our hearts and fruitlesse in our lyues Giue vs for thy good names sake circumcised and sanctified eares Giue vs also circumcised and sanctified soules that when thou speakes vnto vs by thy trueth preached wee may reverently attentiuely and obediently and when wee send vp to the our GOD the Sacrifice of our supplications it may proceede from that solide faith and sincere fâ—rvencie which be commeth thy elect with-hold not from vs O fountaine of grace With-hold not thâ— spirit of grace which thou hast promised to all these that in humility doe aske the same Remember not against vs our by-past manifold iniquities whereby from time to time wee doe offend thee and griâ—ue thy holy spirit O our GOD cast all our sinnes behind thy back and looke in the face of thine anointed our Aduocate at thine owne right hand the LORD IESVS Graunt for his sake that so many as be heere now present may feele forcibly that Heavenly fire of the inward Teacher to come downe and enter into their hearts to inlighten and purge them to change and renewe them more and more till last it shall please thee in mercie to compleete in them the worke of grace and crowne the same with endlesse glory Finally seeing it is thy holy wil and accustomed working to imploy the weake ministrie of mortall and sinnefull men in carrying the great and weighty message of thy holy word let it please thee to strengthen and assist mee that both in fidelitie and wisedome and sinceritie I may expresse and vtter the Heavenly oracles to these who in humilitie shall aske the same Waken vp also their hearts and Consciences that as good and well prepared ground rightly they may receiue the immortall seede of thy trueth and heereafter bring foorth such good fruit as may glorifie thy thy blessed name adorne and beautifie their Christian profession edifie others by good example of life and certifie more and more their owne conscience that they are called effectually to bee heires of life through the Lord IESUS our blessed Saviour in whose name c. Our Father c. A Prayer fitted to the state of one that is neere the doores of death QVicken vs O LORD and we will call vpon thy name Let the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart bee acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength aâ—d our Redeemer O Father of mercyes which hast the keyes of death and of the graue at thy command thou rulest all that is aboue and belowe Thy mercy is euer aboue all thy workes O Lord mercy is with Thee that thou mayest bee feared Mercy also is with Thee that thou mayest bee loued yea and mercy is with Thee that Sinners may bee saued Thy word is pure and plaine that thou art plenteous in mercy to all that call vpon Thee Now for the sake of thy Sonne let it please Thee to pardon and pitie this poore tremâ—ling weake hearted sinner now drawing neere the jawes of death into which hee is euen now ready to fall Let it please Thee to seale fast vp in his heart the full remission of all his transgressions of thought word and worke Say vnto his Soule I am thy Salvation There is nothing that can pacifie thy wrath or allay the qualmes of his Conscience except onely the purging and purifing blood of thy Lamb the LORD IESVS who came into this world for to saue Sinners Let that blood of sprinkling by its diuine vertue make all his sinnes though double died in crimson colour to become white like Wooll and Snowe Thou who by the touching of thy garment suffred a HEAVENLY healing vertue to goe out for the curing of that bloodie fluxe bind not vp now the vertues and powers of thy mercy from this Soule sore yerning for thy â—auour In this last conflict of the last Battell of his Soule so sinewe him with thy grace and so support and vnderprop him by the strength of thy loue that in his greatest weakenesse he may find thy grace sufficient for him As his naturall strength shall decay let spirituall courage increase Thou desirest trueth in the inward parts put thou into his heart that which thou desires O thou whose most merciefull heart is ever turned within Thee and whose compassions are euer most cheerefully rolled together at the â—hing of the prisoner Take notice 〈◊〉 the sighs and grones of this thy Servant now in the extremitie of anguisâ— Sathan now is come to his tast onset the feare of death and the terrours of the graue are now in Battell array against him Now LORD confound Satan the ring leader of all his enemies Suffer him not to preuaile against him for whom thy Sonne hath suffered death Let his Soule know that thou hast disarmed death of its sting and that death is no more death but a sleepe to all the friends of CHRIST who hath plucked out the sting thereof Let neither the grips of death nor the greifes of the graue dismay him Let him know that by thy Resurection thou hast so ouercome the graue that thou hast made it a resting bed to each one walking in his vprightnesse How great or greeuous so ever the assaults of his enemies bee make him still hold him fast by Thee When flesh and heart and all shall faile him be thou then the strength of his heart and his portion for euer Behold hee hath none in Heaven buâ— Thee and there bee none on earth whome he desires besids Thee disappoint him not LORD Seeing hee trusts in The let his Soule rejoyce in thy Comforts as one that findeth a great spoile Make him now turne his backe vpon all worldly desires as Hezekiah did when hee turned his face to the wall Make the hope of Glory so strong within him that all that is heere belowe were it never so specious or precious may seeme to him Dirt and Dung in comparison thereof As the time of his departure shall approach so let his soule drawe neerer vnto thee that gaue it by breathing it into his nosthirls So long as it shall please thee that it remaine within him worke Heavenly motions in his heart that as the Hart panteth after the water brookes so may his Soule pant after that Riuer the streames whereof make glad the Citie of God We conclude all our confused sutes with the perfection of the paterne of all prayers â—â—ying as our LORD hath taught vs Our Father which art c. A prayer at the verie point of death NOW LORD it is tyme to help when breath begins to faile at â—he last dints of death All diseases are from thee and to thee belong the issues of death Now behold thy Servant heere in the very pangs and throes thereof The shadowe of death is now vpon his eye lids The appointed time of his changing is now come that thou wilt like a weauer cut off
to him hee instructeth them first what they should not doe and after what they should doe yea before hee came to them with instructions he reproveth them boldly in the face as Paul withstood Peter declaring plainely vnto them that they walked not vprightly because they sought after GOD more for their belly then for himselfe The vse let vs learne of Christ heerehow we should proceed with carnall men wee whom the Lord hath appointed to bee teachers in his Church * First of all we must proceede against them with reprofes proofes malo nodo malus cuneus for a hard knot wee must prepare a harde wedge * The law with its threatnings must goe before the Gospell like a needle making way to the threede It is great wisedome for teachers first to thunder downe the high corruptions of nature in those that are not cast downe for their sinnes Every mountaine hill shall bee brought low Prophane hearts must not at the first bee dawbed with faire words but rather dashed with reproofes Woe to them that stroake knaues heads for that is to spill them and to bring the guilt of their blood vpon the teachers head when the fester is begunne the Surgeon must cut * The Lord himselfe teached his Prophet Elijah how to teach his stif-necked people and that by the forme of his comming vnto him at Horeb for to giue warning to the Prophet of his comming hee sent before him three grimme and austere messengers The first was a great and strong wind which rent the mountaines and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord After the wind came an earthquake The third was a fire After those three the spirit of God came into a still small voice It is so that Pastours must procede with a stubburne people the tempests of wrath must blow first with a galewind and after with fearefull threatnings the rebellious hearts must bee shaken as with an Earthquake Jf all that moue not the preacher must open vp Hell and let wicked soules see those vnquenchable brimstone flammes of fire smoking with fearefull vengeance * It is so that we must come to the tryall of our selues this day in our Christian examination let first the wind of Gods word threatning our sinnes rent the rockes of our hearts After that wee must feele an Earthquake viz a heartquake After that our hearts haue beene shaken as with a mighty wind and after that they haue quaked for feare if all that worke not wee must consider the fearefull flammes wherewith the wicked shall be scorcthed the cause of everlasting weeping gnashing of teeth * Such a soule as is shaken with winds and quaketh for feare and trembleth at the fire of God his ' wrath is most meete to meete with God into the calme * Wee must doe with our selues this day as Joseph did with his brethren at their first meeting it is said that that hee spake roughly vnto them Wee must speake roughly this day against our selues if we would haue God to speake meekly to vs to morrow * Wee must deest our ill thoughts words deeds with many a fy fy fy wee must strike with the Publican vpon our breast where all the mischeefe was bredde and must strike with Ephraim vpon our thigh which caried vs to the effectuating of our wicked projects * yea must hold an assise and justice Court within our conscience where wee must first judge and thereafter condemne our selues if wee would haue God to absolue vs. Christ first spake roughly to the Cananitish woman calling her a dogge but after hee had made her content to creepe for a crum like a dogge vnder his table hee comforted her with wonderfull comforts wondring himselfe at her faith * The order of GOD his proceding wâ—th his owne children is first to sing of mercy and after of judgment if the song of mercy moue not But because of our stubburnesse often the Lord must turne his tune and first of all sing of judgment That done so soone as by reproofes rough speaches hee hath affraighted vs and humbled our hearts he being touched with their dolours is so moved that hee can no more refraine from discovering himselfe vnto vs he cryeth out to our soules I am Ioseph J am Iesus your brother come neere to mee I pray you * Before this bee done all our ill devises lyke the Aegyptians must remoue and pack themselues to the doore * As Ioseph would not reveale himselfe vnto his brethren so long as the Aegyptians were into the chamber of the house neither will Christ reveale himselfe in mercy to the soule so long as the black Aegyptians of reigning sinnes remaine within the house of our hearts * Againe let vs consider heere those men did only follow Christ for loaues They sought nothing but bread and yet behold heere they get better than bread viz. instructions from CHRIST first what they should not labour for Secondly what they should labour for The doctrine is this what ever consideration moveth a man to follow Christ it is good ever to follow Christ. Those men followed him only for their belly and behold how hee feedeth their soules by the preaching of the word instructing them for what they should not labour and for what they should labour * J am assured that Christ never preached but some soule gat good Hee who made poore fisher men fishors of men could best fish men himselfe The Apostles might cast their nets and catch nothing but Christ never toiled without any taking Though at the beginning while CHRIST preached vpon my text his auditors cared for nothing but their belly J am assured that before his Sermon was ended some of them cast their bellyes behind their backs for to seeke the food of their * There is not a preaching preached but some gracious pickle falleth vpon some heart lyke well prepared ground * The preaching of the word is like sowing when the sower hath put his sheete about his necke he casteth the seed from him not thinking that every pickle that commeth ' out of his hand shall take root No not Some fall vpon stones some vpon the way some among thornes scarsly doth the fourth pickle of that which was sowen come to the sheafe for the hope of the fourth pickle the sower will bee content to losse three the fourth by its incresse being able to cause him sing when he shall bring his sheaues with him * As the sower singeth for joy while he reapeth the incresse but of the fourth so must the Teacher be glad if every fourth word of his sermon doe good if the fourth person be touched yea which is more as GOD for the loue of one would haue spared lerusalem so the Teacher for the loue of one though in all his flock he should haue but one good man yet for the loue of
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
* If wee doe well this day must be vnto vs all a very painefull day even a day of Battell against all the pleasures that ever wee had in sinne since we could discerne good from ill In this day wee must trye and search carefully all the secrets of our hearts * This is the time wherein wee must keepe an Assise against our selues both for to judge and condemne our selues * In a word wee must all take such paines in sifting out all our bypast iniquities that the LORD may say of vs as hee said of the woman that broke the Boxe of ointment vpon his head Shee hath done what shee could Good Brethren and Sisters What yee can doe doe What yee can not doe pray GOD to doe it and to pardon you your impossibility * I beleeue said that poore man with teares that is all that I can doe but I beleeue not as I should and therefore LORD helpe thou myne vnbeleefe Let vs all bee earnest to intreat GOD to giue vs grace to doe what wee can doe and what wee can not doe that hee would pitie vs and pardon vs. I reade that in the dayes of Hezekiah a number of the people which had not cleansed themselues did eate the Passcover otherwise then it was written But what befell them I pray you Many of them were troubled with sore sickenesse * But how were they cured of these diseases It is said that Hezekiah prayed for them The good LORD said hee pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke GOD the LORD GOD of his Fathers though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary Now what was the fruite of that prayer This was it The LORD hearkned to Hezekiah and healed the people That which the Passover was to them the LORDS Supper is vnto vs even a Sacrament appointed by GOD for the sealing vp of our Salvation If wee eate this supper otherwise then it is written let vs looke for diverse diseases For this cause saith the Apostle Many are weake and sickely amongst you and many sleepe that is die Let vs therefore as we would desire our bodies health and our soules Salvation prepare ourselues to meete the LORD to morrow There is none of vs I confesse that can prepare himselfe according to the preparation of the Sanctuary nor cleanse himselfe according to its purification No Soule can bee so well prepared and purified as GOD in his Sanctuary requireth * But this I dare be bold to say that the good LORD shall pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seeke GOD though hee bee not so cleansed as the purification of the Sanctuary requireth GODS word is plaine that GOD is mercifull Hee hath sworne by his life that He deligteth not in the death of sinners * He hath sent his word for to tell vs that If wee will judge our selues wee shall not bee judged * Yea such is his mercy that while wee are chastised with sicknesse or death for our carelesse preparation he maketh all that to worke to our well for when wee are judged wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not bee condemned with the world Now good people not knowing if ever after this yee shall heare or I teach another Preparation Sermon in this place let me conclude all with that adew of S t. Paul said to the elders of Ephesus at Miletum I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified Passe the rest of this day in a serious meditation of your owne miserie and of the bloodie agonie of IESUS our Master who out of loue to vs hang vpon a cursed tree for to purchase vnto vs the everlasting blessings of his Father To whom with the Sonne of his loue and with the Spirit of Comforts bee Glory and Majestie Dominion and Power now and ever Amen A SERMON FOR THE DAY OF THE SACRAMENT IOHN 6. v. 27. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate which endureth to everlasting lyfe which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for Him hath GOD the FATHER sealed THIS TEXT in my former Sermon was divided into a Fast and a Feast First heere is a Fast and then a Feast The fast is from carking care Labour not for the meate which perisheth Fast from that The feast is for the soule a banket of meate which feedeth to life everlasting Feast vpon that Take paines and labour for it This whole TEXT seemeth to runne vpon a Sabbath of rest and vpon fore working and labour The first part is a Sabbath and rest from labours Labour not for the meate which perisheth The second hath a commandement of worke Labour for the meate which endureth to lyfe everlasting As for GOD his Sabbath which is a discharge of labour a resting from toiling I read in Scriptures of three sortes therof First there is one on earth enjoyned by GOD his law a day of rest In it saith GOD thou shalt doe no manner of worke This is the lawes Sabbath The second is the Gospel Sabbath which is a continuall resting from carking cares This is enjoyned heere labour not for the meate c. This precept is for our whole lifetime * There is not one day of the weeke that GOD will dispense with any for to labour in this sort The third Sabbath is inâ—o the heavens an eternall rest from all worldly toiling and sweat of browes the paines of sinne of all that are there is said that they are blessed yea saith the spirit for thy rest from their labours As there bee three sortes of rest first of the law secondly of the Gospell Thirdly of the HEAVENS so there bee three sortes of labour first there is one enioyned by the law a labour laide vpon all the sonnes of Adam to them it is enioyned sixe dayes in the weeke to winne their meat with the sweat of their browes * Cursed is that meat which is not sawsed with sweete Bitter is that bread which is not sweetned with the sweete of browes The Second labour is Gospell labour a continuall labour Labour for the meat which endureth This is enjoyned in the second part of this Text This is our spirituall exercise painfull to flesh and blood in the best The third labour is Heauenly which shall bee our exercise in the life to come * That labour shall bee sweete without sweate pleasant without paine This labour is an everlasting praising of GOD without ceasing which is so easy and so pleasant to the praisers that Scripture calleth it a resting from our labours It is of the second sorte of labour whereof wee haue heere the command it is an Evangelicall labour which is heere commanded by the LORD labour saith hee for the meate which endureth to
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
grace This much for clearing of diuers difficulties concerning sealing in the Scriptures Wee haue already heard how man is said to seale GOD his trueth how GOD is said to seale man both outwardly and inwardly In this my Text wee haue particularly to considder how GOD is said to Seale his Sonne CHRIST IESUS of whom it is said heere Him hath GOD the Father sealed The LORD IESUS as is well remarked by the excellent Divines hath beene sealed by the Father diuersely First hee may bee said to haue beene sealed by the Father because in him was the Character the ingrauen image of the Father his person that is as a learned Interpreter saith Persona quae personam pairis ad amussim refert Sicut imago cerae impressa ad amussim refert imaginem inâ—culptam sigillo The sense is this The person of the Father is like that image which is ingrauen into a seale of Siluer or Gold and the person of the Sonne is like that image in the waxe which is sealed by the seale of gold According to this CHRIST the second person of the Trinitie is said to bee sealed into an vnspeakeable manner by the Father because in him is the essentiall image of the Father Secondly CHRIST was sealed by GOD when hee was anointed with the oyle of grace and gladnesse aboue his fellowes GOD the Father at that anointing powred into CHRIST man his spirituall giftes and graces without measure All the treasures of grace were stored vp into him Wee all haue receiued of his fullnesse The fulnesse of GOD in him was a Seale whereby both in his Words and Workes hee was knowne to be more than man for as by his enemies confession never man spake as hee spake which was the worde Seale S. which his enemies could not denye hee did among them the workes which no other man could doe this was his worke Seale Thirdly GOD the Father sealed our Saviour when by his testimonie from Heaven hee declared to the world that hee was his beloued sonne in whom hee was well pleased The Sealing properly vnderstood heere as Beza thinketh denoteth two things first that GOD endowed him with such a verture whereof the like was in no other creature for in him the fulnesse of the Godhead and essentiall image of the Father did so visibly appeare that who sawe him did see the Father Secondly by the Sealing of CHRIST by the Father hee vnderstandeth a commission from the Father giuen vnto him for to come to the world and reconceale all repenting sinners to their GOD This opinion he hath from Cyrillus S. Chrysostome and Theophylactus referre this Sealing of the Sonne of man by the Father to the testimonies whereby the Father from Heaven declared him to bee his Sonne particularly in those words This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased This also wee must consider that the glorious workes of Christ wherein the infinite vertue of GOD did appeare were as a Seale declareing to the world that God the Father had appointed that man to bee the Saviour of the world Piscator interpreteth the word Sealed after this maner Obsignauit saith he est Metaphora sumpta ab ijs qui quos mittunt eorum authoritatem obsignato diplomate sanciunt that is sealing heere is a metaphore or forme of speach taken from these that confirme the authoritie of these whom they send by a sealed charter or patent * According to this the Father is said to haue sealed CHRIST when hee sent him with a confirmed authoritie to declare his will and to giue gifts vnto man on earth as who were â—ent with a Kings patent to any of his dominions for effectuating his Maiesties businesse So as one saith learnedly Obsignatio haec est approbatio vt ita dicam authentisatio That is this sealing of CHRIST is an approuing and alloweing of him by authoritie for to giue that meat which feedeth to euerlasting life The doctrine I obserue heere is a doctrine of comfort for all Christians Behold heere Christ our Saviour a sealed Sauiour a Saviour whom the King of Heaven hath sealed by giuing him full commission and power for to saue all wearied soules that will come vnto him The vse of this doctrine is that what ever wee want in this lyfe that is needfull either for soule or body let vs seeke it from him with all boldnesse in all confidence to receiue Behold him heere sealed for to assure the world that for this end hee is come downe to the world to giue life eternall to all these that will labour for it in seeking it from hâ—m by humble prayers * When the Egyptians were distressed by Famine they all ranne to Ioseph because they knewe that the King had giuen to him his ring and had sealed him for to guide the whole Land what they did to Ioseph let vs doe to IESVS whom the Father of Heaven the great KING of the whole world hath sealed and approued by words and workes by gifts and by graces without measure Let euery emptie Soule come vnto him and receiue of his fulnesse even grace for grace The LORD grant vs all this grace To our GOD Father Sonne and holy Ghost bee Glory and Maiestie Dominion and power for now and ever Amen DIVERSE PRAYERS FOR DIVERSE NECESSITIES OF THE SAINTS Non vox sed votum non chordula musica sed cor Non clamans sed amans cantat in ore DEI. This haue I thus englished Not voice but wish not sounding harp but heart Not cryes but loue haue in GODS eare a part A NOTABLE PRAYER OF THAT FAITHFVLL SERVANT OF GOD M. IOHN BELL Minister of Glasgow which ordinarly hee vseth before Sermon WEE are heere assembled in thy presence O blessed Father according to thine owne commandement to seeke thy gratious face What are wee O Lord whom thou should admit to come into thy presence who not onely are dust and ashes but also that which is worse vncleane and sinnefull wretches vnworthy wee confesse to behold the Heaven farre lesse to offer and present our speaches and prayers to thee who art the GOD of HEAVEN Yet it hath pleased thee in mercie to graunt vnto vs this accesse and liberty that wee may come before the Throne of grace Holy Father teach our hearts with a religious feare and an humble reverence towards thy diuine Maiestie in whose sight and presence now we are Remoue from vs the impediments which are great and many and which suffer vs not to drawe so neere to thee our GOD as wee should as wee would Take from vs this vaile of darkenesse which still by nature covers the eyes of our minds Remoue the foolishnesse and the vanitie of our worldly prophane and wandring cogitiations as also that hardnesse and securitie that deadnesse and dulnesse of spirit that â—urketh in vs and that maketh thy holy word so oft powerlesse in