The Food of the Soule against the day of Iudgement By A. D. Iohn 6. 35. I am the Bread of life he that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst Printed at London by M. F. for I. Wright and C. Wright 1624. THE FOOD OF THE SOVLE Iohn Ch. 6. Verse 35. I am the bread of Life hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst WHEN our Sauiour Christ had performed that heauenly Miracle in féeding fiue thousand men with fiue loaues and two fishes the people which were satisfied with that gratis chéere did follow him to the City Capernaum But when Iesus perceiued their hypocrisie that they were fleshly and carnall hearers and as a good Writer saith Parasiti quos platina conglutinat hypocrites and belly-gods whom the trencher doth make friends to Christ like vnto him which when he sweat ouer his trencher yet cryed out O quanta patimur pro amore Christi Lord what suffer wee for the loue of Christ Iesus therefore reprehendeth these men saying Verily verily I say vnto you yee seeke me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye eate of the loaues and were filled Yet they obstinately answered him What miracles hast thou done hast thou commanded the Sun and the Moone to stand still as Iosua did hast thou reuiued the widowes son as Elias did hast thou made yron to swimme as Eliza did hast thou reuiued the dead bones as Ezechiel did hast thou béene in the Whales belly with Ionas or parted the red sea with Moses Our Fathers did eate Manna in the Wildernesse Moses gaue them bread from heauen to eate But marke I pray you how Iesus did answer them Nay saith hée Moses gaue you not bread from heauen but my Father giueth you the true Bread from Heauen For the Bread of God is he which commeth down from Heauen and giueth life vnto the world Then said they vnto him Lord euermore giue vs this Bread And Iesus said I am the Bread of life hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and hee that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst And thus much for the coherence and occasion of our Sauior Christs words now particularly as they lie in order First who is the Bread Which is Christ Persona loquens signified in this word I. Secondly what is this Bread It is the bread of life Thirdly the powerfull efficacie and effect of this bread declared in these words He that cōmeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst And first who is this Bread which is Christ I am the liuing Bread which came downe from heauen saith Christ Ego sum panis vitae fons aquae viuae I am the bread of life and fountaine of liuing water Omnia nobis est Christ us saith Ambrose si esuris ipse est panis si sitis ipse est fons aquae viuae si caecus es ipse est lumen si infirmus es ipse medicus si mortuus ipse vita gratiae gloriae Christ is all things to vs if thou béest hungry he is bread if thou beest thirsty hee is the fountaine of liuing water if thou beest blind he is the light he is the health of a feuered soule light of thy life life of thy desire heauen of thy minde guide to thy wandring féet succourer in necessity helper in aduersity yea hee is all things to thée I am the liuing Bread saith Christ The bread which I giue is my flesh and the drinke which I giue is my blood my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drinke indeed Hee that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the latter day O blessed meat O celestiall food O heauenly Manna it far excelleth the Poets Ambrosia would to God that all of vs daily might eate of this Manna would to God that all of vs which trauell in the Wildernesse of this world might lodge at such an Inne where God the Father is the host the holy Ghost the Hostesse the Church the Inne the Crosse the signe and Christ the meat and drinke Aristotle must dine when it pleaseth Philip but here thou maist haue store of spirituall foode for the repast of thy soule and take it when it pleaseth thy selfe Say but thy grace before this blessed banquet and then sit downe and satisfie thy hunger The more thou eatest the more it encreaseth like to Iupiters Nectar the more it is drunke of the more it ouerfloweth Neither néedest thou vse the counsell of Lysander which he prescribed to his Daughters to drinke with a drop of wine a spoonfull of water Thou mayest drinke as much of this precious wine as thou wilt neither canst thou infuse any mixture of water but of the water of eternall life This meat is of the like quality with the stone of Thracia which whosoeuer findeth is neuer after troubled so whosoeuer eateth of this meat is neuer after grieued labour therefore to get this meat which endureth to euerlasting life No water was so good as that which came out of the Rock no meat so delicate as Manna which came from heauen no Wine so wholsome as that which Christ made of water at the mariage of Cana no oyle so pretious as that which the Samaritan had no robe so costly as that which the father gaue to the prodigall sonne no bread no food no meat so profitable as this meat of the soule which endureth to euerlasting life This meat is water to refresh vs and wine to cheare vs this is bread to strengthen vs and Manna to nourish vs it is a treasure to inrich vs and a pearle to adorne vs it is a fire to purge vs and salt to powder vs it is a trumpet to call vs and wisedome to instruct vs it is a way to direct vs and life to reuiue vs it is a Lanterne to guide vs and a buckler to shield vs it is physicke to recure vs and a salue to heale vs if we haue this meat this Manna this bread we shall haue no néed of Elizeus to increase our oyle no néed to beg at the gluttons gate or to send vnto Naball the churle for food if wee haue this treasure we shall not néed to robbe the Egyptians if wee haue this pearle we shal not néed the gold of Ophir if we haue this water we néed not draw water at Iacobs wel Naaman néeds not wash his féet 7 times in Iordan the sick needs not to goe to the poole of Bethsaida for this pretious meat and inestimable Manna will purge vs from the leprosie of sinne So that wee shall loath to drink of the slumbring cup of the deuils sorceries to be witch vs to sinne this bread is Homers Mol◠Plinies Centauria against all lustfull inchantments for this bread this spirituall food will so clense our minds and purifie our hearts that we
will alwaies detest the eie-pleasing baits of carnall desires and wholly delight our selues with this inestimable treasure carnall voluptuousnesse is transitory and fading the minuts that lackey at the héeles of time run not faster away then doe these pleasures but this spirituall food this bread of life is not like palate pleasing dainties whose sugered swéetnesse once relisht is presently gone but it yeeldeth the hungry soule an euerlasting fruition of most rauishing swéetnesse labour therefore for this bread which bringeth to euerlasting life The Bées doe labour to get a little honey Mella stipant dulci distendunt nectare cellas But this bread is swéeter then honey or the honey-combe Our forefathers did eate of the Acorns of the Oakes and thought them pleasant meat And we which by Ceres huswiferie haue learned to bury the reuiuing graine do thinke that bread most delicate food O foolish Caterers let vs rather learne to bury in our hearts this reuiuing graine that in this generall famine of true Christian food we may with Ioseph prouide abundance of this bread of life for the benefit of our soules then should wee not haue such spirituall penurie and dearth of religion if our hearts were made fertill to bring forth the séeds of our soules nourishment and sustenance Labor not therefore for the bread that perisheth but for this bread which remaineth vnto euerlasting life Ay but some will say where shall we finde this spirituall food this bread of life I tell thée Christ is this bread of life Ay but hée will perhaps reply how shall I come to Christ to get this food I bid thée goe to the Scriptures Christs treasury where thou shalt find this Manna this bread of life there is plentifull store take and satisfie thy selfe neither néedest thou goe farre to séeke it as Dauid did the Arke of GOD or as Iosias did the booke of the Law Neither canst thou desire with the Glutton that one from the dead might arise to teach thée how to finde this bread of life for now adayes thanks be giuen to GOD for it the dispencers of this bread of life bee plentifull who may without feare or peril shew thée the compendious way to séeke this bread of life Now Obadia néed not feare Quéene Iezabel to hide a hundred Prophets in a Caue Moses néed not feare King Pharaoh and say I haue a stuttering tongue Ieremy néed not feare the Iewes and say I am a child for now the Ministers of GODS word are maintained and preserued and may fréely without danger and boldly without feare dispence of this bread of life Yea and euery one of Christs faithfull Children although he be not an head in the mysticall body of Christ or an eye or a leg yea if he be but an haÌ„d yet hée may gather of this bread of life if hée bée but an eare he may heare of this bread of life or a tongue he may praise this bread of life or a mouth he may receiue this bread of life Labor therefore for this bread which endureth to euerlasting life I am the bread of life O Iesus thou art the bread which giuest life Thou art a guide to our wayes a guardian to our persons a Councellor in our doubts a Comforter in misery a Patron in necessity and wilt thou be bread also Thou art our kéeper our shepheard our defender our Sauiour and wilt thou be bread also O Iesus thou art light vnto our eyes musicke to our eares contentment to our soules wilt thou be bread also O louing Iesus O merciful Redéemer O blessed Emanuel O Iesu we giue thée our bodies our soules our substance our wealth our honor our friends our children our life and all that is ours Iesus wee are not our owne but thine claime vs as thy right kéepe vs as thy charge loue vs as thy children Iesus fight for vs when Sathan commeth heale vs if he woundeth reuiue vs if hee killeth receiue vs if we fly into thy merciful bosome protect when he approacheth detect vs when he commeth Iesus thou art our food in the day thou shalt also be our repose in the night Iesus make vs pliable to thy will resigned wholy to thy pleasure Iesus forsake vs not lest we perish leaue vs not lest we be ouercome Iesus direct our intentions correct our follies erect our cogitations protect our endeauors Iesus grant vs â—â—row for our sinnes feare for thy Iudgements loue of thy mercies thankfulnesse for this bread of life I am the Bread of life that is I am the bread of immortall and heauenly life not of this mortall and earthly life for else Christ might rather haue said I am the bread of death and not of life for this life is a liuing death and a dying life But Christ is not bread of such a life But he is the bread of an immortall and neuer-fading life Happy therefore is hée which is at this banquet and tasteth of this bread of life Neither is this an imaginarie fruition or a painted banquet resembling the hungry chéere which the birds had that fed themselues with Zeuxis painted grapes vntill with picking at shadowes they waxt so leane that they were glad with Esops Cocke to scrape for a barley corne But with this bread of life thy Soule shall bee so cherished with this Manna thou shalt be so wonderfully delighted that euer thou shalt loath the flesh-pots of Egypt Hic panis est corpus meum This bread is my body and therefore thou canst not mislike it O you Ministers the faithfull dispencers of this hallowed bread of life féed duely Christs flocke with this bread of life Christ said to Peter Pasce pasce Pasce Feed feed feed Féed with this bread of life with your doctrine with your almes Féed first with this bread of life for it is the bread of saluation Secondly féed with your wholsome doctrine that Christs shéepe doe not surfet with vice and so néed the corosiue of his correction to amend them Thirdly féed with almes but what shall I presse you to that Nay I must in conscience spare you for the case now so stands that you are liker to liue of almes then be able to giue almes and therefore till happier times come wherin your diuine function may more bounteously bee rewarded I will spare you for that point for necessity hath no law In the mean while féed with this bread of life spend your breath happily in the fires of deuotion crying alarum spirituall against foule vice and all wickednesse so at last you hauing not defrauded Christs children of this bread of life may haue a most bountifull remuneration of your painfull labours and enioy all heauenly happinesse and celestiall ioyes tasting this bread of life which is prepared for all GODS faithfull children And thus much shall suffice to haue spoken of the first parcell of my text I am the bread of life Now it followeth that I should briefly speake of the powerfull efficacie and effect
of this bread of life Which by the tongues of Angels cannot be so well declared as by these our Sauiours words Hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst After a man hath tasted of all manner of delicate meats yea although he hath caroused new grapes in Alexanders cup and plentifully paid that daily tribute to the stomacke which the law of our nature exacteth yet that food will not satiate him for euer so that he shall neuer hunger or thirst after But this bread this bread of life hath another power and effect for he that eateth of this bread shall neuer hunger or thirst more We reade in the fourth Chapter of Mathew That man liueth not by bread onely but I say man onely liueth by this bread for this bread is the bread of heauen which giueth life vnto the world Therefore be carefull to séeke for this bread for Christ doth not forbid vs to séeke for this bread hée saith in Mathew the sixt Chapter Be not carefull what you shal eate or what you shall drinke behold the fowles of heauen they sow not neither reape nor cary into their barnes yet your heauenly Father feedeth them the Lillies doe not labour nor spin yet Salomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these therefore take no thought saying What shall we eate or what shall we drinke or how shall we be clothed but seeke yee the Kingdome of Heauen and all these things shall bee ministred vnto you Yet in all these exemplified admonitions of our Sauiour Christ hée doth not forewarne vs to bee carelesse for séeking of this bread of life will Christ forbid vs to séeke himselfe Christ is this bread of life féede on his flesh and nourish your soules he is the oyle and lampe with which the fiue Virgins entered into the Bridegroomes chamber Hée is the Lord of life the way of life the bread of life Beléeue in this Lord come vnto this way eate of this bread you shall neuer hunger or thirst after But some man peraduenture may obiect Can bread extinguish hunger and thirst When a man is dry and thirsty he doth not vse to eate bread I answer that the Hebrewes doe vse this phrase Panem comedere pro coenare for to sup as Master Caluin héere well noteth so we say in the Lords prayer da nobis quotidianum panem giue vs our daily bread signifying all necessary things belonging to a man eate of of this bread of life and you shall not néed to say giue vs our dayly bread for you shall neuer hunger or thirst after He that commeth to mee shall not hunger Accedat ad Christum omnis anima let euery Soule come to Christ and he will refresh it I will saith he féed the hungry soule and refresh all faint hearts I am the strength of the féeble the succour of the hungry a refuge against euill weather a shadow against heat a continuall feast where all hungry and languishing soules may satisfie themselues with celestiall food O well are they and happy shall they bee which sit at this heauenly Table and eate of this blessed and spirituall meat the price and redemption of their soules Here is Manna which the children of Israel shall neuer loath the wise Ethnick mans saying vpon a feast here taketh no place Prima cratera saith he ad sitim pertinet secunda ad hilaritatem tertia ad voluptatem quarta ad insaniam The first cup belongeth to thirst the second to mirth the third to pleasure and the fourth to insobrietie But at this feast of the Soule it is quite contrary for the more thou drinkest tant o proprior es ad animae sanitatem salutatem thou art so much the néerer to the health and welfare to thy soule Calistenes said to Alexander that hee had rather carouse old graines with Diogenes in his dish then new grapes with Alexander in his cup for of all the goods quoth hee I loue not Aesculapius But whosoeeuer drinketh in this cup shall not need Aesculapius physicke for it is a present remedy and a soueraigne restoratiue against the maladies of a sinfull soule it is an excellent potion and a most wholsome purgation to expell the leprosie of a sinseared soule The precious stone Sandastra hath nothing in outward appearance but being broken it poureth forth beames like the Sunne so this bread of life hath not an outward glea of super-excellent goodnesse but tast it and then it poureth forth such admirable excellencie that thou shalt neuer hunger any more Therefore the shepheards of Christs flocke should onely féed his Lambes with this bread of life When they bee hungry they should fill them with this Bread of life They should cry vnto them alwaies Come vnto Christ and he will giue you the bread of life so that you shall neuer hunger or thirst any more The Ministers should haue a continuall cry not like the Swallowes which haue matutinum cantum a morning song or as the Grashoppers meridianum cantum a noone song or as the Owles vespertinum cantum an euening song or as the Cocks antelucanum cantum a song before morning But they should haue a morning song a noone song an euening song and a song before day-light to awake Christs slumbring shéepe to come vnto Christ and eate of this bread of life so they shall neuer hunger for this more Hee that commeth to mee shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst To beléeue in Christ is the totall summe of all Christian Religion For our faith in the death and passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ is the sure foundation of our saluation Fides in Christo saith Saint Ierome est fundamentum humanae saluationis Faith in Christ is the foundation of mans saluation without this faith all our vertuous actions and good endeuours bee in vaine So saith Saint Augustine Sine fide falsa est omnis virtus without faith all vertue is in vaine Sine fid◠impossibile est placere Deo without faith it is impossible to please God Sine fide omnis labor vacuus without faith all our labour is frustrate Faith is the porter of heauen gate and not Saint Peter Hée that hath faith yea but as much as a graine of mustard séed shall be able to remoue mountains Wherefore let vs labour to get this faith which being obtained we shal not néede any other treasury let vs lay vp this iewell in our hearts which wil inrich vs euer after The Anatomists say that in the heart of man there is a little hole which hath nothing in it Whereupon a good writer saith that this little Cabinet and Cell of the heart God doth reserue for himselfe to bee a Chamber and a priuate mansion for him to dwell and kéepe therein let vs therefore bestow vpon our gratious Lord this pretious gem this excellent ornament to adorne and beautifie this inward chamber that
when it shall please the Lord to call vs to the high Star-chamber ouer our heads he may Antipelargein that is requite vs with farre more sumptuous iewels and richer ornaments making vs cohabitors with Angels and the admired paragons of all perfection let vs therefore confidently beléeue in Christ desiring him most heartily and vnfainedly to giue vs of this bread of life which is the onely restoratiue against hunger thirst Auicen like a foole said in his Aphorismes that good was the best restoratiue No no this bread of life is the most heauenly remedy against all diseases it is a poyson for vice but a life-giuing potion for vertue It is the bread of death for carnall gluttonie but it is the bread of life for spirituall hunger If thou béest famished eate of this bread and it will reuiue thée it can heale all leprosie of sinne and remoue all maladies from a sin-sicke Soule it is the Nectar of our saluation and the Lethe of our iniquities tast but once of this bread of life and thou shalt euer after loath the sugered cates and bewitching dainties of lustfull affections looke daily vpon this bread of life and thou shalt euer after hide thine eyes and stop thine eares which are now captiued vassals to behold and heare the legerdemane of humane iugling desires All Syren songs of carnall concupiscence and vices loue-lines which are now imprinted in thy brest shall be quite cancelled out after thou hast once digested inwardly and thy soule hath had an happy concoction of this bread of life it purgeth all the hidden corruption of mans folly and giueth working pils to vomit vp originall transgressions it is the present remedie for a body which lieth in a consumption of grace to tast of this bread of life within a short space by the vnspeakable hidden operation will make a blessed recouery for this languishing creature If thy soule bee hungry or thirsty behold two sacramentall riuers flowing out of the Paradise of Christs body in the one thou shalt finde this bread of life in the other this water of life tast either of them and thou shalt neuer hunger or thirst more yea the power of this bread cannot bee sufficiently declared by the tongue of the worthiest Orator Wherefore let vs onely satisfie our soules with this bread of life whose power and efficacie our dayly Orator Christ Iesus hath declared vnto vs in these words He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in mee shall neuer thirst Wherefore to draw to a conclusion let vs from the bottome of our hearts desire Christ Iesus euermore to giue vs of this bread that when the glasse of our life is runne out and with the Pheniâ— we may discerne the tearme of our daies and with the Swan discouer our fatall end that it would please him to féed our hungry soules with this spirituall food this bread of life and place them at his heauenly table to satisfie themselues with this celestiall banquet yea when our breath vanisheth our eyes waxe dim and we turned out of the house-roome of this transitory world repaire vnto our doomesday house where the worms the dead mens Lawyers shall take their fées out of vs their graue clients and our bodies shal be their bread to satiate their hunger yet thou O Iesus would vouchsafe to giue vs thy body the only bread of life for to nourish our hungry soules that by the wings of a liuely faith we may fly vp to the heauens and inioy that age of vnspeakeable pleasures the eternall Father through the merits of his déerest Sonne by the scepter of his holy Spirit so rule our hearts that wée being righteous as Elias and our prayers feruent as those of Elias they may pierce the clouds and open heauen and thence bring downe this bread of life this dew of diuine grace vpon vs and satisfie our soules with this mysticall banquet of Christs body O Lord inflame our tongues with the zeale of deuotion that our prayers may be feruent and may make a swéet incense to pacifie thy wrath that thou blotting out all our vnworthinesse out of thy memory maist graciously hearken to our petitions maist grant vs this inestimable treasure the price and ransome of our soules redemption If Lyons seeke their meat of God if the Oxe know his owner the Asse his Masters crib grant vs a most carefull desire to craue this meat of our soules to wait seeke for this bread of life that we which were created by a consultation of the Deity redéemed with the pretious blood of Christ sanctified by the holy Ghost may bee partakers of this blessed bread of life and in the end and without all end sit at his heauenly table raigning together with the Trinity in the Kingdome of Heauen to which be all glory power praise and dominion both now and for euermore Amen FINIS PRAYERS FOR PRIVATE HOVSHOLDS O Lord prepare our hearts to pray O Most mightie eternall GOD who art the Creator Guider Gouernor and Preseruer of all thinges both in Heauen and Earth vouchsafe we humbly beseech thee to looke downe with the eye of pity and compassion vpon vs miserable and wretched sinners who at this time are prostrate here before thee to offer vp this our Sacrifice of Prayer and Thankesgiuing vnto thee And although we be vnworthy by reason or our manifold transgressions to present our selues before thee yet we humbly beseech thee for thy Sonne Christ Iesus our blessed Lord and Sauiours sake to accept of vs and to grant these our prayers and petitions which wee doe make vnto thee Wee render vnto thee LORD most mighty and most mercifull humble and hearty thanks for all thy blessings and thy benefits from time to time bestowed vpon vs for our Election Creation Redemption Vocation Iustification that measure of Sanctification in this life and the assured hope of Glorification in the life to come As also for our Health Wealth Peace and Prosperitie for the free passage of thy glorious Gospell for sparing vs thus long and giuing vs so large a time of Repentance as also for all other thy benefits whensoeuer or howsoeuer bestowed vpon vs We giue thee humble and harty thanks more particularly for thy gracious protection of vs this day past and deliuering vs from all the perills and dangers of the same And seeing thou hast brought and kept vs safe to this present night wee humbly beseech thee LORD to protect and keepe vs in the same watch ouer vs with thy prouidence Shelter and defend vs from all the assaults of the world the Flesh and the Deuill Keepe vs from all sinne especially from those sinnes whereto by nature we are most addicted Make vs sorrowfull for our sins past and seale vnto our hearts wee humbly beseech thee full assurance of the forgiuenesse of them in thy Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ Increase our faith our zeale and our knowledge and make vs dayly more and more to increase in piety and true holinesse Set a watch O Lord before the doore of our Hearts that they thinke not before the doore of our Lips that they speake not before all the parts of our body that they doe not any thing which is amisse or may breed offence Blesse vs also wee beseech thee in our calling wherein thou hast set vs prosper that which thou hast giuen vnto vs and which in thy feare wee set our hands vnto Stirre vs vp to imploy our selues faithfully religiously and industriously in our calling Giue vs all things needfull for this present life and grant that wee may so passe through things temporall that our affection by them may not bee with-drawne from things eternall These things and all other which thou knowest meet and requisite for vs wee humbly craue at thy hands in the name of thy Sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ concluding these our Petitions with that forme of Prayer which himselfe hath taught vs saying Our Father which art in heauen c. Another prayer O Mercifull Lord and louing Father that of the incomprehensible riches of thy mercy towards the disobedient and lost children of Adam who seruing Satan after the blind and vnbridled lusts of the vile flesh wheâ—e caried away through sinne and ignorance to damnation hast reconciled vs to thy fauour through grace and adoption in Christ Iesus the righteous by faith and holy conuersation in whom wee are deliuered from eternall death and destruction Haue mercy vpon vs and for loue of thy sweet Sonne our Redeemer defend vs against the power of the destroyer and with thy mighty hand lift vs vp out of the filthy puddle and deathfull corruption of this abhominable world purifying our hearts with thy grace that wee being wholly inclined to thy heauenly desires may grow perfect in all holines and abounding in the good workes which thou hast prepared for thy Saints to walke in for the glorifying of thy name wee may grow an acceptable Temple for thy continuall dwelling in vs O Lord to the vnspeakeable peace and comfort and the euerlasting blisse and saluation of our soules through Christ our Sauiour Amen FINIS