God to fall upon them while it is yet in their mouths like those Israelites while chewing Dainties in their Teeth that provok't the Founder of the Feast Psa 78.30 31. who slew the fattest of them 3. Delightful to every renewed Palate 3 Property Christ to a Believer hath no ill Taste with him Christ thô considered in his lowest Estate of Humiliation in the Grave where others have lookt upon him as a Carcase yieldeth meat unto our Faith in a Pleasant Vessel Rev. 5.5 We may say of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah Judg. 14.5 as Samson did of that young Lion that roared against him by the Vineyards of Timnath * v. 14. Out of the Eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness It seems to be represented well by the Israelitish Manna in the Pleasantness of its Tast which relisht according to what every Man liked best as Augustine hath Noted out of the Rabbins tho' * Fuller's Pisgah-sight 2d pt p. 53. others conjecture that Rabbinical Tradition fabulous However as to the Celestial Mannah or Bread that came down from Heaven we may cite the Experience of every Christian that hath tasted the Lord is good Psal 34.8 to evince its Delicacy to the Palate who will agree not only to say an Equality unto any thing they like but to witness a Transoendency herein above all Creature-sweetness There is nothing bitter in this Evangelical Entertainment but the People of God in all can experience that he hath given them Pleasant things for Meat Lam. 1.11 I sat under his shadow saith the Church and his Fruit was sweet unto my taste Song 2.3 The Food of Heaven is not first sweet in the Mouth Rev. 10.10 and then like the Book in the Revelation as soon as 't is eaten the Belly is bitter But as 't is sweet in the Mouth it retains the Property and becomes sweet in the Stomach also It is Cordial in the Act and Comfortable in the Remembrance too for it is the Morsel only of the Sinner when he eats the Fruit of his own Doings Isa 3.10 that breeds so ill a Digestion as when he hath eaten Job 20.20 surely he shall not feel quietness in his Belly 4. Sufficing 4 Property This Feast is enough for Ministers and enough for People too Jer. 31.14 I will satiate the Soul of the Priests with Fatness and my People shall be satisfied with my Goodness saith the Lord So Psal 132.15 I will abundantly bless her Provision I will satisfie her Poor with Bread Zion's Poor in Spirit shall have Bread enough for an Alms at the Door of God's House Yea Christ will have them come in and sit down at his Table Prov. 7.18 and take their fill of Love 5. Not Surfeiting or Cloying 5 Property There is no Intemperance in the Gospel when we feed in the highest Degree upon it In other Feasts the Guests can take but Part and in that may take too much but in the Gospel if we do not take of all we shall take and have too little Literal Provisions will surfeit we may nauseate and thro' an Excess bring them up again Hast thou found Honey says the Wife-man eat so much as is sufficient for thee Prov. 25.16 but v. 27. intimating an Excess he addeth It is not good to eat much Honey the end of the foregoing sixteenth Verse is a Reason lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it There may be an overcharging * The Throat is a slippery place and a sin may get down e're you are aware Dr. Manton on Jude p. 414. Luk. 21.34 Psal 69.22 Jude v. 4. with surfeiting and drunkenness at our own Tables while our Table may become a snare unto us but we can never surfeit upon Spiritual Provisions 'till our Corruption turns our Stomach and we turn the Grace of God into Wantonness A Holy Guest tho' he be filled with the Wine of the Gospel is filled at a Feast in which is No Excess Other Wine will intoxicate Eph. 5.18 but the Wine of the Spirit which possesseth our Heart will never hurt the Brain Luk. 13.26 The more we have eaten and drank in his Presence who hath prepared our Table Psal 23.5 the more ready we may find our selves to go about our Father's Business Luk. 2.49 contrary to the effect of other Tables which indispose both the Body and the Mind when the Belly is fill'd with Meats In a word we need not at this Feast of the Parable fear Intemperance as Daniel did Dan. 1.8 when he took care lest he should be defiled with the Portion of the Kings Meat and of the Wine which the King drank 6. Vndiminishable 6 Property Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Heb. 13.8 He hath Provision of which one Guest hath not the less because another Guest hath more This great Stock in the Gospel never wastes 1 Kings 17.14 no more than the Widdow's Barrel of Meal or her Cruise of Oyl after Elijah eat thereof v. 13. If we eat and drink never so long of God's Provision he never needs to buy in any new Store Ordinary Food will diminish but in Extraordinary we leave as full a Table as we find Tho' Guests increase the Diet still keeps the same When Christ feedeth the Multitude of the Gospel he worketh a greater Miracle than when he fed the multitudes in it because in the Gospel we read only of Fragments taken up Luk. 9.17 but of the Gospel it self when Men have eaten sufficiently Joh. 2.10 or well drunk the Feast remains This Box of Oyntment is broken and yet 't is always whole 7. Incorruptible 7 Property It is not like the Victuals of the Gibeonites that had all the Bread of their Provisions dry and mouldy Josh 9.5 It is unperishable and this Mannah will not melt and consume away Exod. 16.21 as other Mannah did The Bread that God gave the Israelites in the Wilderness forty Years v. 35. would not preserve from Putrefaction but when over-kept like the rest of common Provision bred worms and stank Exod. 16.20 And tho' some of it was put into a Pot Exod. 16.33 as the Lord commanded Moses v. 34. ibid. and laid up before the Lord in the Ark of the Testimony to be kept as a Memorial throughout their Generations v. 33. that the Children which should be born might see wherewith God had Nourisht their Fathers in the Wilderness v. 32. yet it was preserved thus from after-putrefaction for so many Ages by a special Miracle attending it and not from the inherent Qualification of the Food it self Psal 39.5 Joh. 6.27 and therefore in its best Estate we may reckon it the Meat that perisheth especially considering that even this Pot of Mannah now ceaseth as well as the whole Jewish State But the Gospel
a Heavenly Nectar is this Cup of Consolation you may drink it at Ordinances in the Golden Vessels of the Temple Dan. 5.2 Esth 5.6 where there needs at this Banquet of wine to be no * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inspectores vini Weemse Christian Synagogue pag. 209. Inspectours or Overseers set to mind you least you prove Spiritual wine-bibbers at these Vessels filled up to the Brim no †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godwins Hebrew-Rites pag. 45. Song 5 1. Eyes of the Feast to see you do not drink too much as is reported to have been customary at the Oriental Feasts among the Jews and Persians But you may drink abundantly of the Love of Christ and yet not be drunk with Wine This Cup of Consolation is most excellently represented in the Cup of Blessing 1 Cor. 10.16 Mat. 26.27 where at the Communion of the Blood of Christ he saith unto his Friends Drink ye all of it Lo Prov. 23.31 1 Cor. 11 26. there it is seen how it giveth its colour in the Cup and moveth it self aright by shewing forth the Lord's Death until he come even a second time to Judgment The Gospel is like those water-pots that stood in Cana at the Marriage-Feast Joh. 2.7.9 they yielded water at the beginning but afforded wine unto the Guests before they rose up So as Christ was represented first by water his Love is now shed abroad like VVine Oh! Blessed is the Benjamin in whose Sack this Silver Cup is found Gen. 44.12 These Consolations of our God abound Psa 23.5 my Cup runneth over Oh! the Depth of these Streams of Love when we swim in the Rivers of his Pleasure how incomparable is the Wine of the Kingdom Dent. 32.14 beyond any other Blood of the Grape 23. The continual Diet of Perseverance 'T is said of Jehoiachim that he was so provided for by the King of Babylon that he did continually eat Bread before him all the Days of his Life and for his Diet there was a continual Diet given him of the King of Babylon every Day a Portion untill the Day of his Death all the Days of his Life Dan. 1.5 Jer. 52.33 34. So in the Gospel there is a Daily Provision of the King's meat Grace to feed thee every Day for new work fresh He will persevere to relieve thee on thy way that thou mayst persevere to come thy Journeys-End home He will continue thy Meat because he will not have thee to break thy Work off before thou hast made a Full end of it He will feed thee because Grace will finish what Grace hath once begun He that hath begun a good work in you shall also confirm you unto the end Phil. 1.6 1 Cor. 1.8 Thou shalt not be kept upon the Corn of Heaven for one Day only or ten Dayes or Twenty Days Num. â—â— 19 or a whole Month as they did eat of the Quails in the Israelitish Camp but thou shalt have Grace to stablish strengthen settle thee to thy Live's end and keep thee on thro' Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 5.10 1 Pet. 1.5 24. Lastly Rev. 2.7 The Fruit of the Tree of Life Fruit is wont at Entertainments to be last served in and so I place it last for Glory which is the Fruit of the Tree of Life shall begin where Grace here ends There may be indeed some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 19.9 some Foretasts of the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb and it is enough for an Israelite so long as in the Body Num. 13.23 to have a Cluster or some few at most from the Edge of Canaan he must be caught up into Paradise before he can gather the Full Vintage 2 Cor. 12.4 he must take possession of that better Countrey before he can eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Rev. 2.7 It is fit my Brethren that both you and I should be now content with Grace tho' I have been enabled to lay before you the Meat and Drink which will enable us to do the Will of God Joh. 4.34 yet I cannot climb the Tree of Life for you Rev. 3.12 Rev. 22.2 to bring down out of the New Jerusalem any one of those Twelve manner of Fruits which grow in Plenty upon this Tree of Life above It will be the work of Eternity when our Days are as the Days of Heaven Psa 89.29 to behold these Precious Things that are put forth by the Sun Deut. 33.14 Mal. 4.2 1 Cor. 2.9 the Sun of Righteousness in Heaven for Eye hath not seen them here save the Eye of Faith only And therefore so much may suffice us at the Threshold of our Father's House Joh. 7.37 on this Great Day of the Feast The Fifth General Thing propounded was to shew what Excellent Properties there are in the Provisions of this Great Supper 1. Transforming 1 Property There is a marvellous Efficacy put into these Provisions that begets a Divine Likeness Ye shall be like God not in that bad lying sence the Devil intended it when he deceived our first Parents with a Deceitful Godlikeness Gen. 3.5 Ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil whenas it only transformed them and their Posterity into the Black and Filthy Image of the Devil We are by Nature Partners with that which entred into the VVorld Rom. 5.12 and defileth but by Grace are made Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 When it is said of the Poor they have the Gospel preached to them Mat. 11.5 last words the Original expresseth it in the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Passive are Gospellized transformed into the Image of the Truths they hear made other sort of Creatures Thus the Provisions of the Gospel Feast have an efficacious converting influence thrô the Operations of the Holy Ghost that by our Participation 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed into the same Image of God we see 2. VVholsom Other Diet 2 Property if we eat it we may prove the worse after in killing hunger it may create Diseases but this is for your health Acts 27.34 The Gospel is wholsom in every part of it The Guests at this Entertainment may safely feed of any Dish that God hath set before them Psa 68.21 Indeed wicked men that are resolv'd to go on still in their Trespasses may cry out like those Sons of the Prophets 2 Kings 4.40 Oh thou man of God! there is Death in the pot But if God throws in Meal or mixeth his Loving Kindness and mercies with it let others throw in their Lap full of wild Gourds there is still no harm in the Pot. 2 Kings 4.39 40. Every Guest may adventure safely it is Food that will need no Physick unless we abuse our Morsel and play the wanton with it It is wholsom and never hurts any but such as provoke the wrath of
Reas 5 and therefore nothing less than All Things would serve us A Poor Soul that doth find it self to be in Temptations it may be more abundant in difficulties above measure 2 Cor. 11.23 in Afflictions more frequent in Deaths oft and tho' long brought up under the means of Grace yet perhaps that Soul is still ready to cry out I was almost in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and Assembly to allude to Prov. 5.14 tho' I have lived under Means yet still I need Mercy Now what would have prevailed to have done such a Soul good if all Grace had not abounded towards us You have seen before what a multitude of Cases meet some in one some in another many or them uniting and centring in the same Person Now God hath provided All Things that in our very dividing of the VVord 2 Tim. 2.15 we might have enough to give to every one a proper Portion and you might all find some In many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 and we had need of all Rom. 5.18 that Judgment might not pass upon all unto Condemnation We fell into all sorts of Misery and we had need of all sorts of Mercy 6. It is to procure all Happiness in God's Favour here Reas 6 and his Full Presence hereafter and therefore he provides all things accordingly To invest us in the Possession of all Good it was necessary there should be the Provision of all Good Things The Means must be correspondent to the End All Men indeed are not saved but yet the Gospel is as the Apostle said he became All Things 1 Cor. 9.22 that it might by all means save some As the Apostle tries to pull this way and that way and the other Zech. 3.2 if he might pluck a Brand out of the Fire and save it any ways from burning so the Gospel comes in with this and that and the other Provision even All Things ready if it might but with any of them save us Nothing must be excepted in the means if we attain the End of our Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 There must not be one Link of the Chain drop if we are drawn to Heaven There must be Election to Grace or there can be no Effectual Calling no Adoption no Justification no Sanctification no Perseverance in Grace I mean the State of it and there must be all these or no Glorification after So that All Things must be provided to begin our Happiness in God's Favour here and to perfect it in his full Presence hereafter The Gospel is to advance us and therefore the All Things are the many steps to it You can never ascend from the Bottom to the Top of Jacob's Ladder Gen. 28.12 if you do not pass thro' many Rounds between 7. God hath been always providing Reas 7 providing before Time providing in Time providing early providing late even to this moment and therefore in the issue we must needs have rich Pasture Prov. 4.7 It is impossible but with all his Gettings he should have got in all Things for us The Gospel-Blessings he hath brought to your Ears tho' of yesterday in the report are the result of his Counsels that were of old Job 8.9 Isa 25.1 The Ancient of Days was not idle Dan. 7.9 Job 38.4 before the Foundations of the world were laid but was employ'd in accomplishing our Happiness Heb. 3.4 after he had built all Things in time It was before the Sons of the Morning shouted Job 38.7 that he was making Supper ready Before the very VVorlds were frramed by the VVord of God Heb. 11.3 his Grace was a laying in of all Things in order The Apostle takes great Notice of the Antiquity and Eldership of Divine Grace Eph. 1.4 and carries up the Date of it into an Eternity a parte ante before the Foundations of the World Nature is young but Grace is the First-born of Heaven The great God was cutting out this work in Eternity which we see in Time made up into such a Coat of divers colours Gen. 37.3 It was an Eternal Purpose and therefore such full and various Preparations according to the Eternal Purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord Eph. 3.11 It is a Feast so large because so long a getting Reas 7 They are all Things that God's People may have enough without meddling with any Things forbidden Luk. 6.38 It is measure running over without a Grain from the Devil's Heap We have a Full Table from God that we might not Covet of any Dish he hates Gen. 2.16.17 of every Tree of the Garden thou mayst freely eat but of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it * Mr. Cooper Morn Exer. at Giles's in the Fields p. 84. He grants him a vast Latitude to eat of all freely that he need not be straitned to eat of that one Tree excepted So in the Gospel it is all lovely Grace that you might not cry after one Beloved Lust All the Milk and Honey Num. 13.27 the Spice and Balm the Fruits and Clusters that grow in Canaan v. 24. that your Mouths may never water after the Leeks Num. 11.5 and Garlick and stinking Onions the Diet of the old Man in Egypt He offers the Fatness of the Olive Rom. 11.17 that having tasted it we may never relish the Fruits of the wild Tree agen You shall have Bread enough and to spare Luk. 15.17 that you may not whine for Husks or cry out for the Trough to be fed among Swine You shall be provided with Grace and Glory Psal 84.11 Things here and Things in Heaven that you might not take up with or be delighted in things viler than the Earth 9. It is that all Men's mouths may be stopt Reas 9 Oh! it is a Silencing Argument that makes God's own People Dumb without a reply when he comes to reckon up his Mercies and their foul Miscarriages See it in David 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. where God is reproving David by his Servant Nathan the Prophet for that scandalous Trespass after he had gone in to Bathsheba Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the Hand of Saul and I gave thee thy Master's House and thy Master's Wives into thy Bosom and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such Things wherefore hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do evil in his sight c. Now here David's mouth was stopt the Provision that God made in so many things silenc'd him He could not plead after God had graciously conferr'd so much upon him for the killing of Vriah the snatching away of Bathsheba and when God had given him the whole Flock of Israel to usurp and dress of the Poor Man's Ewe
lighting up his (z) Dr. Lightfoot's Works Harmony of the New Testament Fol. vol. 1. p. 18. Sabbath-candle that we may now see to end Supper by a little Light he lends us before he turns all into the shadow of Death and make it gross Darknesi Jer. 13.16 We must by all means keep this Feast as the Apostle said of his keeping the Passeover in Jerusalem Acts 18.21 and we can never keep it but in this our Day while the Offers and Provision of the Gospel are now tendred to us A Feast that is now ready may be quickly dispos'd of out of our Reach Mal. 4.2 The Sun of Righteousness hath not stood still throughout all our Day of Grace no more than that other Sun in the Firmament is used to stay and lengthen out the common Days of Nature tho' yet we read upon Two extraordinary occasions of a miraculous prolonging the Day between the rising of the Sun and the going down of the same One instance is Psal 50.1.113.3 Josh 10.13 when the Sun stood still in the days of Joshua and the other is Isa 38.8 when the Sun returned ten Degrees backward upon the Dial of Ahaz by which Degrees it had gone down in the days of Hezekiah But the day of Grace like our stated common days is wearing off continually that nothing can slacken the motions of it or bring it one Degree backwards to keep it a moment longer from the Period to which it hastens The Day of Grace wastes tho' the offers of Grace abound And as the day of Salvation spends so it lays a greater necessity and duty on us to look after the work of Salvation before the offers of the Thing come to a perpetual End Psal 9.6 He that is now present to entertain us is not afar off to judge us if we refuse to be fed before our Supper 's over for behold the Judge standeth before the door Jam. 5.9 latter part He is ready to step in and examine it whether we have Grace and eaten of the Bread of God or no. Consider the Table shall not be always furnisht or the Cloth continue after Supper for any succeeding Entertainment to treat one Sinner here God hath set the Provisions of Grace forth that to day we might come and take our Fill of Love Prov. 7.18 but if we will not obey while the Lord shall command his Loving Kindness Psal 42.8 in the Remnant of the Day-time in the Evening-Time for us he will not offer us Kindness a Moment beyond the Limits of the day he sets us If there be not an Improvement of this present passing Season there will be no prolonging it to endure beyond our Supper-Time Time must be observ'd and will not wait on us and the Dews of Grace are like the Showers upon the Grass that tarry not for Man nor waiteth for the Sons of Men Mic. 5.7 That is it is their inseparable Property to attend the Appointments of God and not our own Pleasure And these Dews are sliding off in the very Moments while they are distilling from Heaven on us they are flying from us faster than it may be they are now filling of us We may say of the Good Day of our Entertainment as the Prophet doth of the Great Day of the Lord Zeph. 1.14 It is near even the end of it is near and hasteth greatly Much of your Day is spent already and under every Offer and Sermon of the Grace of God you have still less of your day to come Alas it slides so fast and hath been sliding off so long that you have but a little while more to partake of Grace in and tho' you may yet see to eat while the shadows of the Evening are stretched out yet Jer. 6.4 as to your own Being in this World God will not after so long a Summer's Day light up a Candle in the Grave Nemo finitis nundinis exercet mercaturam to lengthen out your opportunity when Day light 's shut in 2. What if it should be now the Last Day of the Feast as it was when Jesus stood and cryed The Feast of Tabernacles among the Jews did not expire sooner nor endure longer than the space of Seven Days according to the Commandment Lev. 23.24 And on this last Day of the Feast Jesus stood and cryed saying If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink John 7.37 i. e. If any Man wants special Rich Grace to supply all his need if he desires to be entertain'd with Righteousness Counsel Pardon Strength Comfort or the like let him come in quickly now and I will bestow it at the shuting up of House in the close of the Feast before the Guests are risen It is the last opportunity This is a Day of Entertainment but no Feast to Morrow So under the Gospel we are yet within the Compass of a Spiritual Feasting-Time but we have no Assurance how long Psal 74.9 Our Festival may expire with this Sabbath and this Sermon prove our last Meal God can say to a Graceless Sinner that loyters away his Season as he did to the Rich Man that laid up Earthly Substance Thou Fool this Night thy Soul shall be required of thee Luke 12.20 Your Great Possessions would be a very unprofitable heap of Lumber Mat. 19.22 and all your Barns or Bags full of Encrease a hoard of poor Stuff if your Souls be empty and you are sent Supperless to Bed at the close of the Gospel-Entertainment Lay it Sinner unto thine Heart what if God should now shut up his Tender Mercies Psal 77.9 and in wrath open his Mouth against thee Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to Morrow Dan. 5.30 lest with Belshazzer thou be slain that night or with a King of Israel in the Morning be utterly cut off Hos 10.15 3. If it were now already with thee after Supper in that Black Night in Hell the offers of this Grace would be never tendred more Now you may drink Song 5.1 and drink abundantly at the Feast but not a drop of this Living Water will be then obtained to cool your Tongue See Luke 16.23 24. In Hell he lift up his Eyes being in Torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his Bosom and he cryed and said Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I am tormented in this Flame Father Abraham have mercy on me but in Hell if Grace doth not prevent our coming thither Abraham will be ignorant of us Isa 63.16 and Israel acknowledge us not There is not one Drop or little Crumb of Mercy to be had when the Furniture of the Gospel-Table Table is over There is neither Provision nor so much as a Candle to Sup by in outer Darkness And besides all this there is a Great Gulf fixed Luke 16.26 A Gulf i. e.