hath mercy vpon vs. These are the principall helpes whereby the sight of God is begun in earth which will be perfected in heauen CHAP. XXVIII The other thing wherein Iacob shewes his thankefulnesse is his obedience Verse 31. And the Sunne arose to him THe other thing wherein Iacob vttereth his thankfulnes is in the obedience he giues to the Lords calling walking on in the journey which God commanded him Without this the other had beene nothing for except we obey serue the Lord in our callings doing that which is commaunded vs wherein can wee be thankfull to him and truely there is no better token that we haue beene refreshed by the countenance of God who is the strength of his people then this if with boldnesse and spirituall courage we follow him where away he cals vs albeit we should finde neuer so many impediments before vs. But it is to be marked Moses saith he halted as he went on in his journey This is the meruailous working of the Lord no doubt that Iacob being hurt in the night his thigh-bone disjoynted yet walkes vpon it in the morne and the hurt which he receiued of the Lord hinders him not nor stayes him from going forward in the journey which was enjoyned him by the Lord. We haue shewed you before how the children of God in their wrestlings do in such sort preuaile that they get no victory without a wound who is able to say that hee hath in such sort fought against Sathan and sin but oftentimes hee hath beene buffeted by Sathan and wounded by sinne Yet such is the gratious dispensation of the Lord that as Iacobs hurt made him not giue ouer the journey but rather confirmes him to go forward with greater boldnesse now halting on one thigh then before when hee went straight vpon both so the Lord doth so dispence the spirituall battailes of his Children that out of their manifold falles buffets and wounds which they receiue in this warfare hee workes in them a greater hatred of sinne and loue of righteousnes a greater attention and circumspection in all their wayes and a greater feruency and zeale to run out the race which is set before them and to renue the battaile against Sathan and sinne And this wee may see cleerely in Dauid who after his adultry murther being renued by repentance â—…iseth againe with a greater hatred of sinne and more earnest desire of mercy than euer he had before And did not Peters fall bring forth in like manner the like fruits in him that hee sheddeth teares now more aboundantly then at any time before hee now stands boldly to confesse the Lord Iesus before the Counsell whom before he had denied before a Dâ—…msell and in all the rest of his life he shewes himselfe an example of godly zeale labouring to confirme his brethren by a good conuersation whom before hee had offended by his stumbling and falling Thus the Lord by some one sinne wherein hee sussereth his children to haue experience of their weakenesse wakeneth them to a narrower inquisition of their sins for a light paine in the head men runne not to the Phisitian nor to the water for a light spot in their garments but if the defiling be great then we doe take occasion thereat to wash away euen the smallest spot that is in them So the godly when oftentimes they passe ouer small sinnes without remorse the Lord permits them to fall into greater that so they may be moued to mourning hasten to an earnest reformation of all Where wee are not to thinke that this commeth of any goodnesse that is in vs or in sin which we haue brought forth but of the excellent wisdome and goodnesse of God Deus etiam summus est medicus qui benè nouit vti enim malis For God is that great Phisitian who can vse to good euen those things which are euill And it doth saith the same Father more aduance the glory of Gods goodnesse etiam de malis bene facere quam mala esse non sinere euen to draw good out of euill rather then that he should suffer euill not to be Thus the Lord our God maketh all things serue and worke for the best to them that loue him so as euen the wounds which we receiue in spiritual wrestlings may well worke in vs a greater humiliation but shall not confound vs so that we leaue off the race and course to our heauenly Canaan Wherein if we cannot alway runne in the strength of the spirit with Eliah yet let vs by Gods grace endeauour to halt forward with Iacob at least creepe forward towards our heauenly Father as his little babes children who are but yet learning to walke proceeding alway from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our GOD in Sion whereunto the Lord that is the author and finisher of our Faith the beginner perfecter of our saluation bring vs of his great mercy in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A CONDVIT of Comfort Full of sweet Consolations for all those that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ. By WILLIAM COVPER Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to sould at his shop at the great South doore of Paules 1608. A CONDVIT of Comfort Rom. 8. 28. Also wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Chapter may be conueniently tearmed A compend of Christian consolation for wheras many kinds of comforts are dispersed throughout the holy Scriptures for the strengthening of the man of God some of euery kinde are here gathered together in one and like chosen flowers picked out of the word of God are knit together in one bunch presented to thee who art a Christian. There are two things onely which trouble vs in this life The first is the remanents of sinne in our corrupt nature this was such a matter of griefe to the holy Apostle that it made him to crie ouâ—… O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death So displeasant was it to him to lâ—…ue in that body wherin hee found the motions of sin rebeling against the law of God And if the Apostle accounted this but then so weighty to him alas how should wee complaine and what cause haue wee with Ezechia to walke weakly in the bitternesse of our soules all our dayes in whom the life and power of that sinning is farre lesse restrained Yet least we should be so cast downe with the sense of sinne that we despaire and perish being swallowed vp with griefe the Lord furnisheth vs with many comforts against it from the beginning of this Chapter to the middest of the 17. Verse The
great anguish of minde tumbling as it were betweene feare and confidence betweene hope and despaire hope bidding him goe forward in his iourney despaire by the contrary disswading him confidence promising him safetie feare threatning him with danger His hope leanes on the word of God who promised to be with him and prosper him his feare is conceiued of the words of Esau who had vowed to slay him and is now wakened againe and augmented by the report of his seruants who tolde him that Esau was comming against him with an army Thus did he walk staggering vpon feet not vnlike the feet of Daniels Image partly of clay partly of iron Some of his thoughts being weake and impotent others strong and forcible to carry him forward In this perplexitie now stāds Iacob hauing no conclusion nor counsell within him without contradiction vncertaine what to doe or which way to turne him not vnlike Iehosophat which being straited with the Ammonites Moabites and Edomites stood vp before the Lord and said O Lord there is no strength in vs to stand against this great multitude neither doe wee know what to doe but our eyes are towards thee In like manner say I doth Iacob here being assaulted with a force hee was not able to resist hee turnes him to the Lord and exponés to the Lord in humble manner his feare Deliuer me O Lord from the hand of my brother Esau for I feare him least hee come vpon me and smite me and the mother vpon the children Therfore is it that now the Lord comes as in due season and conuenient time to shew himselfe for the comfort of his seruant No helpe for Iacob in man the Lord puts to his right hand comforts him Ibi enim incipit diuinū auxilium vbi deficit humanum When all other helpes failes the Children of God then commeth in the helpe of God for he knows best the very point and article of time wherein it is meete that hee should bee the diliuerer of them who wayt vpon him As to the manner of the apparition the Lord is not content to answere Iacob by word onely nor by sending secretly patience and comfort vnto his troubled spirit which way many a time he answeres the prayers of his owne but he confirmes him by an extraordinary vision For he appeares to Iacob in the forme of a man and wrestles with him he assayes him not with a superiour strength which he was not able to withstand but applies himselfe to Iacobs weaknesse and disposes the wrestling in such a manner that Iacob gets the victory albeit not without a wound for his thigh-bone is disjoynted and put out of the joynt so that he haulteth all the dayes of his life which as for the present time it was a matter of his humiliation being a discouery of his weaknes and of the Lords indulgence whereby onely he preuailed victor in the combat so was it for all time to come a memoriall and remembrance vnto him of this most comfortable apparition And as to the end of the Lords appearing the end saith Theodoret was the confirmation of Iacobs hart against feare ideo enim Angelus cū Iacob luctari voluit vt timenti fratrem fiduciam inijceret And this ye may perceiue out of the words which the Lord vtters when the wrestling is ended thou hast wrestled with God and shalt also preuaile with men Feare not therefore will the Lord say O my seruant Iacob to encounter with Esau who is but a mortall man I who haue furnished thee with strength to stand in this wrestling with GOD shall furnish thee with strength also in all thy conflicts vvith men and thou shalt preuaile This is the ground of all our comfort in trouble which if we could remember then would we not be cast downe nor disquieted with feares but would sanctifie the Lord of hosts in our hearts and make him our feare It is not in our name nor strength nor in the power of nature that we stand and wrestle We go forth against our Goliah in the name of our God weake in our selues yet in him more then Conquerours Maior enim est qui prae est in nobis quam qui in hoc mundo nec plus ad deijoiendum potest terrena poena quam ad erigendum diuina tutela He is stronger that rules in vs then the Prince of this world Neyther are these euils which earthly men are able to inflict vpon vs so forcible to cast vs downe as the heauenly helpe is able to raise vs vp let vs alwayes walke forward in this our strength The Lord is my light and saluation the Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid But now before that yet wee enter into the particulars let vs marke this profitable lesson that vpon the groūds I haue laid arise to be obserued If wee consider what is the Lords purpose and intention what againe are the meanes that he vseth to bring about his purpose and yee shall see that the Lord vseth meanes which appeares contrary to his end His purpose is to confirme Iacob the meanes hee vseth is wrestling with Iacob a strange manner of working that the Lord should shake him hee mindes to strengthen that he should wound him whom hee purposes to confirme and thus and this manner of way on a sodaine terrifie by a strange wrestling in the night in a solitary place his seruant whom hee came to comfort but so it is the working of the Lord oft times is by contraries In the first worke of creation hee made all things of nothing He commanded light to shine out of darknesse Hee formed the body of man his most excellent earthly creature of the basest matter dust and clay of the vilest creature hee made the most honourable and all to shew the glory of his power In the worke of redemption in like manner our Sauiour Iesus by sustaining shame hath conquered to vs glory by induring the Crosse hath obtayned the crowne by suffering death hath destroyed death and him who had the power thereof and after the same manner of working hee is yet daily meruailous in his Saints By death he brings them vnto life He kils and he makes aliue Through doubtings hee leads them to assurance by temporall despaire hee brings them to abound in hope he afrayes them with his terrors to make them the more capable of his consolations It is strange and meruailous in our eyes may not wee learne it by daily experience that God deliuereth vs from Sathan by letting Sathan loose for a while vpon vs Hee saues vs from our sinnes by gathering all our sins against vs and laying them to the charge of our conscience and by a present feeling of his wrath hee maketh vs flee that terrible Wrath which is to come Be not therefore discouraged yee who finde this working of the Lord faint not
hath he vttered toward man his wonderfull loue Man being man onely aspired to be like vnto God and so lost himselfe that now hee is become worse then a Companion to beasts But Iesus being very God was content to become man that he might saue man vvho vvas lost O how hath the loue of Iesus ouercome our ingratitude hee became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God he hath taken on him our sinnes and giuen to vs his righteousnesse he refused not to vndergo that death which vvas due vnto vs that he might make vs pertakers of his life In a word Quod homo est Christus voluit esse vt homo possit esse quod Christus est That vvhich Man is Christ would bee that man might bee made that which Christ is and therefore Humiliauit se vt populum qui iacebat erigeret vulneratus est vt vulnera nostra sanaret seruiuit vt ad libertatem seruientes extraheret mori sustinuit vt moriens immortalitatem mortalibus exhiberet Hee vvas humbled himselfe that he might raise vp his people lying in bondage He was wounded for our transgressions that by his stripes wee might be healed He became a seruant that wee vvho vvere seruants might be restored to liberty He suffered death that he dying might giue immortalitie to vs that are mortall This is O Lord the greatnesse of thy loue towards vs the length and breadth the height and depth whereof all thy Saints are not able to comprehend But O Lord graunt that vve may daily grow in the feeling therof that with joy of heart wee may resigne our selues fully to thine only seruice vvho so willingly hastâ—… giuen thy selfe to be ours But to returne to the consideration of the persons who wrestles yee may meruaile what wrestling can bee betweene parties so vnequall betweene God and Man betweene the Creatour and the Creature betweene the Potter and his Vessell When the Lord is angry the foundations of the mountains and earth doe shake Hee breaks downe and it cannot be built he shuts vp and it cannot be loosed The pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe at his rebuke hee dryes vp the sea and maketh the floud desart there fish rot for want of water and dye for thirst Hee clothes the heauens with darknesse hee biddeth his lightning walke and they say Loe here we are he maketh the pot to boyle like ae pot of oyntment who is able to stand before this holy Lord And how then is it that Iacob is brought in here as a wrestler with the Lord But here ye must consider the parties as they are set downe in this conflict by Moses The Lord in this wrestling vtters not himselfe as the mightie God hee shews not himselfe in his power for so should hee easily haue confounded his creature but the Lord vttereth himselfe as a man and a man in pith strength inferiour to Iacob Iacob againe is here to be considered not as a simple man nor as a man vvrestling by his owne strength but as one standing wrestling by the strength of God and hereof commeth his preâ—…ailing in this battell The Lord vtters himselfe lesse then he is and makes vp Iacob much more then hee was Magna certè Dei nisericordia in figura hominis luctari voluit cum iusto vt se illius humilitati attemperarâ—…t And this same is the Lords dealing in all his wrestling with his children that neither doth hee vse his strength against theÌ„ nor yet leaue them to their owne weakenesse If the Lord should shew himselfe a strong God in wrestling against vs then indeed none were able to stand before him The three Disciples at the sight of Christs glory when hee was transfigurate on mount Tabor fell to the ground astonished If sinfull flesh bee not able to abide the sight of his glory how shall it indure the dint of his power that which is most of all how could fraile man sustaine the bensall of his Wrath and anger if the Lord would intend it Hereof then commeth our standing in these inward conflicts of conscience that our faithfull God suffers vs not to be tempted abouâ—… our power he assailes vs not aboue our strength he sets not our sinnes in order before vs that wee should see them as we committed them Hee permits not his deputy the Conscience to accuse and torment vs according to the merite of our transgressions hee mittigates the stroke of his rod extenuates the pith of his hand when hee puts at vs. And with this also by his secret grace he vnderprops vs otherwise no power should bee found in weake man to stand in the meanest of these battels wherein God sheweth himselfe our aduersarie party Yea if the Lord should set vp one of our sinnes to pursue vs and then withdraw his secret grace from vs wee should fall into the desperation of Caine and Iudas And if hee should arme but one of our owne cogitations against vs we should become miserable murtherers to our selues like Saul and Achitophell If he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall to the ground or if he should abstract from vs the vse of Reason which he hath lent vs we become worse then the beasts Thus neither in inward nor outward wrestlings haue wee any strength of our owne to stand before him Our standing in trouble is onely by the strength of God who sustaines vs hee puts at vs with the one hand and vnderprops vs with the other It is God in vs vvho ouercommeth himselfe opponing vnto vs. Qui pro nobis morteÌ„ semel vicit semper vincit in nobis And this yee may see clearely in his dealing with that woman of Canaan his audible voyce was against her but the secret helpe of his spirit vvas with her with one hand hee repelled her and with the other hee drew her heart neere vnto him CHAP. VI. Consolation for the Godly afflicted THis I haue marked for thy consolation thou who art the vvarriour and vvrestler of God that thou maist know God is the strength of thy life and finding it so maist be thankfull and entertaine his presence vvith thee For vvhereof thinkest thou hath it come that so many yeeres thou hast stood in the middest of so many tentations that so long thou hast endured these spirituall vvrestlings wherein thy conscience and God vvho is greater then thy conscience hath stood vp thine accuser hath it come of any strength in thee None at all If the Lord had not holpen me my soule had almost dwelt in silence It is the Lord that kâ—…epeth our soules in life The Lord vvho seemed our Aduersarie was our secret helper hee shooke vs with tentations and sustained vs with his grace Euen the Lord who wounded vs did heale vs. The Lord is the dâ—…liuerer of our soule out of all aduersitie Otherwise it
that spirituall desertions are prouocations whereby God his Children are wakened more effectuously to desire the continuance of Gods mercy with them When lesus Christ accompanied his two Disciples vnto Emaus communed with them by the way when they drew neere to the towne Iesus made him saith the Euangelist as if he would haue gone a little further onely to stirre them to seeke his abiding with them In the doing of our Sauiour is figured vnto vs the manner of the Lords working with his children who sometimes doth so behaue himselfe as if he were instantly to depart and take his holy Spirit from them which mints of spirituall desertion because they are exceeding grieuous to the godly let vs for our comfort consider the Lord by them seeketh no other thing but to encrease our faith to kindle our loue to stirre vs vp vnto greater feruency in prayer that we may vvith Iacob constrayne the Lord to tarry and blesse vs. And with the two Disciples may cry Lord abide with vs and forsake vs not For we are to vnderstand that the same blessings which God hath concluded to bestow vpon his children he will haue vs to aske them before that he giue them the Lord came at this time to Iacob of purpose to blesse him and yet he makes as if he would go away and not blesse him not that hee had changed his minde but because he will haue Iacob to pray for that blessing of corroboration which he had concluded to giue him And let this warne vs in the least threatning of a spirituall desertion to lay holde on the Lord by prayer least for fault of seeking wee close vp the Lords hands which are full of blessings ready to bee bestowed vpon vs. Againe we are to consider that the Lords presence in a like manner cannot be continually kept in this life neither from the beginning haue any of the children of God enioyed it at all times Where for the better vnderstanding of the lesson and our farther comfort we must distinguish between thâ—…se two kindes of the Lords presence there is a presence of the Lord which is felt and perceiued there is another which is secret and not perceiued yet knowen by the effects The secret presence of God is continually vvith his children vvhere-euer they goe ruling guiding sustayning them in all their troubles according to his promise when thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee that they doe not ouerslow thee when thou walkest through the sire thou shalt not be burnt As to vs wee haue our owne vicissitudes of feeling and not feeling wee are changeable but the Lord remayneth the same whom hee loues hee loueth to the end hee will neuer leaue vs nor forsake vs but by his secret presence he intertaines life in our soules when to our owne judge ment wee are become altogether dead and senceles as there is a substance in the Elme and Oke euen when they haue cast their leaues And thâ—…s as I sayd appeareth by the effects that vve haue stood in many tentations wherein wee could feele no present grace vpholding vs. CHAP. XIII What notable effects the felt presence of God bringeth with it THe other sort is when not onely God is present vvith his children but also make themselues sensibly perceiue it by inward glorious feelings this presence when we get it makes a sodaine change of the whole man it raises vs from death to life it maketh a comfortable light to shine vvhere fearfull darknesse abounded it makes our faith liuely our loue feâ—…ent our zeale burning and our prayer earnest Then is our water turned to wine our sighes are turned into songs our mourning into glorious reioycing because the Bridegroome is with vs and the Comforter that doth refresh our soule is come to visite vs. This presence is as euidently felt of them to whom it is graunted as was that descending of the holy Ghost perceiued of the Apostles to whom he came This presence sometime is graunted before trouble as here vnto Iacob and then it is a preparation of him that gets it to the battell it embouldens incourages and strengthens him in such sort that hee feares not in Gods cause to encounter vvith vvhatsoeuer aduersarie He triumphs vvith Dauid the Lord is the light of my saluation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my liâ—…e of whom shall I be afraid This presence makes Iacob with his familie goe forward in the face of Esaâ—… and of his armed men vvithout feare where before he was afraid at the rumour of his comming This presence made Moses lightly regard the angry countenance of Pharaoh because hee had seene him who was inuisible This presence made Paul goe vp with joy to Ierusalem where he knew he should be in chains for the name of Iefus This presence hath emboldened many faithfull Martyres to offer their bodies more freely and willingly to the fire for the testimony of Iesus then euer any worldling hath stept into his bath to wash himselfe or to his bed to rest him Let Peter bee prepared with this presence and hee will preach Christ boldly in the face of a Counsell that condemned Christ Let Peter bee vnprepared of this presence and hee will denie Christ at the voyce of a sâ—…ple damsell Sometime againe this prescence is graunted to his Children after their long continuance in some trouble and then it is to them as the neesings of that childe whom after swouning Elisha reduced vnto life or as a glimps of the bright shining Sunne to the tender fruites of the earth which before hath beene oppressed with blasting and consuming tempests it brings to the children of God a pacifying of all these distrustfull perturbations which did before disquiet them yea it so delights and rauishes them that with the three Disciples on Mount Tabor when they had seene a little glance of Christs glory they cry out It is good for vs to bee here Yea they wish oh that my soule might for euer abide in this happy state and condition But as I said before to enjoy the Lord continually in this manner is not giuen to any man vpon earth for a while he will be familiar with thee as hee was with Iacob but soone after he must goe and thou must learne to reuerence this dispensation of his presence and not to be dis couraged because for a while he is gone from thee yea albeit with Mary one sword of many sorrowes should peirce through thy soule yet with her also magnifie the Lord and let thy spirit reioyce in God thy sauior blessing him with hart mouth that he looked to the base estate of his seruant Account thy selfe happy that at any time the Lord shewes thee his mercifull face being assured that he who hath giuen thee an earnest penny wil in his own good time giue thee the principall summe and that the glimps of mercy
to the majestie of God humbly confesseth that hee was but dust and ashes Yea Adam in his best estate of his innocencie was bound to glorisie God with the like confession of the basenesse of his originall and to let Adam alone the heauens are not cleane in his sight yea he hath found follie in his Angels they couer not onely their feete but their faces before the Lord what then shalt thou do O man who dwellest in lodgings of clay a sinfull creature by thine owne aposâ—…asie loaden with iniquitie how shouldest thou bee humbled and bow downe thy soule in the presence of thy Maker Redeemer and thy iudge Presumption in praier thus being remoued I returne to the comfort Thou being thus humbled with an hatred of thine owne sinnes with feare and reuerence of that diuine maiestie trusting to his promise goe on with boldnesse to the throne of grace Noli vilipendere orationem tuam quoniam illo ad quem oras non vilipendit esteeme not lightly thine owne prayer as though it were a smal thing seeing the Lord to whom thou pray est hath declared that he accounts so much of it suppose it be weake yet remember etiam solis vagitâ—…bus infans matrem commouâ—…t ad misericordiam euen the very cryes of the infant that vtters no distinct voyce moues the mother vnto commisseration And what comparison betweene the loue of a mother toward her children and the loue of the Lord towards his No father will giue to his children that asketh a stone instead of bread nor a Serpent in stead of a fish What kindnesse then if wee craue it may we looke for at the hands of our heauenly father As the heauens are aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue yours Our prayers saith Cyprian are arma coeâ—… sâ—…ia quae stare nos faciunt fortiâ—…er perseuerare haec sunt munimenta spiritualia telâ—… diuina they are spirituall armour wherby we stand and strongly perseuer to the end they are heauenly darts and defences Oh that wee vnderstood the excellenâ—…e of this grace of prayer that so we might the more delight in it it is the hand of a christian which is able to reach from earth to heauen and take forth euery manner of good gift out of the Lords treasure It is one of those keyes of the house of Dauid whereby we open the doores of the heauenly pallace goe in to take a view of that eternall building and glorious mansion prepared for vs in heauen It is the messenger that with speed goeth from our soules saluting no creature by the way and entreth straight into the Mercie seate in heauen reporting to the Lord all our desires and returning backe a fauourable answere from him Yea it is vnto vs as that â—…iery chariot of Eliah whereunto we mount vp and haue our conuersation with God in the heauens O happie soule therefore which God hath endued vvith this most heauenly grace Except thou blesse me It were for vs a good thing if wee could learne from Iacob this holy vvilfulnesse neuer to let the Lord alone till he blesse vs. But alas here we are taken in our sinne we fall to our prayers without preparation we powre out a number of words without deuotion and so goe away without a blessing We send out our prayers like to incense made indeed according to the Lords direction but not kindled with fire from the Alter that is petitions lawfull enough and agreeable to Gods word but not powred out in feruencie And so no meruaile that the Lord smell not in them a sweet sacrifice for incense without fire hath no fragrant smell and so hauing finished our colde prayers vvee rise without examination not once considering with what fruit we haue prayed and whether wee haue gotten a blessing from God or no. CHAP. XVII Iacob cannot ende till God haue blessed him GOdly Iacob will here teach vs another lesson that we should not let our gripes goe nor cease from crying vntill the Lord haue blessed vs. Then hath Iacob doone when as the Lord hath blessed him but till hee get the blessing Iacob in no wise will part with the Lord. Where if thou dispaire how shalt thou know in prayer when God blesseth thee I answere Except the Lord teach thee I cannot tell thee the spirit of God when he comes downe with a blessing makes himselfe to bee knowne No man hath felt so sensible a shower of raine descending on his body as the child of God will feele when the shower of grace descends on his soule then the foundations of that earth which is in man are shaken the stonie heart melteth the eye aboundeth in ioyfull teares the tongue is loosed that was bound before the minde is filled with vnaccustomable light the whole soule with vnspeakeable comfort Finally such an alteration is made of his whole desires for a change of his whole inward and outward disposion as the childe of God feeles better than hee is able to vtter Which if we obtaine not in prayer as many times it falles out let vs receiue it as a checke of our coldnesse as a spurre to further humiliation that so with a new blessing wee may fall to seeke the Lord and his blessing And here againe wee haue to consider another lesson for in this that he seekes a blessing from him who wounded him wee are to take vp the nature of faith which is of such quicknesse that no maruell the Auncient said Fides Linceos habet oculos for albeit the Lord would take on him the shape of an enimie and shew himselfe an angry iudge to his children yet will they still looke for fauour and kindnesse at his hand It was the Lord who afflicted Iob with outward and inward troubles of the which nature sense could gather no other conclusion but that God had forsaken him and had become his enâ—…mie yet faith aboue sense and nature leadeth him through all these misly cloudes to looke vnto God as vnto his mercifull father and therefore resâ—…s he in that notable conclusion whereof we haue made mention before Albeit the Lord stay me yet will I trust in him CHAP. XVIII Faith through death espies life THis fulnesse of faith doth also appeâ—…e manifestly in all the rest of Gods children especially in time of trouble for what maketh them reioyce in afflictions and to triumph when they are going through the valley of death but the sight certaintie of a better How commeth it that in the same moment wherein God is taking their temporall life from them they are seeking an eternall life from him Out of doubt it commeth of their liuely faith which through wrath sees mercy through the clowde of light momentary afflictions it beholdeth an infinit weight of glory But this quicknesse of faith appeares most of all wonderfully in the vp taking of Iesus Christ for he appeared in the world disguised A King in
and not preuaile but it is not so with the Godly BEcause thou hast had power with God As â—…acob sought a blessing so at the length hee geâ—…teth it for the Lord at the last will fulfill the desires of them who feare him The desire of the childe of God is as a birth conceiued in the soule of man which shall not dye but come to perfection Salomon promised to giue his mother Bethsheba whatsoeuer she would aske and it were to the halfe of his kingdome yet when shee asked that Abishag the Shunamite might be giuen to Adoniah his brother to wife Salomon refused to graunt Thus men can promise much and performe little it is not so with the Lord our God He hath bidden vs pray he hath promised to heare and shall not also faile to performe Nunquam oranti beneficia denegabit qui orantes vt ne deficiant sua pietate instigat Hee will neuer denie his benefits to vs when we pray who prouokes vs to pray But as to the wicked the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish their soules are full of desires like so many strong voyces crying for that which they shall neuer obtaine they wayte vpon lying vanities which shall neuer come to passe Quid tam poenale quam semper velle quod nunquam erit semper nolle quod nunquam non erit in aeternum non obtinebit quod vulâ—… in aeternum quod non vult sustinebit What punishment more fearefull can fall on a man then that he should euer wish that which neuer shal be and alwayes wish that were not that shall be for euer that which he will he shall neuer obtaine and that which he will not hee shall for euer sustaine yet this is the miserable estate of the wicked Let vs therefore take heed to our praedominate desires for miserable are they whose desires are on the world more then on the Lord and on vanishing trifles more then vpon his permanent mercies For when the Lord hath filled their bellies with his earthly treasure giuen them enough that they leaue the rest behind to their children what haue they more to craue from the Lord They haue gotten their desire they are not to looke that euer they shall bee pertakers of the felicitie of Gods chosen their heart was neuer set vpon it they haue receiued their consolation on the earth they haue no more to looke for Wherefore our Sauiour pronounceth a feareful wo vpon them and no meruaile for miserable indeed is their condition their consolation dies before they dye themselues their comforts forsakes them before they go out of the world and like the Gowrd of Ionas withereth before their eyes in their life they sate vnder the shadow of it but in their death it is gone and they finde no comfort in it Well knew Dauid their misery and therefore hee praies Deliuer me O Lord from the men of the world who haue their portion in this life that is let mee neuer bee one of them Wee haue therefore to marke where-away the benefits of our affections doe carry vs for if wee feele the Lords blessing no doubt we shall finde it and if the desire of our hearts bee aboue all things towards the Lord such a desire I meane as vseth the meanes that may bring vs vnto him for otherwise wicked Baalam will desire Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous which he shall not obtaine But let vs goe the right way to mercy protesting with godly Dauid O Lord I desire to do thy commandements and then no doubt the Lord shall crowne vs with mercies and compassions at the last Thou shalt preuaile with men I doe now here by my word will the Lord say inuest thee in this priuiledge that no power of man shall be able to ouercome thee Goe on therefore with courage in thy iourney which I haue commanded thee and feare not any thing that man is able to doe against thee Wher it is to be marked that the Lord promiseth not of his seruant any immunitie from affliction yea by the contrary the Lord fore-warnes that men will make opposition to him for where no opposition is made by men how can there bee a priuiledge by Iacob It is needfull we consider what it is that the Lord hath promised vnto vs least looking for that which hee hath not promised vs we deceiue our selues Many in the time of trouble make foule apostacie from Christ and all because when they entred into the profession of Christian religion they considered not they could not be his Disciples except they bare his Crosse but foolishly lookt for some temporal ease or worldly commoditie in the following of Christ which he neuer promised them These are professors like to the Samaritans who so long as the Iewish religion flourished was in honour caused also to be built a temple on a high mountaine of Samaria named Garazin that in this they might not be inferiour to the Iewes They boasted themselues to be the progeny of Ioseph and worshippers of God also with them but when they perceiued that the Iewes were cruelly afflicted for worshipping God by Antiochus Epiphanes and fearing least they should be also handled in the like manner they changed their coate affirming that they were not Isiaelites but Sidonians and had built their temple not vnto God but Iupiter thus a little winde seperates the chaffe and the corne and a fierce tryall distin guisheth the counterfeit and true professor In like manner the ignorant Iewes because they vnderstood not the promises made concerning the Messias looked that Christ should haue restored vnto them their temporall Kingdome peaceably and free whereof when they saw themselues disappointed they were offended with him and persecuted him to the death It vvere therefore good for vs that wee should follow the counsaile of our Sauiour reckon with our selues in time in what state of life we enter when we enter into the profession of Christianitie before we build a Tower let vs count the cost whether we haue sufficient to performe it least that when wee haue laid the foundation and not able to performe it wee fall not vnder this shame to be mocked of men but bring vpon our selues a more fearefull wrath of God For it had beene better not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after we haue knowne it to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto vs like dogs to the vomit and like the sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire If we could resolue in time that they who will liue godly in Christ must suffer persecution and arme our selues before hand thereunto reckoning with our selues that of the Lords indulgence we are spared euery day wherein some notable crosse is not layd vpon vs then certainely should we account the lesse of trouble when it comes vnto vs. Wee haue here againe to consider the connexion of
present condition but by the prediction of Gods word Let vs cleaue to his Promise and waite on the Vision which hath his owne time appointed it shall speak at the last and shall not lie though it tarry let vs waite for it it shall surely come and not stay Let vs goe into the Sanctuary of God and consider the end there shall we finde and learne that there is no peace to the wicked howsoeuer they flourish for a time and that it can not bee but well with them that feare the Lord. Marke the vpright man and behold the iust for the end of that man is peace but the transgressours shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off So both in the troubles of the Godly and prosperitie of the wicked are vve bound to suspend our iudgement till we see the end CHAP. III. Many working instruments of contrary qualities and intentions in the world yet agrees all in one end ALl things worke together O what a singâ—…lar 〈◊〉 hath the Christian that not onely Afflictions but all things whatsoeuer workes for the best and not onely so but they worke together for the best to him Many working instruments is there in the world their course is not one they communicate no counsels yea their intentions oftentimes are contrary yet the Lord brings all their wayes to this one end To the good of them that loue him Where euer they be in regard of place what euer they be in regard of persons what euer their purposes be howsoeuer disagreeing amongst themselues yet such is the power and prouidence of that supreame Gouernour our heauenly Father that All of them workes together to the good of them that loue him and herein doth his power wisdome appeare more clearly then in the tempering of this great vniuerse making Elements of so contrary qualities to meete together and agree in one pleasant harmony For the illustration of this let vs mark but one example for all Iacob sends his sonne Ioseph to Dothan to visite his brethren his brethren cast him into the pit Ruben relieues him the Merchants of Midian buy him and sell him againe to Potiphar his Mistresse accuses him his master condemnes him the Butler after long ingratitude recommends him and Pharaoh exalts him O what instruments are here and how many hands are about this one poore man of God but how doth the Lord direct them all yea besides their owne intention to further Iosephs aduancement in Egipt for his owne good and the good of his Church But now to the particulars There is nothing in the world which workes not for our weale All the works of God all the stratagems of Sathan all the imaginations of man are for the vveale of Gods Children yea out of the most poysonable things as sinne and death doth the Lord draw healthfull and medicinall preseruatiues to them that loue him All the wayes of the Lord saith Dauid are Mercy and Truth Mark what hee saith and make not thou an exception where God hath made none All none excepted But be thou strengthened in Faith and giue glory to God saying with the patient Iob Albeit the Lord would slay me yet will I trust in him Sometimes the Lord walkes in the way of anger seeming angry with his Children and to walke stubbornely against them vvhich hath mooued them to poure out the like of these pittifull Lamentations The arrowes of the Almightie are vpon me saith Iob the venime whereof doth drinke vp my Spirit and the terrours of God sight against me Thou sets me vp as a marke against thee and makest me a burthen to my selfe Thy indignation lyeth vpon me saith Dauid Yea from my youth I haue suffered thy terrours doubting of my life For felicity I haue had bitter griefe saith Ezechia for the Lord like a Lyon brake my bones so that I chattered like a Swallow and mourned like a Doue I am troubled on euery side saith the Apostle hauing fighings without and terrors within And yet in all these the Lord hath a secret way of mercy wherein hee walkes and workes for the comfort of his children which albeit for the present we cannot perceiue and can see no other oftentimes but that the Lord hath taken vs for his enimies yet in the end we shall be compelled to acknowledge it and confesse with Dauid O good was it for me ô Lord that euer thou correctedst me Therefore also said the Apostle The Lord is meruailous in his Saints and the Apostle cryeth out O the 〈◊〉 of the riches both of the Wisedome and Knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his wayes past finding out His glory is great when he worketh by meanes his glory is greater when he worketh without meanes but his glory shineth most brightly when hee worketh by contraries It was a great worke that hee did open the eies of the blind but greater that hee did by application of spittle and clay such meanes as are meeter to put out the eyes of the seeing man then to restore the sight of a blind man So he wrought in the first Creation causing light to shine out of Darknesse So also in the worke of Redemption for by cursed death he brought happy life by the Crosse he obtained the Crowne and thorow shame hee went to Glory And this same order the Lord keepes yet in the worke of our second Creation which is our regeneration hee casteth downe that hee may raise vp he kils and hee makes aliue he wounds and hee will bind vp he wounds and he will heale hee accuseth his Children of sinnes that so they may get remission of their sinnes he troubleth their consciences that so he may pacifie them and in a word the meâ—…nes which hee vseth in working are contrary to the worke it selfe which he intends to performe towards his Children He sent a fearefull darknesse on Abraham but afterward communicated vnto him a ioyfull light hee wrestled with Iacob and shooke him too and fro but in the end blessed him he stroke the Apostle Paul with blindnesse and then opened his eyes that he might know the Lord Iesus he frownes for a while vpon his owne as Ioseph did vpon his Brethren but in the end with a louing affection shal he imbrace them hee may seeme angry at thy praiers as he put backe the petition of the woman of Canaâ—…n but at length will graunt a fauourable answer vnto them therefore let vs now learne to possesse our soules in patience let the Lord worke by any meanes it pleaseth him It is enough that wee know All the wayes of God yea euen when he dealeth most hardly with his children are mercy and tends to the good of those that loue him CHAP. IIII. All Sathans stratagems worke for the best to the godly ANd as to Sathans stratagems it is also out of doubt that they work for the
was senselesse before being dead in sinne and trespasses begins now to stir and moue as Iosiahs heart melted at the reading of the Law and the hearts of those penitent Iewes which were pricked at the sharpe Sermon of Peter then feeling our selues vnder death through sinne wee begin to thinke vs of the wayes of life and to aske with the Iaylor What shall wee doe that wee may bee saued These motions meltings and prickings of the hart wrought in the â—…lect by the operation of Gods word are the very plucks of the hand of God translating thee out of Nature into Grace yet must wee not rest here for Felix may tremble while Paul is preaching and many for a while may receiue this word with joy and yet afterward fall away in the time of temptation Wee must therefore consider if there bee in the hart a respondence and answering vnto the Lord so oft as hee calleth doe wee present our selues before him ready to follow him saying with Abraham here I am Lord and with Samuel after hee knew the Lords voyce Speake on Lord thy Seruant heareth thee This answering and following of the Lord are vndoubted tokens of effectuall Calling So oft as the Lord calleth the Christian answereth When thou saidst Seeke yee my face my heart answered O Lord I will seeke thy face If the Lord commaund the Christian answereth O Lord quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse that I may apply my heart to keepe thy statutes alwayes to the end If the Lord promise mercy the Christian answeres Stablish O Lord thy promise to thy Seruant and let it bee to me according to thy word for I beleeue in thee but Lord help my vnbeleefe And thus in the heart of one effectually called there is a continual respondence to the voyce of God a waiting on the Lord a walking with him and a following of him where euer hee goe If the Lord haue called thee sure it is thou wilt follow him and no power of the Diuell of the world or of the slesh shall hold thee back from him When Eliah touched Elisha with his cloak he left his Oxen and came after him When Iesus called on Andrew and Peter they left their nets their ship and their Father and followed him when hee called on Mathew hee left all his gainful trade of the receipt of custome and followed him when hee called on Mary Magdalâ—…ne shee forsooke her sinfull life and followed him Here is the finest Touchstone to trye an inward calling If the Lord hath called thee thou wilt follow him but if yet thou bee wandring after vanitie walking on in the course of thy sinne turning thy backe and not thy face vnto the Lord deceiue not thy selfe pertalcer of this heauenly Calling wherein stands the onely comfort of a Christian hast thou neuer beene CHAP. XV. The loue of God a sure token of an inward calling and of the commendation of loue THat Loue of God And last of all to returne to the words againe the whole effects of out inward Calling the Apostle compriseth vnder one to wit The loue of God and that most properly for Loue compriseth all the rest vnder it Loue is the Cognisance of Christs Disciples sayes our Sauiour It is the band of perfection saith the Apostle and accomplishment of the Lâ—… Loue speakes with the tongue of eueâ—… Vertue Pittie bids thee help the indigent Iustice bids thee giue euery man his owne Mercy bids forgiue Patience bids suffer but the voyce of Christian Loue commaunds all these Holy Loue is the eldest Daughter of a iustifying Faith that is the fiâ—…st affection that Faith procreateth and sanctifieth and whereby she workes in the sanctification of the rest Loue is the strongest and most imperious affection in the whole nature of man all the rest of the affections giues place vnto it which wee may see euen in the man naturall and vnregenerate Where Loue is kindled Feare is banished Couetousnesse coucheth Ambition is silent A Coward inflamed with Loue becomes valiant and a couetous man is oft times â—…y Loue made to bee more prodigall yea the proud and ambitious man who otherwise giues place to 〈◊〉 man for obtayning that which hee 〈◊〉 cares not to prostrate his honor 〈◊〉 the dust If carnall Loue be so forciâ—… what shall wee say of the spirituall Loue How much more doth it draw 〈◊〉 whole powers of soule and body 〈◊〉 the Lord neyther is it possible to 〈◊〉 otherwayes for euery thing returns to his owne originall as the waters go 〈◊〉 to the deepe from whence 〈◊〉 came and fire tends vpward to his owne place and Region euen so holy Loue being a sparke of the heauenly fire kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost doth continually enflame them towards the Lord from whom it came and suffers vs neuer to rest while vvee enjoy him then vvee begin to liue when vvee begin to Loue. As no Creature can liue out of his owne Element so the Soule is but dead in sinne vvhich is destitute of the loue of God No feare to offend him no care to please him no obedience to his Commaundements can bee giuen by the heart that loues him not It were tedious to speake of all the properties of Loue we make choise of a few as chiefe tryals of our Loue. CHAP. XVI First triall of Loue. THe first propertie of Loue is a burning desire to obtaine that which is beloued as a Woman that loueth her Husband vnfainedly cannot bee content with any Loue token she receiueth from him in his absence but longeth more and more till she receiue himselfe So the soule which is wounded with the Loue of Iesus her immortall hushand hath a continuall desire to bee with him I graunt enerie token sent from him brings comfort but no contentment till shee inioyes him whereof comes these and such like complaints As the Hart brayes for the riuers of water so panteth my soule 〈◊〉 thee O my God O whâ—…n 〈◊〉 I come appeare before the presence of my God my soule desireth after the Lord as the thirstie land for I would be dissolued be with the Lord therefore come euen so come Lord Iesus But alas here are we taken in our sins Thou sayest thou louest him but how is it then thou longest not to see him neither desiâ—…est to be with him yea a small appearance of the day of death wherein we should goe to him or mention of the day of judgement wherein hee shall come to vs doth terrifie and affright thee Thou that contents thee with the gifts of God and thinkest not long for himselfe thou art but like an adulterous woman who if she possesâ—…e the goods of her husband regards not albeit she neuer see himselfe The Iewes are blamed because they called on thâ—… Lord rather for oyle and wine then for himselfe The Gentiles are conuinced for worshiping the creature rather then the creator but more iustly shall the bastard
inexcusable that wil none of his counsell they will not eate of this bread but shall eat of a worse For they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way and bee filled with their owne deuises their paths shall tend vnto death because they refuse to lay hold on the tree of life CHAP. II. Ignorance the mother of all Recusancie to communicate The Reasons of diuers refusals condemned Better excuses reiected by Christ in the Gospell then these They consent not to the Marriage of the Lambe who refuse the smallest token of his loue WHat euer bee the pretented excuse of these recusants ignorance is the mother of their sinne and therefore may I say that vnto them which the Lord Iesus said vnto that Samaritane woman If thou knew the Gift of God and who it is that sayes to thee giue mee drinke thou wouldst haue asked of him and hee would haue giuen thee the water of life This sweet gradation of our Sauiour his words If thou knew thou wouldest aske if thou asked I would giue euidently poynts out the sinne of these men to bee as I haue saide the Daughter of Ignorance whereas out of doubt if they knew the gift that is giuen them here by God they would answere with those Iewes Lord euermore giue vs this bread and with that Samaritane woman when shee was better informed Lord euermore giue me of that water to drinck that I thirst no more But that wee may deale particularly with such as refuse wee are to know that albeit this their rebellion proceeds of ignorance yet they who refuse are of sundrie rancks some knows not the vtilitie and excellencie of this Sacrament these thinke they may bee Christians good enough although no Communicants they looke to this Table with naturall eyes they iudge of it by things which they see and so despise it because after their reckoning they haue better replenished tables at home These are like Naaman the Syrian who came to Elisha to be cured of his leprosie hee was commaunded to goe and wash himselfe seauen times in Iordan which at the first hee disdained to doe are not said he Aabanah and Pharpar â—…iuers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israell he contemned the meanes commaunded by the Prophet he went away in displeasure and his leprosie went with him but afterward when hee reuerently vsed the meanes prescribed vnto him hee was made cleane of his leprosie Wherein wee are taught not to despise the ordinance of God although it seeme neuer so base vnto naturall iudgement It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them who beleeue and he hath in like manner appointed this Sacrament for communication of his Christ to them who are his Let a man therefore be content to take saluation out of the hand of God by such meanes as hee in his wisedome hath concluded to giue it No worldling will refuse treasure of gold although it were giuen him in a Boxe of Wood nor pretious Pearles presented to him in a purse of Leather and wee see that noble personages disdaine not take infeftments of stately buildings and faire inheritances by acceptation of a contemptible little peece of earth and stone and shall a Christian refuse so excellent a gift because it is giuen by so small a meane far be it from vs that wee should examine the ordinance of God but rather that wee prepare our selues in faith and feare to obey it let vs not looke to the meanes but to the blessing by Gods promise annexed to the meanes to the gift more then to the manner of giuing In this banquet we must learne to exercise our faith not to satisfie our sences it is no banquet for our bodie if so the Lord had intended it he could haue furnished his Table with the delicatest things and made thee a banquet farre exceeding that which Ahasuerus made to the Princes and gouernours of his prouinces For all the Foules of the ayrâ—… and beasts that feede on mountaines and fields are his He may commaund as his owne all the creatures of his three store houses the Ayre the Earth and the Sea but here the lesse wee see the more we are bound to belecue Say with vnbelecuing Naaman what better is this Bread and Wine then other Bread and Wine such blasphemies somtime hath fallen out of the mouthes of ignorants whose darknesse wee shall God willing discouer by the light of Gods word heâ—…reafter for the present my conclusion to the Recusant is that if as thou pretend thou be a louer of Christ then wilt thou esteeme euerie new token of his loue a new benefit vnto thee and what euer he puts in thine hand as a pledge of himselfe in that respect it shall bee deerer vnto thee then all the world beside Others againe there are who knows both the vâ—…ilitie and excellencie of this holy Sacrament and yet refuse to communicate but as they thinke with a reason pretending that it is not contempt but reuerence of the Sacrament which makes them to abstaine To whom I answere that there is no excuse in the world can warrant a man to bide backe from Christ Iesus when he cals vpon him for what art thou able to alleadge want of preparation the fault is thine owne for since the marriage of the Lambe is come and thou art warned thereunto why doest thou not make thy selfe ready and remoue the impediments And yet if thou al leadge that common excuse of the ignorant multitude that thou art at variance with thy neighbour by reason of some iniuries done to thee not as yet repayed by him nor to be borne withall and disgested by thee what dost thou but by a singular subtiltie of Sathan excuse one sinne by another as if one would teach thee to wash away the spots of thy face with puddle water were not that in stead of cleansing to make thy selfe more vncleane and thou while as thou wilt iustisie thy contempt of God his calling by alledging thy vnsanctified affection and hart that cannot forgiue dost no other thing but make thy selfe guilty of a double rebellion as one that will not discharge thy Christian duety neyther to God nor man Consider I pray thee the excuses pretended by those who were bidden to the Marriage of the great king and compare them with thine one of them said I haue bought a Farme and will goe see it Another said I haue bought fiue yoke of Oxen and must goe proue them And the third said I haue married a Wife and may not come The worst of their excuses is better then thine and yet were they all repelled the vse of husbandry and marchandise and the dutie that a man oweth vnto his wife are sometime lawfull albeit not to be preferred before that dutie we owe vnto Iesus Christ but that thou shouldst liue at variance with thy neighbour carry within thee a heart that cannot forgiue
compound wherein are things of sundry kindes which must be distinguished and so the word of discerning imports that secret There are here things of sundry sorts wee must discerne euery thing in the owne kind so our Sauiour taught vs and after him his Apostles and this truth the auncient Fathers haue deliuered vnto vs Eucharistia said Irenaeus ex duabus rebus constat terrena coelesti The Eucharist consists of two kind of things the one earthly the other heauenly And Augustine calleth it visibile signum inuisibilis graciae the visible signe of invisible grace And Macarius calleth this Bread and Wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examplaria figurae seu Typi carnis sanguinis Christi Resemblances figures and Types of the Body and Bloud of Christ Iesus Now it is sure that a Type Patterne or figure must euer bee distinguished from that whereof it is a figure This Sacrament then being a compound thing must be considered not as a simple but as a compound thing If it bee asked whether a man be earthly or heauenly because hee is a compound creature It must bee answered by a distinction If it be asked how a Christian being on the earth the Apostle saith that hee hath his Conuersation in the Heauens it must be answered by a distinction and if also it be asked whether this Sacrament bee an earthly or an heauenly thing how the signe is giuen and how the thing signified how Christ Iesus is in heauen and yet present in the Sacrament All these I say must be answered by distinction Sursum est Dominus said Augustine sed etiam hic est veritas Dominus corpus enim Domini in quo resurrexit vno loco esse potest veritas eius vbique diffula est Our Lord is aboue in heauen yet here also is our Lord as hee is the truth for the body of our Lord in which hee arose from death can bee but in one place but his truth is diffused into euery place And againe Ibat per id quod homo erat manebat per id quod Deus ibat per id quod vno loco erat manebat per id quod vbique erat Hee went hence by that which was man he stayed by that which was God hee went away by that which was but in one place hee stayed by that which was in all places And againe Ascendit super omnes coelos corpore non recessit maiestate He ascended aboue all the heauens in his body but hee departed not hence in his Maiestie And Cyrill in like manner Non enim quia nunc non adest in carne ex eo putes quod spiritu medio hic non adsit Thinke not that with his spirit he is not here amongst vs because hee is not now amongst vs with his bodie Thus yee see we must vse a distinction And yet albeit we are forced here to acknowledge the sundrie natures of things compound and consider them in their owne kinds wee must for all that take heed to the wonderfull vnion and Sacramentall coniunction that is betweene them which is so strait that vnto the receiuer they are inseparable for the which also the earthly thing receyues the name of the heauenly And this must also be considered least on the other hand separating those things which God hath conioyned we make this Bread and this Wine but naked and bare signes and so iustly incur that blame which our aduersaries vniustly would lay vpon vs and in like manner this punishment which here the Lord threatens against them who are euill discerners CHAP. III. Three rules to be obserued in the right descerning the Lords bodie First that euerie thing in this sacrament be taken in his owne kinde Who failes in this and how Secondly that this sacrament bee vsed according to Christs institution How the Papists faile in this Thirdly that this sacrament bee vsed to right ends and those ends set downe The conclusion of the first part of the precept VVE are therfore to consider that for the right discerning of the Lord body these three rules are to bee obserued first that in this sacrament we take vp euerie thing in the owne nature and kinde Next that we vse euery one of them in the manner appointed by Christ and with that reuerence that is due vnto them And thirdly that this Sacrament be celebrated vnto the right ends for which our Sauiour appointed it Against the first failes both Papists and bastard professors Papists are euill discerners because they take the signe for the thing signified the earthly thing for the heauenly The men of Lystra were euill discerners when they tooke Paul and Barnabas for Iupiter and Mercurius Gods in their account and therfore would haue worshipped them as Gods but in this light farre blinder are they who will adore a creature insteade of the creator and that with the same kinde of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by their owne confession is due to God onely They alleadge for their error the word of truth Iesus Christ speaking say they of the bread called it his body wee say in like manner that this bread is Christs bodie but sacramentally bâ—…t deny that the bread is transubstantiate into the verie naturall bodie of Christ as they against the principles of faith and nature falsely affirme It is strange to see what backward peruerse handlers of holy scripture these men bee where they should sticke to the letter they inforce an allegorie to serue their purpose What plainer Historie then that which Moses hath God made two great lights the greater to rule the day the lesser to rule the night yet is this place violently wrested when out of it they will gather that the Papall dignitie which as they say God hath appointed to rule ouer the spiritualtie is gâ—…eater then the regall and that the Pope by as many degrees excelleth the Emperour as the Sunne excells the Moone And againe where the Spirit of God vseth a figure there they sticke to the Letter These words according to the Letter Mandant flagitium commaund an impietie And therefore by Augustines rule should be esteemed figuratiue Si praeceptiua loquutio est aut flagitium aut facinus vetans aut vtilitatem beneficentiam iubens non est figurata loquutio si autem flagitiuÌ„ vel facinus videtur iubere aut vtilitateÌ„ aut beneficentiam vetare figurata loquutio est nisi manducaueritis inquit Christus carnem â—…ilij hominis facinus iubere videtur figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum suauiter vtiliter recondenduÌ„ in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa sit If a speech of precept either foâ—…bid some sinne or heynous deede or else commaund a profitable or a good deed then it is no figuratiue speech but if it seeme to commaund a sin or heynous deede or forbid a profitable and honest action then it is
is it then to take fâ—…om the people that which Christ by his Apostles hath deliuered vnto them and thus while they boast of antiquitie they are found fathers of noueltie And against the third they faile who vse not this Sacrament to the right endes which aâ—…e especially two The first is the commemoration of Christs death and pâ—…ssion with thanksgiuing for the which also the Gâ—…ecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The second is the communication of Christ to them who are his And for this the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first I take out of our Sauiour his words doe this in remembrance of me And from the Apostle So oft as yee eate of this bread and drinke of this cup shew forth the Lords death till his comming againe And in very deed this holy Sacrament being vsed according to Christs institution is a liuely representation of Christ crucified while as the signes of his blessed body and bloud being sundred one of them from the other the one is broken the other poured out remeÌ„bring vs how his blessed body was broken with the Crowne of thornes the Scourge the Nayles the speare and his bloud shed for the remission of our sinnes which should worke in vs so oft as wee behold it an inward contrition and godly sorrow for our sins wherewith wee peirced and wounded our blessed Sauiour vnto the death And indeed if wee be of the number of those vpon whom God hath powred out the spirit of grace and compassion so often as wee looke vpon him whom we haue peirced as here in this Sacrament wee may see him crucified before our eyes as often shall wee â—…ament for this as one mourneth for his onely Son or is sorrowfull for his first borne but of this wee shall speak God willing hereafter Now here is also discouered the vanitie of that errour of concomitance wherewith the aduersaries would excuse their disâ—…embring of this holy Sacrament for say they by concomitance where the body of Christ is ther is his bloud and therefore the bread which is his body being giuen there is no neede to giue the cup. But as the Lord asked the King of Tyrus in dirision Art thou wiser then Daniel So may wee aske of them are yee wiser then Christ will yee amend his institution This assertion takes away one of the principall ends of this Sacrament to wit the Commemoration of Christs death and passion for to haue the bloud within the body is no declaration of a crucified man nor a shewing forth of the Lords death whereas our blessed Sauiour ordained them to be exhibited and receiued sundry that it might not only be preached to our eares but represented also to our eyes how his blessed body and bloud were sundred for our sinnes The second end for which this Sacrament was ordayned is that it might bee a meanes of the communication of Christ to all them vvho are his for the sealing vp of our spirituall vnion with him ideo enim sacrameÌ„tuÌ„ illud hominibus datur vt Caput in terris corpori coadunetur And this as I sayd I take out of the word of the Apostle This bread which we break is it not the coÌ„munion of the body of Christ And in this respect this holy bread and wine are not only signes representing Christ crucified nor seales confirming our faith in him but also effectuall instruments of exhibition wherby the holy spirit makes an inward applycation of Christ crucified to all that are his And herein stands our greatest comfort for if wee had no more to doe in the celebration of this holy sacrament but to remember Christs death and passion then certainely looking to it onely were sufficient to put vs in remembrance thereof but when wee heare and see that this bread which is his body it giuen vs and vve are commaunded to take and eate it vvhat shall wee thinck but that wee are called to this high mercy as to bee pertakers of Christ and all the benefits that flow from his death The Lord doth neyther deceiue vs with words to bid vs take vvhen hee giues nothing neither calleth hee vs onely to a communion of naked bread and wine farre be it from vs to thinck so basely of this holy Sacrament Certainely hee that with any measure of light and grace wil ponder these words of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my body Shall perceiue that there is here a reall and effectuall exhibition made of the Lord Iesus to the penitent and beleeuing receiuer And yet let no man thinke that albeit the breaking and giuing of the bread be the communication of Christs body that therefore the bread is transstubstantiate into his body or that euery one receiues the body of Christ who receiues the bread for there is great difference betweene communication and acceptation on the part of God In this Sacrament there is indeede a communication and exhibition of Christ but on the part of the vnbeleeuing receiuer it fayles for fault of acceptation because they haue no saith whereby to receiue him nor a purified heart wherein to lodge him It is therefore a vile errour also of the Papists who affiâ—…me that the wicked in this Sacrament eate Christ but to their damnation It is contrary to the Word of God reformed antiquitie For whosoeuer saith Christ eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day Sacramentum quibusdam ad vitam quibusdam ad exitium res vero ipsa cuius est sacramentuÌ„ omni homini ad vitam nulli ad exitium 〈◊〉 Qui non manet in Christo in quo non manet Christus proculdubio non manducat spiritualiter earnem nec bibit sanguineÌ„ eius licet visibiliter premat dentibus Sacramentum sanguinis et corporis eius The wicked who beleeue not may with Iudas eate Panera Domini non panem Dominum The bread of the Lord but not the bread which the Lord himselfe is to his worthy receiuer Of all this then it is euident that this banquet is most heauenly and excellent wherein as there is no lesse offered then Christ Iesus so no lesse is refused by them who refuse to communicate they proclaime by their deed if they continue in it that they haue No poâ—…tion in Dauid neyther inheritance in the Sonne of Ishai But now wee leaue them and returne to speake as wee promised of that tryall which they who mind to communicate are to take of themselues CHAP. IIII. The second part of the precept commands triall before we communicate The Lord wil not that this table be a snare to vs as was Absalom to Ammon Banquetters at this table should be holy persons LEt a man therefore try himselfe This Particle therefore is relatiue to that which went before since there is a daunger will he say and many eates and drinks vnworthily therefore
we are to take of our selues for if as I said the Iewes had assigned to them the space of foure daies for preparation before they eate their Passeouer what shall we doe that haue to celebrate a more excellent misterie they searched diligently euery corner of their house to see that no leauen were in it but more diligentlie should we search euery corner of our hearts that no knowne leauen of wickednesse maliciousnesse be left in it which wee haue not purged and cast out by repentance Then shall wee find that euery new sight of our selues shall discouer a new corruption for the heart of man is a great deepe and deceitfull aboue all things manie Chambers of corruption are in it If we haue entred into one and seene the abhominations which are there thinke not for that wee haue entred in all No doubt the Prophet Esay knew before that he was a sinfull man but a new vision of the Maiestie of God brought him to a deeper insight of his owne vncleanenesse and made him to crie out woe is me for I am vndone Because I am a man of polluted lips and mine eyes haue seene the King the Lord of Hostes I haue seene saith Iob The Lord therefore doe I now abhorre my selfe And this I speake that none of vs thinke a new triall vnnecessary but that euen ye who through grace haue bene accustomed euerie morning to chastice your selues and euerie euening to examine your hearts in your beds may be warned to you also belongeth this precept Let a man try himselfe and so let him eate CHAP. VII What a laborious work is enioyned a man when hee is commanded to try himselfe Two things necessary for this tryall First the Spirit of God Secondly the Word of God Many try themselues by wrong Rules and are so deceiued VVHich shall appeare more euidently if thou ponder this preprecept Try thy selfe it is a restlesse and laborious work that here is inioyned to thee thou art set to a task which may hold thee exercised all the dayes of thy life The Lord by this precept will haue euery thing that is in man brought vnder examination Man as hee is the workmanship of God is euerie way so meruailous that no meruaile the Philosophers called him a little world Augustine in his Estimation accounted man a greater miracle then all the miracles that euer were wrought among men but as he is peruerted by sinne and become the workmanship of Sathan hee is so fraughted with iniquitie that Saint Iames cals one member of his body a world of wickednesse and if in the tongue onely which is but a small member of the body there is so much wickednesse that the Spirit of God who giueth names to things as they are calleth it a world of wickednes what shall we think of the rest what bottomlesse depth of iniqui tie must there bee in the fountaine when there is so much in the streame and therefore I say hee had need to be full of eyes within and without that will practise this precept of the Apostle Let a man trye himselfe For if ye shall begin to take a view of your minde and consider how farre it is enlightned and what naturall darknesse yet remayneth in it how many bands of strange cogitations at seuerall times soiourne in it some flowing from the loue of the World and her deceitfull pleasures intending to steale our hearts after them some from the roote of concupiscence and her inordinate Lusts that oftentimes violently oppresse vs and some from the roote of bitternesse raysing wonderfull commotions and perturbations within vs reeling too and fro by courses in our swelling and restlesse mindes raging like waues of the Sea carryed with furious windes besides infinite armies of other vaine and idle cogitations whereof wee cannot tell from whence they come nor whether they goe and if from the minde they proceed to the heart which is the seate of the affections take a particular view of them how our loue and our hatred our feare and our confidence our ioy and our griefe our care and our contentment are renewed and framed according to that word which is the rule of righteousnesse And if againe yee goe to try the affections and see how the members of your bodyes are imployed as weapons of righteousnes in the seruice of God if yee haue made a Couenant with your eyes or not that they regard not vanitie or if negligently yee let them stand open as windowes at the which death enters euery moment into your soules and if yee haue learned to take heede to your lips that yee sinne not with your tongue if yee shall also take a time to consider the ignorances of your youth and sinnes of your old age if I say yee looke vnto all these which yet are few in regard of many moe we haue to looke vnto what shal appeare but a new found world of wickednesse dicouered vnto thee which most iustly may make thee ashamed and compell thee to cry out with Dauid O Lord who knoweth the errours of his life Lord cleanse me from my secret sinnes and keepe me from presumptuous sinnes that so I may bee made cleane from much wickednesse yea thou shalt wish with Ieremie O that my head were full of water and mine eyes fountaines of teares that all the whole day long I might with Ezekiah recount my sinnes in the bitternesse of my heart and all the night cause my bed to swim and water my couch with teares for the manifold transgressions wherwith I haue offended the Lord my God And now because this tryall of our selues is so necessary let vs here remember that there are two things without which wee cannot profite in this work of tryall The one is the Spirit of God the other the Word of God As to the first man by nature is so blinded with selfe Loue that hee accounts his owne deformitie beauty and his bondage libertie what viler bondage then the Seruitude of sinne O quam multos Dominos habet qui vnum non habet said Ambrose and yet man vnregenerate counteth it his libertie to liue vncontrolled in the seruice of his lusts to doe what hee will what libertie againe so excellent as to be the freeman of God Seruire Deo est regnare and yet foolish man accounts the obedience of Gods Law which is the law of libertie a seruitude and the Commandements of God he esteemes as bonds wherwith he will not be bound walking the footsteps of other Rebels before him hee cryes out Let vs breake their bonds and cast their cords from vs. It vvas not the disease of the Laodiceans onely to account themselues happy vvhen indeed they were miserable it is the naturall disease of all the Sons of Adam for euery mans way seemeth good in his owne eyes A pittifull blindnes that death should raigne ouer man and man not feele it
of Sinai and Moses went vp from the plaine to it and so saieth he had familiar conuersatiō with the Lord and heere as the Lord commeth down as low as he can in this Sacrament for our capacitie it becōmeth vs to mount vp as high as pos◅ible we can in our affections if so be wee be desirous to meete the Lord otherwise if the Lord shall abide in his glorie and inaccessible light and if man shall lye still in the darke dungeon of this base and earthly minde what familiar meeting can there be betweenne God and man And as to the time Saint Iohn witn◅sseth that our Sauiour ordeined this sacrament when he was to goe out of the world to his father wherin said Augustine Spes membris in Capite data quod essent in illo transeunte sine dubio sequutura Yea not onelie should it nourish our hope that where hee is there once we shall be but should waken our affection and desire to goe after him we should eate and drinke at this holy table not as if we were here to remayne but should celebrate this supper like a passeouer standing as pilgrimes and our loynes gi◅ded vp hauing our staues in our hands readie to follow our Lord who is gone into heauen before vs and euerie day of our communion should bee a new departing of our hearts out of this world vnto our heauenly Father yea wee should receiue this meate from the Lord with that wa◅ning which the Angel gaue to Eliah in the wildernesse vp and ◅ate for thou hast yet a great iourney to goe This bread is giuen vs that in the strength thereof wee may walk forward the way which is before vs not that wee should lie downe and rest vs in this vvildernesse as if we had now attained to the end of our iourney The Angell wakened Eliah twice sleeping vnder the Iuniper twice he touched him and twice he bad him vp eate and walke at length hee rose and vvalked in the strength of that bread forty dayes But alas our securitie is greater then his many a time hath the Lord warned vs of the iourney that is before vs many a time hath hee proposed heauenly food vnto vs and now against this day the Lord reneweth his mercy towards vs. The Lord vvaken vs and graunt at the length that wee may rise and walke following the Lord till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion But of all other meanes the most forcible to rauish our hearts after the Lord is a deepe meditation of the loue of God towards vs. The Apostle protesteth it is a loue that passeth knowledge the height breadth the length and depth vvhereof none is able to comprehend he that at one time cryed out Come and I will tell you what God hath done to my soule is compelled another time to confesse O Lord my God thou hast made thy wonderfull works so many that none can count in order to thee the thoughts towards vs I would declare and speake of them but they are more then I am able to expresse And yet although vvee bee lesse able then the Elephant at one draught to drink vp the Riuer of Iordaine let vs bee content with the wearyed Passenger willingly to take in so much as may refresh vs we cannot measure the waters of the Sea in our fist nor number the stars of heauen and how then shall vvee number his mercyes which are aboue all his workes shall vvee therefore not looke to them nor behold that glory of God which shineth in them Though we cannot comprehend his incomprehensible loue yea blessed are wee if it shall comprehend vs let vs notwithstanding earnestly and feruently meditate vpon it not by starts and vanishing motions for as a Candle doth not at the first receiue light from the fire were it neuer so blowne but if for a time it bee holden constantly to the fire it is at the length enlightened so it is not vanishing meditations that will warme our harts vvith the Loue of God but if wee shall continue without wearying to exercise our thoughts vpon this great loue that the Lord hath borne towards vs it shall happely fall out at length that the powers of our Soule shall bee inflamed with his loue and vve shall find the sauour of death in euery thing that smelleth not of his loue No greater Loue then this sayeth our Sauiour can bee shewed among men then that a man should bestow his life for his friends but that which man is not able to shew our Lord Iesus God and man hath shewed to his children his good will for the Loue hee bore to vs hee gaue himselfe in a sacrifice for our sinnes on the Crosse euen when wee vvere his enimies and hath here in this Sacrament giuen himselfe a food and nourishment vnto vs for so that disciple beloued of him doth testifie When Iesus knew that his houre was come that hee should goe out of the world vnto his Father forasmuch as hee loued his owne vnto the end hee loued them therefore did hee institute this Sacrament that therein he might communicate himselfe to them O wonderfull loue stronger then the loue of Ionathan to Dauid When Ionathan and Dauid were forced to part company because of Sauls Tyranny Ionathan gaue Dauid his Garment his Girdle and his Armour he had no better and could giue no better and so with many teares and mutuall imbracings departed from him but our blessed Sauiour before hee remoued his corporall presence from vs gaue his life to redeeme our life from the death hee sent out bloudie sweat aboundantly as the witnesses of his burning loue towards vs hee powred out an euerlasting prayer to his father for vs he hath left behinde him in his last will his peace for our portion hee hath giuen vs his spirit for a Comforter his Word for a warner and this Sacrament for a spirituall foode vntill his second comming againe No meruaile his spouse in the Canticles praised his loue to be far aboue the loue of women for though in some of them the naturall strength of affection bee so great that it makes them indure the painefull bearing and bringing vp of their children with the milke of their breasts yet what is that comparable to this nothing indeede Such a Loue as here our Sauiour hath discouered towards vs is not to bee found againe in the world for whereas mothers saith Chrisostome eyther commit their Children to Nurses or else brings them vp vpon the milke of their owne breasts Iesus Christ feeds vs not with the milke of another but with his owne flesh and his owne bloud Necessitie sometime hath compelled the Mother to eate her owne Children but we neuer read that compassion hath moued the mother to giue her owne flesh to preserue her Children that they should not dye in famine But our Lord Iesus is that
members with the head so it seales vp the communion of the members among themselues for this bread whereof we eate is of many graines of wheate made vp into one bread and the wine is the iuyce of many berryes collected and vnited into one to teach vs that all the Communicants at this holy Table how many soeuer they bee ought to agree together in one like members of one body as hauing one Father one Faith one Baptisme one Inheritance as Brethren quickned all by one and the selfe same spirit which is not to bee found againe in all the world except in this excellent brother-hood as wee cannot bee ioyned to the head without faith so can wee not bee knit to the members without Loue. Stones and timber cannot make vp a building till they be ioyned and sundry peeces of mettall cannot bee melted in one work without fire no more can Christians be vnited in one mysticall body without Loue and therefore our Sauiour at the celebration of this Sacrament recommended Loue to his Disciples by a new Commaundement which hee so called because it should neuer waxe olde yea so much doth he account of it that he will accept no seruice wee owe to himselfe without that duty of loue we owe to our brethren If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue thy offering goe thy way and first be reconciled to thy brother then come and offer thy gift Of this it is euident that without Loue to our brethren we can doe no acceptable seruice to the Lord. In this therefore let vs trie and examine our selues what compassion finde we in our hearts toward our brethren what willingnesse to doe them the good wee can what loue to beare one anothers burthen what readinesse to forgiue when we are offended what humblenesse of minde to aske them forgiuenesse against whom wee haue sinned practising these precepts While yee haue time doe good to all men And againe forbeare one another forgiue one another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue you The Maiestie of God suppose first offended did first seeke man to bee reconciled with him and shall man that hath offended thinke euill to seeke his Brother to bee reconciled with him but alas are these fruites of Godlinesse now to bee found amongst men if thou seeke them thou shalt finde them as the Sommer gatherings or as the grapes of a Uintage cut downe though thy soule desire to eate the fruite thereof thou shalt not finde it for the good man is perished out of the earth such as are Christians by name they liue like Iewes and the Samaritans of whom it is written that they might not conuerse together to forbeare and forgiue one another to them are precepts of an vncouth language which they vnderstand not as a sparkle of fire easily kindles a heape of powder so a small offence remoueth all their affections they are not slow vnto wrath like the Lord and far lesse like him in readinesse to forgiue As men saith Lactantius are mortall so should their anger bee mortall our Sauiour saith the Sunne should not goe downe vpon our wrath the Apostle commaunds vs to bee Children concerning anger and maliciousnesse who as they doe not deepely coâ—…eiue it so they do not long retaine it but are shorly familiar with them with whom they were a little before offended but as it vvas doubted of Sylla Sylla ne prior an Sylla iracundia sit extincta so is it out of all doubt that in many vipers of this age anger dieth not till they die themselues And as for doing of good to their neighbors and brethren they liue in the world like monsters or like those Gyants The sonnes of Anack they alone will be Lords of the earth as if the world were made for them onely or they at the least were borne for themselues Churlish like Nabal shall I take said hee my bread and my flesh and giue vnto Dauid all that they haue they account so to be theirs as if they had not receiued it or were not the Lords stewards bound to distribute to the necessities of his Saints the rich gluttons they vse it as a morsell for their owne mouth Now my soule thou hast enough for many dayes let Lazarus finde as he may they thinke with Cain they are no keepers of their Brethren That which dieth let it die These and many moe are the common and seene corruptions of this age wherein we are to examine our selues how farre the renewing grace of the Lord hath made vs to depart from them and what holy loue we haue put on For hee that loueth not knoweth not God because God is loue and he that loueth not his Brother whom he hath seene how can hee loue God whom he hath not seene hereby wee know that wee are translated from death to life because wee loue the Brethren And thus much vve are content to haue touched of our disposition toward our neighbour Now last of all concerning our disposition in our selues let vs bee sober esteeming basely of our selues highly of the Lords mercie hungring and thirsting for his saluation and in verie deed the more we shall consider how God hath magnified his holy name by his meruailous mercies towards vs the more shall wee bee compelled to cast downe our selues before him in all humilitie and submission of our spirits When Dauid promised to Mephiboseth that hee would shew him kindnesse for Ionathan his fathers sake Mephiboseth humbled himselfe to the ground and saide what is thy seruant that thou shouldest looke to such a dog as I am but here the Lord our God not onely promiseth vnto vs kindnesse for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake but presently performes it and inuesteth vs againe vvith our Fathers inheritance which vve forfaited in Adam and where we vvere of our owne nature but deade dogs vncleane creatures dead in sinne and trespasses Now behold what loue the Father hath shewen vs Hee hath made vs partakers of this heauenly vocation as to be hiâ—… sonnes and his heires and shall not wee then in our very hearts bee humbled before him acknowledge our great vnworthinesse and his excellent mercies Let vs confesse vvith Godly Iacob I am not worthy O Lord of the least of all thy mercies and let euery one of vs say with the Centurion I am not worthy Lord that thou shouldest enter vvithin my roofe Let vs vvith the vvoman of Canaan acknowledge our owne roome if the Lord should giue vs but the benefit of vvhelps dogs that is should suffer vs to goe vnder our maisters Table and eate of the crummes that fall from it yet were it more then any way we haue deserued and how then are we bound to haue our hearts and our mouthes filled continually with the praises of our God who hath bestowed vpon vs his greatest mercies when we
were not vvorthy of the least and hath set vs downe as Sonnes and Daughters and Heires at the Table of his children that were not vvorthy as dogs and whelps to creepe vnder it haue vve not cause to crie out with Dauid O Lord what is man that this manner of way thou art mindfull of him Elizabeth maruailed that Mary came to visite her and in the humility of her heart cryed out Whence commeth this that the mother of my Lord should come vnto mee but we haue more cause to maruell at the maruailous mercies of the Lord for what are we that the fairest among the Children of men should be delighted with our loue and our Lord should come to visit the base estate of his Seruants communicate himselfe his light his life and his grace vnto vs Let no man thinke that I haue multiplied these places of scripture vvithout a cause The beginning of the diuision betweene vs and the Lord slowed from the pride of our nature vnlesse vve humble our selues and bee content in our minde to sit lower then dust and ashes by reason of our sin it is not possible vve can bee vnited with the Lord This is the councell that in fevv vvords Michah giueth vnto vs He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee surely to doe iustly and to loue mercie to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The Lord is indeed a most high God yet he is nearest vnto them and they goe soonest vp vnto him who are least in their owne eyes and tremble at his words And beside this inward humiliation arising of the sence of our own vnworthinesse let vs come with a hunger thirst of the Lord his righteousnesse saluation For he will satisfie the hungry but the full he sendeth away emptie onely they that haue the spiritual appetite hunger thirst are meete to be communicants at this holy table As that oyle multiplyed by Elisha ceased not so long as the widdow had any vessell wherein to receiue it so shall neuer that oyle of grace decay but be multiplyed and increased vnto all that with open and inlarged hearts are ready to receiue it Thou therefore who art more ready to faint for spirituall hunger then was Ionathan come hether put out the hand of faith eate of this hony make thee full and thou that art sicke with the Spouse in the Canticles for the loue of Iesus come hether and the Lord shall stay thee with the flagons of his wine Art thou almost dead like that Egyptian the Seruant of an Amalekite whom Dauid found in the fields take and eate of this bread and thy Spirit shall returne againe vnto thee But alas where is this spirituall appetite to be found amongst vs the deadnes of our hart is lamentable wee see not our wants wee see not his beauty wee smell not his oyntments wee tast little of his goodnesse and therefore we make not hast to run after him Dauid mourned ouer the dead body of Abner but alas if wee could wee haue much more cause to mouâ—…ne ouer our dead soules Oh that there were in vs that holy desire which Dauid protesteth to haue beene in him My soule fainteth for the saluation of God As the Hart brayeth for the riuers of waters and thirstie ground desireth raine so my soule panteth after the liuing God Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for his righteousnesse for they shall bee satisfied These onely are the guests and banquetters that shall eate of the delicates which here hee hath prepared and whose soule shall bee delighted with his fatnesse These shall goe from this Table as Moses came downe from Mount Sinai his countenance changed They shall arise with Eliah and walke on in the strength of this bread all the whole dayes of their pilgrimage They shall goe on in their way with Sampson eating of the hony which they haue found They shall depart from this Table as the two Maryes did from the Sepulcher with great ioy These shall goe home to their owne houses iustified with the Publican reioycing because they haue found a treasure and hath felt the sweetnesse of this Manna they shall not bee able to conceale this great ioy from Israell but shall be forced to tell euery Nathaniell whom they meete We haue found the Messiah And in all time to come their soule shall cleaue to the Lord without separation more straightly then the men of Iudah and Ierusalem cleaued vnto Dauid their King They shall say to the Lord as Elizeus said to Eliah As the Lord liueth and as thy soule liueth I wil not leaue thee and with Peter whither O Lord shall I goe from thee seeing thou hast the words of eternall life The Lord worke this spirituall disposition in vs for Iesus Christs sake to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory for euer FINIS A Table wherein all the Chapters of the three forenamed Bookes are particularly set downe 1. Iacobs wrestling with God A Priuiledge of the Godly that say God is with them none can bee against them to hurt them Chap. 1 Gods fatherly compassion appeares in that he handles vs most tenderly when we are weakest Chap. 2 The cause mouing the Lord to appeare to Iacob at this time Chap. 3 The first circumstance the time of the wrestling Chap. 4 The second circumstance the persons betweene whom the wrestling is Cha. 5 Consolations for the Godly afflicted Chap. 6 Comfort for Christs souldiers Chap. 7 The third circumstance the manner of the wrestling corporall spirituall or mixt Chap. 8 How we should behaue our selues in this tentation we are taught Chap. 9 Let vs euer leane to the word of God how strange soeuer his worke seeme vnto vs. Chap. 10 Verse 25. And when he saw that he could not preuaile Chap. 11 Vers. 26. And he said let me go Chap. 12 What notable effects the felt presence of God bringeth with it Chap. 13 The presence or absence of God is euer dispensed for the weale of his owne Children Chap. 14 How their inward exercises of conscience workes in the godly a diuorcement of their soules from all Creatures and a neerer adherent to the Lord. Cha. 15 Prayers of the Godly must be forcible acceptable to God seeing they come from his owne Spirit Chap. 16 Iacob cannot end till God haue blessed him Chap. 17 Faith through death espies life Chap. 18 The Godly in their prayers aboue all things seeke Gods fauour and blessing Chap. 19 Worldlings in their Prayers dishonour God and preiudges themselues Chap. 20 Faith obtaines euery good thing that it craues Chap. 21 Verse 27. Then he said It is the curse of the wicked to pray and not preuaile but it is not so with the Godly Chap. 22 The Lord by inward exercises of conscience makes his children strong to