about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God Have not submitted The Translation is in the Active Voice but the Original is Passive different from the word by which We render it * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were not laid in order Self-Fulness swells Men so big that it puts them out of their place disorders them that 'till they are laid in order and in their Right Mind again Gospel-Provisions will be very ineffectual Men that have enough of their own do not use to buy they live upon their Stock while others go to Market The full Soul loaths the Honey comb Prov. 27.7 He mocks at it say the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint and scorns a Dainty Morsel offer'd A Sinner's full Stomach turns at any Feast provided If he doth not Vomit up the sweet Morsel he hath eaten and be emptyed of all his Self-Excellency Wisdom Righteousness Strength and seem so little that he is nothing in his own Eyes the Provisions of the Gospel will 'till then be all nothing with him In a word so long as a Man can eat and drink at his own Charges he will scorn to depend upon any other Table And as long as the Soul thinks it self fed well enough already it will hearken the less to Christ to come in and sup with Him Seventhly 7 Hindran The Cares of this Life Worldlings plant such a Brake of Thorns in their way that do hedge them out of God's Pasture they are afraid of the True Bread lest they should lose other Loaves for it When Christ comes to be propounded to them they have a thousand carking tormenting Thoughts that rend and tear their minds from him when they make any offers to sit down with him Mat. 6.31 What shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithall shall we be cloathed how shall the Family be maintained and the Year brought about these Things therefore leave a Gap in their Soul which 'till made up but not with their Thorns in the Flesh will keep Christ and their distant Hearts from uniting Jesus answered and said unto Martha thou art careful and troubled about many Things Luk. 10 4◠The * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is thou art Divided in thy Thoughts and knowest not which of thy Matters to unite and fix them on †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pasor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cares are Divisions of the Mind that make it anxious and Doubtful where to settle or what to take up withall Thus is it in Religion the Things of God are Preached unto Carnal Men the Thoughts of the World it may be for the present are just laid asleep and the Word knocks up Conscience which being awak'd for the present in a calm alone without other interruptions listens to Gospel-Truth hears it and in the Hearing a little outwardly approves it insomuch that the Mind is divided between God and the World and grows anxious which side to choose but alas the mischief is that their Hearts had been sown before with a Field-full of Worldly Cares just ready to spring up fresh after the Word falls and immediately all Thoughts of Faith and Fellowship with Christ are choakt the Man reverts his earthly Heart tumbles to his Centre and instead of a new creature to live upon this Feast becomes the carking Earthly old Man agen He that received the seed among the Thorns is he that heareth the Word and the Care of this World and the Deceitfulness of Riches choke the Word and he becometh unfruitful Matth 13.22 Worldlings have their Hearts and their Hands both full of Dirt and have no room for any Dish of God's in either Should they put off the World a little yet it will return it will follow them into the very Assemblies of God's People and in a Crowd find 'em out And alas a Happy Meeting they know not how to be so unkind to the World as to chide it home again If such Men look a little out towards God their Dear Idols come weeping about them and are presently enough to break their Heart to leave them * O curvae in Terras animae inanes coelestium Persius Men's Carefulness in the Things of the World is their Hinderance in all the Gospel brings Eighthly 8 Hindran Slothfulness This is also a Fault that will do the Feast hurt Many would like the Provisions of the Gospel better if like Tamar's couple of Cakes which she dress'd for Amnon they might be brought to them into their Chamber 2 Sam. 13.5 6. while they are lying upon a Bed of Sluggishness as he was upon a Bed of Lust Nature saith (u) Rutherford's Letters p. 244. one would have Heaven come sleeping to us in our Beds A Sinner may seem occasionally to run after the Gospel like a Man that hunts for Venison yet what doth it profit him if he be like Solomon's slothful Man Prov. 12.27 that roasteth not that which he taketh in hunting I mean if he be loth to take Pains diligently to apply or practise the Word he went so hastily forth to hear if he grows too lazy to lay up some special Truth he hears he lays out all his mighty Pains in vain What Good will the Dainties of the Gospel do him so long as he (w) Videtur ad gestum desidiosorum alludere quibus ferè mos est manum in sinum aut manicam inferre aut sub axillâ tenere Cartwright in loc folds up his Arms like the Sluggard and will be at no spiritual Pains to pick up the Morsel ready carved to him A slothful Man hideth his Hand in his Bosom and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again Prov. 19.24 So Prov. 26.15 The slothful Man hideth his Hand in his Bosom it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth i. e. He had rather to indulge his Laziness sit and look on than eat So it is a Hinderance to the Gospel when Men choose rather barely to profess it than be at any Pains to profit by one Discourse of the Grace of God they hear Ninthly 9 Hindran Prejudice That is a Fore-judging of Things or Persons as if Men were resolv'd to condemn the Cause before they have heard or try'd it Men are often angry with a Party or with a Person and will reject the Truth tho' they are convinc'd it is the Truth meerly because it comes by such Instruments or such means as they have got a Prejudice against A wicked Ahab did believe Micaiah a better Prophet than those at Ramoth-Gilead and able to inform him truly touching the Success of the War between Syria and Israel but he values neither Micaiah's Abilities in the Spirit of Prophesie nor yet his Honesty in prophesying Truth because he hates him 1 Kings 22.7 8. And Jehoshaphat said Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides that we might enquire of him And the
of God to encrease our understanding It is the Meat and Drink of a Christian to know as it was of Christ to do his Father's Will The Feast is a Feast of Knowledge and while you are feeding you may be adding still to what you have not only to Virtue Knowledge as 2 Pet. 1.5 that is one kind of Grace to another but even to Knowledge it self a larger measure and Degree of Understanding 11. The Nourishment of Faith As in the Gospel you may be fed with Knowledge so also nourished up in the words of Faith and of Good Doctrine The Apostle doth very expresly in that place 1 Tim. 4.6 compare our Faith or reception of the saving Truths of the Gospel to Nourishment You may eat but you will not thrive without it We may have the Word for our Food but it will not Nourish us if it be not mingled with Faith to make it nutrimental Heb. 4.2 For unto us was the Gospel preached as well as unto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it Not being mixed or as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Word may import not incorporated by mixing The Food must unite incorporate be turn'd into †In succum sanguinem an Alimentary Juice mingle it self with our Blood and Spirits to make it nourishing Thus Faith must unite and incorporate mix the Provisions with the New Creature before we are by the Word of the Gospel nourished up in our Father's House Faith is so nourishing a Provision to the New Nature that the just are said to live by it Hab. 2.4 Heb. 10.38 The Doctrine of Faith in the Gospel and the Grace of Faith in the Soul do make a blessed Nourishment in the New Man when Both meet together Faith is the Gift of God Eph. 2.8 and the Fruit of Christ's meritorious Purchase it is given in the behalf of Christ Phil. 1.29 Faith as * Mr. Anthony Burgess Spiritual Refinings Fol. 1st pt p. 62 and p. 169. one expresseth hath several Acts Knowledge Assent Fiducial Application and the Scripture doth by a Synechdoche express the whole Nature of Faith by one Act of it Now the Gospel-Provision affords and maintains such a Principle in the Soul as exerts Faith in the Complex and produceth it in all its various Acts. Heb. 8.2 There is not a Guest of the True Table which the Lord hath pitched and not Man but he hath Ordained among other Provisions for him like precious Faith with Vs 2 Pet. 1.1 There 's not a Saint but shall find it in the All things ready Luk. 14.17 it is one of the Parts and not the least of the Entertainment and it is a Dish to be had at this Feast only A Man full of Faith like Stephen Acts 6.8 is one whom the Entertainment nourisheth and cherisheth Eph. 5.29 Psal 17.14 and hath had his Belly filled with hid Treasure Rom. 10.8.17 The Word of Faith which we preach and your Faith that comes by hearing is some of the Royal Provision of the King's Meat Dan. 1.5 to be found at God's Table only 12. The Feast of Holiness inward Sanctification of the Heart by a cleanly purifying Bunch of Hyssop better than a Dinner of any other Herbs This clean Hyssop may be said for the Virtue of it as was of the grown Mustard-seed for its Dimensions Mat. 13.32 to be the greatest among Herbs Nay indeed we are not here speaking of such a poor low statur'd Hyssop as with us runs upon the ground but of that which runs up in the Man whose Name is the * Some indeed affirm litterally that haec Planta in Judae◠arborescet Grotius in Joh. 19.29 Branch Zech. 6.12 into a Tree as high as Heaven It is from hence that this purifying Branch or Holy Bunch is gathered Christ is He who of God is made unto us Sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 I ground the Comparison on the Ceremonial Cleansing of the Leaper as was instituted under the Law Lev. 14.4 where among other purifying Ingredients this of the Hyssop is one to which David alludes as it Typed out the righteous Branch to be rais'd to David Jer. 23.5 when he cries out in the Bitterness of his Soul for this sweet Herb in the Garden of God Ezek. 28.13 c. to dress his other Meat see Psal 51.7 Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean as if he had broken out into this Self-abhorrency I am a filthy Leaper Joh. 13.10 and I need to eat of the Dish that is most fit to cleanse me let me be therefore every whit clean thro' this sanctified Provision made ready 1 Pet. 1.16 Rev. 22.11 being neither * Act. 11.8 common nor unclean it self I would be Holy as God is Holy and tho' by Nature and Practice I am now otherwise yet I would not remain filthy still Now in the Gospel our Feast-maker hath also provided this blessed Dish ready God hath prepared his Table of hallowed Bread Holy as well as Evangelical Furniture Holiness it self to Feast you with a pure Conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 As this is the Will of God even your Sanctification 1 Thes 4.3 so it is the Work of God to form it Ezek. 36.25 26 27. As the Precept of the Gospel requires Holiness Heb. 12.14 without which no Man shall see the Lord so the Promise doth encourage it and the Spirit by an Almighty Operation works it He creates a Principle within that yields it and a Life without that acts it for 'till Grace be infused into the Heart it cannot in the Conversation be diffused or shed abroad There is Sanctification enough provided to supply our utmost wants thereof a Stock of it prepared to serve for Spirit Soul and Body as the Apostle Prayeth for his Thessalonians to be throughly Feasted with it 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of Peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ God would not have a Feast to be made under the Gospel without a universal Holiness to run thro' all the Parts of it Provision that sanctifieth and Provision sanctified Holy it self and to make Vs Holy too Indeed as he saith * Isa 3◠24 if the very Oxen and the young Asses that ear the ground should eat clean Provender which had been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan much more would he assign holy Diet for his Table in these dayes of our Purification Corrupt †Mal. 1.7 Priests may but our Great High-Priest will never set any Polluted Bread upon his Altar 13. The Hidden Mannah of Election This is one of the glorious Dishes of our Feast and was garnished from Eternity to be serv'd up before our Face in Time Mat. 13.35 Tho' it hath been a secret kept hid Psal 25 14.
yet the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him If the Lord open a wide Door Rev. 3.8 his People may look in and see what God hath done for them from Eternity in an * 1 Kings 22.25 inner Chamber Our Work here is to †1 Tim. 6.12 fight and hereafter to him that overcometh will he give to eat of the hidden Mannah Rev. 2.17 This overcoming indeed will be fully known in Heaven and yet the Saints shall obtain lesser Victories before 2 Tim. 2.3 The good Souldiers shall gain the * 2 Tim. 2.5 1 Cor. 15.57 Mastery tho' not the Crown here through our Lord Jesus Christ that giveth us the Victory For when we have so much of that Faith spoken of under the eleventh particular as to have Victory over the World 1 Joh. 5.4 and other Enemies by it this is the overcoming in this Life that so far as is consistent with the Knowledge of our Election here we are become the Brethren beloved of God and knowing also our Election 1 Thes 1.4 Indeed the Saints do rather taste than eat of this Hidden Mannah here God gives them some Job 26.14 but lo how small a Portion is it now 't is no more than just to save their longing he reserves it as it were for Glory Exod. 16.33 to bring forth the whole Pot hereafter 'T is too rich a Dish for every Saint while on Earth to spend upon in common Thou must be contented to see this Dish as it were but now only served in and must not murmur at the good Man of the House Matth. 20.11 if it be carried off as to a great part again and laid up in the Secrets of God from whence it came forth to be kept unto the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb. Rev. 19.7 It is clear from the Spirit of Revelation that there is an Election of Persons tho' some would throw in their Vote to decide it for Propositions being Enemies to the Apostle's word * Rom. 8.30 Eph. 1.5 1 Cor. 2.16 Predistinated and bring in that vain thing Post-destination but the Apostle who had the mind of Christ hath given us a clear light shining in this dark Place Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in Him before the Foundation of the World The Father pitch'd upon an Elect Company whom first he gave to Christ and afterwards bestow'd Christ on them so 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation thro' sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Which place discovers the Election of Means as well as the End Faith and Holiness here as well as Salvation in Heaven That also is a full Text and a comfortable 2 Tim. 2.19 Nevertheless the Foundation of God standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his We may look upon our selves as the lost Sheep of the House of Israel Matth. 15.24 Joh. 10.14 but the Good Shepherd knows the Sheep by a Mark the Sheep see not The Scripture also speaketh individually and in the Distribution of this hidden Mannah gives a Portion as it were to seven Eccl. 11.2 and also to eight a few particular Women with Clement also and other Fellow-Labourers with the Apostle whose Names are in the Book of Life Nomina non nisi singuloâ—um Phil. 4.3 The Doctrine of Election is so personal as well as express that the Spirit of God in the Scripture descends so low as to a Rufus chosen in the Lord Rom. 16.13 and the Elect Lady 2 Epist Joh. v. 1. Thus we have a manifestation thro' the Word of the Secrets in this Pot of Mannah being the Mystery of his Will which he hath purposed in himself Eph. 1.9 The Scripture also lays it down absolutely without any limitations of it to the foreseen Conditions of Man's Faith and Obedience It is he hath Chosen not as he foresaw we would be Holy Eph. 1.4 but positively that we should be Holy The Lord in tender as well as sovereign Mercies did not look to what we might be That had left Salvation uncertain to every one or to what we would be That might have concluded us all immediately under Wrath but he lookt to his own Pleasure what we should be Rom. 9.23 when he made us Vessels of Mercy and that makes Salvation certain unto some I say the Scripture lays it down absolutely without any conditionality Names are written so close in the Book of Life that it leaves not room to put in an If between The Children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the Purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth Rom. 9.11 I know * See Dr. Hammond upon the Place some do Interpret the Place by restraining it to point out God's Election of Jacob to a better Condition than Esau in the Temporals of this Life But 1. Esau's Temporal Portion compar'd with Jacob's was not so much behind his Brother's as to make a Parallel to the Divine Love or Hatred v. 13. Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Now tho' God did not bestow the Land of Canaan upon the Posterity of Esau yet he gave them Mount Seir Deut. 2.5 and he seems to bestow more in outward Things upon his Person than he did on Jacob sets him up as my Lord Esau with four hundred Men Gen. 32.4 v. 6. which were large Crusts and Parings of Common Bounty to throw a Dog with this Motto on his Collar Rom. 9.13 Esau have I hated 2. These Men which speak of an Election from foreseen Works in the matters of Eternity would do well to give us some fair Account why the Election then here in Temporals as they suppose it is yet an Election not at all of Works Now sure if Works take so much with God that he chooseth from the foresight of them to an everlasting State of Happiness it might seem the more congruous to Reason that God should have chose the Temporal Lot and Condition of those two Brothers from the same things foreseen If they resolve it as they must into the good Pleasure of God that he acted as a Sovereign in this Election to Temporals being said expresly Rom. 9.11 not of Works but of him that calleth then why must not God be allowed as well to be sovereign in the other but ty'd to our Works there Alas what should we gain by Limiting the Holy One of Israel Psal 78.41 for the allowing God a Sovereignty doth as was said before make Salvation sure unto some whereas the leaving it upon the Mutability and unstedfastness of our Wills had been to make Salvation equally uncertain and very doubtfull if not impossible to all The Spirit of God fixeth upon a variety of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 11.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.23
Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God thrô our Lord Jesus Christ Thô there is a noise of War in thy Camp thy Corruptions fight and justle one against another nay not only Egyptian against Egyptian but an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew Corruption opposeth Grace and maketh an uprore in thy Soul yet the Gospel hath a Prince of Peace to allay the Tumult Heb. 7.2 Psa 147.14 and to make Peace in thy Borders There is Provision made for a Blessed Calm upon thy Soul when the Son of God shall rebuke thy Storm and say to the Winds that made it Mark 4.39 tho' furious Blasts from Satan Peace be still Thou shalt see it to be fair weather upon the Kings Feast-day Peace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you not as the World giveth give I unto you Joh. 14.27 In a word here is a Feast you may Sleep well after not in Sin or Security but in a Refreshment or Repose of your Spirits in the Peace of Conscience 21. The Oyl of Joy * Isa 61.3 It was the Blessing of Asher that he should dip his Foot in Oyl Deut. 33.24 and be as it were over shoes in his Inheritance where God's Paths dropped fatness Psa 65.11 It is clear in Scripture that Oyl by the Appointment of God was put to various uses The Children of Israel were commanded with Oyl to * Exod. 25 6. v. 37. compared dress their Lamps and with a finer to dress their †Lev. 2.4 5. c. meat in the Legal Sacrifices and with a most refined Oyntment made of various * Exo. 30.23.25 Spices after the Art of the Apothecary to †v. 26. anoint the Tabernacle and his * v. 27. c. Furniture by all which was Typified that Spiritual Oyl which the Gospel now affordeth we have now an Oyl an Oyl of Joy that feeds the * Oleum flammis alimoniam suppeditat Moller enar in Psalmos Ps 45.7 Candle of the Lord and makes it burn comfortably an Oyl of Grace that feeds the Lamp of our Profession that we be not in the Dark at * Mat. 25.3 4 5 6.8 midnight when we should see to go out and meet the Bridegroom we have now also an Oyl to dress our Sacrifice since we have received an Vnction from the Holy One 1 Joh. 2.20 an Oyl that fattens our Entertainment and an Oyl as we sit at meat Psa 104.15 that makes our Face to shine There is an Oyl of Joy communicated to the Head our Lord Jesus Christ and an Oyl of Joy imparted to his Members This Box of precious Oyntment was poured on his Head by a greater than Mary †Mat. 26.7 Joh. 11.2 Magdalen God anoints him Therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the Oyl of Gladness above thy Fellows Psa 45.7 latter part So Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me He is therefore in the New Testament styled by way of eminence the Christ of God and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 2.26 part the Lord 's Christ which signifies the Lords Anointed Now at the Feast his Members in some Conformity to their Head are anointed also He that ordained a Lamp for his anointed and made the Horn of David to bud hath also a Horn of Salvation to pour the Anointings of the Spirit on us God's Children may suck in this Oyl plentifully at the Feast where there be Springs of Joy to feed a chosen Vessel Thou preparest a Table before me thou anointest my Head with Oyl Psa 23.5 22. The Cup of Consolation with the Wine of the Kingdom-running over The Cup of Consolation was a Cup for Mourners a Portion mingled more especially to support them at the Death and Loss of Dear Relations and tho' used commonly among the Jews yet was deny'd them Jer. 16 5. latter part when God had taken away his Peace from them even loving kindness and mercies neither shall men give them the Cup of Consolation to drink v. 7. for their Father or for their Mother The Cup of Consolation was a little to sweeten the Bitterness unto their Children after their Parents had tasted Death Now the Feast of the Gospel hath its Cup of Consolation to wash off sadness from them that mourn in Zion it hath the Wine of the Kingdom for the Children she brings forth when they are bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his Mother because of the Afflictions of the Church of God Nay suppose the Trouble should arise more from a Reflection upon their own Personal State this Cup of Consolation is then to wash off their Fears Rev. 14.10 least they should drink of the Wine of wrath out of the Cup of Indignation The Wine of the Gospel is a refreshing Cordial from the Grace of God to cheer up drooping Spirits and comfort heavy Hearts It is a Cup of Salvation Psa 116.13 to a poor Soul that hath been afraid of that Red-wine in the Threatning lest he should pledge it in the Second Death A Man's Body when his Spirits are low needeth Recruits Prov. 31.6 Give strong Drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine unto those that be of heavy Hearts and so in Paul's Advice to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.23 Drink no longer water that is such as was commonly us'd at Meals in those hotter Climates as we drink Beer but use a little wine for thy Stomach's sake and thine often infirmities In like manner the Spirit of a Man when wounded or broke and sunk within him doth need Wine the Wine of the Kingdom that is the manifestations of the Love of Christ to chear it for the Spirit of a man may sustain his Infirmities that is he may bear up under outward Trouble he meets with in the Flesh but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 Such a one must have the Cup of Consolation from Christ's own Hand for his Love is better than wine Song 1.2 The Roof of his mouth when he speaks a kind pleasant word like the best wine goes down exceeding sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Song 7.9 If God's Children be sunk down thro' long heaviness and begin to sleep the Sleep of Death in their own sad Apprehensions Psa 13.3 yet a Cup of this pleasant Wine from Christ on a sudden makes an Alteration and breaks out in Praises Psa 118.17 I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. Blessed Consolation Now the Gospel hath provided a Full Cup of this This is that precious Cluster Isa 65.8 where the new wine is found in it He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Joh. 14.21 latter part So v. 23. latter part My Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him What
that we may follow the Banquet into our great High-Priest's Palace The Grace of the Gospel takes off our Restraints as well as takes up a Holy Repast for us It easeth us of a Yoke as well as spreads our Table Grace enables us to walk at Liberty Psa 119.45 before we can leave work to earn the Wages of Death and sit down to Meat We read of a Feast Matth. 27.15 at which the Governour was wont to release a Prisoner The Jews having †Credebile est a Romanis hoc ess◠Polt Synop. Crit. probably learnt it from the Roman Custom However this as * Dickson upon Matthew some account it might be an unwarrantable Practice yet it is a gracious Priviledge at this Feast of the Gospel to release a Prisoner ay and a Notable Prisoner too Mat. 27.16 Mankind as notable in the Species as ever Barabbas the Individual was The Gospel which Preacheth up a Feast proclaims a Free Liberty to Captives Isa 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to Preach good Tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to proclaim Liberty to the Captives and the opening of the Prison to them that are bound Christ came to free the Servant of Corruption and a Slave of the Devil that being loosned out of Bondage Gal. 5.1 the poor Soul might afterwards stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free For a Plain Text asserts the Security of such a Freedom Joh. 8.36 If the Son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed 'T is called expresly a Redemption Col. 1.14 it being the Release of Prisoners and Captives by the Payment of a Price at such a Rate as the Son of God paid for the Redemption of them through his Blood Now suppose thou art yet in Bondage to Sin Heb. 12.1 Rom. 7. v. 17 20. the sin that doth so easily beset thee the sin that dwelleth in thee yet the Gospel provideth against the intanglement that thou may'st be made free from sin Rom. 6.18 i. e. Free from the Lordly Dominion of sin by the Spirit of Christ and free from the severe Condemnation of sin by the Blood of Christ according to the Atonement Suppose a Slave that thou art ty'd to Satan's Galleys and one whom Satan hath bound lo these eighteen or twenty or perhaps forty Years yet the same Gospel that provideth to turn thee from Darkness to Light is ready also to turn thee from the Power of Satan unto God Act. 26.18 Art thou bound with a Chain that cuts thee and imprints its ragged Indentures on thee whilst thou art sensibly feeling of thy self to be staked down as if something had fastened thee with Bands to Unbelief yet the Gospel is made ready to come in with Faith and more Evidences of Might in the Day of Christ's Power when unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ to believe on him Phil. 1.29 Tho' thou canst not believe except it be given thee from above and thine Impotence makes thy Bondage yet the Gospel provides to release thee from the Bondage of Corruption Rom. 8.21 and translate thee into the Liberty of the Children of God Now therefore if Bound what can suit thee more than the Loosning Power of the Gospel If thou lack'st to be called unto Liberty Gal. 5.13 nothing can be fitter for thy Case than the Gospel that proclaims it and a God that procures it for thee No Power under Heaven can reach thy Case so fitly while of a truth thou art Bound as the Son of God that can make thee Free indeed The Gospel is suited to thy Condition tho' thou art shut up in Prison thou may'st be a Prisoner of Hope Zech. 9.12 tho' thou feelest the weight of thy Chain Psal 107.10 and art laid in Affliction and Iron The Day of the Gospel is a Year of Jubilee a great Year of Release Isa 61.2 and called the Acceptable Year of the Lord in which he accepts of a Ransom for thee Tho' thou hast been barbarously us'd in Egypt he hath set open a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 thro' which thou may'st see and a Door of Entrance thro' which he will bring thee in Free to Canaan The Gospel hath Grace ready to set thee at Liberty and then to keep thee for ever Free from the Tyranny and Dominion of thine old Jailors that thou may'st always dwell in safety Psal 4.8 This is provided suitably to thy Case among the All things ready Sixthly The Gospel hath Apparelling Provisions suited to array the Naked and adorn Nasty Souls 1. It hath Provisions suited to our spiritual Nakedness to cloath and cover it The Gospel hath a Wardrobe of the richest Wear as well as a Table of the choicest Viands Song 3.11 Christ in the Day of his Espousals cloaths the Naked as well as feeds the Hungry We read of the Marriage-Feast of Samson that when he had put forth a Riddle unto the Phlistines he promised to give them thirty Sheets and thirty Change of Garments Judg. 14.12 if they could certainly declare it to him within the seven dayes of the Feast which Samson afterwards upon their telling it gave them in full Tale as He had agreed punctually Now the Gospel-Feast at the Marriage of the King's Son affords to us Changes of Raiment likewise thô not upon such hard Conditions as Samson made with the Philistines for when we have Food and Raiment in the Gospel 1 Tim. 6.8 he frankly gives us Both. Tho' we are stript in the First Adam yet we may be cloathed with the Second Hence it is the Scripture speaks of putting on Christ Rom. 13.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Tho' we want Cloaths in a Righteousness of our own yet we may put on the Lord Jesus Rev. 3.18 that the shame of our Nakedness do not appear God hath provided Christ therefore accordingly to suit us as * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 23.6 Iehovah or the Lord our Righteousness if common Providence hath provided a Suit which the very Grass of the Field and the Flowers of it wear Special Grace would not come behind but provide the Righteousness of God in the Garments of Salvation to Cloath you Mat. 6 30. Oh ye of little Faith Job 1.21 tho' you come Naked into the World yet He hath provided that you may carry this Cloathing out 2. It hath Provisions suited to our spiritual Nastiness to adorn us and put the Garments of Praise upon us This Raiment indeed is for Sinners that come Nasty but not for such as are resolved to continue so Alas we come in to the Feast of our selves Jam. 2.2 like the Poor Man in vile Ratment but the Bounty of the Feast-maker provides us with a better Suit to appear at his Table and before his Presence in Mat. 22.10 Luk. 14.21 23.
which is not washed from their Filthiness Prov. 30.12 But God hath provided that they may be Partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12.10 last words The Gospel will cleanse thee of thy Spot which otherwise tho' thou wash thee with Nitre and take thee much Soap would remain a Spot still with thine Iniquity marked before me saith the Lord God Jer. 2.22 The Gospel brings thee a Laver full of Christ's Blood and this is the Blood that rinseth all clean 1 Joh. 1.7 last words And the Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Nitre and Soap either apart or mingled are searching Ingredients you would think to cleanse a Dirty Spot but alas tho' Man seeks out many Inventions Eccl. 7.29 to try to wash himself clean yet it will not do for a Garment spotted with the Flesh Jude v. 23. if God search this out nothing will fetch out Sin 'till we dip in Jordan 2 Kings 5.14 Psal 44.21 Isa 9.5 1 Joh. 5.6 nay not only wash in Water but with our Garments roll'd in Blood i. e. the Blood of Christ who came by Water and by Blood for our Spot to fetch it out clean Rev. 1.5 being said to have loved us and washed us from our sins in his own Blood The Gospel provideth suitably to our Pollution Heb. 9.13 for it sanctifieth to the Purifying of the Flesh 'till we are made meet for Communion with the God of the Spirits of all Flesh Numb 16.22 even sanctified in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 1.2 Eighthly The Gospel hath Rich Provisions for the Poor Saints tho' never so impoverisht lowly in Mind or Poor in Spirit The Gospel abounds with the Liberality of the Grace of God to supply the Poverty and Wants of all Men in Christ Tho' thy Transgressions have beset thee and the Iniquity of thy Heels have compass'd thee about that thou art now like the Man in his way to Jericho that fell among Thieves yea Luk. 10.30 thou may'st cry out with Micah of the Danitâ—'s Plunder Judg. 18.24 They have taken away tho' not my Gods to Complain just like him yet the Image of my God mine Original Perfection as I was made once like him my Knowledge Righteousness and true Holiness and what have I more Well be it thus here is enough left thee still to be a poor broken Petitioner at the Throne of Grace crying out for a New Stock to set up with Christ in whom are hid all the Treasures that will make thee Rich agen Col. 2.3 Art thou Poor Luk. 22.21 thou may'st be Rich towards God When thou art got to the Gospel thou art got to God's Treasury which he unlocks to make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles Col. 1.27 Ninthly The Gospel hath Full Provisions suited to the Condition of empty Sinners There be Lengths and Breadths in the Love of God that will give thee full measure Luk. 6.38 pressed down and running over Thou art empty in thy self and till He refresh thee with his Loving-Kindness Prov. 7.18 thou canst not take thy Fill of Love Hast thou ever met with the Emptiers that have emptied thee out Nah. 2.2 The Gospel hath Provisions to come in and fill up all that empty space again Tho' at home thou art like her that is empty and void and wast Nah. 2.10 as Nineveh that was once full of Men Counsel Treasures yet afterwards emptyed out of all so thou hadst once the sensible Manifestations of one that lodg'd in thy House to fill thee but now at home empty and also tho' abroad like Naomi thou hast gone out upon some Oecasions full if thou hast gone to an Ordinance thou hast it may be sometimes carried much of the Presence of Jesus Christ with thee yet the Lord to try thee hath brought thee home again empty Ruth 1.21 yet still the Gospel hath Provisions suited to thee that when most sensible of thine Emptiness thou may'st receive thy measure and not like proud careless Boasters who presume on something when they have nothing * Luk. 1.53 Joh. 1.14 last words be sent empty away Thou hast to do with one that is full of Grace and Truth and with one besides of whose Fulness thou mayst receive Joh. 1.16 even one that will never leave thee empty because he filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 let it be as low with thee in thy Beginning as a sense of Want can make it yet thou shalt never take up the Complaint of Babylon in thy latter End Jer. 51.34 the Lord hath made me an empty Vessel Tenthly The Gospel hath satisfying Provisions suited to the Condition of Longing Souls Matth. 5.6 that hunger and thirst after Righteousness Be thou as Dainty in thy Palate Heaven-wards as possible yet in the Gospel thou hast a God who satisfyeth thy Mouth with good things Psal 103.5 He will not deny Dainties or withhold Mannah or keep back the Fruits that thy Soul lusteth after Rev. 18.14 Thou shalt not be estranged from thy Desire in the things of God Psal 78.30 thô thou wouldst eat his Lambs out of the Flock Amos 6.4 his Calves out of the midst of the Stall v. 6. and drink his Wine in Bowls If six Days common Provision at home hath made thee long for Dainties he hath appointed a Festival upon the Holy Sabbath when thy Flesh longeth for the Courts of the Lord. Psal 84.2 This Longing of the Soul may be reduc'd unto Two Heads Hungring and Thirsting and the Gospel hath suitable Things for Both. 1. It hath Satisfying Provisions suited to Hungry Ones Psal 107.9 For he satisfyeth the Longing Soul and filleth the Hungry Soul with Goodness There is many a Hungry Appetite hath been brought into his Presence and be hath filled the Hungry with good things Luk. 1.53 Perhaps thou art one that hast lost a Meal thro' a Providential Hand of God upon thee and where God sets out Food thou comest the more Hungering thither Some Black Providence may have put on Sackcloth upon thy Soul Nehem. 1.4 that thou hast mourned and fasted certain Dayes and lo a Restraint of the Bread of God whets thee further on Thou canst not forbear crying when thou art Hunger-bitten Prov. 30.15 like those Daughters of the Horse-leech Give Give I have been thus long from an Ordinance detain'd Psal 109.24 and my Flesh faileth of Fatness I must break out to the Supper now I can stay no longer in Well if it be thus the Feast is still meet for thee Christ that Invites thee to sit down 1 Sam. 30.12 will Feast thee with his Love 'till thy Spirit comes again 2. It hath satisfying Provisions suited to Thirsty Ones If thou long'st for some Pleasant Draught yet the Lord doth satisfie such a * Animam sitientem Moller Enarr in Psalmes Longing Soul as some do Expound it of Thirst Psal 107.9 form
pt before mentioned Thy Thirst it may be is vehement but that Ocean in God will suit it where thou art bid to drink abundantly Cantic 5.1 last words Seeing thou may'st come and drink it will fare but the better with thee when thy Soul thirsteth for the Living God Psal 42.2 If like Samson thou art ready to dye for Thirst Judg. 15.18 what can be more suitable to thy Case than for God to break up the Fountains of the great Deep Gen. 7.11 'till thou find an Enhakkore the Well of him that cryed Judg. 15.19 In short if God cleave a Hollow in the Rock and open Christ the true Rock that follows us 1 Cor. 10.4 thou shalt then be suited and then satisfyed from the Clefts of it much better than Samson from the Hollow of the Jaw-bone Eleventhly The Gospel hath supporting Provisions and Provisions light and easie suited to the Condition of Burdened and Oppressed Souls 1. Supporting under Heavy Burdens 2. Substituting Light and Easie in the room of Heavy ones 1. The Gospel hath Provisions that are Supporting under Heavy Burdens Are Afflictions heavy Do they gall our tender Necks or fret sadly inwards yet where our own shoulders sink the Gospel hath provided to put the everlasting Arms underneath Deut. 33.27 underneath are the everlasting Arms. Thou canst not perish in Affliction because in all thine Affliction he hath made Provision indeed otherwise the Burden would be utterly insupportable Psal 119.92 Vnless thy Law had been my Delights I should then have perished in my Affliction I could not have stood under my Burden if he had not stood by to lean on The * Redeunt dolores redeundo erescunt at tandem opprimunt Rivet in Psa 119. v. 92. Vol. 2. pag. 461. Col. 2. Renewal of mine Afflictions together with their Encrease must have otherwise overcome me But now as the Case stands when his Hand presseth thee sore Psal 38.2 Yet the Lord upholdeth thee with his Hand too Psal 37.24 when thou fallest into outward Calamities he doth mitigate the Affliction that it shall not overwhelm thee A word of Power is prepar'd to bear thee up in his Hands Psal 91.12 while leaning Melancholly upon thine own thou art bowed down heavily Psal 35.14 Suppose thou touchest the Bier Luk. 7.14 thou art next akin to one that is carried to his long home Eccl. 12.5 yet God hath made something ready to support thee while thou art chief with the Mourners that go about the streets ibid. He that is better to thee than ten Sons as Elkanah hath it when he Comforts Hannah yea the chiefest of ten thousand 1 Sam. 1.8 Cant. 5.10 is better to thee than so many Relations were they possible in any kind whatever The Gospel hath such supporting Provisions as will keep thee at the very Grave's mouth from sinking where others slide in 2. The Gospel hath Provisions that substitute a Light and an Easie Burden in the Room of Heavy ones If thou hast a Burden upon thy Back a Burden upon thine Hands yea one upon thine Head and a heavier Load at Heart yet the Gospel is ready to exchange them and afford thee so light a Yoke thou needst not call a Burden If thou dost yet still with Christ thou mayst say it is a Burden is not heavy My Yoke is easie and my Burden light Matth. 11.30 Christ doth not leave his People to do all in their own Natural Strength it is the Covenant of Works that serves the Worker so Christ makes it easie to hold his Yoke because his Hand lightens it while his Hand holds it on us Isa 30.20 Tho' thou hast eaten the Bread of Affliction that lyes heavy at thy Heart yet he hath prepared thee a Table of Bread to digest easier while he appoints it thy Meat and Drink to do the Will of God Joh. 4.34 her ways are ways of pleasantness Prov. 3.17 For tho' it be hard in it self to bear the very Gospel Yoke yet it is not hard when thou hast strength to bear of him Psal 78.39 He remembers that we are Flesh and therefore provides his Spirit to be willing when our Flesh is weak Christ is a Master that will not deal like others Sin was imperious Satan cruel other Lords that have had Dominion worse than Hagar's Mistress Sarat that dealt hardly with her Gen. 16.6 but Grace is order'd to deal with Thee gently as David charg'd his Captains to deal gently with the young Man Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 Twelfthly The Gospel hath Establishing Provisions suited to the Condition of wavering and unsteddy minds Art thou like a Wave of the Sea Jam. 1.6 that is driven up and down and tost yet the Gospel hath a Rock not to break or wrack but settle thee whereon thy Soul may rest It provides the Author of thine Establishment God himself 2 Cor. 1.21 Now he which establisheth us is God It provides the means of thine Establishment the Grace of God the sure Doctrine of Grace that thou mayst know what to believe and what to Practise instead of the Craft and Sleight of Cunning-men Eph. 4.14 Heb. 13.9 It is a good thing that the Heart be established with Grace not with Meats as if he had said The substance of the Gospel will but the shadows of the Law will not afford an establisht Posture for you The Gospel suits unto the settling of the whole or of any part that needs it Do you want Footing it hath laid the Path-way to Heaven and cut it out upon the Rock the tryed way thither Would you Catch and meet with sure Hand-hold it provides you that which is fit to fasten on that you may lay hold upon Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.12 It hath Establishment for gidà y Heads and enough for any gracious Hearts It will keep you steddy in the Centre that you shall not like others in the Circle turn always round Briefly it hath all that can be suited to perfect stablish settle you 1 Pet. 5.10 last words The Elegant variety of the words may denote the highest Degree of stedfastness an establishment that can never be overthrown The last words * Fundare est Radicem ipsam gratiae magìs-magisque infigere Ames in Pet. Job 19.28 settle you seems to have a reference to the security of the Root and shews that Grace is of a settling Nature unto all that have the Root of the matter in them Grace without will find out the smallest measure of it within to secure and fix the Subject that it shall not be moved away from the Hope of the Gospel Colos 1.23 Thirteenthly The Gospel hath strengthening Provisions suited to the Condition of weak Souls Tho' thou hast lost some of the Power which was given thee from above i. e. tho' the exercise and and actings of Grace be low yet the Gospel hath got ready to encrease Grace and strengthen its Principle within thee when
thou canst not of thy self strengthen the things which remain that are ready to dye Rev. 3.2 tho' thou art as to spirituals sadly pin'd away yet God hath provided such a Hearty Meal for thee that yet again out of weakness thou may'st be made strong Heb. 11.34 Tho' thou art so weak of both Hands thou canst not keep thy hold he hath got such a Feast to put thee into Heart as will make thee thou shalt not let it go Tho' thy New Creature be yet so weak it will only lye in Arms yet thy nursing Father is ready to open its Mouth to speak Psal 8.2 for out of the mouths of Babes and Sacklings hast thou ordained strength He opens the Lips He loosens the Tongue of the spiritually sucking Infant that the New born Babe in Christ shall give the Glory due unto his Name and say Psal 29.2 Thô I a Little Child am weak yet Oh my Father Psal 89.8 who is a strong Lord like unto thee Fourteenthly The Gospel hath succouring Provisions suited to the Condition of Tempted Souls The Devil may suggest a Defect in Gospel-Grace as if there were nothing that did suit among the All things with thee but in this very Case of his Assaults it hath succours and brings the Anchor of the Soul to throw out while Satan makes the Storm Heb. 6.19 Tho' he hath deluded and bewitched with his Sorceries Acts 8.11 thou may'st bid him stand now with thine Enchantments Isa 47.12 and with the multitude of thy Sorceries wherein thou hast laboured from thy Youth if so be thou shalt be able to profit if so be thou mayst prevail to allude to that Challenge of the Holy Ghost made to the Babylonian Confidence of old Make ready thy Snares and Devices 2 Cor. 2.11 Job 2.5 of which we are not ignorant put forth thy Hand and now do thy worst here is that in the Gospel Satan which will put thee to everlasting Silence Mark 5.9 thô thy Name be Legion and thou hast many with thee here be All Things against thee Deut. 32.4 The God of Truth hath prepared to rebuke thy Lyes and the God of Peace to tread thee under Foot Rom. 16.20 the God of Power will tye up thine Hands and stop thy Breath and strike thro' the Leviathan that hath troubled the Holy Waters even Leviathan that piercing and crooked Serpent Psal 27.1 and will wound the Head of the Dragon of this presumptuous and accursed Dragon in the Waters Psal 74.13 The Provisions of the Gospel are succouring it will relieve thee to meet with a Gospel that makes a greater opposition to Satan than Satan can to Thee to meet with a Gospel that lays open the Care in the Heart of Christ for thee to appear and withstand him while he winnows Luk. 22.31 And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may fift you as Wheat * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to shakt or stir violently up and down To sift you The Devil would shake the Corruptions in the Heart together that Grace should be invisible and all buried in them but Christ's Intercession is a security to these Graces and keeps them he shall not sift or jogg them out of their Place There is a Good Spirit in the Gospel provided against the Evil one either to drive him from or to deal with him on us Tho' thro' Satan's continual Injections and Suggestions thou art grievously vexed with a Devil Mat. 15 22 yet the Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them Psal 34.7 Art thou assaulted by the strong man armed Luk. 11.21 22. yet the Gospel brings a stronger than He into the Field that looks always well to thee and will not suffer the Devil to be too long upon thee Eph. 6.12 or Principalities and Powers to wrestle too much against thee Art thou Conversant in some Plat he hath beset about with Wiles yet here is the Wisdom of the Seed to supplant and counter-work the subtilty of the Serpent that thou mayst stand against the Wiles of the Devil Eph. 6.11 In the Gospel the Lord taketh Care that there hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to Man and God is Faithful who will not suffer You to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 God shews you in the Gospel that he intends no Temptation but what he will thro' his succouring Help make you fit to bear be they what Tryals suppose or incitements to Sin they will either God tries or Satan tempts or our own Lusts entice they are but slight matters and never rise above the common measure God doth not suffer you to be over-rated he doth not exact nor will he allow to be exacted more on you than others Eph. 6.16 If Satan winnow you God will order it to blow away your Chaff If he throws his Fiery Darts upon you God will have it consume no more than burn up your Dross Tho' ye fall into divers Temptations Jam. 1.2 yet the Gospel provides a Saviour that hath suffered being tempted who is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2.18 Tho' the Devil haunts thee with Despair or casts in Black and Blasphemous Thoughts upon thee yet the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under thy Feet shortly Rom. 16.20 The God of Peace Tho' the Devil comes in with War and may suggest God an Enemy yet there is Peace from God towards thee 1 Pet. 5.8 Tho' your Adversary the Devil be that Roaring Lyon which goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour yet thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder that old crooked Serpent that hath so often Poysoned or tormented thee with his Sting the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under Feet Psal 91.13 Tho' a Messenger of Satan buffet thee 2 Cor. 12.7 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptations 2 Pet. 2.9 Tho' the Devil should cast some of you into Prison yet the Gospel hath Provisions still to succour you even where Satan's seat is Rev. 2.13 Heb. 2.10 Mat. 9.34 ch 12.34 The Captain of our Salvation will protect you against the Prince of Devils Here is not only a Shield and a * Eph. 6.17 Eph. 6.11 Helmet of Salvation but the whole Armour of God to secure you against all his Fiery Darts 2 Cor. 12.9 and His Grace sufficient when you are tempted of the Devil Matth. 4.1 In a word there is all and when he goes about to cause thine Heart to despair Eccl. 2.20 he shall never discover it of this Gospel that it is not entire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 Fifteenthly The Gospel hath Cordial Provisions suited to the Condition of Fainting Spirits Judg. 19.5 Thou
him with it So Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest Who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink speaking there to the Samaritaness who was Ignorant of him that brought the Provision of the Gospel with him Christ had there to do with a Poor Ignorant Woman that took him for no more than a common Jew with whom such Samaritans as she had no Dealings v. 9. How is it that thou being a Jew askest Drink of me that am a Woman of Samaria for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans Alas so long as she continued Ignorant of Christ she was never the better for all that Living Water in him tho' it was Jesus he would not save her so long as she lookt upon him as a meer Jew and wanted an Eye to look thro' the Vail of his Flesh Heb. 10.20 and by Faith see the Son of God in him Thus Sinners that have heard of the Gospel will be hindred from partaking of it so long as they discern not by Faith who provides it God's Ministers in the Pulpit may say to Sinners Come God's People may be trying to deal with them too in private and both to see if they can perswade them into a Love with the ways of Sion but if Sinners are still Ignorant of Jesus Christ who speaks by his Friends to them this Feast is an Entertainment that is likely to do no good upon them Men are apt to conclude we go about to Proselyte them to a Party Act. 20.30 and draw Disciples after us and thus it will be 'till they come to believe on Christ thro' our words to them And therefore Christ prays for all that should see their Master's Mind in the Servant's Message Joh. 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me thro' their Word Not believe on you tho' thro' your words on Me. 'T is your Message but my express Will 3. Ignorance of the Provisions made ready is a Hinderance to them Men are Fools and Blind Mat. 23.17 and don 't see what is set before them no more than who it is that hath got it served Up. Christ also reprehends this piece of Ignorance in the same Woman of Samaria Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the Gift of God An Ignorance of what Christ hath as well as of what Christ is is an ordinary and frequent Ground of the Sinners Miscarriage to him If thou knewest the Gift Were thine Heart sensible of the Grace that is now brought so nigh at Hand it would make it leap within thee and thou wouldst not rest 'till matters were at another pass with thee Alas if you don't know the Gift in the Gospel you will partake of no Gospel-Grace by it If you are Ignorant of the Table he hath prepar'd you will never sit at Meat If Men have low carnal Conceits of the Good Things of God and carry their Thoughts no further than the Letter when the Spirit speaks herein it will beget ordinary Conceptions in the Mind and prove an Hinderance to the Gospel There will be no Spiritual Application of the Substance so long as our Thoughts rest and terminate superficially upon some Corporeal Image This was the Grand Miscarriage of a great many Followers of our Lord who seem'd to Covet to wait upon him in a Body with a great deal of Religious Zeal and Forwardness Our Blessed Lord had Preacht this Doctrine of a spiritual Repast and manifested himself to be the Provision which the Soul by Faith must live upon whereas it begat only in the * Or Capernaites Jews a gross Conceit of some Literal and Corporeal Banquet that Christ aimed at and rais'd in them a certain Question even to Indignation as they strove among themselves saying How can this Man give us his Flesh to eat Joh. 6.52 insomuch that Christ taxeth their Ignorance by expounding to them his own Doctrine v. 63. latter pt The words that I speak unto you they are Spirit as if he had said I have been upon a spiritual Subject but you have not understood me I have spoken of a Feast to nourish you inwardly but it is your own Ignorant Fancy that suggests the Corporeal Images of other Meats and Drinks as when ye did eat of the Loaves and were filled v. 26. Now when the Gospel in the Matters of it is ignorantly mis-interpreted it becomes a like Hinderance to it If it be not apprehended and experienc'd a Feast of the Soul we shall rest in outward Conveyances and lose the Kernel by holding fast the Shell It will be but as if we made Provision for the Flesh Rom. 13.14 if we receive it not as a Feast of the Renewed Mind Joh. 4.32 which our Flesh knows not of We must be spiritually enlightned to know the Things that are given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 for He that is spiritual judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 Besides Ignorance of Gospel-Provisions causes Men to turn the Truth of God into a Lye and embrace an Error instead of the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 This is a Hinderance therefore to the Holy Feast we speak of You are like to be fed with no other Mannah than that which will breed Worms and stink Exod. 16.20 if you are Ignorant of the True Bread 4. Ignorance of the Way by which every one must come is likewise a Hinderance that keeps from these Provisions If you take it as a sufficient Act to put forth a little of your own Strength towards God and rest in Dead Works it will hinder your Benefit by the Gospel-Entertainment You must throw your selves upon Christ as Sinners this is your first Work to come as you are and venture upon the Son of God and afterwards God's Spirit gradually works such Qualifications that you may come then as Sons and Daughters 2 Cor. 6.18 The Substance of this is represented in that Directory for Conversion which Christ taught the Jews Joh. 6.28.29 Then said they unto him What shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them this is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent It is to believe and not properly to (g) Men indeed by Nature retain such an Impression of the first Covenant of Works that they know no way of Acceptance before God but by the way of Works Hutcheson upon John work Such as sit down upon outward Performances without going forth to Jesus Christ to rely on him by Faith do assuredly sit upon Thorns tho' a little slight Covering they have woven or patcht together from Works that cometh betwixt Job 36.32 may at present bear off their Pricking that now they feel no smart Faith it self indeed is a Work but doth not justifie as a * In opposition to all Works Christ leads them to this one Work that they believe And his calling it a Work doth not import that Faith as
a Work doth justifie for it is only the Hand to receive Christ who is our Righteousness But he gives it this Name speaking in their own Terms who doted on Works and so the Doctrine of Faith is called a Law Rom. 3 27. because the Jews boasted so much of the Law Hutcheson upon John pag. 102. Work It justifies no otherwise than as it apprehends a justifying Object and it is a saving Work no otherwise than as it fastens and relies upon a saving Worker Hence it cometh to pass that without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Now Ignorance of this way to the Provisions in Christ makes them unto many so ineffectual If you think it an easie matter to thrust in to God any how without Christ as your Way his Word as your Rule and his Spirit as your Guide you will profit little by the Gospel so long as such a corrupt perswasion leads you Joh. 14.6 I am the Way the Truth and the Life The Way No access or coming unto the Father but by me The Truth No Doctrine can be sound that leads off from me The Life You will never enter into Life Mat. 19.17 if you enter not in by me as the Door and unto me as the Provision Again The Word must be your Rule Psal 119.133 Order my Steps in thy Word (h) Si extra Legem tuam incedo non est Stabile solum sub Pedibus meis coeno demergor Rivet Via vitae seu medit in Psat 119. operûm vol. 2do p. 472 If I step besides thy Law saith the Learned Rivet I tread where the Ground will not bear my Feet and where I am over Head and Ears in Dirt. Tho' Christ is the Way yet we should never know what Steps to take to or in him 'till the Word lays Christ forth and discovers each of them to us So for the Spirit it 's Guidance is necessary The Spirit of God hath branded it as Foolishness in those that follow their own Spirit Ezek. 13.3 There is no Spirit fit to be our Guide but His. Thy Spirit is Good lead me into the Land of uprightness Psal 143.10 Thy Spirit is good lead me or as (i) Tuo spiritu bono deduc me Junius some read it By thy Good Spirit lead me If we had Christ as the Way and his Word as the Rule too yet if we had not the Spirit as our Guide we should not by reason of the Darkness in us and upon us see the Straitness and Perfection of the Rule before us or know of our selves how at any Time to use it There is an absolute need of the Spirit 's Guidance after Conversion hence is that of the Apostle inculcated Walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.16 25. and walk after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 and that Phrase if ye be led by the Spirit Gal. 5.18 all which do import a submitting to the Conduct of the Spirit as our Guide And if there be a need of the Spirit for Saints after they have received Christ be sure there is a necessity of the Spirit 's Guidance for Sinners to bring them in to Christ Well Ignorance of and Unacquaintedness with the way of the Lord must needs be an Hinderance to the Feast of the Lord that makes Sinners desire none of his Dainties That is the Third Hinderance Fourthly Obstinacy 4 Hindran or an obstinate Aversion to the Things of God The Parable gives this account of it Matth. 22.3 that when the King had sent to call them that were bidden to the Supper they would not come Alas if Men will become their own Hinderers no wonder that the Gospel proves ineffectual If they will choose rather to starve than eat how can a Feast preserve or relieve such as these and yet this is the wretched and deplorable Case of Sinners their Hearts do naturally stand off from God therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the Knowledge of thy ways Job 21.14 There is a mighty Stubbornness and Rebellion in the minds of Men that God takes Notice of this was expresly laid open in the Jews Isa 48.4 I knew that thou art obstinate and thy Neck is an Iron Sinew and thy Brow brass Sinners will choose Poverty and despise Riches run into Misery and forsake their own Mercy Jonah 2.8 The Gospel would pity relieve and save them but they are a stiff necked Generation that will not turn and live Ezek. 18.23 v. 32. It would feed them but they will rather dye of spiritual Hunger it would cloath them but they will rather to Hell naked than go with Christ's Robe to Heaven They will rot in their Chains before they will stoop to choose a Free Release and will venture to fall Blindfold into the Ditch Mat. 15 14 Rev. 3.18 Joh. 9.7 rather than anoint with Eye-salve or wash in the Pool of Siloam Fifthly Other Feasts besides 5 Hindran Tho' in the Gospel it is the Supper of the great God yet in eating Sinners have taken every one his own Supper before it 1 Cor. 11.21 as the Apostle speaketh of the Lord's Supper They will have Banquets to corrupt the Flesh but none of that Holy Diet which might save their Spirits in the Day of the Lord Jesus Sinners will snatch especially at these Three the Lust of the Flesh 1 Cor. 5.5 the Lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life 1 Joh. 2.16 The World that reject a Feast provided by Father Son and Spirit yet will banquet with their own * Hec Tria pro trino numine mundus habet Trinity 1. The Lust of the Flesh is a Banquet with Sinners that obstructs the Gospel-Feast Lusts of the Flesh are such Pleasures says (k) Coton upon the 1 Epist of John one as Men find in Meat and Drink or Women either Intemperance or Incontinence And then again Pleasures whether we consider them as gross or vain the Pleasures of the Body or the Mind do hinder the Efficacy of Divine Provisions 1. Gross and Filthy Pleasures or Fleshly Lusts as the Apostle Peter calls them that War against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek T. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pleasure is a Net that entangles ungodly Men. Fleshly Concupiscences the Original reads it alluding to that inbred Appetite of the old Man which goes forth after Morsels roasted at the Fire of Lust and took off the Devil's Spit Abstain saith the Holy Ghost from these Rom. 1.26 The Lust of the Flesh is a bad Appetite a vile Affection that covers to be a Partaker with Devils and rejects Angels Food Psa 78.25 It will find out a Banquet that quite spoils the Feast I may say here of the whole Gospel as the Apostle doth of the Lord's Supper in a Part of it 1 Cor. 10.21 Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils ye cannot be Partakers of the Lords
sin you do not spy out more in your own Iniquities than you do in the very Grace of God to receive you graciously Hos 14.2 4 and love you freely And beware that you do not fancy a deeper Red different from other Death-colours in your own Body of Death than is seen in the Blood of Jesus Christ An Unacquaintedness with the true Notion of the Gospel is a Hinderance to the Gospel-Feast 3. Remaining Vnbelief in the Actings of slavish Fear Reigning Unbelief indeed is the Property of Sinners but Remaining Unbelief is a great Hinderance hanging in the way of Saints There are Remnants of this Sin to bring you under spiritual Sickness and Infirmities when there be no Ruling Signs-that it is unto Death upon you There is much Fluctuation in our Hearts an unsteddy rolling too and fro like the Waves of the Sea sometimes carried out towards the Shore in Hope then driven back again to Sea in Fears whereas our Rock is the same for ever tho' we roll aside Oh! were our Faith says (z) Dr. Sibb◠Bruised Reed p. 23 24. one as firm as our State in Christ is secure what manner of Men should We be A Saint may be brought many ways low but he shall be brought no ways under Now by how much the less it is you live in the Exercise of Faith 〈◊〉 2.20 i. e. By the Faith of the Son of God by so much the less in your spiritual State will you thrive by Gospel-Grace As you want any measure of Faith to digest the Food of God's Word so much the less of Nourishment and Sweetness you will find in any Morsel of it Jesus said unto him if thou canst believe All Things are possible unto him that believeth Mark 9.23 If you have not Oh weak Christians a stronger Degree a higher Measure of Faith your Fears will make you jealous and suspect the Love of God every time you try to eat and drink in his Kingdom It is observed of Peter he never sank in the Waters 'till he sank first in Fears when he saw the Wind boisterous he was afraid and upon this followeth his beginning to sink Matth. 14.30 Fears will suggest nothing but such wrong and uncomfortable Thoughts as these Well this Feast of the Gospel is too great for such poor Dust and too good for so vile a Worm as I therefore it belongeth not to me But Oh! take heed of this let not Unbelief carry it without a check in thy Soul when it calls the Bread of Life Poyson or tells thee thou art damn'd if thou venturest so far as to meddle with it 4. Lastly Refusing to be Comforted God's People sometimes will not tho' we take his own words be satisfied The Consolations of God are so small with them Job 15.11 that they will not take this Cup of Consolation down Jer. 16.11 Psa 77.2 last words My Soul refused to be comforted let me hear what I would it was all one with me That was Good Asaph's case a while Now what will All Things avail when no thing shall be allow'd to comfort you but you will choose to go down into the Grave mourning Gen. 37.35 What signifies Moses to tell the Children of Israel that God had looked upon their Affliction and Bondage and to assure them of Deliverance that it was now even at the Door Mat. 24.33 whenas they hearkened not unto Moses for Anguish of Spirit and for cruel Bondage Exod. 6.9 It is observable indeed that at the first Newes of their Deliverance which Moses brought them from God they are hugely affected with it Chap. 4.31 The People believed and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Children of Israel and that he had looked upon their Affliction then they bowed their Heads and worshipped Oh! how glad and comforted do they seem that there comes any Relief to alter their Afflicted case at last Well but God will yet try their Patience under their Burdens and Adversity a little longer in the next Chapter Pharaoh comes and He multiplies their Burdens still more and more and lo now the Double Labour of their Bricks and the Stripes of their Task masters upon their Backs beat them quite out of Heart insomuch that at last Moses with all his Arguments and Perswasion could no ways still them for they are resolved to hear to wait to trust no longer they hearkened not c. Thus some of God's Children will seem to be born up notably when God comes first into their Souls with Comfort but alas if God to try them lays them again in the lowest Pit in Darkness Psa 88.6 in the Deeps immediately their Mountain is overturned their Sun is set and the Rainbow of the Covenant blotted out of Their Cloud They refuse to be comforted and seem loth to look out towards the Everlasting Hills again Psa 121.1 Now hence it is that the Gospel hath been very often in part ineffectual for a Time to some of God's own Children To conclude therefore in a word your Meat will not strengthen you to flee as a Bird to your Mountain Psa 11.1 so long as with Ephraim you remain a silly Dove without Heart Hos 7.11 And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Ninth and last Thing propounded in the General method was the Application of this Doctrine IX The Vses I design to make by God's further Assistance are the Three following Information to discover such Truths Humiliation to bewail such Sins and Exhortation to beswade to such Duties as naturally flow from it First I. Vse by way of Information in these Thirteen Particulars 1. 1 Inf. We may learn the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons to bring down Heavenly Truths to our Capacities I say the Fitness of Earthly Comparisons for in this Body of Flesh we have more Earth than Spirit and need to put on Spectacles to help our weak Eyes It is a piece indeed of condescending Workmanship in our Maker to blow up the very Earth and the Things of it into a Glass and then shew us Heaven and the Things thereof thro' it which made the Apostle use the same Metaphor when he was comparing the Knowledge of Believers here with that perfect Sight they should have in Heaven 1 Cor. 13.12 Now we see thro' a Glass darkly but then Face to Face Thus the Holy Ghost declares I have used Similitudes by the Ministry of the Prophets Hos 12.10 (a) Deus se quodammodò transformat in verbo suo in quo non loquitur pro su◠Majestate sed prout congruere videt modulo nostro infirmitati Rivet in loc Vol. 2. p. 774. col 2. ultim Obs When God speaks to instruct us in his Word he doth as it were transform himself not speaking according to his own Essential Majesty but agreeably to the measure of our Frailty The Scripture often instructs us in Metaphors and sets forth our State Priviledges and Duty by
Tim. 2.26 if in the Snare of the Devil we are taken Captive by him at his Will You will never come to the Banquet of the Gospel so long as you relish His Baits You must not have Fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 if you partake of God's Dainties You will never be drawn in the Bands of Love to Christ if you listen to the Subtilty of the Serpent to be snar'd by his Enticements His Voice is as full of the old Poisonous Flattery now as it was unto Eve of old 2 Cor. 11.3 when the Serpent beg uiled her and she did eat Gen. 3.13 lat pt You must come off therefore from all his Allurements tho' he points to a Tree of Knowledge Gen. 3.6 and a Tree to be desired to make one wise or a Tree thou wouldst fain be at if it bears forbidden Fruit upon it 3. Our Selves is a Term from which we must come likewise off Sinners must be taught to go out of themselves before they comply with Gospel Grace that calls them We are all so naturally ty'd to Self that it will be one of the last Things we leave for Jesus Christ And yet if God's Call prevails we must come off from our selves in these Five Things following viz. Our own Bottom Ease Interest where it contradicteth the Interest of Christ as also from our Unwillingness to come at Christ's Call and all our Carnal Fears that discourage us from Christ and suggest Evil Things to us 1. In coming off from Self we must come off from our own Bottom We must depart from a Sandy Foundation before we can come to dig one in the Rock that is higher than we Mat. 7.24 Our own Hearts our own Strength our own Counsels and our own Righteousness are all such a Bottom of our own that we must remove our Tabernacle from before we can pitch in Christ to have our Foundation in the Holy Mountains Psa 87.1 1. In coming off from our own Bottom we must come off from trusting our own Deceitful Hearts We are lying Children if we say our Hearts are good while we think them not so bad as others It is but next akin to that other Boast of the Perfectionist to say we have no sin in us 1 Joh. 1.8 Thine Heart is the Dungeon where all thy Vermine breed Matth. 15.19 Out of the Heart proceed evil Thoughts and that is enough to pronounce it bad tho' the rest of the Vipers be not reckon'd in Murders Adulteries Fornication Theft False Witness Blasphemies Men are naturally prone to think it is enough that their meaning is good and intend hurt to none They have good Hearts tho' they have not such Heads and Tongues to speak as others But you must come off from this piece of Blind Self for he that trusteth in his own Heart is a Fool Prov. 28.26 Your Heart is desperately evil and the worse because you are not Good enough to know it There be Depths of Wickedness in this hidden man which you that have Grace have too short a Line to fathom and can you then that have nothing but Nature search it out unto Perfection that have not one Thread of Grace to help you The Heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it Jer. 17.9 2. In coming off from our own Bottom we must come off from all our own Strength All our's did I say alas our strength is dryed up like a Potsheard Psa 22.15 since our Springs were cut off in Adam and if we would come by a Right Hand we must have Union with Jesus Christ our Head We may talk and boast of something but Christ hath told us (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bîc non est simpliciter fine sed majus aliquid quasi dicat Christus seorsum a me nam to loco Christus agit de unione nostri cum ipso quam tà m ait esse neceslarium quà m sit unio Palmitum cum vite Camer Myroth pag. 163 164. Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 Vain Man thinks he hath strength enough to catch but we can trust our Hands no more than trust our own Hearts The Flesh is weak until his Spirit from on high be sent to work upon us And we must let go all confidence in this Flesh Phil. 3.4 before the Spirit can be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 3. In coming off from our own Bottom we must come off from all our own Wisdom Trust in the Lord with all thine Heart and lean not to thy own understanding In all thy Ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy Paths If we lean to our own understandings we have found out a Poor Reed instead of the Pillar of Truth to lean on 1 Tim. 3.15 Acknowledge Him In Him are hid all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge Christ is a Full Treasury of every Thing we need (b) In humanâ Christi Naturâ inest omnis plenitudo infusae creatae scientiâ—e seu omniscientia absoluta Davenant in Coloss in loc There is a Created Fulness infused into his Humane Nature and an Uncreated Fulness absolutely Possessing his Divine If we are not therefore Fools for Christ's sake we shall never be wise 1 Cor. 4.10 as we ought to be truly wise in Him If Christ be not our Wisdom the best of our Wisdom will become our own Folly Nay were we Ahitophel's and Men like Oracles should consult us yet if we took not Counsel from above 2 Sam. 15.31 all our Wisdom would be turned into Foolishness Jesus Christ calls us and if we do not learn to choose our way of Him we shall drop into Hell tho' to a Foolish mind that 's darkned Heaven may seem but just before us We must become as Little Children Mat. 18.3 i. e. as ready to take Direction in our way to Christ as a Little Child might be taught in the Way how to come to Vs If we think our own ways the wisest in the Matters of our Souls we make the Wisdom of God a Cipher and I am sure our selves a great Figure for Destruction You must pluck out your own Eyes with those Galathians in another sense Gal. 4.15 I mean renounce all Fleshly Wisdom that you may see none but Jesus Christ to guide you on and help you If the Father bids us to a Feast no man can come unto the Father to be welcome unto his House but by the Son alone Joh. 14.6 lat pt No Man cometh unto the Father but by me You must despise your own Wisdom in competition with Christ and not carry it as if you knew of your selves what and how to do without him 4. In coming off from our own Bottom we must come off from our own Righteousness I do not mean to put off Morality or the Works of Piety and Charity and become loose Ungodly and Licentious but I mean that
you might with your Houses come in and be welcome to serve the Lord Why is it that so Few of you are setting your Faces towards Sion Chap 50.5 even when Sion's Provisions are now ready Oh why is the Season now slighted Why is the opportunity Heb. 3.15 To Day if ye will hear his Voice neglected Oh! why will you die Sinners when you might close with the Redeemer now according to the Time of Life Gen. 18.14 Why will you be Sick and yet shut the Door against the Physician 's entrance now when he would come with Grace and Healing Love to save you Why will you now be Blind Rev. 3.18 when you might have Eye-salve to make you discern every Thing clearly 2 Sam. 16.17 Is this your Kindness to your Friend that would make you highly welcome For behold now is the Day of Salvation behold now is the Accepted Time 2 Cor. 6.2 Never such an opportunity appear'd as the Day of Salvation is and therefore it is now that there is hope in Israel concerning this Thing Ezra 10.2 last words And this shews how the Provisions of the Gospel are ready in their Season as there is a fit opportunity for Sinners to be made now welcome to them So much for the second Branch of this Readiness now in opportunity being now when Grace is offer'd 3. Now ready when Ministers are now urgent They are now like Phinehas Numb 25.11 zealous for their God not to slay as He but to save and present you alive at Supper They are loth to see you starv'd and so much Victuals ready and therefore are earnest in calling out to bring you in to Christ Their Heart's Desire and Prayer Rom. 10.1 their Tears and Travel their Sermons Study Aim is that you may be saved Their Language is to Sinners turn again now every one from his evil way Jer. 25.4 5. and 35.15 Their Language is to Saints Oh taste and see Psal 34.8 They are serious and earnest towards all Faithful Ministers dare jest with none Isa 53.1 We press you to believe our report and come if by any means we may see you but safe in at Supper We blow the Trumpet Ezek. 33.3 we ring the Warning Bell to give you notice of Supper that the Feast now is ready 4. Now ready when God himself now waits to bestow Mercy on you It is your Duty to wait upon God but such is God's Grace and Condescention that he is pleas'd to wait on you And therefore will the Lord wait that he may be Gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy on you Isa 30.18 He stoops that you may be made the means by which he will raise his own Name the higher Rev. 2.21 He waits that he may be Gracious He gives space to repent and does not break up House before the set Time is come The King waits at the Supper-Hour to see his Guests in He hath limited a certain Day Heb. 4.7 And he will stay his own Time he sets As he hath constituted and set Bounds to a Sacred Day of rest as that Place must be understood which Bounds can never be broken up without a gross violation of the Morality of the Fourth Commandment so he likewise limiteth the Day of his Grace and Patience towards Sinners and he will not remove the Bounds he hath plac't by a Perpetual Decree to fence it Jer. 5.22 He hath secretly fixt a waiting-time within his own Breast and as he now waits accordingly so he hath fixt a Time when he will never wait more If thou dost not come in Sinner to this Supper within the compass of God's waiting-time he will not stay a Minute and beseech or use one word of intreaty after 2 Cor. 5.20 There is now silence in Heaven for the space of half an Hour Rev. 8.1 now God seems to be making a Pause upon Mount Ebal and will read no more Curses yet that thou might'st hear more comfortably and distinctly what is said upon Mount Gerizim Deut. 11.29 Psal 24.3 to encourage thee to ascend into this Hill of the Lord where the Fat Things wait upon the Mountain ready till thou art brought thither God now looks thro' the Pillar of the Cloud to see who comes running by the way of the Plain Exod. 14.24 2 Sam. 18.23 Numb 35.13 Mat. 7.13 Matth. 25.10 11 12. to get in at the City of Refuge and thrust in at the strait Gate to Table taking the Kingdom of Heaven by a Holy Violence now now now before the Door is shut 5. Now ready when the Spirit breathes and blows upon us For the Spirit of the Lord bloweth when as well as the Spirit John 3.8 where it listeth As the Spirit of God in the first Creation did move upon the Face of the Waters Gen. 1.2 or sit and hatch the Creature so in the new Creation under the Preaching of the Gospel the Spirit moves upon the Face of the Waters or People who often in Scripture are compared to * Rev. 17.15 Jer. 47.2 Eccl. 11.1 Psal 124.4 5 c. Waters and forms †Gal. 4.19 Rom. 6.19 Christ in them Now when Men preach and the Spirit helps the Infirmity of our Flesh the Gospel is then made ready For it is the Spirit that quickneth the Flesh profiteth nothing Joh. 6.63 It is a Time of Readiness when God sends forth the Spirit of his Son Gal. 4.6 and proclaims it in your Hearts with a crying at the Table Abba Father 1 Cor. 12.8.9 10. yea when to one is given by the Spirit the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit to another Faith by the same Spirit to another Prophesie to another discerning of Spirits when the Spirit lifts up Ordinances and Means above their own Power when the Spirit speaketh expresly in us as well as the Language of the Messenger speaketh to us and when we see by the Blessed Effects of it Joh. 1.32 the Spirit of God descending from Heaven while the Word of the Kingdom comes in the Demonstration of the Spirit and with Power 1 Cor. 2.4 then is the Blessed Season the opportunity of the Gospel the special Time of Supper the now when All Things are ready It is now when the Spirit breathes and blows upon us And lo God now stretcheth forth his Hand the Spirit makes some work in thy Soul that perhaps thou canst now witness yea must acknowledge it this is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 Why now then the Provisions are ready for thee 2 Cor. 2.15 't is now a Savour of Life unto Life to many and 't is now ready to get up Thee that art Dead while thou livest 1 Tim. 5 6 The Spirit now opens some Eyes that never saw one Morsel of the Bread of Life before It reveals Mysteries unto Babes which they never heard till
now Mar. 11.25 God's Word now is Quick Heb. 4.12 Nah 2.4 Rev. 3.4 and runs like the Lightnings to find out the Few Names in Sardis 't is now Powerful tho' we are weak that use it Heb. 4.12 'T is now sharper than a Two-edged Sword and cuts when we do not see what is become of it out of our Hands It was a Dead Letter it may be but now a Quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15.45 Eph. 6.17 The Sword of the Spirit makes its way when we that handle it cannot make it enter Oh! Now God goes forth with the Chariot of Israel 2 Kings 2.12 and the Horsemen thereof he rides among some sturdy Sinners unhorseth them makes them acknowledge that God is in his Ordinances of a Truth 1 Cor. 14.25 brings them to the Ground calleth them to his Foot Isa 41.2 when they lye groveling in the Dust and goes forth Conquering and to Conquer Rev. 6.2 The Second Thing is to Prove it II. that the Gospel is a Feast or a Supper with all its Provisions now ready 1. The Guests of this Supper are now invited to it Reas 1 You have heard under the second Doctrine that God calls you to come and Sup with him Now it is a sure sign the Lord hath a Supper as it was once that he had a Bloody Sacrifice of Destruction Zeph. 1.7 when he hath bid his Guests It is now assuredly a Call to a Wedding-Banquet because the Spirit and the Bride say Come Rev. 22.17 There is a Feast for the Children of the Bride-chamber do not fast so long as they have got the Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ with them It is ready and now unquestionably for the Elder Brother of the Family and his Servants have invited all the King's Sons 2 Sam. 13.23 2 Cor. 6.18 every one of the Children Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty i. e. all who are brought into such a Relation to him are commanded to sit down as so many Olive-Plants round about his Table Psa 128.3 This is therefore a Proof that his Provision is now ready for them 2. The Supper of the Gospel is now ready Reas 2 because it is now in the Evening of the World Supper-Time The whole Time of the Gospel-Dispensation if taken by it self from Christ's first unto his second coming may be term'd as one Entire Day and so the Apostle seems to intimate as (w) To Day signifies now in the Time of his Appearance Charnock Vol. 2d p. 1192. some observe in that Expression To Day if ye will hear his Voice Heb. 4.9 But yet if the Gospel-Time be taken in with the other Time that went on before Christ then it may be called the Evening of a Day and in this joint-consideration I now take it here as the Apostle also doth 1 Cor. 10.11 latter part They are written for our Admonition upon whom the Ends of the World are come The Gospel is the last Season or the utmost Difpensation that Sinners will ever meet with to make Provisions of Mercy for them Grace therefore in this Dispensation is well expressed in the Parable by a Supper A Supper is the last Meal and so is the Gospel the last Thing God hath to give you in the Evening of the World The Food of these last Times indeed had been promis'd early when God spake at Morning and at Noon what he would do for his People before Night for as the Passeover in another sence so this is a Feast to be kept at Even Lev. 23.5 and now in the Evening of the World he doth give us Flesh to eat Exo. 16.8 Besides our Now is the latter part of the Day of God's Patience towards the World and of his Provision and Grace towards us we live still later in the Evening Gen. 8.11 and lo in the Evening comes a Dove with an Olive-Branch to us We are Borderers upon Eternity and are as near that Ocean Acts 10.6 as Simon the Tanner that lodg'd by the Sea-side Now then is our Supper-time for as now it is Evening so the Night cometh next God therefore provideth his Supper now because he will have it to be in Season ready for us Hence is it that he may say Now have I brought it to pass Isa 37.26 not as Sennacherib vaunted it in the laying waste defenced Cities into ruinous Heaps no that was a Now for mischief but now hath he brought it to pass Gen. 50.20 to save much People alive as at this Day and God hath now done it because he would not when we see a Full Congregation kill this whole Assembly with Hunger Exo. 16.3 as the People in their Murmurings against Moses and Aaron complain'd unjustly Well God hath made ready the Provisions of the Gospel now because he would fit them to our Entertainment now at Supper-Time and therefore they are Created Now and not from the Beginning Isa 48.7 God maketh Supper ready and we may say the Hour now is for entertaining us When the Age of the World is departed Isa 38.12 Rom. 13.12 1 Pet. 4.7 its Day is far spent and the End of all things is at hand 3. Many Guests do now partake already Reas 3 There is a Feast because so many eat and drink the Supper is ready because so many sit down I am the Door by me if any Man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture Joh. 10.9 There be many thro' Grace which have been brought into God's House thro' this Door and set at God's Table It is not only of our selves in these Nations and these Churches but there are other Sheep also which Christ hath Joh. 10.16 that are not of this Fold and these also he hath taken Care of to lodge and refresh in fat Pastures The Gospel hath not only been profitable to some of you but there hath been the Fruits of it that appear thro' the Blessing of the Feast-maker among other Gentiles also Paul witnesseth in his Day that the Romans were not the only Gentile-Hearers who had profited under his Ministry by the Entertainment for he rather wisheth that They might but reap as much Benefit by the Gospel as others had done besides Rom. 1.13 that I might have some Fruit among you also even as among other Gentiles Other Gentiles Because others had been the Seal of his Apostleship elsewhere he tells the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.2 that ye are so in the Lord i. e. Partakers of the Benefits and the Graces of the Gospel as well as you So that many Guests do partake and have partook and therefore this Supper 's ready Lastly Reas 4 After-Delays will prove too late to sup and therefore it appears now ready What will the Provision signifie suppose to us if we han't it now what will a Supper avail when our Candle is out and we are gone to
and the Counsel which Jesus Christ gave unto his Disciples was this Therefore be ye also ready Matth. 24.44 And be ye therefore ready also Luke 12.40 But now it is sad when the Gospel is made ready Gal. 2.15 and Sinners of the Gentiles are yet unready for it Behold saith Christ I stand at the Door Rev. 3.20 and knock but how many obstinate resolved Sinners that are going on still in their Trespusses do keep a Hand upon the Latch Psal 68.21 while he knocks and they will not open to him Psal 24.7 9 10. They refuse to let in the King of Glory tho' he knocks to come in and bring them to a Banquet of Love prepar'd God is ready with his Son Christ is ready with himself yea the Holy Spirit and the Gospel with the Faithful Preachers of it These are all now ready and yet how many wretched Hearers that are yet in their Sins are not ready for them Oh! 't is sad that when God calls away to Supper Men should chuse rather to play than to come in Matth. 11.16 17. 1 Cor. 13.11 to be like Children playing in the Markets rather than put away Childish Things and come in to the Provisions that have been purchased at a Dear Market for them It is sad to be slothful in Business when we should be fervent in our Spirits Rom. 12.11 serving the Lord Ah! how unworthy is their Carriage that when all is now ready Supper served in Grace offered to pardon cleanse save them yet they will stand off and have neither Hearts nor Stomachs to it 't is a high piece of Ingratitude when Sinners are not ready to embrace the Gospel let the cause of their unreadiness be as plausible and specious as a negligent Hand or an unbelieving Heart can make it 't is sad when Men will keep their Hands too dirty to dip them in the Dish with Christ Mat. 26.23 Luke 10.40 Chap. 22.27 that they will be cumbred about much serving and will rather run up and down upon any thing among them that serve than sit down among them that sit at Meat 6. Again it is still worse 6 Ins when Men shall even now degenerate from what they have once been That Men by a slight and temporary Profession should once pretend to be Guests and yet quickly after it may be downright Apostates at least wretched Backsliders and Strangers to Grace and Holiness what a Horrible Revolt from an open countenancing of the ways of God to a visible Enmity or at least a secret Hatred of them Once Zealous in Profession now as hot if it lay in their Power to stir up Persecution Sometime outwardly reconcil'd now again alienated A sad reverse of the state of the Colossians and all true Believers Col. 1.21 Oh! how sad was the degenerate state of Jerusalem when the Prophet describes it Isa 1.21 How is the Faithful City become an Harlot It was full of Judgment Righteousness lodged in it but Now Murtherers And what is it thus with any of you that have read heard and professed the Doctrine of the Grace of God Are you now degenerate now worse than ever What Apprehensions have you of this Gospel now ready Could you once rise up in a Readiness for Communion with them that dare not forsake the Assembling of themselves together Heb. 10.25 to be join'd with such as do understand and seek God And can you now sit down in a contented slothfulness at home as if you were shut up in Plenty and had all things by you Could you once set upon the Practice of an outward Reformation and yet when sanctifying Grace is now ready for you are you fallen into your old course again Don't you need to be mourn'd over that you should return with the Dog to your Vomit and with the Sow that was washed to your wallowing in the Mire again 2 Pet. 2.22 Did you once pretend to hate and rebuke them that regard Lying And what Are you now upon every slight occasion accustomed to utter Lies tho' lying Lips are an Abomination to the Lord of Truth Prov. 12.22 Did you once pretend a Regard to the Commandment Swear not Jam. 5.12 And yet even now you can ordinarily Swear by the Greater Heb. 6.16 and perhaps mock at the Tenderness of a Neighbour that feareth an Oath Eccles 9.2 and will tell you that even for Swearing the Land mourns Jer. 23.10 Were you once convinced that you took up a Reproach against the Lord when you prophan'd his Ordinances despis'd his Sabbaths trampled upon his Gospel Blasphem'd his Reverend and Holy Name Psal 111.9 And are you now as loose and extravagant as openly wicked it may be Debaucht or Prophane and more than ever Did you not once tell Men by your Profession that the Lord was the Portion of your Cup Psal 16.5 and yet can you drink off the Cup of your Abominations Rev. 17.4 Deut. 29.19 to add Drunkenness to Thirst Oh! 't is sad that you should have professed Righteousness and Purity but return again to Uncleanness and remain filthy still Rev. 22.11 'T is sad that you should have sate under the Preaching of the Gospel which hath been made and brought in now ready and yet be hardened any of you by the Deceitfulness of Sin Heb. 3.13 till you are now worse than ever 7. It will now make your next Sins the Greater 7 Inf. Present Acts of Grace will aggravate future Acts of Sin This Days Provision if refused will encrease your to Morrow's Provocation You will presently heap up wrath if you neglect the Treasures of Mercy longer If you are not led to Repentance by a Saviour now ready Rom. 2.4 you will be more greedy to fill up your Sins alway 1 Thes 2.16 If the Gospel be a Supper now ready if all the Blessings of the Kingdom of Grace are now prepared if Heaven it self be offered and Everlasting Glory promis'd and set before us and yet Sinners will not regard the offers of Salvation in the Day of Grace Rom. 8.31 what shall we then say to these things but as the Prophet doth Jer. 14.10 latter part That the Lord will now remember their Iniquity and that now also will he give Sentence against them Jer. 4.12 latter part The Sin is the greater because a rejection of Mercy and Grace in the very Season of it It is the sign of a more Rebellious and Revolting Heart if we do not now fear the Lord our God If Men will not reform nor now turn and live why then assuredly now shall they be found faulty Hos 10.2 middle clause i. e. Now God will look upon their Sin more than he hath been wont to do in time past You might once perhaps have had a covering to have wrapt up and conceal'd your neglects of God before but now you are made naked to your shame Exod. 32.25 and
have no cloak for your Sin and therefore now is the Judgment of this World Joh. 15.22 8 Inf. John 12.31 8. It is a mistake of corrupt Flesh and Blood to look back upon the Days of Ignorance Vanity and Sin and yet say the former Days were better than these Alas What were those Days in which we all had our Conversations in Times past the Apostle makes our Births which we brought forth in such a Day Monsters Eph. 2.3 fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind Was it better in our Carnal Security to have Fellowship with Devils than now at a Table to sit in Communion with God Was our Morality better when we only made clean the outside of the Cup and Platter than since we have been at a Feast which must have Vessels clean within Shall there be any that dippeth his Hand in the Dish count it better to run back from Christ and be such a Judas to betray him Are the Days of Darkness better than those when the Sun shines from Heaven and better than the shine of God's Face at Supper Dare any Soul that hath sate in the King's Hall look back into the Devil's Kitchen and say then it was better with me than now Corruption would fain break loose it loves not to sit so long as Grace delights to be at Supper It is a Torment to the Flesh so far as unmortify'd to keep in God's Presence Flesh and Blood savours not the Dainties that came down from Heaven and it would fain return back to be as in Days of Vanity and as in Months past again But surely if we should hearken to these complainings in our Streets Psal 144.14 and say Wherefore are the former Days better than these we should in the worst sense not wisely enquire concerning this Eccles 7.10 The Flesh will be ready to object we were not once put so hard as now to it we need not once have gone so far or took so much Pains to hear and then have had our Faults or every Miscarriage dealt so hardly with We were once as Merry in our Carriage as Light at Heart and free from the Burdens Religion lays upon us as our Neighbours that do but reproach us for being Righteous overmuch Eccl. 7.16 How is it that we are grown Melancholly and Heavy and the Case now alter'd with us Come let us return Num. 14.4 let us make a Captain and go back let us resolve to lay aside our Profession and it will go as well of our side yet again as ever This is exactly such a kind of Revolting Spirit as fell among the Jews when they cast off God and embrac't Idols and when instead of worshipping the Sun of Righteousness they adored the Image of the Moon Jer. 44.16 17. As for the Word that thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but we will certainly do whatsoever Thing goeth forth out of our own Mouth to Burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink-offerings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the Streets of Jerusalem For then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no evil They would rather make Cakes to worship the Devil than eat of the Bread of Life v. 19. Sirs if you meet with any thing that is grievous to be born and think the way to mend it will be now to turn from the Holy Commandment 2 Pet. 2.21 yet know for a certainty Numb 32.23 that your Sin will find you out It will be a base encrease of your Victuals if you either rob by your own withdrawing or pollute by unhallowed Approaches the Table of the Lord Mal. 1.12 in Hopes it may fare the better with you It will be a sad mending the Case to chuse your own ways for the Inconveniences which you think you find in God's 9. If this Feast be now ready 9 Inf. then now God makes amends for all the Discouragements and Inconveniences you ever did or do meet with to enjoy the Means of Grace Peradventure thou hast sometimes found much ado with Men to break thro' all thy way to God Thou hast met with Family-Discouragements Reproaches at home or Scoffs abroad thou hast been in Journeyings often in Fastings Watchings 2 Cor. 11.26 Temptations to enjoy Christ at Supper any thing Psal 66.12 we went thro' Fire and thro' Water if it might but conduce to come any ways at Bread Well you shall now find the Gospel will become a Double Portion to you You that have come to the Provisions of the Feast in weakness 1 Cor. 2.3 Neh. 8.10 the Joy of the Lord shall be your strength The Bread of God shall be now the sweeter as you have eaten the Bread of Affliction Deut. 16.3 Cant. 7.9 Psal 102.9 and the taste of his Love like the best Wine since you have mingled your Drink with weeping So that a Man shall say Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous Psal 58.11 A Man perhaps a Carnal Man that sees how God doth bear thee out or the Man thine Enemy shall be forc't to acknowledge that surely John 4.32 if thou hadst not Meat to eat which others know not of thou couldst never break thro' such Discouragement or get out to a Meal prepar'd so far from home And blessed be God which hath not turned away my Prayer nor his Mercy from me Psal 66.20 It is a great Encouragement to wait upon God when he will give it in to your own Experience that in keeping his Commandments there is great Reward Psal 19.11 You come it may be divers of you from far Mark 8.3 to come in and Sup with Him but nevertheless you have your Reward Matth. 6.5 if you find that God who invited you hath been nigh and not afar off You are wet it may be sometimes or cold or chid some of you when you are got home Perhaps some in the Family will rebuke you for coming hither Mark 10.13 as the Disciples in another Case did the People when they brought in Children to Jesus Christ well no matter there is enough in the Entertainment to make amends for all If God Rains down Mannah upon your Souls he makes amends tho' he does not command the Clouds in your return to rain no Rain upon you Isa 5.6 1 Pet. 1.2 Job 14.8 The sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus will recompense your being wet with the showers of the Mountains ay the sprinkling it upon your Souls will make amends tho' your Bodies may a little like Nebuchadnezzar's Dan. 4.15 be wet with the Dews of Heaven The Love of Christ when he hath brought you into his Banquetting House will warm you Song 2.4 and make amends while you return cold home Weather shall not chill your Affections if they are strongly
King of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat there is yet one man Micaiah the Son of Imlah by whom we may enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not Prophesie good concerning me but evil God's Elijah's would take their Food 1 Kings 17.6 tho' God should send a Raven to them with it but the Prejudic'd Ahab's of the World will not meddle with Their's tho' Elijah himself brought it The Gospel is ineffectual to many by reason of Prejudice Tenthly 10 Hinderance The General Disesteem which the Gospel meets with in the World The World represents God's Morsels as they will one Day find their own Sauce sowre They account it a melancholy and uncomfortable Entertainment Religion is a Diet that will imbitter all their Portion in this Life They think the Guests that partake of this Supper i. e. Separated Holy Christians are every one of them like Him in the Book of Job Job 21.15 that dyeth in the Bitterness of his Soul and never eateth with Pleasure They cry it up and down in the Streets of Ashkelon 2 Sam. 1.20 that the Ordinances and Appointments of Jesus Christ are Vessels in which is no pleasure Hos 8.8 The Fare of the Gospel is represented by them like John Baptist's in the Wilderness Mat. 3.4 as Locusts and wild Honey Thus its Provisions have got an ill Name by some and they will not be drawn by the very savour of Christ's Ointments Song 1.3 so long as this low repute it hath in the World doth cast in Dead Flies among it Eccles 10.1 Dead Flies cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour The Grace of God is not courteously received but treated ill tho' it comes with good will to Men. Luk. 2.14 The Dishes of the Gospel by an unthankful unholy World are much cryed down and therefore when served up are generally much set by Acts 28.22 As concerning this Sect we know that every where it is spoken against This Sect. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Heresie saith the Greek The World concludes it Heresie and therefore will not regard it tho' it be the Gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1.12 middle pt Wicked Men will Nick-name God's Truth and then fly from the Truth for the very Name 's sake they gave it They entertain Bad Conceptions of the Truths of God and are become Judges of Evil Thoughts Jam. 2.4 and therefore reproach and trample upon good Things under them The World imagine Fish to be Serpents and then fly from them as Moses did when he cast his Rod upon the Ground Exod. 4.3 and while it became a Serpent fled from before it A vile and a scornful Generation do esteem of the Bread of Life as Stones Oh! it is a mighty Hinderance to their embracing the Gospel of Christ that when his Oxen and his Fatlings are killed Mat. 22.4 they take up these Spiritual Mysteries with no more regard than if it were but the slaying of Pharaoh's lean Kine Gen. 41.3 19. But no matter to God's Children what such insinuate 3 Joh. 10. that prate with malitious words the Children must take their Bread tho' Dogs bark and an Enemy calls it Poison I confess this saith Paul that after the way which they call Heresie Act. 24 14. so worship I the God of my Fathers Eleventhly Bad Company 11 Hinderance If a Man had some Towardly Inclinations to embrace the Gospel yet so long as he goeth in Company with the workers of Iniquity Job 34.8 he will not be able when these Sinners entice him to consent not Prov. 1.10 Certain Lewd Fellows of the baser sort do often set upon a Man that is otherwise soberly inclined even as they assaulted the House of Jason Acts 17.5 and never leave 'till they have worn out his Sober Impressions that you can read nothing at last but the Devil 's Brand upon him Exo. 23.2 When Men follow a multitude to do evil Psa 42.4 they care not to walk unto God's House in any other Company The Gospel of the only wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 signifies nothing to a Companion of Fools that shall be destroyed Prov. 13.20 Psa 119.61 The Bands of the wicked will rob thee of the Feast if thou art not one that hast no Fellowship with them Eph. 5.11 Twelfthly 12 Hinderance Garnal Relations If there were neither Adversary nor evil occurrent abroad yet if a Man's Enemies be the Men of his own House Mic. 7.6 and a Man's Foes be those of his own Houshold Matth. 10.36 there is such a Radical Enmity in the corrupt mind of Man against the Truth of God as will make their Eye Evil and their Hand severe towards their own Flesh and Blood They will violate the Bonds of Nature to fight against Grace Now this is enough without Special Grace that opens the Heart to keep the Gospel and its Provisions wholly out of Doors Men will often hearken to the Voice of their own Flesh and Blood when a Stranger they will not follow Joh. 10.5 Ahaziah hearkens to the pernicious Advice of his Mother Athaliah for his Mother Athaliah was his Counsellor to do evil 2 Chro. 22.3 Carnal Relations will sometimes be very earnest to beat off young Beginners that they may not take up with the New Man tho' perhaps assaulting them with that old Argument that none of their Kindred are called by it Luk. 1.61 There is none of thy kindred that is called by this Name You may be beaten off by such as are related to you if you be not related as Sons and Daughters to the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 Thirteenthly False Teachers 13 Hinderance A corrupt Ministry sets the World against the Truth Unsound Teachers are against Salt because they have lost its savour Mar. 9.50 Men's Lyes to make the very Truths of God of no effect with some When Sinners are beguiled and thro' the craft and sleight of cunning Men mis-led Eph. 4.14 their Minds will be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel 2 Cor. 11.3 if they hearken to such as are not Teachers of good things Tit. 2.3 they will not value the Gospel that hath all good things ready If they regard vain Talkers and Deceivers as the Apostle calls corrupt Doctors Tit. 1.10 Teaching things which they ought not v. 11. it will hinder the Advantage of Gospel-Grace provided If there be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 False Teachers among you 2 Pet. 2.1 it will greatly damage your receiving the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4.21 These have a beguiling Artifice to lay their varnish upon the worst Complexion'd Face and for a well-favour'd Rachel bring in a Leah that is blear-ey'd Gen. 29.23 25. They wash over a little false Coin in Doctrine and then put it off to such as cannot try the Spirits
1 Joh. 4.1 Fourteenthly 14 Hinderance Scandals in Professors When such as sit at Meat do prophane the Table of the Lord Mal. 1.12 it makes others even trample upon the Lord's * Panis Propositionis will be quickly oppositionis also Shew-bread Tho' you offer and propound Holy Things to them they will oppose themselves if they can find but any Stain dropt upon our Garments at this Holy Feast I mean any thing in the World which they see by Vs to deride a Love-Feast and reproach the Gospel for The World doth not look so much upon Religion Jam. 1.27 v. 26. pure and undefiled as upon him that seemeth to be Religious Neither is the Holiness so much talk'd of as the Spot of God's Children Deut. 32.5 Their acerba Ingenia as the (x) Instit Chr. Rel. fol. 284. Sect. 11. mibi 8o. Learned Calvin calls them their sharp or sowr Wits will try at an Advantage to render our Feast high-seasoned and then in our Thirst their Mockery will give us Vinegar to drink Psa 69.21 We therefore who profess the Gospel had need be cautious that we be without offence unto the day of Christ Phil. 1.10 and not keep others from the Provisions at God's Table Gen. 4.7 because of our Sin that lyeth at the Door Fifteenthly Carnal Disappointment 15 Hinderance Men come forth it may be expecting to meet with one thing and lo in the Gospel they find quite another They get out at the Rumour of a Feast thinking to meet with some Dainty Morsel ready and alas when they come they meet with nothing which a Carnal Palate likes but with a Dish their Corruption can in no wise relish It is a Feast where neither the Meat nor Drink doth please them They bring so many Nice Corruptions to the Well-Head of Life that the Living Water is worse than brackish to them It grows as bitter to their Taste Rev. 8.11 as if that Star in the Revelation whose Name is Wormwood had fallen into the Waters and made them the Waters of Marah where such as they come They find the Gospel brings no such Tidings to their Ears as they are hearkning after No such Things as I supposed saith Festus in Paul's Accusation Acts 25.18 19. But certain Questions of their own Superstition and of one Jesus which was Dead whom Paul affirmed to be alive Alas such a Disappointment spoils their Approbation of the Gospel and puts them out of Love with its Provisions it may be ever after They come perhaps for the Preacher to scratch an itching Ear Act. 7. 54. but are cut to the Heart like Stephen's Hearers that gnasht upon him with their Teeth and go away with their Consciences in the mean while accusing them Rom. 2.15 Sixteenthly 16 Hinderance Plain Dealing They think the Truths of the Gospel are too keen and they should better savour them if the Morsels were not so often dipt in Vinegar or if it were a Passover made ready without any Bitter Herbs Exo. 12.8 Herod heard John Baptist gladly and seem'd to like the Feast well 'till he met with that Biting-grain of Mustard-seed It is not lawful for thee to have thy Brother's Wife Mark 6.18 20. compared And we never read afterwards that Herod would endure to come and Dine or Sup with John again He met with God's Hook that prickt him and being never in earnest was resolv'd to play no more with the Bait. When Men bring their Lusts unto Christ to feed Sinners find themselves mistaken in their Aim and so long as they resolve to continue in their sins they shall find it to be a Banquet that affords not a Bone for any sin to pick. Seventeenthly 17 Hinderance Sometimes open Persecution is a Hinderance to the Entertainment They are afraid of the Gospel when God's Shew-bread and Goliah's Sword are coupled 1 Sam. 22.13 When God's House is beset Sinners for Refuge will flee far enough from his Table They care not to be found within when there is a Judas without Mat. 26.47 and with him a great multitude from the chief Priests with Swords and Staves for to take them A Persecuted and a Professed Subjection to Christ with them will not stand together 2 Cor. 9.13 If there be not Liberty from Men they will renounce God's Liberality for when Affliction or Persecution ariseth for the Word's sake immediately they are offended Mark 4.17 whereas it is a Character of the Saints of the most High that being persecuted they suffer it 1 Cor. 4.12 last words Lastly 18 Hinderance God's Righteous Induration his hardning and giving Sinners up judicially They are first obstinate and then God is just On Their Parts it is a contracted Obstinacy on His a judicial Obduration They are Haters of God Rom. 1.30 and then saith He my Soul loathed them as Zech. 11.8 My Soul loathed Them and their Soul also abhorred Me. Sinners Discover an Aversation to God and God manifests an Induration towards Them They will not be sostened and he will leave them hardened When Men despise the Fatness of God's House he suffers such a gross Fatness to grow at last upon their Hearts that they cannot understand with their Heart Isa 6.10 and be Converted Now will not this be a Hinderance to purpose when Men have Eyes to see the Provision and yet God is so wroth with them they shall not see or regard one Dish before them and when they have Ears to hear and yet they shall not hear and understand one word of Grace and Good Will to Men spoken Luk. 2.14 Joh. 12.39 40. Therefore they could not believe because that Esaias said again he hath blinded their Eyes and hardened their Heart that they should not see with their Eyes nor understand with their Heart and be converted and I should heal them This Hardness is Originally from themselves 't is their own voluntary Work to contract the sin and 't is God's judicial Act to inflict the Punishment and give them up to augment it Indeed God doth not infuse a Positive Hardness by shedding abroad any malignant Influences of a hardening Nature but he hardens by a pure Privation i. e. He doth not infuse Evil but with-holds the Good he is not bound to give and a Man's Heart will then as naturally grow hard as Metals that are taken off the Fire So much for the First Branch of Hinderances which obstruct Sinners and render this Gospel-Feast of no more use to them Secondly The Hinderances of Saints II. which render this Feast of the Gospel so ineffectual to some of them I mean as to the Comsort and Quietude of their State are chiefly these â—our 1. Dissatisfaction about their Relation to God and Right to this Feast They are not satisfyed whether God is their Father and that makes them thrive no better by any Children's Bread Mat. 15 26 They question their Right and dare
the Gospel-Feast alone Why sit we here until we die was the Language of those four Leprous Men that were ready to perish with Hunger at the entring of the Gate of Samaria 2 Kings 7.3 last words They could not live in so Black a Famine as we read preavailed Chap. 6.25 where an Asse's Head in this extremity perhaps not common yet Legally unclean was sold for fourscore pieces of Silver i. e. (g) See Mr. Pool's Engl. Annot in loc If we compute those Pieces by the common Estimation or the common Shekel which was half the value of the Shekel of the Sanctuary and reckoned at Fifteen pence then being multiplyed Eighty Times will amount to Five Pound as the Price of an Asse's Head in that extraordinary Famine And it follows the fourth Part of a h The Kab answers to our Quart Dr. Fuller's Pisgah-sight p. 399. mispag'd on the other fide 397 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This contained 24 Eggs and held proportion with our Quart Goodwyn Moses and Aaron lib. 6. Heb◠Measures p. 262. See also Weymse Hebr. Weights and Measures Vol. I. p. 136 137. But Others think this meafure by Egg-shells must be very uncertain because of the Disproportion to be found in Eggs and therefore are not so exact to adjust the measure to our Quart Saith one This way of dealing with Eggs in measures I doubt will make nine measures of ten prove addle Lee's Temple of Solomon pag. 110. Kab which was the least Hebrew-measure of Dove's Dung i.e. no more of this Dung neither for Food than they say could be contain'd in six Egg-shells that is the fourth part of once 24. 24 being reckoned the entire measure of the Kab and these six Egg-shells of Dung too at no lower rate than five Pieces of Silver or as is estimated according to the value of our English Coins at 6 s. and 3 d. Well this Durum Telum necessitas this mighty strait makes these four Leprous Men resolved to quit their Post in the Gate and venture out into the Camp of their very Enemies to find better Quarters They had starv'd if they had not sought supplies or had lookt that the Stones of their Gate should be turned into Bread Indeed these Distressed Hungry Lepers must be fain to put it to the issue as the History relates v. 4. whether they should get their Bread upon the Place where they agreed to go forth They are not Invited to any Entertainment but must venture upon their Enemies Swords to get their Bread with the Peril of their Lives But lo Lam. 5.9 necessity spurr'd them on Why sit we here until we die was Argument enough to venture any where to live Why so there is the same necessity for our coming to the Gospel-Entertainment We die if we have not this Feast this Food to keep our Souls alive And lo we are more abundantly encouraged to seek our Bread than They These Lepers sought it of Bloody Syrians we may of a Saviour that hath shed his own Blood for us They of their Enemies and we of the best Friend we have They ventured to the King of Syrta's Camp we may approach to the King of Sion's Court. They ventured without inviting we are bid to come And shall we not go shall we not gird up our Loins and run 1 Sam. 17.29 Is there not a Cause And shall we starve our Souls to indulge our sitting still We have nothing left by Nature no Bread under our Hand to feed us 1 Sam. 21.4 and tho' we are Prodigals that have wasted our first Allowance we cannot find our second Keeping in any far Countrey or upon the Husks that any Swine do eat We must be nourisht in the King's Houshold under the Roof of his Loving Kindness or we pine and die in the open Field with Hunger Oh! wo unto us we are undone if we make not out to our Father There 's a mighty Famine in the Land and we are Strangers in the Earth Psa 119.19 and from below we have neither inward Grace nor outward open Vision And is it not necessary we should come Shall we slight a Feast of Plenty Shall we hear the Calls shall we smell the Entertainment shall we see the Provisions served up before us And yet shall we hear shall we see Shall we do any Thing but come and taste that the Lord is good Psa 34.8 3. Lastly It is necessary to come to maintain the Healthful and Vigorous Constitution of the Soul with the nourishment of Grace continually Coming to the Gospel Feast is necessary not only to preserve our Life but to encrease our Strength which is also one of the Proximate and Immediate Ends of Eating according to Eccles 10.17 Blessed art thou O Land when thy (i) Inferiour Rulers and Officers of State Pemble Analytical Exposition of Ecclesiastes p. 333. Princes eat in Due Season for (k) Ad Corporis robur animi vires ut vivant valeant Cartwright Homil. in Eccles Strength and not for (l) Ad reficiendum non ad Luxuriam Mercer Drunkenness As the Tables of the Greatest Men should be spread to no other end than the Refreshment and Supplies of Nature so the Table of our Great God must be furnished and we partaking of it as a means of Nourishment and Encrease of Grace If we would have strength in our Souls Judg. 16 5 we must come to the Provisions where our great strength lyes When Grace hath put a new Healthful Constitution into the Soul it procures a Diet to preserve that same Blessed Temper If we would be strong and lively and wait upon the Lord to renew our strength Isa 40.31 if we would mount up with Wings as Eagles if we would run and not be weary and walk and not faint in our Journey towards the New Jerusalem as the Holy Ghost hath promised and spoken by the Mouth of his Servant Isaiah Isa 40.31 we must come to a Feast that hath Healthy Diet in it 'T is by means we obtain the End Waiting running walking as the Means before strength and not fainting as the End Would you be strong in the Lord Eph. 6.10 you must first accept of his Invitation and partake of strong that is Soul-strengthening meat This is the way by which you may come to be strengthened with all might according to his Glorious Power Col. 1.11 So much for the Doctrinal Part. The Last Thing is the Vse IV. only in some Few Truths we may learn from it 1. Inf. If we must Come Oh! what need then of the Spirit of God to bring us we need a Real Aid and a mighty wise and holy Guide with us We must have a Principle of Internal Spiritual Assistance wrought by the Holy Ghost first to enlighten our Ignorance and then to strengthen our Impotence we cannot stir if the Spirit do not strive with us Psal 143.10 Thy Spirit is Good lead me into the
Land of uprightness I must come Lord to thy Table I must see what House thou keepest for me (m) Da igitur sidum illum ducem qui non prehendat tantùm manum sed vires sufficiat motum Rivet in loc vol. 2. Joh. 6.63 Grant me therefore thy Spirit to be my Sure and Faithful Guide to thee who will not only take me by the Hand but afford me sufficient Strength and Motion as the Pious and Learned Rivet glosseth it The Spirit that Quickneth must give Life and Motion Legs to the lame and Feet to walk with them If the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the Dead dwell in you He that raised up Christ from the Dead shall also quicken your Mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you Rom. 8.11 (n) Charnock's Discourses Vol. 2. p. 1321. The Spirit must be our Auxiliary upon Earth as well as Christ our Advocate in Heaven As we can never be obedient to the Truth till we come to the God of Truth that calls us so we can never come to be thus obedient till there be an obeying of the Truth thro' the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 He may call he may command This is the way walk ye in it but we can never run the way of his Commandments till He enlarge our Hearts Psal 119.32 Acts 17.28 For 't is in him that we live and move and have our Being Spiritually as well as Naturally both are from him because all our Springs are in Him We must have our motion from him before we can make any motion to him A moving Principle to cause our Pace or we shall either stand still or start back or turn aside or tumble down or stumble in our walk when we try to come along 2. Inf. God's Calling and Man 's Coming are not the same but Two Distinct Things 'T is His Grace but 't is our Work and Duty He draws but 't is we must run Cant. 1.4 Draw we we will run after thee The Call is often sent when there is no coming seen Christ oft invites but Men too oft refuse He holds out a Sceptre of Grace but They remove the Shoulder and will not stretch out one Hand to take it Calling is the Act of God Coming is the Duty or the Act of Man in the received strength of God God's Act in calling often goes alone but our's never doth so because it is impossible tho' God calls of himself that we should come alone These Two then must be distinguished God's Calling and Man 's Coming neither must Man deceive himself to think he comes because God calls him For he may be no Guest after God hath given and a Man hath had a Gracious Invitation The Invitation may be made on God's Part and yet no compliance seen on Man's 3. Inf. There may be also much coming to Ordinances and little coming unto God with any Spiritual motion in them Alas there be many Foolish Guests that follow their own Spirit and rather come at their own call than God's They bid themselves and so come in the Flesh but never understand what to make of a motion in Spirit and in Truth to God They hear not with Spiritual Distinction the Voice of the Son of God but with a Confusion and Disorder the Flesh makes and therefore can't come but rather from some Forcible external Cause are brought without any Life in them You may be going from the Feast in a Spiritual Sense when you are seen to come to it in the Literal The Heart must be upright or you will come all awry in a crooked Line with the workers of Iniquity while you appear in these Duties You know what was said of Ezekiel's Hearers Ezek. 33.31 They come unto thee as the People cometh and they sit before me as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much Love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness (o) Judaei magnâ frequentiâ ad Prophetam concurrebant corà m illo non secùs consistebant quà m si animum planè induissent populo Dei dignum Jun. in loc They carried it well to the Prophet but very ill to God They would throng to their Preacher but be easily thrust away from God They stood before the Prophet as if they had put on the same Ornament of the Mind which the best of God's Children wear but yet God saw their Hypocrisie stood before him naked So you may seem to come when your Heart goeth after your Covetousness You may come and make such a Dust with the Earth about you while you put out the Eye of Faith that you see not where you are 4. Inf. If God invites us by the Gospel-Call other Invitations should be of less account with us When the Law of Mercy in the Gospel requires us to come and eat shall the Law of Cruelty in our Members be obey'd that saith Abstain from Meats It casts a Disparagement upon the great God that his Call must be neglected while other little calls are minded that you have an Ear open to let in the Persuasions suppose of a Mortal Man while you stop it against your Maker wilt thou stay with the Swine when thou art Invited to the Sheep-folds to lye down in green Pastures Canst thou raise an Objection against the Sequel because the Antecedent is so clear Arise He calleth thee 'T is the Voice of a God and not of a Man of the God of the Spirits of all Flesh that calls thee and shall the Voice of a Creature the Voice of a Dying Man or the Voice of a Condemned Malefactor stop thee Who hath hardened himself against him and hath prospered Job 9.4 5. Inf. It is an Aggravation of our Trespass against Love and Kindness to turn our Backs upon the High-calling of God This is a Prodigious Evil tho' Men have Presuming Thoughts upon it This Rebellion this Refusal to come to Court when sent for is as the Sin of Witchcraft and Stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry 1 Sam. 15.23 6. Inf. It is such a Sin to stand it out against God's Calls as God will severely punish A neglect of God's Calls will make our own Cries unpitied Prov. 1.24 25 26. Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out mine Hand and no Man regarded but ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would none of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock when your Fear cometh Such as refuse the Load-stone and are not drawn with Mercy shall have a Milstone ty'd about their Necks that will make them sink for ever Such as would not be call'd shall be cast into Hell 7. Inf. and last The Invitation of the Gospel should find in us a suitable compliance with it I say a suitable or a meet compliance As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye to him so walk ye in him Col. 2.6