and Blood The * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word in its most genuine and immediate signification relates to the putting a Thing to one and so I conferred not is as much as I never put it to them as a Case fit to be decided by them We may have Carnal Acquaintants we must overcome before we acquaint our selves with God and must be at some War perhaps with Them before we can fully be at Peace with God Job 22.21 Having now shewn you that in coming at the call of God in the Invitation of Gospel-Grace there is a Terminus à Quo a Term from which we must begin our Steps I shall next briefly open the Terminus ad Quem Therefore Secondly The other Term we must come to or the Point in our Spiritual Compass we must arrive at when the Gospel-call prevails and enables us to come may be opened in Two Things that clear it particularly A Believing close with the Gospel-Invitation and an obedient accepting the Gospel-Entertainment 1. A Believing Close with the Gospel-Invitation When the Soul comes it is drawn with a Full consent to Christ the Understanding is enlightned the Will persuaded the Affections are drawn forth and the Soul doth not any longer draw back When the Snare is broken and the Cords that held it back are cut the Soul comes pressing forwards towards the High-calling of God Phil. 3.14 when 't is loosned of its wonted Hold it complies and begins a close with that Blessed Person of the Son of God that calls it Heb. 10.39 For we are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them which believe unto the saving of the Soul When our more than a Threefold Cord is broken Eccles 4.12 then a call prevails and we are drawn in Bands of Love to Christ We can thro' Grace take hold of Christ when He hath loosned our Knots that ty'd us so close to other Things before Oh! if we come once to be like that Band of Men whose Hearts God had touched 1 Sam. 10.26 we shall be even prickt to the Heart we did not come sooner Acts 2.37 and be earnest to dispatch our close with Jesus Christ the faster We shall then to purpose sincerely mind his Calls and evince our Hearty closing with them not answering swering like that Second Son we read of that was bid to go work in the Vineyard but play'd the Hypocrite and never came there Matth. 21.30 Igo Sir and went not but like the First tho' obstinate a while yet at last obedient that afterwards repented and went v. 29. When the Soul closes it is glad of an Errand to come for any thing to Christ as before it was glad of a shift and sought an excuse to keep it off from him Lo now it will not be satisfied with a Call if the Soul but suspects it doth not come away Oh Blessed Sweet and Gracious Universal Change The Will consents unto the Invitation Rom. 10.9 with the Heart the Man believeth and with the Mouth the Poor Soul confesseth and lo a change wrought upon the Invited Sinner you may discern all over Oh! how does the Soul press after the mark when the Call of Jesus Christ prevails It is no sooner loosned from Prison and from Death but 't is joined unto the Lord in Free-hold I come Lord I come with my Soul I desire to bring my Body in also I renounce my Sins and now I seek a Saviour I throw off Satan and now I put on the Lord Jesus Christ I come out of my Self Lord whither shall I go I come to thee alone I flee from the World Psa 55.6 and with the Wings of a Dove by the Help of thy Spirit am fleeing in to thee Psa 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth I have cast mine Eye my Feet are bent to thee I am resolv'd by the mighty Power of thy Grace to be taken off to be called away to be seized and stopt by none that calls by none that comes but Thee 2. It is an obedient accepting the Gospel-entertainment The Soul is willing to take the Provisions of the Gospel as they are Mat. 20.11 without any murmuring against the Good man of the House When the Soul comes to the Provisions of Christ it is pleas'd in his House delights in the entertainment and takes without a Reserve of any Dish he gives it The Soul comes when it will be at the Feast to meet with a Christ and to feed on a Christ at every Opportunity when Souls are brought to accept of Divine Provisions and cry out with an Holy Importunity Lord Joh. 6.34 evermore give us this Bread when the Soul takes up the very Fragments of the Bread of Life and would have nothing lost that is ready among the All Things To come is to accept of him that calls and accept of what he offers and comply with thy Lord who is ready to welcome and kindly accept of thee Lord I come here I am 1 Sam. 3.6 for thou calledst me as Samuel said to Eli and I never read thou sendst me back agen I think my self happy to be a Guest where the Master of the Feast that sent to call me will be sitting by to serve me Lord I am come to seek my Meat of thee I remember thy Kindness to call a poor Worm forth and lo here I am to eat of the Bread Prov. 9.3 and drink of the Wine which thou hast mingled This coming of the Soul at the Gospel-call to Christ is a Readiness thus to accept of the Glorious Things that are spoken of this Table where these All Things are spread for Glorious Things are spoken of the Supper as well as of the * Psa 87.3 City of our God The Provisions of Grace are wonderful as well as the Treasures that are laid up in Glory And the coming of the Soul is to accept of such as these untill it be filled with all the Varieties of the Word of the Kingdom Mat. 13.19 which God can bestow or man receive of him The Third Thing is to enforce it by Arguments III. and urge the necessity of man's coming at the Call unto these Holy Commons of the Gospel for there is a Communion of Saints held at this Table And in evincing why it must be so I would lay open the Necessity of the Thing these two wayes in General 1st Necessitate Praecepti as a Command 2dly Necessitate Medii as the Means appointed It is no matter of Indifferency other Things are convenient but this one Thing is needful Luk. 10.42 1. It is necessary necessitate Praecepti as the Master of the Feast requires it It is his command and that will render a compliance with it necessary God hath bid you to a Feast and it should not lye before you as a common slight indifferency if ye be disposed to go 1 Cor. 10.27 The Commandment saith Seek ye the
Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God thrô our Lord Jesus Christ Thô there is a noise of War in thy Camp thy Corruptions fight and justle one against another nay not only Egyptian against Egyptian but an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew Corruption opposeth Grace and maketh an uprore in thy Soul yet the Gospel hath a Prince of Peace to allay the Tumult Heb. 7.2 Psa 147.14 and to make Peace in thy Borders There is Provision made for a Blessed Calm upon thy Soul when the Son of God shall rebuke thy Storm and say to the Winds that made it Mark 4.39 tho' furious Blasts from Satan Peace be still Thou shalt see it to be fair weather upon the Kings Feast-day Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you Joh. 14.27 In a word here is a Feast you may Sleep well after not in Sin or Security but in a Refreshment or Repose of your Spirits in the Peace of Conscience 21. The Oyl of Joy * Isa 61.3 It was the Blessing of Asher that he should dip his Foot in Oyl Deut. 33.24 and be as it were over shoes in his Inheritance where God's Paths dropped fatness Psa 65.11 It is clear in Scripture that Oyl by the Appointment of God was put to various uses The Children of Israel were commanded with Oyl to * Exod. 25 6. v. 37. compared dress their Lamps and with a finer to dress their †Lev. 2.4 5. c. meat in the Legal Sacrifices and with a most refined Oyntment made of various * Exo. 30.23.25 Spices after the Art of the Apothecary to †v. 26. anoint the Tabernacle and his * v. 27. c. Furniture by all which was Typified that Spiritual Oyl which the Gospel now affordeth we have now an Oyl an Oyl of Joy that feeds the * Oleum flammis alimoniam suppeditat Moller enar in Psalmos Ps 45.7 Candle of the Lord and makes it burn comfortably an Oyl of Grace that feeds the Lamp of our Profession that we be not in the Dark at * Mat. 25.3 4 5 6.8 midnight when we should see to go out and meet the Bridegroom we have now also an Oyl to dress our Sacrifice since we have received an Vnction from the Holy One 1 Joh. 2.20 an Oyl that fattens our Entertainment and an Oyl as we sit at meat Psa 104.15 that makes our Face to shine There is an Oyl of Joy communicated to the Head our Lord Jesus Christ and an Oyl of Joy imparted to his Members This Box of precious Oyntment was poured on his Head by a greater than Mary †Mat. 26.7 Joh. 11.2 Magdalen God anoints him Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows Psa 45.7 latter part So Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me He is therefore in the New Testament styled by way of eminence the Christ of God and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 2.26 part the Lord 's Christ which signifies the Lords Anointed Now at the Feast his Members in some Conformity to their Head are anointed also He that ordained a Lamp for his anointed and made the Horn of David to bud hath also a Horn of Salvation to pour the Anointings of the Spirit on us God's Children may suck in this Oyl plentifully at the Feast where there be Springs of Joy to feed a chosen Vessel Thou preparest a Table before me thou anointest my Head with Oyl Psa 23.5 22. The Cup of Consolation with the Wine of the Kingdom-running over The Cup of Consolation was a Cup for Mourners a Portion mingled more especially to support them at the Death and Loss of Dear Relations and tho' used commonly among the Jews yet was deny'd them Jer. 16 5. latter part when God had taken away his Peace from them even loving kindness and mercies neither shall men give them the Cup of Consolation to drink v. 7. for their Father or for their Mother The Cup of Consolation was a little to sweeten the Bitterness unto their Children after their Parents had tasted Death Now the Feast of the Gospel hath its Cup of Consolation to wash off sadness from them that mourn in Zion it hath the Wine of the Kingdom for the Children she brings forth when they are bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother because of the Afflictions of the Church of God Nay suppose the Trouble should arise more from a Reflection upon their own Personal State this Cup of Consolation is then to wash off their Fears Rev. 14.10 least they should drink of the Wine of wrath out of the Cup of Indignation The Wine of the Gospel is a refreshing Cordial from the Grace of God to cheer up drooping Spirits and comfort heavy Hearts It is a Cup of Salvation Psa 116.13 to a poor Soul that hath been afraid of that Red-wine in the Threatning lest he should pledge it in the Second Death A Man's Body when his Spirits are low needeth Recruits Prov. 31.6 Give strong Drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy Hearts and so in Paul's Advice to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.23 Drink no longer water that is such as was commonly us'd at Meals in those hotter Climates as we drink Beer but use a little wine for thy Stomach's sake and thine often infirmities In like manner the Spirit of a Man when wounded or broke and sunk within him doth need Wine the Wine of the Kingdom that is the manifestations of the Love of Christ to chear it for the Spirit of a man may sustain his Infirmities that is he may bear up under outward Trouble he meets with in the Flesh but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Such a one must have the Cup of Consolation from Christ's own Hand for his Love is better than wine Song 1.2 The Roof of his mouth when he speaks a kind pleasant word like the best wine goes down exceeding sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Song 7.9 If God's Children be sunk down thro' long heaviness and begin to sleep the Sleep of Death in their own sad Apprehensions Psa 13.3 yet a Cup of this pleasant Wine from Christ on a sudden makes an Alteration and breaks out in Praises Psa 118.17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. Blessed Consolation Now the Gospel hath provided a Full Cup of this This is that precious Cluster Isa 65.8 where the new wine is found in it He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Joh. 14.21 latter part So v. 23. latter part My Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him What
Righteous Condemnation when he sits upon a Throne of Justice and when God pronounceth thine Absolution the Sentence of Condemnation will prove of no effect to hurt thee There is none shall call thee to any just Account for Life because thou hast one that now hath traverst Death The Council of Heaven pleads to save thee and a Black-mouth'd Crew in Hell or foul-mouth'd Crew on Earth shall never make thy Cause through Accusation now to go against thee What unrighteous Plea shall ever over-rule Luk. 18.6 or unjust Judge stand up to overthrow the Highest Court of Justice He that justifyeth will turn every Letter of the Law-Curse to make up the Gospel-Blessing Tho' thou art verily Guilty in thy self Rom. 3.19 for all the World is become Guilty before God And tho' by offending in one Point we are truely Guilty of all Jam. 2.10 yet tho' we are the Sinners the Gospel comes in ready with the Son of God 2 Cor. 5.21 who was made sin for us Tho' we owe our very Lives unto the second death Rev. 20.1 21.4 the Gospel hath procur'd the Free Gift to save them that our Statute of Death unto Condemnation might be Repealed and Enacted unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 He that passeth by and sees thee in thy Blood delivers thee from Blood guiltiness he takes thee up and imputes not thy Trespass tho' a poor * Felo de se is the term which our Engl. Law gives a self-murtherer Felo de se that hast sadly destroy'd thy self Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy Help found Fourthly The Gospel hath Healing Provisions suited to the Condition of back sliding sick and wounded Souls The Gospel provides something Medicinal to purge out Corruption and Restoratives to fetch the Patient again and gracious Lenitives to mollifie a Bleeding Wound and a Skilfull Hand to bind up and make all whole again as well as provides Aliment and Food to Nourish Alas our very Corruptions if we had not Grace provided to remove them would spoil all our Feast We have such Foul Stomachs by Nature that we need a Pill to cleanse them before our Morsel enters Deut. 28.59 We have all Naturally great Plagues and sore Sicknesses that turn our Stomach upon a Feast of Fat things And 'till we find something in the Gospel among its All Things to Cure us our Soul will be like that sick Man 's in Job Job 33.20 Psal 107.18 whose Life abhorreth Bread and his Soul dainty Meat We shall otherwise be too bad to touch Meat or receive the daintiest that can be brought us The Corruption of the Heart before it is in any measure purged makes a Sinner disdain the Gospel and hate the Diet of the Soul Num. 21.5 like the Israelites that loathed Mannah and call'd it light Bread and said chap. 11.6 there is nothing at all besides this Mannah before our Eyes This is the true Natural State of a Man before the Gospel hath been as Physick to work with healing Grace upon him Now therefore the Gospel among its All Things ready hath its Provisions of Medicine as well as Meat The Grace of it will heal and nourish both it can furnish the Patient and supply the Guest create a soundness of Constitution by Due Preparatives and keep it up with Provisions and Supplies in other kinds after The Gospel is like those yielding and plentiful Trees in Ezekiel's Vision where the Fruit was for Meat and the Leaf for Medicine Ezek. 47.12 lat pt The Balm of them was Healing and would work a Recovery upon the languishing as well as the Fruit Nourishing to supply the Hungry and the Juice refreshing to allay a thirsty Appetite Jer. 8.22 So there is Balm in Gilead a Physician and a Feast there both Mat. 9.12 Jer. 33.6 A Physician that doth bring it Health and Cure The Gospel purgeth out Corruption as well as prepares our Table it cleanseth our Vessel and then pours the precious Mannah in In a word it is Physick first and refreshing Diet after Now this Gospel suits with thy Condition tho' thou hast been a Backslider in thy ways and art now sick and wounded Psal 38.5 Do thy Wounds stink are they corrupt by reason of thy Foolishness and do the steams of Corruption make thine Heart sick yet God hath a Healing Medicine to settle thee at thy Heart and when broken Job 5.18 the Lord makes thee whole This is most graciously illustrated Hos 14.4 I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely This is a Remedy suits thy sick Case I will heal * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word is Metaphorical and shews the Efficacy of the Physician that tho' there hath been a †Iniquitates morbis se medico Christum medicinae comparat Rivet in Nesemn Complication of Distempers in thy Defection insomuch that now the sense of it hath wounded thee in thy Spirit and the Disease hath bruis'd thee yet thy sickness shall not be unto death but for the glory of God in healing thee for a Bruised Reed shall he not break Matth. 12.20 Not Break. i. e. as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word imports he will not do any thing against it to hurt or handle with violence such a Feeble Slip his Hand is gentle he will touch the Bruise with Care Isa 57.16 least the Spirit should fail before him and the Soul that he hath made Tho' you came as a Troop of Lazaruses Luk. 16.20 and were laid at his Gate full of Sores Mat. 4.24 tho' you are taken with divers Diseases some with one spiritual Infirmity some with another whatsoever Sickness 1 Kings 8.37 whatsoever Plague it be yet he hath prepared to send his Word and heal you Psal 107.20 Be thou sick rent or torn whom He hath put to Pain Hos 6.1 yet run over the List of the All Things and thou shalt not complain thou hast no healing Medicine Jer. 30.13 Thy Disease indeed hath desperately broken out and it may be now hath fercht out many a Groan a Sigh and a Tear to see thy own Plague But while your Tears gush out God hath provided to stop an Issue of Blood Mark 5.29 That Sore of thine which hath ran in the Night and ceased not shall not break out 'till there be no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 because there is a Physician by whose Stripes ye are healed 1 Pet. 2.24 Nay Rev. 13.3.12 after thy deadly Wound is healed thou may'st carry some Marks of an Old Sore upon thee but no * Nisbet upon Peter Skar in thy Wound can hurt thee Joh. 20.25 when thou hast also the Print of his Nails Fifthly The Gospel hath Releasing Provisions to free thee if a spiritual Captive and break thy Chains off When the Gospel maketh a Feast it lets us out of Prison Mat. 26.51
the Feast is a Feast of Holiness and it will surely hinder our Complyance if we are resolv'd to touch the Vnclean thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Tho' Grace should abound that is the offer of it to us yet it will work out nothing if it doth not work us off from sin Rom. 1.26 It must take ofâ— our vile Affections as the Apostle calls them that we do not hate the good and love the evil it must eat off the Chain we bind our selves in for this continuance in Love to sin must be broken off before we yield to any New Complyance We shall never stir towards a Saviour so long as we stand in any Evil Thing If Iniquities prevail Psa 65.3 the Invitation worketh no Perswasion or Success upon us All Things in this Great Supper will be too weak to perswade if there be but one Beloved Lust prevails You must not defile you must not foul your Hands with sin and your Fingers with Iniquity when you come to eat Bread in the Kingdom of God but wash ye make ye clean Isa 1.16 and touch not the Unclean Thing 2 Cor. 6.17 Wherefore come out from among them that is from Unrighteousness from Darkness v. 14. and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the Vnclean Thing and I will receive you (y) Egressâ—â— in Scripturâ animo non modò corpori tribuitur Camer Myroth p. 355 Be ye separate i. e. Remove be gone be not contented to lye still in sin change your Doings and Behaviour tho' you don't change your Dwelling come off in your Affections and Conversations from the Pollutions that have cleaved to you 2 Cor. 7.1 Cleanse your selves from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit or you will never accept of the Invitation that calls you to such a cleanly Feast Tho' Wisdom cryeth without Prov. 1.20 she will not help you 'till she is suffered to break off the League which you have made with Folly You must come from Sin for it is unto Death Rom. 6.23 The Wages of Sin is Death or you will not come to this Feast to take of the Bread of Life in it You must get off the Broad wan that leadeth to destruction Mat. 7.13 before you can advance aright or come on to the Gate that 's strait and the narrow way to Heaven 2. Satan is another Terminus a Quo or Term we must likewise come from Natural Men are apt to imagine that the Devil and They are far enough asunder his Name perhaps affrights them tho's they can bear his Nature on them And therefore if we comply with the Invitation of Gospel Grace we must Return where we have turned aside after Satan This may be opened in three Things 1. Sinners must come out of the Devil's Family The Devil is expresly called the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father of Wicked Men Joh. 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do Of your Father and therefore of your Father's House His Lusts ye will do His Children obey him tho' they can never obey this Parent in the Lord. Eph. 6.1 You must Dis-obey 1 Pet. 1.14 fly from Him if you would be found the True obedient Children You can never be the Children of God if you remain the Children of the Evil one Again you must change your Family and get off from your old Lord before you you can serve a New Master for you are but one and can never serve Two Mat. 6.24 tho' Satan be a Prince Eph. 2.2 yet you must not confent to let him lord it over you Tho' he be Lucifer Son of the Morning Isa 14.12 yet he is fallen from Heaven and if you obey him you fall down and worship Hell Tho' he be the God of this World 2 Cor. 4.4 yet it is Treason against the King of Kings to consent as They unto the Bramble Judg. 9.14 come Thou and reign over us He is called the Prince of the Power of the Air. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Word is the Authority not the Intrinsick Power And his very Authority too is wholly Precarious and dependent and what he exerciseth in the Air as the Seat of his Empire and Dominion is no otherwise than by Delegation Eph. 2.2 so that tho' he be the Power of the Air you must resist the Powers of Hell or you resist the Ordinance of God Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil rebel against the Tyrant tho' you have been born and trained in his Court. In a word you can never become the Friends of God ch 2.23 so long as you are related to this Enemy of God that owns you You must come out of Satan's Family 2. Sinners must come off from the Devil's Work When they leave his House they must leave his Service both within and out of Doors too Alas Men are nothing but Abominable Strange Flesh so long as thâ—y are acted by this Spirit It matters nothing how they are swept and garnished tho' their Houses be hung with a Profession and they stick their Windows with the Boughs so long as the Vnclean Spirit dwells within Eph. 2.2 lat pt He is the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience that worketh in or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Inward Worker He doth not only stand by and look over the Children of Disbbedience but he works himself in them i. e. saith (z) James Ferguson in loc one by way of Inspiration and a kind of Breathing The Devil blows up Men to Wickedness their minds swell while that cruel Task-master enters in and they are filled with the Devil He suffers none of his Slaves to rest idle among the many Millions he employs in his Service every Day He worketh at the Trade of Hell and will make all his Servants help him He cuts out work continually and all Natural Men who remain under his Power he keeps close as a hard Master to it Now Sinners must be brought to leave these Works of the Devil Joh. 9.4 before they can work the works of God You must put nothing in Satan's Hands when you present your selves unto the Lord. You must throw off his Drudgery if you would be doing the Holy Will of God You must not make your Bricks in Egypt if you go to be built up for an Habitation unto God in Canaan You must be willing to be freed from His Slavery before you are Free for Christ's Service and shake off his Yoke of Iron before you can take the Yoke of Christ on Prov. 1.9 as an Ornament of Grace or a Chain of Gold about your Neck 3. Sinners must come off from all his Flattering Adurements let him promise what Reward he will We shall be ty'd by the Heels tho' we think to come to Christ 2
For instance the Grace of this Blessed Invitation should make us Gracious under it The Freeness of this call should make us ready of our own accord and not find or rather not leave us like those that are drag'd by others to every good word and work The Soveraignty of the call should dissolve our Stone and bring it unto Christ in Dust and Ashes The clearness of the Invitation should leave no dispute about it The Authority of the Call should meet with no Denial The openness of the Thing should make us less asham'd of Christ we should have more Boldness in our Profession when we are bid with such a Publick Invitation We need not be Timerous or Afraid of what we go about to come either by Night with a Nicodemus or by Day that no Eye should see us The Largeness of the Invitation should take hold of us The Earnestness of the offer requires us we do not trifle with it The Solemnity of the Call enjoins us not to Jest with it The Sincerity of it requires that we do not hear a little and pray a little and then go away and sin much for it In one word the Seasonableness of the Gospel-call requires us while it is yet Day to come If God calls us in the Day of Prosperity we should not stay till the Day of Adversity to consider it If in the Day of Health Peace Strength or Liberty we must not delay till Sickness Calamity Weakness and Restraint If in the Days of our Youth he makes the Invitation we must remember our Creator before the Evil Days come Eccl. 12.1 If he calls us in the Day of Life we must not loiter 'till the Night of Death To conclude whenever he calls us in the Day of Grace while the Spirit breaths and blows upon us we must come least we Quench the Spirit and provoke him to blow out our Light that the Things of our Peace shall be ever hid from us Doct. That the Gospel is a Feast or a Supper in which all its Provisions are Now ready In the handling of this Proposition there will be only these Three Things to do 1. To Open 2. To Prove and 3. To Apply it The First Thing will be to Open it I. and unfold this Present Readiness coucht under the word Now. There is a Twofold Readiness in the Marriage Supper of the Gospel the one is Absolute in the Provider as all its Provisions are now got I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17.4 lat pt This hath been largely discours'd already The other is a Respective Readiness being a reference unto Men as these Provisions are now ready to be had It is the latter kind of Gospel-Readiness which I must here speak of This may be opened under a Threefold Regard 1. To Place 2. To Time And 3. Opportunity 1. The Supper of the Gospel is now ready for the Place where the Gospel comes In every Nation Town Family where an Evangelical Message arrives God's Heralds may proclaim the Supper now ready Isa 65.1 I said behold me to a Nation that was not called my Name It is now ready for this Quarter of the World for these Nations for our own Native Countrey for the Inbitants of this Isle Isa 20.6 for the Town in which we are or the obscure Villages to which any of us may belong Act. 10.35 In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted with him i. e. It doth not suppose there can be any Acceptable Fear of God or Works of Righteousness in any Nation where the Gospel was never Preacht for these must be the Fruits and Effects of the Gospel it self but the meaning is in every Nation where the Gospel comes and produceth this Fear and these works of Righteousness not finds them antecedently there the Gospel is now ready to instate them with all true Happiness in God's Acceptation The Supper is now ready for any Place whither the King sends forth a Message thô it be in the Hedges and the High-ways Luk. 14 23 where poor Sinners are cast out into the open Field Ezek. 16.5 2. The Supper of the Gospel is now ready for the Age or Particular Time of the World in which the Gospel comes It is Preached unto the Generation that now is and therefore ready for them that are now upon the Stage and do hear it from the House tops Luk. 12.3 or from the Pulpit-Top in our Gospel-Day The Generation that is come up and stands over the Graves of their Ancestors are acquainted with the Voice of Preaching and many Thousands in the World do now live when God doth this Behold Num. 24.23 the Mysteries of the Gospel are by Preaching now made known Dark Ages of Popery and the Brightest Ages of Judaism saw not what we see The Light shined thro' a Vail to the Church of old and as for our Pagan Ancestors their Lot was cast in such a Midnight-Darkness that neither Sun Act. 27.20 nor Moon nor Stars nor any Light appeared But in our Age the People that sate in darkness have seen great Light Math. 4.16 There were in the Apostle's Days as he takes Notice Eph. 2.7 The Ages to come that God would look after that he might shew them the Exceeding Riches of his Grace in his Kindness towards us through Christ Jesus Ages to come (p) Chrysostomus Anbrosius Hieronymus ea ad futurum seculum referunt Bodius in loc The Ancients do interpret these Ages of which the Apostle speaketh of that Eternity of Ages in the Future State which is to follow after the Dissolution of the World but others reser the Scope of the Apostle's meaning unto the after-ages of this World Dr. Goodwyn thinks (q) Dr. Goodwyn's Works Vol. 2. pt 2d see him from p. 236. to p 248. the Apostle had both Senses in his Eye and therefore professeth the Reasons for both being so cogent that if one Stream of these Interpretations should be exclusive of the other he should hardly know which to prefer However it be it doth not exclude a shewing forth the Riches of his Grace to us that live so many Ages since the Apostle's Days for We now thro' Mercy do find our own thô otherwise miserable enough to be one of those happy Golden Ages Our Gospel now tho' Hid to them that are lost is the Revelation of the Mystery 2 Cor. 4.3 which was kept secret since the World began but now is made manifest Rom. 16.25 26. The Apostle also speaks of it to the same purpose elsewhere Col. 1.26 Even the Mystery which bath been hid from Ages and from Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints Alas how many Ages before Christ were filled up with Generations of Men from whom the Mystery in Christ was hid (r) Dr. Burthogg Causa Dei p. 195. All the Light before Christ was but Moon or Star-light designed only for