the Provisions of this Great Supper 1. Transforming 1 Property There is a marvellous Efficacy put into these Provisions that begets a Divine Likeness Ye shall be like God not in that bad lying sence the Devil intended it when he deceived our first Parents with a Deceitful Godlikeness Gen. 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil whenas it only transformed them and their Posterity into the Black and Filthy Image of the Devil We are by Nature Partners with that which entred into the VVorld Rom. 5.12 and defileth but by Grace are made Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 When it is said of the Poor they have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.5 last words the Original expresseth it in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passive are Gospellized transformed into the Image of the Truths they hear made other sort of Creatures Thus the Provisions of the Gospel Feast have an efficacious converting influence thrô the Operations of the Holy Ghost that by our Participation 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed into the same Image of God we see 2. VVholsom Other Diet 2 Property if we eat it we may prove the worse after in killing hunger it may create Diseases but this is for your health Acts 27.34 The Gospel is wholsom in every part of it The Guests at this Entertainment may safely feed of any Dish that God hath set before them Psa 68.21 Indeed wicked men that are resolv'd to go on still in their Trespasses may cry out like those Sons of the Prophets 2 Kings 4.40 Oh thou man of God! there is Death in the pot But if God throws in Meal or mixeth his Loving Kindness and mercies with it let others throw in their Lap full of wild Gourds there is still no harm in the Pot. 2 Kings 4.39 40. Every Guest may adventure safely it is Food that will need no Physick unless we abuse our Morsel and play the wanton with it It is wholsom and never hurts any but such as provoke the wrath of
Righteous Condemnation when he sits upon a Throne of Justice and when God pronounceth thine Absolution the Sentence of Condemnation will prove of no effect to hurt thee There is none shall call thee to any just Account for Life because thou hast one that now hath traverst Death The Council of Heaven pleads to save thee and a Black-mouth'd Crew in Hell or foul-mouth'd Crew on Earth shall never make thy Cause through Accusation now to go against thee What unrighteous Plea shall ever over-rule Luk. 18.6 or unjust Judge stand up to overthrow the Highest Court of Justice He that justifyeth will turn every Letter of the Law-Curse to make up the Gospel-Blessing Tho' thou art verily Guilty in thy self Rom. 3.19 for all the World is become Guilty before God And tho' by offending in one Point we are truely Guilty of all Jam. 2.10 yet tho' we are the Sinners the Gospel comes in ready with the Son of God 2 Cor. 5.21 who was made sin for us Tho' we owe our very Lives unto the second death Rev. 20.1 21.4 the Gospel hath procur'd the Free Gift to save them that our Statute of Death unto Condemnation might be Repealed and Enacted unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 He that passeth by and sees thee in thy Blood delivers thee from Blood guiltiness he takes thee up and imputes not thy Trespass tho' a poor * Felo de se is the term which our Engl. Law gives a self-murtherer Felo de se that hast sadly destroy'd thy self Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy Help found Fourthly The Gospel hath Healing Provisions suited to the Condition of back sliding sick and wounded Souls The Gospel provides something Medicinal to purge out Corruption and Restoratives to fetch the Patient again and gracious Lenitives to mollifie a Bleeding Wound and a Skilfull Hand to bind up and make all whole again as well as provides Aliment and Food to Nourish Alas our very Corruptions if we had not Grace provided to remove them would spoil all our Feast We have such Foul Stomachs by Nature that we need a Pill to cleanse them before our Morsel enters Deut. 28.59 We have all Naturally great Plagues and sore Sicknesses that turn our Stomach upon a Feast of Fat things And 'till we find something in the Gospel among its All Things to Cure us our Soul will be like that sick Man 's in Job Job 33.20 Psal 107.18 whose Life abhorreth Bread and his Soul dainty Meat We shall otherwise be too bad to touch Meat or receive the daintiest that can be brought us The Corruption of the Heart before it is in any measure purged makes a Sinner disdain the Gospel and hate the Diet of the Soul Num. 21.5 like the Israelites that loathed Mannah and call'd it light Bread and said chap. 11.6 there is nothing at all besides this Mannah before our Eyes This is the true Natural State of a Man before the Gospel hath been as Physick to work with healing Grace upon him Now therefore the Gospel among its All Things ready hath its Provisions of Medicine as well as Meat The Grace of it will heal and nourish both it can furnish the Patient and supply the Guest create a soundness of Constitution by Due Preparatives and keep it up with Provisions and Supplies in other kinds after The Gospel is like those yielding and plentiful Trees in Ezekiel's Vision where the Fruit was for Meat and the Leaf for Medicine Ezek. 47.12 lat pt The Balm of them was Healing and would work a Recovery upon the languishing as well as the Fruit Nourishing to supply the Hungry and the Juice refreshing to allay a thirsty Appetite Jer. 8.22 So there is Balm in Gilead a Physician and a Feast there both Mat. 9.12 Jer. 33.6 A Physician that doth bring it Health and Cure The Gospel purgeth out Corruption as well as prepares our Table it cleanseth our Vessel and then pours the precious Mannah in In a word it is Physick first and refreshing Diet after Now this Gospel suits with thy Condition tho' thou hast been a Backslider in thy ways and art now sick and wounded Psal 38.5 Do thy Wounds stink are they corrupt by reason of thy Foolishness and do the steams of Corruption make thine Heart sick yet God hath a Healing Medicine to settle thee at thy Heart and when broken Job 5.18 the Lord makes thee whole This is most graciously illustrated Hos 14.4 I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely This is a Remedy suits thy sick Case I will heal * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is Metaphorical and shews the Efficacy of the Physician that tho' there hath been a †Iniquitates morbis se medico Christum medicinae comparat Rivet in Nesemn Complication of Distempers in thy Defection insomuch that now the sense of it hath wounded thee in thy Spirit and the Disease hath bruis'd thee yet thy sickness shall not be unto death but for the glory of God in healing thee for a Bruised Reed shall he not break Matth. 12.20 Not Break. i. e. as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word imports he will not do any thing against it to hurt or handle with violence such a Feeble Slip his Hand is gentle he will touch the Bruise with Care Isa 57.16 least the Spirit should fail before him and the Soul that he hath made Tho' you came as a Troop of Lazaruses Luk. 16.20 and were laid at his Gate full of Sores Mat. 4.24 tho' you are taken with divers Diseases some with one spiritual Infirmity some with another whatsoever Sickness 1 Kings 8.37 whatsoever Plague it be yet he hath prepared to send his Word and heal you Psal 107.20 Be thou sick rent or torn whom He hath put to Pain Hos 6.1 yet run over the List of the All Things and thou shalt not complain thou hast no healing Medicine Jer. 30.13 Thy Disease indeed hath desperately broken out and it may be now hath fercht out many a Groan a Sigh and a Tear to see thy own Plague But while your Tears gush out God hath provided to stop an Issue of Blood Mark 5.29 That Sore of thine which hath ran in the Night and ceased not shall not break out 'till there be no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 because there is a Physician by whose Stripes ye are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 Nay Rev. 13.3.12 after thy deadly Wound is healed thou may'st carry some Marks of an Old Sore upon thee but no * Nisbet upon Peter Skar in thy Wound can hurt thee Joh. 20.25 when thou hast also the Print of his Nails Fifthly The Gospel hath Releasing Provisions to free thee if a spiritual Captive and break thy Chains off When the Gospel maketh a Feast it lets us out of Prison Mat. 26.51
sin you do not spy out more in your own Iniquities than you do in the very Grace of God to receive you graciously Hos 14.2 4 and love you freely And beware that you do not fancy a deeper Red different from other Death-colours in your own Body of Death than is seen in the Blood of Jesus Christ An Unacquaintedness with the true Notion of the Gospel is a Hinderance to the Gospel-Feast 3. Remaining Vnbelief in the Actings of slavish Fear Reigning Unbelief indeed is the Property of Sinners but Remaining Unbelief is a great Hinderance hanging in the way of Saints There are Remnants of this Sin to bring you under spiritual Sickness and Infirmities when there be no Ruling Signs-that it is unto Death upon you There is much Fluctuation in our Hearts an unsteddy rolling too and fro like the Waves of the Sea sometimes carried out towards the Shore in Hope then driven back again to Sea in Fears whereas our Rock is the same for ever tho' we roll aside Oh! were our Faith says (z) Dr. Sibb◠Bruised Reed p. 23 24. one as firm as our State in Christ is secure what manner of Men should We be A Saint may be brought many ways low but he shall be brought no ways under Now by how much the less it is you live in the Exercise of Faith 〈◊〉 2.20 i. e. By the Faith of the Son of God by so much the less in your spiritual State will you thrive by Gospel-Grace As you want any measure of Faith to digest the Food of God's Word so much the less of Nourishment and Sweetness you will find in any Morsel of it Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe All Things are possible unto him that believeth Mark 9.23 If you have not Oh weak Christians a stronger Degree a higher Measure of Faith your Fears will make you jealous and suspect the Love of God every time you try to eat and drink in his Kingdom It is observed of Peter he never sank in the Waters 'till he sank first in Fears when he saw the Wind boisterous he was afraid and upon this followeth his beginning to sink Matth. 14.30 Fears will suggest nothing but such wrong and uncomfortable Thoughts as these Well this Feast of the Gospel is too great for such poor Dust and too good for so vile a Worm as I therefore it belongeth not to me But Oh! take heed of this let not Unbelief carry it without a check in thy Soul when it calls the Bread of Life Poyson or tells thee thou art damn'd if thou venturest so far as to meddle with it 4. Lastly Refusing to be Comforted God's People sometimes will not tho' we take his own words be satisfied The Consolations of God are so small with them Job 15.11 that they will not take this Cup of Consolation down Jer. 16.11 Psa 77.2 last words My Soul refused to be comforted let me hear what I would it was all one with me That was Good Asaph's case a while Now what will All Things avail when no thing shall be allow'd to comfort you but you will choose to go down into the Grave mourning Gen. 37.35 What signifies Moses to tell the Children of Israel that God had looked upon their Affliction and Bondage and to assure them of Deliverance that it was now even at the Door Mat. 24.33 whenas they hearkened not unto Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage Exod. 6.9 It is observable indeed that at the first Newes of their Deliverance which Moses brought them from God they are hugely affected with it Chap. 4.31 The People believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their Affliction then they bowed their Heads and worshipped Oh! how glad and comforted do they seem that there comes any Relief to alter their Afflicted case at last Well but God will yet try their Patience under their Burdens and Adversity a little longer in the next Chapter Pharaoh comes and He multiplies their Burdens still more and more and lo now the Double Labour of their Bricks and the Stripes of their Task masters upon their Backs beat them quite out of Heart insomuch that at last Moses with all his Arguments and Perswasion could no ways still them for they are resolved to hear to wait to trust no longer they hearkened not c. Thus some of God's Children will seem to be born up notably when God comes first into their Souls with Comfort but alas if God to try them lays them again in the lowest Pit in Darkness Psa 88.6 in the Deeps immediately their Mountain is overturned their Sun is set and the Rainbow of the Covenant blotted out of Their Cloud They refuse to be comforted and seem loth to look out towards the Everlasting Hills again Psa 121.1 Now hence it is that the Gospel hath been very often in part ineffectual for a Time to some of God's own Children To conclude therefore in a word your Meat will not strengthen you to flee as a Bird to your Mountain Psa 11.1 so long as with Ephraim you remain a silly Dove without Heart Hos 7.11 And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Ninth and last Thing propounded in the General method was the Application of this Doctrine IX The Vses I design to make by God's further Assistance are the Three following Information to discover such Truths Humiliation to bewail such Sins and Exhortation to beswade to such Duties as naturally flow from it First I. Vse by way of Information in these Thirteen Particulars 1. 1 Inf. We may learn the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons to bring down Heavenly Truths to our Capacities I say the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons for in this Body of Flesh we have more Earth than Spirit and need to put on Spectacles to help our weak Eyes It is a piece indeed of condescending Workmanship in our Maker to blow up the very Earth and the Things of it into a Glass and then shew us Heaven and the Things thereof thro' it which made the Apostle use the same Metaphor when he was comparing the Knowledge of Believers here with that perfect Sight they should have in Heaven 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see thro' a Glass darkly but then Face to Face Thus the Holy Ghost declares I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets Hos 12.10 (a) Deus se quodammodò transformat in verbo suo in quo non loquitur pro su◠Majestate sed prout congruere videt modulo nostro infirmitati Rivet in loc Vol. 2. p. 774. col 2. ultim Obs When God speaks to instruct us in his Word he doth as it were transform himself not speaking according to his own Essential Majesty but agreeably to the measure of our Frailty The Scripture often instructs us in Metaphors and sets forth our State Priviledges and Duty by
the Feast is a Feast of Holiness and it will surely hinder our Complyance if we are resolv'd to touch the Vnclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Tho' Grace should abound that is the offer of it to us yet it will work out nothing if it doth not work us off from sin Rom. 1.26 It must take ofâ— our vile Affections as the Apostle calls them that we do not hate the good and love the evil it must eat off the Chain we bind our selves in for this continuance in Love to sin must be broken off before we yield to any New Complyance We shall never stir towards a Saviour so long as we stand in any Evil Thing If Iniquities prevail Psa 65.3 the Invitation worketh no Perswasion or Success upon us All Things in this Great Supper will be too weak to perswade if there be but one Beloved Lust prevails You must not defile you must not foul your Hands with sin and your Fingers with Iniquity when you come to eat Bread in the Kingdom of God but wash ye make ye clean Isa 1.16 and touch not the Unclean Thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them that is from Unrighteousness from Darkness v. 14. and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the Vnclean Thing and I will receive you (y) Egressâ—â— in Scripturâ animo non modò corpori tribuitur Camer Myroth p. 355 Be ye separate i. e. Remove be gone be not contented to lye still in sin change your Doings and Behaviour tho' you don't change your Dwelling come off in your Affections and Conversations from the Pollutions that have cleaved to you 2 Cor. 7.1 Cleanse your selves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit or you will never accept of the Invitation that calls you to such a cleanly Feast Tho' Wisdom cryeth without Prov. 1.20 she will not help you 'till she is suffered to break off the League which you have made with Folly You must come from Sin for it is unto Death Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death or you will not come to this Feast to take of the Bread of Life in it You must get off the Broad wan that leadeth to destruction Mat. 7.13 before you can advance aright or come on to the Gate that 's strait and the narrow way to Heaven 2. Satan is another Terminus a Quo or Term we must likewise come from Natural Men are apt to imagine that the Devil and They are far enough asunder his Name perhaps affrights them tho's they can bear his Nature on them And therefore if we comply with the Invitation of Gospel Grace we must Return where we have turned aside after Satan This may be opened in three Things 1. Sinners must come out of the Devil's Family The Devil is expresly called the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father of Wicked Men Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Of your Father and therefore of your Father's House His Lusts ye will do His Children obey him tho' they can never obey this Parent in the Lord. Eph. 6.1 You must Dis-obey 1 Pet. 1.14 fly from Him if you would be found the True obedient Children You can never be the Children of God if you remain the Children of the Evil one Again you must change your Family and get off from your old Lord before you you can serve a New Master for you are but one and can never serve Two Mat. 6.24 tho' Satan be a Prince Eph. 2.2 yet you must not confent to let him lord it over you Tho' he be Lucifer Son of the Morning Isa 14.12 yet he is fallen from Heaven and if you obey him you fall down and worship Hell Tho' he be the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 yet it is Treason against the King of Kings to consent as They unto the Bramble Judg. 9.14 come Thou and reign over us He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word is the Authority not the Intrinsick Power And his very Authority too is wholly Precarious and dependent and what he exerciseth in the Air as the Seat of his Empire and Dominion is no otherwise than by Delegation Eph. 2.2 so that tho' he be the Power of the Air you must resist the Powers of Hell or you resist the Ordinance of God Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil rebel against the Tyrant tho' you have been born and trained in his Court. In a word you can never become the Friends of God ch 2.23 so long as you are related to this Enemy of God that owns you You must come out of Satan's Family 2. Sinners must come off from the Devil's Work When they leave his House they must leave his Service both within and out of Doors too Alas Men are nothing but Abominable Strange Flesh so long as thâ—y are acted by this Spirit It matters nothing how they are swept and garnished tho' their Houses be hung with a Profession and they stick their Windows with the Boughs so long as the Vnclean Spirit dwells within Eph. 2.2 lat pt He is the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience that worketh in or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Inward Worker He doth not only stand by and look over the Children of Disbbedience but he works himself in them i. e. saith (z) James Ferguson in loc one by way of Inspiration and a kind of Breathing The Devil blows up Men to Wickedness their minds swell while that cruel Task-master enters in and they are filled with the Devil He suffers none of his Slaves to rest idle among the many Millions he employs in his Service every Day He worketh at the Trade of Hell and will make all his Servants help him He cuts out work continually and all Natural Men who remain under his Power he keeps close as a hard Master to it Now Sinners must be brought to leave these Works of the Devil Joh. 9.4 before they can work the works of God You must put nothing in Satan's Hands when you present your selves unto the Lord. You must throw off his Drudgery if you would be doing the Holy Will of God You must not make your Bricks in Egypt if you go to be built up for an Habitation unto God in Canaan You must be willing to be freed from His Slavery before you are Free for Christ's Service and shake off his Yoke of Iron before you can take the Yoke of Christ on Prov. 1.9 as an Ornament of Grace or a Chain of Gold about your Neck 3. Sinners must come off from all his Flattering Adurements let him promise what Reward he will We shall be ty'd by the Heels tho' we think to come to Christ 2
the Night preceding as that famous Apologer cited in the Margent observeth in a Learned Tract And it must needs be a Thick Darkness upon the Pagan World while the Divine Light did but faintly shine in Goshen God's own People had but some Prelibations and Fore-tasts so early not a full Gospelmeal Holy Diet was more sparing thô they were sed with never so many slain Beasts both in the Morning and at Noon because the Chief Meal in the Day of Grace at the Supper of our God was not then come But we under the Gospel may say now ready even we of this Age to whom the Gospel is Now come Job 8.9 We are but indeed of yesterday upon the Earth and our Span will reach but a little way tho' it extendeth most upwards Luk. 1.78 yet no sooner did the Day-spring from on high visit our Quarters but God sent in Provision with it 1 Sam. 25.8 We come in a Good Day that are born at the Hour of Supper We are come forth into this World a little before Night and just as the Gospel hath met us reeking in our Pollution Ezck. 16.6 and lying in our Blood as it passeth by the Grace of it unto us may be dated now ready It is ready for poor Dark Families that have been full of the Habitations of Cruelty Psa 74.20 and Dark Souls even now when God springs in with Light and reformeth the Times of this Ignorance which before he winked at coming now in the Preaching of the Gospel to command them every where to repent Acts 17.30 And the Times of this Ignorance God winked at There was a Time when the Nations were in the Dark and God took no Notice of them he * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 overlookt them as the Word is he had not an Eye of Mercy for them but lookt over their Dark Times to instruct other Ages in the Knowledge of Saving Truth so we have a Paralel Testimony given us Acts 14.16 Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In times past he did so that is in the Ages and Generations of Men that are gone such whom Time hath now carried us off a great way from But God hath now alter'd the Case in Mercy and tho' he did shut his Eyes on Them and righteously wink and overlook them yet his Eyes are not contracted at this Day but he opens and graciously fixeth them to look full on us And now commandeth all Men every where to repent That is the Times in which the Gospel comes are the Times in which a People do receive the Grace of God in Christ and therefore God looks to such Heb. 9.10 and expects they should be I imes of Reformation Well the Gospel is now ready for you of this Age when God hath taken that which letteth out of the way be it any obstruction whatsoever and it comes in the Preaching of it to you 'T is now ready to give understanding unto the simple when God perceives of most of you that you are ignorant and unlearned Men and hereby will have your poor Ignorant Neighbours and your Carnal Kindred and Acquaintants who it may be will not be perswaded to come along with you take Knowledge that you have been with Jesus He sends the Light of the Gospel among you to acquaint you with the Things of your Peace which perhaps you had lived all your Days in the World some of you and never knew till now 'T is now ready to regenerate and save such of you as have been Dead and Lost until now the Gospel hath been excellently made known by many a Saint that is now Dead and now in the Grave and yet speaketh whose Testimony agreeth with some that are alive and remain that now confirm the same Gospel also You have Great Things that have been made known in this Age I speak particularly of this 17th Century since Christ whereas our Ancestors in some Ages and Generations past were nurst up universally in the Darkness of Popery and again before that in the blackest Shades of (ſ) See Verstegan's Antiquities Chap. 3. from p. 73. to p. 89. mibi 8º Edit 1673. Paganism and never had a Glimpse of the True Light that now shineth or a Taste of the Supper now ready 3. The Supper of the Gospel is now ready in regard of the opportunity or special season now afforded us Opportunity is that happy juncture which (t) Jenkyn Supplement to the Morning Exercise pag. 92. Sect. 7. one expresseth thus The Spiritual Market-day for the procuring of saving Provisions for our Souls upon which we are to live for ever The original expresseth the opportunity of Time by a Distinct word 1 Cor. 7.29 We translate it the Time is short but the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek readeth it The opportunity is short it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall consider this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Punctum Temporis or present Readiness of the Gospel according to the Season under a Five fold Division 1. Now ready while Life now continues Life is in a continual Lapse it is a Thread that slips and hath nothing but a succession of present Moments that like Points hold it together in continuity now we have no more properly for our Season than these instant Points or Moments We can say only of Time past it was Punctum est quod vivimus of Time to come it is not and therefore it remains only that we possess the Time that now is Life consequently is a going and the work of it for our Souls must be done can be only done while Time 's a lasting John 9.4 I must work the works of him that hath sent me while it is Day the Night cometh when no Man can work The Night of your Departure is at hand and drawing on apace in which you can neither eat nor see to walk or work Now you hear is but a Point and 't is always Passing Life never standeth still the Time is short if we measure it from one end to the other with our common Span. Alas what is Methuselah's Age to Eternity Gen. 5.27 And what is Threescore years and Ten to Methuselah's Psa 90.10 and what is to Morrow that we cannot boast of Prov. 27.1 to Threescore years and Ten And yet we have but such a short and uncertain season of Life to come and receive Mercy in Mercy if we refuse it can but follow us all the days of our Life Psa 23.6 tho' often Mercy steps back and leaves a Sinner to himself sooner and doth not follow him I speak of the offers of Saving Mercy to his Live's end However after Death if the Time of Life be slipt Psa 6.5 in the Grave there will be no Remembrance of us the Gospel can be only ready for us now before we