Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	flesh_n	meat_n	9,640	5	9.2298	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10010	The saints qualification: or A treatise I. Of humiliation, in tenne sermons. II. Of sanctification, in nine sermons whereunto is added a treatise of communion with Christ in the sacrament, in three sermons. Preached, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1633 (1633)	STC 20262; ESTC S115180	353,805	720

you shall want that beauty which God only accepts Againe if you be out of Christ you shall be hungry you shall be wretched and miserable for I pitch on that generall one because that is one of the outward miseries when a man is hungry when he is starved when he wants that which should strengthen him and refresh him and maintaine his life This is the case of every man out of Christ he wants that which should feed him that which should strengthen him for you must know that the soule hath a meat as well as the body otherwise why doth Christ say I have a meat to eat that you know not of They wondred to see him neglect his dinner when hee stood talking with the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. Why saith he I have another meat to eat And why doth David say Thy Law is sweeter to mee than the honey if there were not somewhat that his soule did feed on And so why is it said that Manna was Angels food You know Manna was a materiall thing such as a spirituall substance cannot feed on but because by that Manna Christ was represented You know he is said to be the true Manna The true Bread that came down from heaven the Angels they feed on this and in that respect it is called Angels food they feed on the same spirituall meat 1 Cor. 10. Your Fathers did eat that spirituall meat that is the corporall meat did typifie the spiritual meat which is Angels food therefore there is a food th●t the soule feeds on out of Christ there is none of this but your soules are starved are miserable and wretched For what is it that food doth It maintains life in a man take away food and you die for it Now it is Christ that gives that His flesh is meat indeed and his bloud is drinke indeed that is Whosoever beleeves not in him whosoever partakes not of him he dies for ever Againe meat strengthneth and so doth the Lord when we come to him he gives spirituall strength Without him we are able to doe nothing As you have it Ioh. 15. Without me you are able to bring forth no fruit But as the Apostle speakes Phil. 4. Through Christ I am able to do every thing It is the Lord that giveth strength If you will come in you shall have strength given you which is the property of meat Againe meat refresheth and revives the spirits so doth the Lord by his graces by the joy of the Holy Ghost by peace of conscience by those things that he puts into the heart of every beleever I say they refresh the soule more than flaggons of wine and there is as evident refreshing and therefore you know that metaphor is used often in Esay 26. I will make a feast of fined wines and of fat things And in Mat. 22. he cals them to come in for his fatlings were prepared and all things were ready What is the reason that the Lord resembleth spirituall things by a Feast because they doe the same things as a Feast doth a Feast is a refreshing to a man a continuall feast is a continuall comfort and this you shall have if you will come in to the Lord if you will not come in you shall be starved you shall be wretched and miserable This you shall have by the Lord Iesus Let this move you to come in But now a man will be ready to object you tell us of these things and indeed these are goodly things if they were present if they were reall if they were not Imaginary things onely that consisted in notion and in speculation if they were things that were sensible but they are not so these things are future things they are remote things they are things but in Imagination they are things that we have no feeling of they are things that if we looke after them we shall lose other things in this life This objection all the world makes against such motives as these and therefore I will answer these briefly and proceed First whereas men say they are things that are farre off and indeed such things move not much I say they are already present they are a great part present we have the first fruits present though the harvest be deferred and wee may boldly say to you that those very gleanings for the present are beyond the vintage that the children of this world enjoy the peace of conscience the joy of the Spirit boldnesse in death security and freedome from all deaths and dangers familiarity and acquaintance with God to enjoy his favour with all that hee can doe the grace the prevent us the blessing that followes us in all our actions the comforts of the Saints whose hearts are made glad with the light of Gods countenance these things I say are beyond the wine and oile beyond the dainties and honours which they have who have their portion in this life therefore you have something for the present indeed the outside of these things are but base but the inside is precious This is the difference betweene heavenly things and earthly in heavenly the worst is first the best is last In outward things it is true the beginning is sweet but the latter end is bitterest but let that be one answer to it that you have much of it for the present And besides this remember though you have it not present yet you shall have it after and what great matter is it to want a little to enjoy more for the future Are we not content to buy great reversions with the losse of a little money for the present for we say it will come in Are we not content to endure an Apprentiship of seven or eight yeares for our greater advantage Doe not men willingly serve a Master or a Mistresse a long time for hopes hereafter Now what folly yea what Atheisme and unbeliefe is it for a man in things that concerne salvation not to be content to want a little for the present to enjoy happinesse for ever If a man should be put to his choise whether he would have five shillings to day or many thousands to morrow a man no question would have it to morrow You know this life is not so much to eternitie as to day is to the next day why should we not be content to want a little that we may have the more afterwards And besides if you consider what men are men are reasonable and to what end is reason given you but to looke on things past and future That is the part of a Beast only to look on present things you should doe more than the Beasts doe you should looke to things that are future and should order your lives according to that And what have you faith for For faith is that which distinguisheth a Christian from another man as reason distinguisheth a man from a beast surely this should teach you to goe beyond reason reason teacheth you to goe

the Papists out of the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohn where Christ speakes so much of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which say they must needs be understood of a corporall manducation of eating his body and drinking his bloud in the Sacrament we will speake one word of this First that this cannot be the meaning of that clause is evident because the Supper of the Lord was not then instituted and therefore it could not be he should have relation to that because Christ spake to those that might understand him the words were intelligible at the least Now it was impossible that those that heard him should understand him of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper because it was a thing that was not and if they say that was their dulnesse I answer it is not dulnesse not to conceive that which simply could not be knowne This that had no being could not be knowne and therefore this is certaine he had not relation to that Besides that if you marke the course of the words you shall finde he saith there that rather the flesh is turned into bread than the bread to flesh saith he I am the true bread that came downe from heaven he repeats that often in the Chapter vers 51. I am the living bread and my flesh is bread and I give life to the world So that you shall finde more reason if you reade that Chapter why the flesh should be turned to bread than the bread into flesh But besides that the eating of Christs flesh and the drinking of his bloud is alwayes taken in a good sense and it is alwayes peculiar to the Saints And therefore verse 53 54. you shall finde both expressed Except a man eat his flesh and drinke his bloud he hath no life in him Againe Whosoever without exception eats his flesh and drinkes his bloud he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him up at the last day So if you take the words generally as Christ expresseth them and so they must needs be understood Then it is impossible that his flesh should be eaten in the Sacrament and his bloud drunke because many that should eat his flesh there in a corporall manner shall not be saved which you know themselves grant Besides there are many that never eat his flesh nor drinke his bloud in the Sacrament that are saved and have life in them as you know the Theefe on the Crosse went immediately to Paradice though he never eat the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament nor dranke his bloud All the Patriarkes before Christ Did not they drinke the same spirituall drinke did they not eat the same spirituall meat as we doe but they never eat it in the Sacrament Mary Magdalene when she had never tasted of the Sacrament saith CHRIST Goe thy way thy sinnes are forgiven thee What need I give you instances of children that die It is the opinion of the Councell of Trent they set it downe in plaine termes That children that are baptized though they eat not the Sacrament and drinke of the bloud of Christ and eat his flesh are saved And therefore Christs owne words must be meant in this sense and cannot be understood of a corporall eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud But because those words Vnlesse yee eat my flesh and drinke my bloud yee cannot have life are a place which the Papists doe much urge as if it were impossible to be answered and appeale herein to the Fathers We will shew you briefly that it was so interpreted by the Fathers that lived neare the Apostles times as by us now before there were any Popish Doctors to corrupt the Glosse as Origen that was very ancient upon the fifth of Matthew saith this That if it could be that he that remaines an ill man could eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud then it could never be said Iohn 6. Whosoever eats my flesh and drinkes my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Againe also Augustine in his 26. Tract upon the Gospell of Saint Iohn saith this Whosoever is not a member of Christ he eats not his flesh he drinkes not his bloud though visibly and corporally hee crush with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. Marke the words The Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ But it is vaine for me to insist upon the particular saying of Augustine because those that are acquainted with his sayings if they deale ingenuously they know they are every where scattered that he is very cleare and evident But I will name one that is exceeding perspicuous in his third booke De Doctrina Christiana cap. 13. he gives us this rule for the interpreting of Scripture If we finde that commanded that is flagitious and hurtfull and evill we must not interpret Scripture so that such a thing is to be done As for example he gives this instance Iohn 6. Christ speakes of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud saith he this is a flagitious an evill and an hainous thing that a man abhors when he thinkes of it and therefore the words are not so to be understood but you must understand them spiritually and figuratively you must when you heare those words remember that Christs flesh was crucified for you and that his bloud was shed and so the words are to be interpreted Ambrose upon the 118. Psal. having occasion to speake of the Sacrament hath reference to this Ioh. 6. saith he Christ is the bread of life he that eats life cannot die for how shall he saith he die Christ is the bread of life he that eats him therefore cannot die therefore saith hee none are said to eath the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud but they must needs live for ever for he eats that which is life Athanasius hath speeches as plaine as these It is not saith he corporall but it is spirituall that which Christ speakes concerning eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud saith he that small bodie of his could that feed so many saith he is reckoned the meat of the whole world And therefore saith he in the latter end of that Chapter Iohn 6. When Christ had finished his speech of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud he speakes of his Ascension into heaven that he might draw us from carnall conceits to raise our minde to understand the thing spiritually to ascend to him by faith and to know the spirituall nourishment of the soule and not corporall of the bodie Besides him Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis Eusebius contra Marcellium not to name other particulars they all interpret the place thus And therefore let not our Adversaries say it is a new interpretation it is fastned on the words by Calvin and Beza as they doe it is the interpretation of the Fathers nay I will goe further it is the interpretation not of the Fathers onely but of some

we should draw nearer to him Therefore labour to strengthen your faith So did Moses it was the strengh of his faith that made him cleave so fast to GOD as he did Fourthly get experience of him for it was Pauls experience that united him nearer to Christ the experience that he had of Christ in the mortification of his lusts in all the courses of his ministery in all the distresses and troubles that he passed thorow he still had experience of him and the more experience you have of the Lord Iesus the nearer you come to converse with him and the more you will love him and joyne to him Strangenesse disjoynes affections we say there is strangenesse when men salute not when there is not a neare conversing Strangenesse doth dis-joyne the heart Againe nearenesse of conversing and walking with him from day to day drawes us nearer to him and intends the will of desiring him to be our Husband Last of all there is a certain impression made in the spirit of man by the Holy Ghost which causeth him to draw neare to Christ that makes him prize him more As there is in the Iron a certaine naturall quality to follow the Load-stone so there is in the Saints towards Christ And if we seeke a reason why Paul and the rest of the Saints that excelled so were able to prize Christ above all things and to count all things losse in respect of him the true reason is it was the impression made upon their spirits by the Holy Ghost there is a certaine attractive vertue put into them enabling them to prize Christ above all and to draw neare to him therefore you must know it is the gift of the Holy Ghost to inable us to prize him Therefore to all the rest adde that seeke to the Lord that he would worke it in your hearts that you may learne to magnifie him Thus you must seeke to encrease the union to adde degrees to the will by which you are content and resolve to match with Christ and to be made one with him And this is the thing that you are to be exhorted to not only to know this but to exercise it when Paul had once tasted the sweetnesse in Christ he could relish nothing else he counts all other things as drosse So should we if we had once experience of it Therefore we should learne to renue this union from day to day and as I said before Wee should eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day that is every time we renue the covenant with God we renue the match as it were betweene us we eat Christs flesh and drinke his bloud He is that Bread that came downe from heaven they ate Mannah in the wildernesse and died but hee that feedeth on me shall have life everlasting Therefore eat my flesh and drinke my bloud that is take me come to me for eating of his flesh is nothing but to come to him to take him to receive him Now saith he the very act of taking me is your duty as you renue that every day so you take me anew as it were and so there will come new strength to you as from bread or Manna when you eat it or from flesh and wine when you eat and drinke it so doth there from from me when you renue your eating of my flesh and drinking of my bloud that is when you renue your act of taking and receiving me there comes new strength to you that is you shall have new comforts and consolations you shall be encouraged the more herein you draw nearer to me than before For as your union with Christ at the first doth make way for the Spirit and causeth it to be shed in your hearts so the more this union is encreased the more you are filled with the Holy Ghost So you get new strength from day to day as this union is more confirmed It is like a new eating and drinking your Peace is more abundant and your strength is more enlarged you are more full of joy in the Holy Ghost every grace is more encreased and strengthned in you therefore exercise this union eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day But you will say what needs that when we have once done is it not enough No it is not enough for there growes a distance betweene Christ and you from day to day a little neglect the very omission of duties yea though it were no sinfull omission may cause it As the body is subject to waste and needs eating and drinking that it may be repaired So doth the soule and inner man there is a continuall wasting of strength and you must eat his flesh and drinke his bloud every day to repaire it that is you must renue the union that grace may be strengthned and renued in your hearts that those spirits may be repaired that you spend every day that your very strength may be renued you shall find this true by experience the more you doe this more neare you get to Christ the more you renue that match and make a new marriage with him you shall and new strength comming to you you shall find your hearts draw nearer to him and further from sinne you shall finde your selves made more spirituall more heavenly minded you shal find your selves more strengthned you wil be ashamed to sinne when you stand in such neare termes with him there will be a secret influence of the Spirit in your hearts Therefore exercise this union and as you must exercise it from day to day so know the comfort of it and improve and husband it well If I have Christ for my husband shall he be my husband in vaine Shall I have him and not make use of him No you must learne to make use of him learne to use him as he is a Prophet a Priest and a King If you would be more enlightned goe to him as a Prophet beseech him to enlighten thee to give thee wisdome to give thee the Spirit of Revelation and he cannot deny thee If thou hast committed a sinne use him as a Mediatour as a Priest for he is thy Husband thou hast him for that purpose forget not that Christ is a Mediatour We fall into sinne from day to day but if we knew really what it is to have Christ an Intercessour to have him our Priest to make an attonement for our sinnes every day we should learne to prize him more we should be full of comfort we should doe in another manner than we doe If there be any strong lust which thou canst not subdue know that it must be done by him as a King he must bring it into subjection he must circumcise thy heart Therefore know what is in Christ for all that is in him is thine and he is full of treasure When thou hast the field what shouldest thou doe but digge the treasure to know what is there when thou knowest thou hast such a

you will say I doe many things in secret out of Conscience and I hope it is not so much corrupted I will adde this then to that I said before you must know it is not a good Conscience which only suppresseth and restraineth from evill The matter is in what termes it stands with God If it looke on God as a chast loving wife lookes on her husband or a son on the father that out of reverent loving respects feares to offend him because they prize their favour more than any mans favour in the world and after this manner restraines it is a good Conscience but if it restraine us as a servant is restrained under an hard master or as a theefe under the Iudge trembling at his word at his Iudgement this is not a good Conscience Your Conscience may restraine you from many things nay you may doe many things in secret between you and God alone and yet for all this have no good but an evill Conscience So you see the corruption of man in the Vnderstanding Will Memory and Conscience I will adde another and that is the sensuall Appetite And this you shall finde exceedingly out of order above all these faculties I have named it is ready to run over and beyond all measure By this I understand that appetite in a man by which he taketh pleasure in sensible things such as are conveyed by the eyes the eares or the taste set any object before it it is ready to run out quickly by inordinate affections as to women to meat and drinke to any kinde of sport or recreation or sensible thing How corrupt is this sensuall Appetite How prone to evill How ready to run out to breake over the Pale to goe aside the rule If any delightfull object be propounded how ready is it to embrace it But you will say and indeed it is Bellarmines quarrelling The rebellion of the sensuall Appetite is but naturall the same that is in beasts because before originall sin was committed he was in the same constitution there was such rebellion between the sensual appetite and reason as there is now and therefore being naturall it is not sinfull But this is his Errour though every man be hereby ready to excuse himselfe thinking the rebellion of the sensuall Appetite not to be so great a matter But to take his owne words he saith the same as it is in Beasts It is true if it were with us as it is with beasts it were no sin and so not a thing which gives us cause to be so much humbled for in beasts the sensual Appetite hath no superiour governour but is supreme To expresse it to you Take an horse in a pasture that is loose and free if he run up and downe and play we finde no fault with him for he is loose but if he doth this under the bridle when the rider is on his back will you not now reckon him a stiffe-necked horse and count it a fault in him for there is a rider on his backe So for this sensuall Appetite in beasts where there is liberty and no superiour command to keepe them in order the beasts are not to be blamed But take a man where God hath set reason above the sensuall Appetite and grace above reason to guide it in him this sensuall Appetite rebels against reason which it should obey and this shewes it to be a great sinne in men considering that reason should be the rule to guide and keepe in the sensuall Appetite for God hath giv●n it for that purpose Indeed some desires are naturall Christ desired life which was lawful and a right object of desire but take this withall it was perfectly subjugated and brought under and made obedient to the will of God as his will was holy and sanctified So we may desire meat and drinke but many times the Law of God may forbid it as in many cases it doth for it may differ from the will of God as it is holy and yet in it selfe it may be right Here is no more but subordination required But when this runnes out amisse affecting of things inordinately though you doe suppresse it yet that affection is sinfull and you must be humbled for it God sees it in you and it is hatefull and abominable to him These things I should make use of But I am lesse carefull of that because all these points are immediately usefull Why It is to make you know your selves and to be acquainted with the corruption of your nature And doe not you thinke it to be enough that this be as an hand in the margent pointing to the corruption of your hearts or that you may content your selves with the contemplative knowledge of these things so to cause a new light to shine in your understanding Our end is to make you examine the corruption of your natures your disobedience your rebellions to see how you have behaved your selves to be acquainted with your owne particular sins your owne particular failings and to labour to bee humbled for them Otherwise you may have a knowledge of these Truths but not a saving knowledge and such as wil be profitable But this you shal see when I come to make use of them And now for the Sacrament these things be of speciall use because as you heard before out of Levit. 23. On the day of reconciliation when an atonement was to be made he that afflicted not his soule was to be cut off from his people When we come to the Sacrament there is a reconciliation an atonement to be made in a speciall manner What must you do then Afflict your soules consider your sins see what debts you have run into see what corrupt natures you have and likewise know what you have in Christ and rejoyce therein for those must goe together an humbling of the soule for sin and rejoycing in CHRIST for your Deliverance from it The end of the Second Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The third SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse THe last faculty is The Affections and here you shall find exceeding great cause to say that they are full of unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse for they come like a mightie Tempest like a turbulent wind that carries us away even then when we are well set The disorder of them exceeds the disorder of all the rest for they are quickly moved nothing sooner and when they are moved they are exceeding apt to exceed to transcend their limits for such is the fullennesse the awkednesse and waywardnesse of our affections either they are not active not placed where they should be or if they be placed as they ought to be they are ready to run over to over-love and over-grieve and over-joy I say where we may love lawfully and rejoyce lawfully they are readie to exceed If I should come

thankfull was he how was he affected how would a man be affected in such a case So I say that is our condition we have cause to looke for nothing but death thereupon comes the Gospell that comes and offers life that overcomes with kindnesse as it were the Lord comes and tels us Well notwithstanding all this you shall be received to mercy goe Take this is my body which is given for you I say this would move an ingenious disposition You know Mary Magdalen was moved with this when she was such a sinner and saw that God had received her in that manner that melted her heart so that she watred his feet with her teares So should we be affected if we did seriously consider the greatnesse of CHRISTS love I will give you my body and my bloud this is a great thing if we were able to consider it aright that the Lord should give us his body and his bloud There is no love like this Hee hath loved me saith Paul and hath given himselfe for mee And this is that indeed which should bee the most effectuall motive of all others that there is a pardon that Christ still makes offer of to you indeed there is nothing else brings us into Christ but this other things may prepare us but nothing brings us in but this You know a Pirate as long as a proclamation of rebellion is out against him will not come in but a pardon being promised and advancement annexed to it that if any thing will bring him in The theefe runnes away as long as he is pursued with Hue and Crie but the promise of pardon makes him returne back So I say it is not the Law that brings you in that may prepare you but it is this Gospell for as I told you the Sacrament preacheth the Gospell to the eye as we doe to the eare and when mercy is promised when a pardon is promised a generall pardon without exception of persons or sinnes my thinkes this should affect you and bring you in As it is said Ier. 3. Saith the Lord If one of you have put away his wife will he returne to her againe No but you have played the harlot in many places and many times and yet returne to me saith the Lord And so I may say to every man that hears me though thy sins be never so great like that sin of Idolatry like that sin of playing the Harlot though that were frequently committed though it were done oft many times yet returne saith the Lord if thou wilt come in thou shalt be pardoned and not so only but whosoever receiveth me saith Christ shall be made the sonne of God Consider this be affected with it let it not be in vaine unto you when you heare those patheticall speeches 1 Iohn He came to his owne and his owne received him not And againe Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thee c. I say when you heare these things it may be you thinke with your selves these were rebellious people to use Christ thus you thinke if it had beene the case if you had beene there among them you would not have done it Well I say it is the case of every man that continues in any knowne sin Christ offers himselfe we make offer of him when we preach the Gospell in the Sacrament he is offered he is made like a common dole all may come that will and certainly all that hunger doe come but when thou goest on still in thy sinnes thou art one of them to whom Christ is come and thou wilt not receive him thou art one of them whom he would gather and thou wilt not No but thou wilt goe on thou takest the Grace of GOD in vaine thou tramplest the bloud of CHRIST IESUS under-foot as a common thing thou doest what thou canst that the death of CHRIST should be of no effect thou recompencest to the Lord evill for good doest thou thinke that the LORD will beare this at thy hands No surely he will be revenged on such a man on such a people as this But you will say it is an hard thing to doe this that you exhort us to And therefore that I may not onely shew you what the duty is without affording you some helpe to doe it we will adde some things that may invite you to come in And take Christ thus offered in the Sacrament and which is continually offered by and in the Gospell And what is it that should invite you But two things to goe no fur●her one is the misery out of Christ the second is the happinesse you shall have by him And that is the businesse we have principally to doe at this time that we might invite you to take the body and bloud of Christ that is to take the Lord himselfe who is offered effectually and freely to you He makes proclamation to all that will come and take of the waters of life freely Now if we consider what should invite the sons of men to come in these two things will doe it their misery out of Christ and their happinesse by him As the Prodigall what did invite him to come home The misery he was in he saw he could not live he could not get huskes to sustaine him On the otherside in his fathers house there was bread enough those two together wrought on him and brought him home So we when we invite men to the mar●iage of ●he Kings Sonne that is to marry the Sonne himselfe What should we say to invite them We bring them to consider on the one side I cannot live without Christ I am undone I perish if I doe Againe on the otherside by matching with him I shall have all by Grace that he hath by Nature I shall be a son of God a King and heire of all things I shall have all that Christ hath I say these two should invite us to come in and therefore we will doe these two First shew you the misery you are in out of Christ Iohn 3.18 saith the Evangelist there He that beleeves not in Christ is condemned alreadie Marke he needs not a new condemnation but he that beleeves not in Christ is condemned already He that hath not the Sonne hath not life Is not this misery enough to be in a state of condemnation Iohn 5. Hee that obeyes not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him And what is that wrath of God If the wrath of a King be a messenger of Death what think you of the wrath of God Who knowes the power of his wrath Rom. 9. What if he will to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with patience the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction that is when the Lord shall come to execute his wrath on evill men he will use all the power he hath to execute the fiercenesse of his wrath on them And therefore it is a terrible thing to be subject to the wrath of God But

with us for the present yet we know not what may befall us Things present therefore and things to come saith he all this is yours and if all this will not content you I will adde one thing more the Lord himselfe is yours so that take God and looke on him in his greatnesse in his mighty power God that is Lord of Heaven and Earth I say he is yours all that he hath is yours all that hee can doe is yours And therefore when hee speakes to Abraham Abraham saith he I will bee thine if thou wilt be mine I will be to thee an exceeding great reward you shall have God himselfe for your portion You will say how can God be your portion Yes he himselfe is yours for you must know that finding Mee are the best riches Loving favour Prov. 22. is better than life he that is rich in friends is better than he that is rich in money and among friends who is like to God It was the speech of the heathen when he was asked where his treasure was saith hee Where Cyrus my friend is that is I reckon my friend my chiefe treasure I say God is your friend as hee was the friend of Abraham so hee is the friend of all the Saints you have him and all that he can doe for that we may truly say there is no end of a Christians riches Paul when hee considered this Eph. 3. saith This is a glorious priviledge that I should preach among the Gentiles The unsercheable riches of Christ the unsercheable riches of Christ hee could finde no bottome hee knew not the measure the length the breadth the height of these riches and unsercheable riches of Christ. Wee give you but a little glimpse if God open a crevise of light to you to see these riches you will be content to doe as the Merchant to fell all for the pearle for it is worth all that you can sell for it I say if you could see what it were if you could discerne and judge of it with righteous judgement you would regard nothing in th● world besides but you would then say I will goe and take Christ for there is riches indeed and hee is a happy man of whom God saith as he saith of that Church I know thy poverty but thou art rich So you see you shall have a kingdome by Christ and you shall have riches But is this all No for I tell you the Scriptures present them to us under sensible things things that wee can feele because that we are lead with senses in this life he saith if you will come into Christ he will make you a feast Esay saith 25.16 In the Mount of the Lord he will provide a Feast of fined Wines of fat Wines fined and purified of fatlings full of marrow and frequently it is repeated in Scripture that Christ wil make you a feast They were sent to come unto the feast of the King Mat. 22 His Wine was drawne his Fatlings was prepared that is any thing you shall have by Christ you shall have a Feast What is this Looke what meat doth meat is called a feast because it maintaines life and so doth this it breeds and maintaines life yea immortall life as the food is of an immortall nature it is the bread of life Againe meat breeds strength so this strengthens you in the inward man to doe holy and spirituall duties as the corporal meat strengthens the outward man to labour and exercise Againe a Feast breeds joy and cheerefulnesse So doth this As the corporall feast cheeres the heart and refreshes the spirit so if you would know what this feast is it is that which breeds and maintaines spirituall life and strength and cheerfulnesse You will say what is that By induction of particulars what it is not you shall finde what it is First it is not that which continues you in a being for that stones have and yet are farre from having this life Againe it is not that which gives you vegetation and motion and sense for that Beasts have and that have not this life Againe it is not the exercise of reason and understanding for that reprobates and divels may have yet dye the second death What is it then It is that which breeds and maintaines that holy and regenerate men live heare and with the Angels live in Heaven for all eternity that which breeds that life for you must know that the soule that is within us hath its food to feed on as well as the body The soule hath its food that is whersoever there is the hidden man where there is the new man the hidden man of the heart as Peter cals it it must be fed as well as the outward man it must have dinners and suppers and break-fasts if there be life there it must have all this otherwise what is Christs saying when he said Ioh. 4. I have other meat that you know not of and what is Davids meaning when he saith Thy word is sweeter to mee than the honey or the honey combe If it bee not that the soule the regenerate man within is fed with a kinde of foode And what is Iobs meaning when he said Hee found it better than his appointed meales that is he would let his body starve it should want at least rather than his soule should be deprived of the ordinary meat it should have In this sense Manna is said to bee the food of Angels why could Manna bee the food of Angels If these materiall and substantiall soules and the Angels had not somewhat else to feed on Manna was Angels foode Angels have not mouthes to eate Manna therefore it is not the corporall Manna that is said to be Angels foode What then It was Christ that was typified by Manna as he saith Iohn 6. I am the true Manna the true bread that came downe from heaven The Fathe●s eate the same spirituall meate so it was then the spirituatll Manna that was Angels foode and if Angels foode then the foode of our soules for our soules and Angels feede alike You will say yet cleare unto us further what this is If wee come to eate Angels foode you shall finde in Iohn 6. Seek not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures for ever saith Christ which the sonne of man shall give you for him hath God the Father sealed Marke Seeke the meat that endures for ever so then there is another feast another meate and if you would know what it is this is one property it is meat that endures for ever That is other men when they eate the sweetnesse is gone as soone as they have eaten but the sweetnesse of this continues that is what profit you have had from hearin● the word what comfort you have had from praying to God from serving God with a perfect heart these comforts continue for ever As twenty yeares after a man may feele the