to get them than the spirituall then are wee such labourers as are discharged in my Text. * The French word which heere signifieth labour giveth some light to this In the French Bible it is travaillez As the learned French writers thinke travailler is as who should say tres-veiller that is in Latine pervigilare to be almost altogether without sleepe according to that of the Poet. Nam vigilare leve est pervigilare grave * This labour then that is heere forbidden concerning worldly things is a labour that letteth not a man sleepe but night and day taketh vp all the thoughts of his heart while he lyeth downe at even the world is in his mind the last of all his thoughts and the first in the morning This labour is excessiue care which the Pagans to the shame of Christians haue placed into the gorge pipe of hell Primisque in faucibus Orci Luctus vltrices posuere cubilia curae * Take heede to this yee sonnes of men If the cares of the worlde take the sleepe from you yee are certainely labourers but not in the LORD his vine-yard looke not for a hire from the LORD for such labour your mindes are so distracted with worldly cares that yee cannot labour for the Lord which is the chiefe labour that is profitable to the soule Vnwise is hee who laboureth so for the body that hee neglecteth the soule The counsell of Bernard is notable concerning this * Ad laborem cum veneris sic temperabis opus agendum vt solicitudo operis intentione animi tui ab ijs quae Dei sunt non avertat that is When thou beginnest to labour temper so the worke that the care thereof distract thee not from the things of GOD such a labour what ever day it bee vpon were it vpon wedensday is a breaking of the Lords sabbath * The whole weeke is a Sabbath a time of rest from such labour Were it to gather stickes with excessiue care vpon Wednesdaye is as who should worke vpon Sunday * The one heere is as well forbidden in the Gospell as the other was in the law yea and that more strictly * For vnder the law the Priestes might profane the sabbath and bee blamelesse that is they might labour by killing of beastes for sacrifice But in this Sabbath of the Gospell which is a rest from carking care no labour of that kind is permitted for any consideration The doctrine I obserue heere is this There bee many labourers in this world who are discharged to labour This world is full of such labour * The most part of men sweate in this vine-yard Most men seeke more after earthly trashes than after heavenly treasures * That this is true I shall by one argument inforce it vpon your consciences Tell mee I pray you if his Maiestie should cause proclaime at your crosse that who in Burgh and Barronie should come to the Church-yard at such a houre they should haue both their houses and lands made free for their lifetime and that without any cost and that who came not should bee depriued of the gift Alas who would amongst you be absent * The creples who haunt not the LORD his house would clinch out vpon their stilts The blind wold be feet to the creples and the Creples would bee eyes to the blind O what a congregation should bee seene I thinke that neither Church nor Church-yarde should bee able to containe the multitude * But alas doe men so labour for the graces of GOD There is not a preaching but while the Bell ringeth it cryeth Come to GOD his house and receiue a Kingdome come and receiue grace and glory But I appeale to your owne Conscience how little a businesse will hinder you from comming for to receiue such offers * Mother Martha hath many Children which troubleth themselues about many things but fewe can learn of Marie to make choise of the best part which shall never bee taken from them I compare worldly men to great gluttonous fish they follow after GOD his benefits as they follow after the Schooles of herring where such Schooles are to bee found there are they * Men for the most part are like the Ravens feading vpon the stinking carions of horse dogs and cats whereas like Royall Eagles they should conveene about the body of IESVS according to that saying of CHRIST wheresoever the carcase is there will the Eagles bee gathered together Eagles flie to CHRIST but Ravens runne to Carions An Objection But heere some may object and say what needed CHRIST to teach those men not to labour for their meate It would seeme that they followed him for to eschue labour They had seene how with fiue bread he had fed fiue thousand and that of the fragments were twelue basket full For this cause it would appeare they followed CHRIST for bread because they came easily by it without any labour It might seeme that CHRIST should rather haue said yee are but idle sluggards following mee for loaues Returne home to your house and worke for your meate labour labour The Answere I answere that this labour whereof CHRIST dischargeth them is to bee vnderstood of the labouring of the mind A carking care an earnest and ardent desire more than is competent for any worldly thing either for to obtaine it or to keepe it is that which is heere discharged * I will put foorth a Paradoxe There bee many idle men who labour more for the meate which perisheth then these labourers that in most painefull labour winne their bread with the sweat of their browes But how can that bee The reason is an ydle man may bee a covetous man The greedy desire of his heart to haue that which hee wanteth is the labour that is heere forbidden by the LORD There bee none so busie at this forbidden labour as some who are stark idle They abstaine from the lawfull labour of the body while their mindes vnlawfully labour with laborious desires after things which perish * Thus as hee who beeing his alone said that hee was never lesse his alone than when hee was alone so may I say of such idle drones they labour not so much as when they labour none * Many while they are most idle they are least idle for while their body is idle they labour with ill desires Let vs in the words of my text obserue the wisedome of CHRIST The auditours of his Sermon were men addicted vnto their belly to filthy panch pleasures Behold heere according as hee saw their sinne he fitted his reproofe discharging them to bee so carefull for perishing things * Heere is a doctrine of wisedome for all Pastours where the boile is putrified there must they launce Those men had a boile in the belly The Lord IESVS seeing it ripe launced it with a reproofe * Wee all by nature from the Crown to the
TWO SERMONS FOR THESE WHO ARE TO COME TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD With diverse prayers fit for the necessities of the Saincts at diverse occasions Carefully digested by M r. ZACHARIE BOYD Preacher of GODS word at GLASGOVV AVGVST de doctrina CHRIST Omnis res quae 〈◊〉 non deficit dum habetur non datur nondum habetur quomodo habenda est I liue to die that I may die to liue EDINBVRGH Printed by IOHN WRâ—ITTOVN Anno DOM. 1629. TO THE RIGHT WORTHIE CHRISTIANS THE INDWELLERS OF THE BVRGH AND BARONIE OF GLASGOVV WELBELOVED in the LORD The word of God is a treasure of knowledge Jt maketh wise the simple It made David wiser then his teachers Blessed is the man whose delight is in Gods law and who meditats on the same both day and night This is the wisedome of the wise but in the hearts of fooles be proclamations of folie for they knowe not that the LORD pondereth all their goeings Happy are yee if yee can acknowledge the day of your mercifull visitation your God hath blessed you with many blessings He hath done to you amongst many Cities as Joseph did to Benjamin amongst his brethren to whom he multiplied the number of his measses aboue theirs But in a particular manâ—â— hee hath blessed you with the powerfull preaching of his Gospell The Lord who in Zacharias dayes promised to make the Mount of Olives to cleaue that Ierusalem hidde with hils might bee seene by all nations hath in this land which was Scotia a land of darknesse made a way to the sight of his glory and to you in a speciall maner I pray God yee bee thankfull and that such favors continue It hâ—th beene Gods providence by the occasion of the French bloody warres to bring me amongst you My soule the Lord is my witnesse wisheth your well In testimonie therefore of my sincere and hearty loue receaue favourably these two Sermons with some fewe prayers Take it in good part that I present you with them All that is done in this envious and taxing age is lyable to censure Many striue to stop a worke at the first stop as though the praise of any were their prejudice The tongues of such are armed with sharpe arrowes of the mightie and with coales of juniper * Let such knowe that the best reproving of others is to doe better them selues It is my desire that yee would accept this little and vouchsafe it a rowme of lodgeing in your favour as being a testimonie of loue from him who shall alwayes pray the Eternitie of Israell to make his graces raine downe plentifully vpon you as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended vpon the mountaines of Zion where the LORD commanded the blessings So humbly taking my leaue I intreate the LORD in whom all fulnesse dwelleth to replenish you with all spirituall blessings in Heavenly places Now hee that ministreth seede to the sower both minister bread for your foode and multiplie your seede sowen and increase the fruits of your righteousnesse Not els but humbly taking my leaue I remaine GLASGOVV this 5. of November 16â—8 Yours ever in the Lord M r. ZACHARIâ— BOYD. TWO PREPARATIVE PREFACES TO THE SERMON OF PREPAâ—RATION THE FIRST PREFACE THERE be two things in this world which cheefly should greeue the heart of man viz sinne and shame The one is the mother the other is the daughter Sinne is ever full of shame a shamefull thing great with shame as a woman with child * If wee would kill the viper of â—inne the mother of shame let vs be ashamed of our sinnes The shame wherewith a sinner is ashamed of his sinnes killeth sinne and the shame to ensue * If we be not ashamed of our sinnes which is repentance God shall by his judgements make vs ashamed of our selues which is vengeance In the consideration of this let vs fall downe vpon our kneâ—s with publick protestation that to the Lord our God belongeth the righteousnesse but to vs open shame and confusion of face Let vs humbly confesse our sinnes into his presence and kisse his footstoole by a humble debaseing of our soules and bodies before him before whose feete the crownes of Heaven are cast downe THE SECOND PREFACE * The fire of GOD his spirit is not a painted fire which seemeth to bee that which it is not It ever hath some heat though sometimes without flamme This day wee are come before the Lord for to blow at the coale Man must blow and God will blow Man bloweth vp the spark of grace by praying servently to God God bloweth it vp by the powerfull preaching of the word outwardly and by the secret motion of his spiâ—it inwardly When God quickned Adam but a dead lump of clay scripture saith that hee breathed into his nostrils the breath of lyfe and man became a living soule * If the spirit of Iesus this day breath into our hearts he shall be vnto our soules a quickning spirit which is better than Adams living soule For as that soule it was deprived of all lyfe by sinne but where once the quickning spirit is that soule can die no more And seeing God his word is the instrument of lyfe and the power of God to salvation I intreat you all earnestly to pray from your hearts that Christ who breathed vpon his Apostles the sweete breath of the holy GHOST would also vouchsafe in some measure to blow breath vpon you and mee at this time The LORD blow into my heart and mouth the words that may saue your soules A SERMON OF PREPARATION TO THE COMMUNION PREACHED THE THIRD OF MAY 1628. THE TEXTE IOHN 6. V. 27. LABOVR not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate which endureth vnto everlasting lyfe which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for him hath God the Father sealed THE first things of the godly man are hardest his last things are best things lyke the wyne of Cana in Galilee Many are the troubles of the righteous these be his first things But the Lord delivereth them out of them all these be his last things * As the Apryle showers goe before the May flowers so must our teares trickle before our triumphs we must sweate before we climb vp the everlasting hils and sorrow before wee sing Wee must groane before we glory and we must fast before wee feast THE DIVISION OF THE TEXT IN my text is both a fast and a feast first a fast and then a feast fast from worldly things Labour not for the meate which perisheth feast vpon Heavenly things labour for the meate which endureth to lyfe everlasting c. Seeing this day of preparation is a fasting day J shall content me with the first part of my text reserving the rest vnto the day of the feast That wee may the better vnderstand this dayes text we
shall first consider breefly the whole matter of this Chapter that thereafter we may see vpon what occasion Christ teached the people the wordes of my text THE DIVISION Oâ— THE WHOLE CHAPTER THE whole Chapter whereout J haue selected this text may be devided into three parts In the first part we see a miracle of fiue thousand men fedde with fiue loaues whereof the fragments after all were satisfied did fill twelue baskets * Thus every bread did feede a thousand and all being satisfied more was left at last than at the first was set downe this is vnto verse 16 Jn the second part wee haue a miraculous walking of Christ vpon the sea of Tiberias or of Genezaret For to speake this by the way this sea was neither the Ocean nor the Mediterranean sea but a lake of fourteene or fifteene miles of length and of fiue or six miles of breadth Heere the most part of Christ his Apostles were fishers before Christ casâ—ed them to that office of this wee haue from the sixteene verse vnto the twentie and two verse The occasion of this walking was that these whom he had fedde with loaues did goe about to take him by force for to make him a King He for to be quite of them withdrew himselfe into a mountaine alone vntill evening At that tyme the disciples entered into a ship and went over that sea towards Capernaum Jesus being behind But while after they had sailed fiue and twentie or thirtie furlongs Jesus overtooke them and entered into their ship and immediatly the ship was at the land whether they went this is vnto verse 22 Jn the third part is set downe how those men whom he had fedde followed him over the sea towards Capernaum and what conference the LORD had with them after they came to him So soone as they came to him they vttered many faire wordes Rabbi said they when camest thou hither These were very faire words But what cared Christ for faire words GOD regardeth not flattering lips Burning lips and a wicked heart are lyke a potsheard covered with silver drosse * Though a mans mouth bee fired with loue toward GOD if in his breast hee hath a prophane heart hee is but a sheard in the sight of God All the colour of his devotion is not from the silver of sinceritie but from silver drosse the heart vnderneath being nothing but lyke a naughtie sheard Such one day though they were Kings and Rulers the LORD shall dash in pieâ—es lyke a potters vessell or as wee say he shall ding them all into shardes I can not goe forward vntouching this point * Many can with burning lips call Christ Rabbi whose wicked hearts are covered but with the silver drosse of hypocrisie Judas rabbied him with a kisse of burning lips hauing a traitour his heart covered with silver drosse Others esteemed him as a robber and came out against him as against a theefe and a robber Others robbed him of his garments for while Christ was crucified he hang vpon the crosse a naked man Robbers who came out against him as against a Robber robbed him of all his clothes * And what shall I say of the most part of the men that came to him heere Rabbied him but for to robbe him of his loaues To them Christ said yee followe me but for your belly yee seeke me said hee not because yee sawe the miracles but because yee did eate of the loaues and were filled The doctrine is this let men take good heed what moveth them chiefly to serue God If the motion bee from the belly it will be a slow motion * Of such may be said that which the Apostle saith of the men of Candie out of one of their owne Prophets or Poets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Cretians or men of Candie are alwayes lyers evil beasts slow bellies God and the belly can not cleaue one to another no more then the yron of Nebuchad-nezzar his image feete could bee mixed with clay Nullum horum potest esse coagulum nothing is able to make such things for to curd and joyne * Except that wee cast our bellie behind our back GOD his spirit will never dwell in our heart nor suffer vs to see his face * Hee that beginneth his prayer with giue vs this day our dayly bread hath litle care of Our Father which art in Heaven lesse vnderstandeth hee for thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory If man could truely think that GOD had a kingdome he would first seeke the kingdome of GOD being assured that GOD would cast all other things vnto him Take no thought for your life said Christ what you shall eate or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on * As for meate consider the fowles of the aire those birds in the morning chirp before God for meate and the blessed LORD openeth his pantrie and giveth to them their breakfast and after their dinner and last of all their supper which haueing gotten at night they flee to their bush as to their bed and before they put their head vnder their wings for to sleepe they chirp a litle to God againe which is their grace after meate and also a sort of evening prayer whereby they commit themselues to their makers keeping Thus as yee see the poore birds begge their foode yea â—the Lyons seeke their meate from God and God filleth them with his blessings * As for clothes behold the lillies God himselfe by the finger of nature spinneth their coats Royall robs And now in this moneth of May after a long buriall the Lord hath made them partakers of a resurrection whereby these that once did wither and ly vnder the ground like things buried are made to come out clothed in apparell pleasant to the eye for colour and perfumed with savour like the garment of Esau whose smell was like the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed * Mercifull God what vnbeleefe is this that maâ—eâ—h man so carefull for back and belly as though God did loue the fowles and flowers better than man for whom hee sent his owne Sonne to die Mercifull God what a brutish stupiditie is this that man can think that so mightie and so mercifull a God either can not or will not giue or rather cast to him that which is best both for his back and his belly Now let vs come to the wordes Labour not for the meatâ— which perisheth HEERE first I obserue a doctrine of wisedome for all those whom GOD hath appointed to teach others Learne of mee said the LORD Let the most learned sit downe at the feete of this great Gamaleel The men to whom Christ speaketh heere were men from whom hee had withdrawen him selfe because hee saw them worldly mynded Yet seeing they are come
Sole are full of boiles and sores which draw to a head which is the predominant sinne * Some haue the boile vpon the brow which scripture calleth a whoores fore-head * Others haue the botch in the neck which maketh them stretch out their necks with loftie lookes * This was the sore of the daughters of Zion they walked with outstreched necks for this cause the LORD plagued them with scabbed crownes Others haue sore eyes whose eyes are full of adulterie * Others haue scabbed eares which Scripture calleth itching eares Others haue the water-canker in their mouth which quencheth not but rather kindleth on the tongue the fire of Hell * In nothing fire and water can agree but in the hellish mouth wherein is a scolding tongue sparkling out the spittle of despight Some haue a boile in the throate whose throat is an open sepulchre blasting out the most vile belchs of blasphemie * Others haue vnder the arme hole the boile or brooke of ill thoughts * Some haue the boile on the back which is costly clothing * Others like the men of our text haue the boile on the belly which is gluttonie Passe from the crowne to the Sole from the Catarres of the fingers vnto the gout of the feete Thus as yee see in man there is nothing sound from crowne to sole but in some the corruption within breaketh out more in one part than in another * Some persons predominant sinne is the whores fore-head launce that the day and let out the putrefaction before thou presume to come to morrow to this holy table * Some haue eyes full of Adulterie cast out that vncleannesse before thou looke vpon the LORDS bread * Thou whose mouth is cankred with scolding hold out thy tongue to thy GOD and request him to launce by his spirit and his word that thy tongue now thy shame may become thy glory * Thou whose throat hath beene full of botches hold vp the gorge-pipe to the LORD intreating him to cleanse it from its sepulchrall corruptions * Thou who hast vnder thy arme hole a bag of putrified thoughts away with them cast the care of backe and belly vpon the LORD * Thy care may canker thy sores but the Lords care shall cure themâ— Thus as yee see by nature we are but vile and abhominable bodies Let vs consider our selues to day Let vs view our predominant sinnes with all their Dominions even the lesser sinnes let vs behold our selues to day in the glasse of God his law let vs seeke out our sores from the crowne to the sole and wee shall see whether or not wee bee pleasant guests for to sit downe at the King of HEAVEN his table Another doctrine I obserue heere concerning those men who followed CHRIST for loaues This is it * Seeing such a number ranne after CHRIST an abject man in the world and that but for loaues what would they haue done to another for dainties and delicate cheere * See how a loafe will make a belly-god to follow after a man like a dogge If the giver haue but a naturall benefite of the worth of a loafe hee needeth no more to a naturall man but a hisse Seeing such men will thus follow for loanes what would they doe for Kingdomes * Satan thought that CHRIST had beene a man come to seeke himselfe in the world and therefore for to allure him to come to his service hee offered him all the kingdomes of the world But CHRIST who knew what hee had in Heaven chased Sathan away with all his earthly kingdomes * The vse of this Doctrine is that we follow the LORD for nothing so much as for himselfe Indeede all his benefits should allure vs to followe him but the maine cause of our followeing should bee himselfe * I am that I am should bee followed for that which hee is In their followeing Christ for loaues for which they were reproued I gather a Doctrine of greate reproofe for Scotland While wee heare of those men that followed Christ onely for loaues like Dogges followeing a man for bread yee thinke not well of them and indeede they are branded heere with a shamefull reproch that they followed the Lord more for bread than for himselfe But what if wee find more matter of shame in Scotland than was in Capernaum Those that came to Capernaum followed the Lord because he gaue to them aboundance of bread * Scotland hath runne a way from the Lord because hee hath giuen to them aboundance of bread diuerse called his blessings the plague of plentie the whole land gruged at the graces of God many not onely gaue not thankes to the Father of mercies but cried that hee would curse their mother the earth that henceforth she should become barren * Wee haue dishonoured God our Father we haue cursed our Mother in this Land and all this was because God had multiplied our loaues * In this wee are worse than those of Capernaum for aboundance of meat made them to follow after Christ but aboundance of meate hath made vs to runne away from Christ Except that particularly wee repent vs of this Sinne the Lord either by another Famine more fearefull then ever we did feele or by some forraine warre shall so depriue vs of our plentie and scourge vs with such a scarcitie which shall make all the eares of EVROPE to tingle Are there any Mothers in this land more tender hearted than were the mothers of Israel the daughters of Sarah Yet some of them in their hunger did eate their owne Children * The little ones came to their mother with a pitifull voice crying Where is breade and drinke and after swoned and than died That done the tender hearted mothers did eate the tender flesh of their yong Children which they nourished on their breasts * That which they before had fedde nine moueth into their bellys they put into their mouths and stomacks for the feeding of their bellyes * Yea the mother which for the distresse of Famine had parted with child tooke vp the child that was of a spanne long which she did eate in her great distresse * O what a scarcitie behoved this to bee which made the naturall mother so farre to passe the bounds of nature and all for a spanne long of flesh This moued leremie the man that sawe those afflictions to cry My eyes doe faile with teares my bowels are troubled my liver is powred vpon the earth Because wee haue not seene such afflictions wee thinke that such can not bee neither haue beene but that the lamentations of God his Booke are but fained Tragedies or painted Sorrowes invented for to make others to mourne at the reading and seeing thereof like Children that will weepe at the hearing of a pitifull tale The meate
duetie but let them not labour for to keepe that which hath Wings * I compare all worldly things in mens hands to a Wild Sparrowe put into a Child his hand Hee will hold it by the wing and whiles by the foot and whiles by the neb But in the meanetime while hee is least aware it flieth out of his hand and for all the annuell of his pleasures yea both for stocke and brocke hee hath nothing left but a regrate of losse * So long as worldly thinges are stobfeathered and haue as wee say but the padocke haire they will lye still into our hands for a space they will tarie with vs But tarrie a little till their feathers bee growne and they shall take themselves to their flight * Some are more prime running away with the Tewcheit or lapwing so soone as they are hatched They leaue not so much behind them as the shell wherein they were contained When the foolish man thinketh to find a full nest all the birds of his hope are away and not so much as the shell of appearance left behind * Mercifull God what a stupiditie is this wee see this dayly and yet wee can not considder wee see others make such losse wee see all sorts of things perire to perish and passe thorow and yet wee think that what wee haue shall for ever tarrie with vs. * I compare most men to keene players at Cardes and Dyce They see others spend all their packe before them and yet they can not dreame that their packe can perish This folie is seene in a greater matter more worthie to be laid to our hearts * Wee heare of death dayly and will not bee wakened out of our immortall dreame If men would well considder the mortalitie of this life and how it is but a vapour and as a tale that is told they would not so toile for a tale labouring night and day with carking cares for things which shall perish and flie away as a dreame One word before I end Dearely beloved yee haue heard how I in my weake measure of gift haue beene like * Iohn the Baptist this day preparing the way of the LORD by removing out of your hearts the thornie cares of all worldly things that to morrow yee may bee worthy communicants and that the KING of Glory may enter into your hearts Now I exhort you in the name of IESUS that this whole day ye carefully and painefully labour in the preparation of your hearts that to morrow yee may bee worthie guests at the table of your LORD Labour this day I intreat you to search out all your sins of thoughts words works whereof yee are guiltie since yee can remember * Labour to search what good or ill intentions yee haue for times to come and what sorrow yee haue for your bygone ill spent lyfe Labour labour in this This is GOD his worke and woe to him that shall doe it negligently * Wee must first then labour for to trye out our sinnes after that we haue found them out wee must mourne for them wee must confesse them abhorre them detest them and wrestle with GOD in prayer till hee seale vp the pardon thereof into our hearts * Wee must in this our preparation day labour to shake off vs all the old clouts and ragges of our sinnes and to put on vs all our spirituall jewels that therewith bee-beeing decked wee may come to morrow to the royall feast of the great King * Brethren and Sisters I intreat you to considder that this day of our preparation must be a day of painefull labouring with God for his favour for the sanctifieng of our soules that worthily wee may come to that royall feast seeing CHRIST and his ANGELS will bee at the table for to behold and considder vs to morrowe wee must this day carefully wash deck and trimme ourselues that wee may be pleasant in their presence where such heavenly eyes shall behold us All this day must bee spent in such labour * If idlely we neglect this duetie wee haue to feare a more painefull labour viz. laborare morbo the hard labour of God his wrath and of many painfull and fearefull diseases yea and death it selfe For this cause saith the Apostle Many are weake and sickly amongst you and many sleepe The LORD graunt that everie one of vs may in sinceritie of heart labour to prepare and purifie our selues and that according to the purification of the Sanctuary Amen Amen A WATCH-WORD FOR ALL COMMVNICANTS BEFORE THEY come to the supper of the LORD AS for you Brethren and Sisters that are to communicate to morrow yee shall see the remembrance of that which the Sunne in the Heavens could not behold for doole viz. the bloody passion of our LORD * This passion was so sore that the Sunne the eye of the world overclouded himselfe and as it were winked vntill the vnspeakable torments of CHRISTS death were past then were the Heavens covered with a vaile of sacke then the earth shooke * The stones the bones of the earth were rent at the racking of the bones of GOD the rememberance whereof should make hearts of stone to cleaue asunder To morrow deare Brethren and Sisters we are for to eate with Christ * Yea tomorrow wee are for to â—ate of Christ who is both the feast and the Feast-maker To morrow wee are all for to sit at his table where he will narrowly behold and clearely consider the faces of our soules and therefore wee must take care this day that our Soules bee washen and baptized with the truest teares of repentance * I read of Iames and Iohn while they were vnchristned men for to speake so that is not baptized they desired the one to sit at CHRISTS right hand and the other at his left But the LORD told them that before such sitting downe it behoved them to bee baptized with the baptisme of afflictions Hee and hee onely that is partaker of this Baptisme to day shall bee made partaker of GODS Supper to morrow As for these that are not baptized with teares of griefe before they sit downe at Table the LORD hath sworne that they shall not partake of his feast * They may well eate panem Domini the LORDS bread but they shall never taste panem Dominum the LORD bread It shall therefore bee our wisdome that everie one of vs bee busie to prepare his owne heart to decke trim his soule before hee approach vnto this TABLE for to appeare before his GOD * As Ioseph was trimmed and powled before he would appeare before Pharaoh so must euery soule haue the Wedding garment before it present it selfe before the LORD at his Banket Take heede what I say This day is our preparation day A day wherein wee must provide that wherewith wee must come before the LORD to morrow
Manna whose taste was like wafers made with honey If hitherto thou hast not knowen the sweetnesse thereof Now taste and see how good is the LORD David saith that his word is sweeter than the honey and the honey combe * â—s his word so sweete O how sweete then must hee himselfe bee which is the cause of all that Sweetnesse O the Sweetnesse of GOD in this Sacrament of the Supper If we could taste it we would wonder at its taste O the goodnesse of this bread which is panis domiâ—ius the bread LORD * This bread LORD carieth such a vertue with it that it maketh the bread of the LORD the outward element to haue a sweeter relish in the mouth of the receiuer then commoun bread Likewise that wine being receiued by faith hath a more sauourie taste to the worthy communicant then drunkards can find in their Belshazzars Cuppes at their greatest feasts * The tongue of man can not expresse the sweetnesse of this spirituall banket wherevnto yee are invited this day Is not this a banket of loue which sweetneth all things None must gloume here vpon another None must haue any grudge at another This is a feast of friendship The spouse in the Canticlâ—s speaking of CHRIST his banket saith Hee brought mee to the banketing house and his banner over me was loue Behold how so soone as the spouse came in the feasting house CHRIST cast a banner over her a banner of loue * Wee come to this feast alas with banners of pride the greatest enemie of loue Behold while this loue Banner was cast ouer the spouse she fell sicke into the banketing-house Passa est deliquium animi she swouned for loue while one is like to swoune others will cry for wine for to vphold the failing spirits so did this spouse while shee found her selfe so ravished with loue that her heart beganne to faint stay mee with flaggons said shee Comfort mee with apples for I am sicke of loue See how shee cryed for a flaggon of wine for to drinke and for apples of comfort for to savour whereby her heart might bee strengthened in the sicknesse of loue Now wee are into the LORD his banqueting house the feast will bee ready anone * Let vs intreat the LORD that hee would couer vs all together heere with the Banner of his loue whereby wee may be moved to loue GOD aboue all things and our neighbours as our selfe till thy Soule bee inwrapped in this Banner see that thou come not to this Table But so soone as thou shalt find thy heart sicken with the loue of him then make hast to the Table let thy Soule then cry for meate and for a drinke of GOD his flaggons Cry for it and hee shall giue thee the sweetest drinke that ever thy Soule dranke I say the sweetest for seeing the sicknesse of loue is so sweete how sweete must that drinke bee which healeth the Soule of such sicknesse What I say of drinke that I say of meate O the sweetnesse of that spirituall meate * If a man hath eaten Cannell or Anise his breath will bee sweete and pleasant thereafter A man also who truely hath eaten CHRIST his breath in his words will savour more sweetly than Cinnamon O the sweete savour of godlinesse which is the savour of GOD himselfe * By the savour of your breath it shall bee knowne heereafter what yee haue eaten this day Yee who shortly after the Communion begin to raiâ—e scold lye and braule beguile not your selues these rotten words are but stinking belchs which proceede from the rotten meate of damnation If the bread Lord this meate whereof heere is mention were in such mens hearts the savour of life would bee in their words for wordes doe proceede from that whereof there is abundance in the heart I pray you to remember that this meate for which CHRIST biddeth labour is a meate most sweete That which is sweete worketh vpon two senses often viz. vpon the savour and the taste Wee say of a flower it hath a sweete savour and wee say of hony it hath a sweete taste The sweetnesse both of fauour and taste concurreth in this meate of my Text The meate is CHRIST who is both of a sweete savour and of a sweete taste As for his savour it is excellent like that of the Rose and that of the Lillie I am the Rose of Sharon said hee and the Lillie of the Valleyes * The garments of his righteousnesse are all perfumed with Celestiall Muske Blind Isaac finding a smell of Esau his garment rejoyced Before hee would blesse him hee cryed for savoury meate Hee was blind and could not see it and therefore behoved to make choice by the savour * A hungry man passing by a doore where excellent meats are will rejoice and bee comforted with the smell thereof the reeke thereof will delight his heart If thy Soule O man be a hungrie Soule to day in this the Lords his banketinghouse thou shall find such a sweete savour of this meate as shall comfort thy heart * The reeke of CHRIST his body broken and prepared to bee meate to thy Soule and the reeke of his blood comming out of his wounds shall refresh thee so that thou shall wonder what a vertue it can bee All the dearest dainties of this world are nothing but stink and corruption in comparison of the sweete savour of CHRIST his crucified body There is in Him the savour of the rose and of the Lillie Spiknard aloes and Cassia * All the perfume of Heaven is in Him It is Hee who maketh all the HEAVENS like a Paradise of flowers O the savour of our SAVIOUR the savour of lyfe vnto lyfe * O that savour of life a living savour that maketh a dead soule to liue a life which can not bee taken away by death The second Wholesome VVEE haue heard of the first propertie of this meate for which CHRIST willeth vs to labour it is sweete The second is that it is wholesome sanctificat sanat it maketh holy and it maketh whole * Holinesse is only true health This meate is both meate and medicine for it both feedeth and healeth the Soule * In my judgment in this world there is not a more powerfull mâ—anes for to bee cured of the disseases of the Soule then first a reverend and carefull hearing of the word and then a frequent and well prepared taking of the Sacrament Beleeue what I say This I will say behold that bread vpon the Table with a faithfull eye and a sight of that bread shall heale thy wounds * Shall the sight of a brasen serpent set vpon a pole a law ceremonie be so powerfull for healing the deadly byte of a Serpent and shall the ceremonie of the Gospell be of a lesse vertue * I will tell thee O man if thou hast any sorte of earnest