things that serue but eyther to feede and sustaine the body or to glorifie the person of the outward man doe no more but bring the body to the graue or earth from whence it was taken but contrarily spirituall foode the word of God doth feede and preserue the soule to eternall life and bring it into the hands of God againe who made it and infused it into the body Secondly this spirituall foode is declared by the Author and giuer thereof which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you Hee calleth himselfe the Sonne of man not purposely to signifie vnto them that he is the Son of Adam Abraham Dauid Mary but heereby hee intimateth his godhead vnto them recalling them from the view of his man-hood to the consideration of his God-head and of both in the one person of Christ In Math. 9. 6. hee saith The sonne of man hath power on earth to forgiue sinnes Now to forgiue sinne is proper to God alone Heere therefore he plainely confesseth himselfe to be God on earth Againe Iohn 3. 13. hee saith No man ascendeth into heauen but the sonne of man which is in heauen here he manifestly sheweth that he is man in heauen This amazeth the eyes and astonisheth the vnderstanding of the world how hee is God on earth and man in heauen at one and the same time That he was man on earth the world saw yea with contemptuous and scornfull eyes looking onely on his outward appearance Mat. 13. 35. And that God is in heauen it knoweth but it neyther seeth nor knoweth how the God head should be on the earth and the man-hood in heauen much lesse how they both should be vnited in the one person of Christ This difficulty is thus manifested and declared First the body of Christ was formed of the sanctified substance of the Virgin and without the knowledge of man that his reasonable soule might come to an vndefiled vessell instrument or body and that which Salomon speaketh of himselfe Wisd 8. 20. hyperbolically is truly spoken of Christ yea rather being good I came to vndefiled body Secondly the humane soule of Christ was sanctified and replenished with the gifts of the spirit aboue measure to bee a fitting instrument for the God-head And the God-head tooke the manhood vnto it thus preparing sanctifying and furnishing it So that the God-head and man-hood without confusion of the one with the other doe make one person without diuision of the one from the other Now by vertue of this vnion and communication of the two distinct natures that is of the God-head and man-hood with their properties and actions in one person hee being man on earth may be said to be in heauen that is in respect of the person to which the God-head is inseparably communicated which is in heauen and euery where And this is Christ the son of God on earth and Christ the Sonne of man in heauen which I further illustrate by this similitude First the light was before the starre of the Sunne was made For three dayes and three nights were already passed and the starres were made on the fourth day Gen. 1. 14. So the God-head of Christ was before the manhood which was incarnate in the yeare of the world 3962. Secondly the light assumed and tooke this starre to it which both make one Sunne yet is the starre one thing and the light another but by indiuisible vnion of their substances they make one Sunne euen so the God-head tooke the manhood vnto it which both make one Christ yet is the God-head one thing and the man-hood another but by vnion of both in one person they make one Christ Thirdly the body of the Sunne is little at least in our eyes but the light is vnmeasurable comprehending and filling both the Sunne and all things to the vtmost circle of the highest world so the body of Christ is for quantity like to ours but his God-head is infinite comprehending and filling both the man-hood and all things infinitely Fourthly though the body of the Sunne be in the firmament yet wee may say that the Sunne is heere or there because the light thereof is in this or that place yea the vitall power also whereby euery thing doth liue and mooue which is not separable from the Sunne but beeing rooted in the same is deriued and extended thence into all places yet we say not heere or there is the starre of the Sunne not making the starre but the Sunne to be in euery place Euen so though the man-hood of Christ bee now in heauen yet is Christ in earth and all places as himselfe saith Wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together in my name there am I in the middest Againe Loe I am with you till the end of the world Not that the man-hood should be with them on earth as them it was which being ascended and glorified must bee contained in heauen till the day of iudgement but that Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be with them So that to conclude this point Christ God and man in respect of his God-head is euery where and Christ God and man in respect of the man-hood is in heauen and no where else Thus much of the author and giuer of this foode Moreouer this authority and office of the Sonne is confirmed by the principall cause thereof for him hath the Father sealed God the Father decreed in his euerlasting counsell the office of mediation of the Sonne and called him heereunto with an euerlasting calling as hee is the Sonne of God but from the wombe of his Mother as hee is man This is the character seale and expresse image of God wherewith the Father hath sealed him euen all authority and power with all infinite celestiall and spirituall gifts Now this euerlasting calling which is executed in and by the man-hood appeareth to the world by his doctrine and miracles the authority power and maiesty of the God-head shining in his person beeing the splendour and brightnesse of the glory of his Father Seeing that Christ alone is the spence or storehouse of spirituall foode wee learne whether wee are to repaire for bread in our spirituall hunger and thirst Hee alone is the bread of God that came downe from heauen and giueth life to the world Other bread there is but it is not liuing bread This great world is Gods spence or storehouse which affoordeth corporall bread or rather matter of bread which wee gather out of the same and by our Art and industry worke it into immediate foode which so soone as it commeth into the stomacke is fet from thence into euery part of the body for the nourishing and sustaining thereof but this naturall bread is perishing Againe this world affordeth meate for the naturall soule For it is Gods temple or building and all the creatures therein contained are his liuing vessels or instruments doing and working his will And in them appeareth his owne omnipotency maiestie power wisedome goodnesse
cannot be detected by reason of the blindnesse of our mindes and hardnesse of our hearts Heb. 4. 12. Secondly in that after discouery or reproofe he dehorteth them from the loue of this world we learne by his example what we are to doe after that we haue laid open the corruptions of the times in generall and those particular sinnes which particular people are subiect vnto namely in brotherly loue to dehort them from sinne and those especially which are then raigning and ruling and to exhort them to the practice of the contrary vertue And herein ought we chiefly to insist For though the discouery of sinne be necessary to bring men to the knowledge of themselues and their miserable estate and dehortation bee likewise necessary to draw men into the dislike and hatred of sinne yet exhortation preuaileth most to their conuersion and edification The reasons hereof are these First sinfull men being too partiall and fauourable to themselues are apt to deeme the worst of their Pastor discouering and reproouing sinne And hereupon either of themselues or by Satans suggestions they presently frame an argument of resistance or personall segestion This is spoken of malice or of some false informations or of secret euill will c. therefore notwithstanding those great words and neere searching of vs we will not be perswaded to thinke the worse of our selues or former courses Secondly there is in man a gain spurning spirit whereby taking himselfe to be opposed when he is reprooued and dehorted he presently out of dislike falls a making secret contrary oppositions so that much reproouing and dehorting doth kindle and increase this corruption in him and so in the end he is rather made worse than better Those resistances proceed of pride and selfe-loue Againe they that are humane that is of ingenious and free disposition are hereby prouoked to dislike and to anger To this purpose the saying of Paul Ephes 6. 4. may fitly be applied Fathers prouoke not your children to anger c. As if he should say doe not daunt and discourage your children with too much seuerity and rigour least they being prouoked to wrath through your vniust austerity fall to irreuerent murmuring and to contemne your admonitions and threatnings and to harden themselues against you On the other side exhortation presupposeth loue Now whereas the hearers are perswaded of the Ministers loue to their persons as also of his knowledge and iudgement they are by and by made welwilling attentiue and teachable Againe whereas we are better acquainted with vice than with vertue it being naturall familiar and easie with vs exhortation doth not onely mooue vs to practice but also teach vs what we ought to doe bringing vs to the knowledge of our duties and to the remembrance more serious thinking thereof Reprehensions teach not vnlesse obscurely and by consequence but they especially and plainly vnteach Contrarily exhortations as they doe plainly and chiefly teach vs what wee ought to doe so doe they also as plainly teach what we should not doe For as soone as we are taught the vertue we can apparantly and of our selues discerne the contrary vice but being reprehended for vice we cannot so easily discerne the contrary vertue because the one is naturall and the other is of Grace and gotten by industry Thus much of Christs method or order in teaching The matter of the dehortation is Meat Labour not for meat the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is worke not take no paines for And it signifieth also the worke of the soule study not care not take no thought for Mat. 6. 31. Meate signifieth first bodily sustenance that is whatsoeuer we receiue into our bodies for the increase and reparation of the same till the appointed time of our dissolution Secondly Meate signifieth personall maintenance that is all things outwardly belonging to the body and person of a man as apparell buildings riches honours pleasures and all worldly ornaments and gracements Thirdly meat signifieth naturall wisedom knowledge of arts and morall honesty All which things appeare so glorious in the eyes and imaginations of worldly men that some in the ample possession thereof haue thought themselues to be Gods and many haue forgotten themselues to be but men Notwithstanding all these doe putrifie and rot in the graue there is no vertue or power in them to deliuer the body from the graue or the soule from hell These meats are declared by their adiunct or property perishing The quality of this meate affordeth matter of contempt and consequently of dehortation First bodily meat or sustenance is perishing in two respects First vnlesse corporall food be mortified it is no meate therefore it cannot feed But that it may be meat it must be altered from it owne nature and property and be changed into the nature and substance of our bodies The bodies of beasts foules and fishes that they may be meate must be mortified I. By the shedding of their bloud and other actions pertayning to that trade separating the grosest impure from the pure II. Their flesh must be further mortified by water and fire and other actions pertaining to that trade III. Their flesh must be further mortified by mostication or chewing in the mouth IIII. They must be mortified by generall digestion in the common stomach and from thence must they passe into innumerable parts of the body All which doe mortifie the meat that is sent vnto them separating the impure from the pure conuerting the one into their owne substance and property but expelling the other as an vnprofitable excrement So that mans body is the graue and destruction of all things though in another consideration it be the perfection of all things for as much as it is the Centre of all things and for the sustenance and maintenance whereof the world with the fulnesse thereof was created Secondly bodily sustenance is mortall and corruptible of it owne nature without the body therefore is the purenesse thereof mortall in and with the body So that meat with the body and the body with meat is perishing For if meat without the body were immortall then should it be so in the body and mortality should be swallowed vp of immortality the stronger transforming the weaker into his owne nature In these two respects and therefore in all respects bodily sustenance is perishing Secondly personall maintenance is perishing Riches honors pleasures the estate that is most firmly setled by strength or policy or both are flitting and subiect to dissolution Psal 119. 96. I haue seene an end of all perfection but thy commandement is exceeding large In another place The heauens shall waxe olde as doth a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them Nothing there is in this world that lasteth alway but the word of God Innumerable examples hereof might be brought out of the Scriptures and prophane authors but euery mans owne knowledge and experience may teach him that these things are also
in opâ—ration when the receiuer thereof that before was dead is now raised from death by the spirit which as it gaue life to the first Chaos or Masse in the creation so it giueth life to the second confused Masse the naturall man Secondly bodily meate must bee mortified by the body which separateth the impure from the pure conuerting the one into his owne substance and nature but expelling the other as excrements but contrarily the meate of the soule which is the Gospell is not mortified of the soule but it doth mortifie the soule with all the powers and faculties thereof conuerting the soule into the nature and property of it selfe It destroyeth nature it casteth a man out of himselfe separating himselfe from himselfe as a corrupt refuse or excrement As for example Paul counted all things losse for the knowledge of Christ and iudged them to bee but dung that hee might win Christ and bee found in him But what things are they His Iewish priuiledges whereof he maketh an enumeration in the former verses and diuers other things wherein hee excelled many of his owne nation For hee was of excellent education perfectly instructed in the lawes of the Fathers skilfull in diuers languages by profession a Pharisee not luke-warme but zealous touching vertue and righteous liuing according to the Law vnrebukeable Heere is nothing wanting to Paul as hee supposed hee had made his saluation so sure that if hee were not saued hee thought none could be saued But this proud and dead flesh that is without feeling must bee launced cut and eaten away For when as in blinde zeale riding toward Damascus hee was throwne beside his horse being affrighted and astonished with the sudden light that shone about him and the voyce that spake vnto him hee was throwne beside himselfe also Hee fell a Iew he rose a Christian his fall was his spirituall death to his former Iudaisme the miraculous light and voyce of Christ his spirituall resurrection From hence-forward he glorieth not in worldly prerogatiues and Iewish priuiledges hee counts them but losse for Christ and iudges them to be but doung but hee reioyceth and glorieth in afflictions for Christs sake yea hee is content to suffer any thing scourgings imprisonments shipwracks perils of waters of robbers of the Iewes of the Gentiles of false brethren in the City in the wildernesse in the sea to suffer wearinesse painefulnesse watching hunger thirst colde nakednesse stonings fire sword if so bee that by any meanes hee might attaine to the resurrection of the dead Therefore this spirituall meate cures not for wee are past cure there being nothing in vs for medicine to worke vpon to recouer vs withall It mends not for these mildring muddy walls of ours can sustaine no new matter no more then olde vessells can containe new wine or an old garment retaine the new peece of cloth It repayres not for this ruinous building must not bee built vpon but pulled downe yea the foundation thereof must bee razed All mans vnderstanding wisedome reason imaginations will affections and all his goodnesse must be cast vp as vnprofitable rubbish good for nothing but as vnsauory salt to bee cast into the streets for men to tread vpon and a new foundation must be laide whereon he must build a new euen Iesus Christ on whom hee must be founded and out of whom he must grow euen as the building doth artificially grow from and out of the foundation And all other things what shew soeuer they haue of wisedome godlinesse zeale deuotion yet are they but sinne because they arise not from the true foundation which is Faith Therefore this meate transformeth and renueth non superinducens sed inducens nouam formam not putting vpon vs but putting in vs a new forme or shape which must transforme and change the whole man and life of man out of naturall into spirituall out of corruptible into incorruptible out of earthly into heauenly out of temporall into eternall Thirdly bodily meate is mortall therefore it cannot preserue the body for euer but both come to destruction but the word of GOD is immortall seeing that the spirit which is the life and strength thereof is immortall so mortality is swallowed vp of immortality And now Death where is thy sting Sinne where is thy strength Despaire where is thy worme Hell where is thy victory This is the true Philosophers stone that turneth iron euen iron hearts into gold mortall into immortall death into life euen as Lazarus was raised from death to life and as the dead and darke eyes of the blinde man were changed from darkenesse into light Fourthly corporall meate must bee mortified and prepared by our labour and Art but spirituall meate which is the Gospell is as gold purified seauen times in the fire seperated from all impurity much more then gold can bee by the skill of the cunning Alchimist mortifying and preparing vs to conuert vs into the nature of it selfe Wee serue our selues of bodily food but this meate must serue it selfe of vs else wee doe adulterate the same applying it carnally to our condemnation euen as the Iewes adulterated this miracle of our Sauiour making no other vse thereof than to serue their bodily turnes of it the filling of their bellies Note this well for it is the nature and very essence of hypocrisie and carnall gospelling which in these dayes is as rife as euer it was and that in the highest degree For in these dayes as there is much knowledge so is there great abuse of knowledge by hypocrisie and sophistry For men are not onely politicke to couer and hide their filthinesse by dissimulation and apish imitation of certaine words and termes and counterfaite shewes of profession as they are subtile to defend and excuse their wicked and most vngodly doings hauing Scripture and reasons as ready at command as Arrius the hereticke and as the Deuill the Father of cauils and lyes Satan neuer playd his part his Deuills part so kindly as when hee drew arguments of perswasion out of the Scriptures thereby to induce Christ to sinne contrary to the Scriptures Neyther doe hypocrites play their parts so kindely that is imitate their Father the Deuill so naturally as when they transforme themselues into the children of light euen as hee transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light to deceiue This hypocrisie hath taken such deepe rooting and is become so habituall that men are now as skilfull to deceiue their owne hearts as heeretofore they haue bin to deceiue others Let such sophisticall hypocrites take heede how they carnalize the Gospell and profession of religion that is serue their owne turnes of it eyther for profit or vaineglory as the common practise is And as men count themselues the wiser as they deepelier dissemble and blinde the world so much more foolish are they euen the Deuills fooles not considering how that by this way hee serueth himselfe of them Now to conclude this point Bodily foode yea all worldly