is a Food in its own Nature incorruptible a Provision as well as an Inheritance that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1.4 When other Victuals will utterly perish in their own Corruption 2 Pet. 2.12 this is the Meat that endureth to Life eternal Joh. 6.27 latter part 8. Lastly 8 Property Perpetual Nourishment and the Partaker kept alive for ever He that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst Joh. 6.35 latter part And he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever He shall never pine or dye away for want of Meat or Drink It shall implant such a Nutrimental Habit as shall secretly in the greatest Difficulty keep the Soul alive Hunger shall never kill and Thirst shall never hurt Believers To conclude other Feasts have supply'd the Wants of the Body but for as many Dayes as the Feast lasted and the Guests have been quickly empty and the Virtue of their feeding lost as well as their Entertainment over But the Nourishment received the Seed of Grace obtain'd at this Rich Feast of Plenty is a perpetual and enduring Habit or Principle of Grace that will spring up in Glory The Sixth thing is to evidence what suitableness there is in these Provisions of the Gospel to the Condition of poor Gospel-Sinners VI. or to discover that the Case of any Soul may be suited among these All things ready First The Gospel hath Enlivening Provisions suited to the Condition of dead Souls It hath got wherewithall to infuse Life into them either the Being of Life as they are found in a Dead State or the Degree of Life as they are fallen under any Dead Frames of Spirit 1. The Gospel hath enlivening Provisions suited to the Condition of dead Souls as they are found in a dead State Indeed it is necessary that the Gospel become first a vital Principle before it is made a Nutrimental It must quicken the Dead before it can feed the Living and raise Sinners out of a Grave before it sets them down at Table Nourishment must presuppose Life The Being of the New Creature is first in Order and afterwards Food to maintain the Growth of it A Man cannot feed tho' he hath all Things before him until he be quickned and made a Living Man So they that are spiritually Dead that is separated from all Spiritual Converse and Communion with God remaining still as they were cut off from him in the first Adam can do nothing at this Table which requires us to touch taste and handle the Provisions of it Spiritual Death is unfit for Spiritual Dainties you must be translated out of a Dead State and chang'd from Dead Works that is advanc'd beyond the Power of Nature in the most active refined Morals before you can serve the Living God Acts 14.15 or receive the Gospel-Food The Priviledge of the Gospel lyes in receiving Grace first to quicken and enable us to do in the strength of Grace after It is not the Dead so long as they are dead can meddle with these things The first thing the Gospel can do for us is to beget us by the Word of Truth â—am 1.18 and then with its Nourishment to bring us up The Breath of Life must pass upon us before the Bread of Life can be eaten by us Dead Sinners may be brought to some outward means of Grace and so a Carkass may be stir'd and held up by an External Force while Meat is set before it but there must be an inward Principle in both to take Food and digest it or live and grow by it You may as soon stand to purpose with a Dish of Provisions before a Carkass and put Meat forcibly into the Mouths of Dead Men as expect the Plenty of the Gospel should yield any Nourishment or Benefit to Dead Sinners before they have gotten true Life in them In a word they must be Created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2 10. or the Provision is lost tho' you Carve out Dainties to them Now the Gospel hath its Enlivening Provisions suited to a Dead State And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your Flesh hath he quickened together with him Col. 2.13 The Life of Jesus is prepared to be made manifest to create Life 2 Cor. 4.10 as it finds thee Dead in trespasses and sins Our Blessed Lord takes an occasion to reveal this in the Spirit when he made use of his Divine Power in the Letter to teach us that as he was able to infuse Life into the Dead Body of Lazarus so he could quicken any dead Soul he roucht Joh. 11.25 I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me tho' he were dead yet shall he live Tho' thou art fallen down from an upper Chamber dead yea from the House top in Adam Acts 20. â—â— yet Christ can raise thee upon thy Feet and set thee up believing He hath Life to move thee and Faith to make thee see the Marvels he worketh out for thee Art thou dead stark dead that a little Life will not suffice to help thee why yet Christ came on purpose to bring thee enough of those Vital Spirits with him Joh. 10.10 latter part I am come that they might have Life and as if he had said If Life be too little that they might have it more abundantly If thou art a poor Dead Soul that dost not yet know what to make of Bread and Flesh yet thou mayst hear a good Word suited in the Mouth of Christ to thee Joh. 6.51 latter part And the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World The Bread that I will give is my Flesh Alas if Christ had stopt there it might not have suited to thy Case or the Condition of some of thine peradventure thou art weeping over some dead Soul by thee either some poor Relation in thy Bosom or some poor Child as a withered Branch sprung out of thy Roots or a Brother Eâ—h 〈…〉 or a Sister yet dead in Trespasses and sins and thou mournest over their Graves alas my Brother alas Sister what is Bread or wherein doth Flesh suit at all with thee why Zech. 1.13 the Place answers thee with good words and comfortable It is the Bread of Life and living Flesh the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I will give for the life of the world As if Christ had said tho' they are dead and cannot take it yet as Food I will put such a Morsel into the Mouths of dead Men as shall presently become Life and afterwards yield Nourishment Oh! how suitably doth this Gospel provide to help thee in thy poor dead State tho' you are yet many of you Dead Sinners and can't as you are Dead take in Nourishment or so much as come by a spiritual Act of the Soul where Nourishment is provided yet the Gospel is prepared to come to
You in power 1 Thes 1.5 and with the Holy Ghost that Life may enter into your Carkasses Jer. 25.34 and the dayes of your Slaughter be accomplished that you shall be like the slain that lye in the Grave Psal 88.5 no more Christ hath a Vertue to renew you Exod. 8.19 beyond all the Magicians of Egypt and their Enchantments that try to work Grace by Nature Moral Vertues as * Flavel Soul of Man p. 44◠one says are but as so many sweet Flowers strow'd over a Dead Corps which hide the loathsomness but inspire not Life into it Whereas there is a Quickning Touch in the Son of God that doth raise the Dead and will enable you to stand up from the Dead and live Eph. 5.14 2. The Gospel hath Enlivening Provisions suited to the Condition of Dead Souls as they are fallen under a Dead Frame Thou mayst have Life at the Root and yet thy Branch may look as if 't were dead in Winter or there may be a Concoctive Faculty and an inward Power of Digestion thro' Grace where thine Appetite to Food seems at present gone The Gospel therefore hath Enlivening Provisions that suit thy Dead Frame It hath Spirits to fetch thee when thou art fallen into a dead Swoon There 's a Word to quicken thee when thou art dead to Duty tho' thou art not thro' Grace wholly dead in Sin For Dead Frames in the New Man are the Reliques of the Old or the Remainders of thy Dead State before Now the Gospel hath a Portion to quicken thee a Preparation to whet thine Appetite when thou seemest to be dull and thy Senses are not as heretofore exercised Heb. 5.14 see Psal 119.50 This is my Comfort in mine Affliction for thy Word hath quickned me And v. 93. I will never forget thy Precepts for with them thou hast quickned me So that if thou art dropt asleep or fallen into a dead Swoon as a living Man may do thou seest how he hath provided quickning Means to help thee and excite thy Life again Thou art not destitute of such a Help Meet Gen. 2.20 but it is gotten thee among the All things ready If thy Sap be retired inwards there 's a Sun to cherish it and call it forth into outward Vital Acts agen If like Wax that hath melted thou art Congeal'd and hast contracted thy wonted hardness there is a Fire in the Sanctuary to melt thee at the Presence of the Lord again Yea sometimes thô thou art even ready to question the work that God maketh from the Beginning upon thy Soul Eccl. 3.11 and thou hast been certain dayes Dead in thy Stony Frame Dan. 8.27 or dry and withered that thou thinkest it almost impossible for these dry Bones to live Ezek. 37.3 yet there is a Quickning Virtue an enlivening Power procur'd and made ready for thee and thou sometimes feel'st it suddenly at an instant Isa 29.5 The Spirit of Life from God that hath seemed for a time to be drawn back from thee like Peter's sheet up again into Heaven Acts 10.16 yet is ready to come down and re-enter as at the Resurrection of those slain Witnesses after the three Days and a half Rev. 11.11 That 's the first Case wherein Gospel-Provisions do suit as well as are made ready They are enlivening either to raise from a Dead State or to quicken under any Dead Frame Secondly The Gospel hath Enlightning Provisions suited to the Condition of Blind Souls A Man may be a living yet a blind Creature that cannot see his way Nicodemus was so blind in spirituals when Christ discoursed the matters of Salvation with him that he could not discern the Mystery of the New Birth but was fain to put that Question in the Ignorant Man's Catechism Joh. 3.9 How can these things be It is but a blind Approach to Christ if we come to him only by the Hearing of the Ear and our Eyes have not seen him Job 42.5 Thou must therefore cry out as that Blind Man did when Christ askt him what he should do for him Luk. 18.41 Lord that I may receive my sight The Gospel is not suited to thee as Blind but as it hath an Influence upon that Film to remove it which closeth up thy sight There must be a gracious and invisible Touch to open Blind Eyes as certainly tho' not so miraculously as there was of Paul when immediately there fell from his Eyes Acts 9.18 as it had been Scales God first struck him Blind and afterwards made him see his Error Now the Gospel in its Enlightning Provisions will exactly suit such a Blind Case Tho' thou hast liv'd in a State of gross Darkness without any Glimpse of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true Light yet the Gospel is appointed and made ready to discover it This is plain in the Commission Paul received to Preach it Acts 26.17 18. Delivering thee from the People and from the Gentiles to whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from darkness to light As if God had said Come Paul I will send thee into a spiritual Egypt where the People are groping in worse than Egyptian Darkness and I will send the Blessing of Goshen with thee Exod. that there shall be Light in all their Dwellings As in Natural Vision the Organ must be opened and clear'd as well as the Object illuminated and the Medium transparent thro' which the Visual Rays do pass So in the Opticks of the Gospel God hath made a Provision for every one of these His Spirit openeth the Eyes enlightneth the Object by shining upon Gospel-Truths and for a Medium doth utter Knowledge clearly Job Art thou Ignorant of Salvation yet the Gospel is suited to give Knowledge of Salvation Luk. 1.67 Art thou lying spiritually in the dark that thou knowest not what to make either of thy Condition or of many needful Truths before thee yet the Gospel is provided to give light to them that sit in darkness v. 79. Art thou groping with that old Staff in thy Hand of Nature and trying by thy self how to find the way but after all thine Attempts dost thou find thy self uneasie well still the Gospel is ready suited to guide our Feet in the way of peace * ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To guide strait as the word imports that in the Dark we may not run into Crooked Paths or turn any where aside The Master of the House sets up a Candle in his Entry that we may see tho' by Night to come in to the Feast he makes Thou bast been already perhaps under the means and yet dost complain still of much Obscurity every new Tryal casts a kind of a mist before thine Eyes and if thou seest any thing for thy Soul it may be it is but as he did that looked up and said Mark 8.24 I see men as Trees
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
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
a Full Assurance Heb. 6.11 and Chapt. 10.22 But the Spirit doth not fill every Sail we hoise but often breaths in a lesser Gale when we make towards Immanuel's Land The Knowledge of our Personal Election and Assurance of Eternal Life are Royal Dainties that none can receive except it be given him in a peculiar manner from above Joh. 3.27 We read our Evidences for Heaven says †Dr. Bates Sermons on Death p. 171. an eminent Divine in the Light of God's Countenance And as he was a free Agent at first to cast his Eye so he is still at sovereign Liberty where he will cause his Face to shine Psal 67.1 15. The Evangelical Honey-comb dropping Free-Grace A Honey-comb of it self drops you need not wring out the sweetness of it 1 Sam. 14.26 And when the People were come into the Wood the Honey dropped The coming of the People into that Wood had no Influence upon the Honey nor their continuance by it any Vertue upon the Distillation but it dropt from its own * i. e. A Natural Disposition while it flows to fall down in Drops intrinsick fluency So the Grace of God distills of its own accord it drops upon the Creature freely this Honey Dew that descends upon the Mountains of Sion comes of its own accord Psal 133.3 The Lord commands the Blessing and it tarries for no concurrence in any of the Sons of Men. Mic. 5.7 If God doth but break his Love to Us 't is a Love that drops a Love that distills so fast we need no Hand to squeeze it Now the Gospel is the Treasury where it drops this is our Canaan now that floweth with Milk and Honey Numb 13.27 Lo here God hath provided the Rivers Job 20.17 the Floods the Brooks of Noney and Butter Grace is a Stream that 's Free and runs without Desert or else it would be a River like Jordan Psal 114.3 quickly driven back When he hath brought Us into his Banquetting-House we shall see it to be his Arms drawn over the Banner of Love Cantic 2.4 I will love them freely Hos 14.4 It is a Free Gift and we need not be shye to take it This is a Honey that Bring 's the King's Blessing a Jonathan may come in and need not fear a Saul's Curse to eat it 1 Sam. 14.27 28. This Honey-comb of Free-Grace may be mixt with all our Acknowledgments we make to God Psal 101.1 when we sing of Mercy Tho' common Honey was forbidden to be used in any Sacrifice under the Law Lev. 2.11 yet we cannot offer the Sacrifice of Praise under the Gospel Zech. 4.7 lat pt if we mix not This Honey and cry Grace Grace unto it This hath a sweeter Taste than any it is beyond any Corporal Preparations being sweeter than Honey or the Honey-comb How sweet are thy words unto my Taste yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth Psal 119.103 16. The Fatness of God's House in Ordinances He hath made ready the Ministry which he hath given to be Meat and Ordinances as the Dishes in which the Feast is serv'd He appoints Divine Institutions as Food for Nourishment and Divine Officers to administer the Banquet too He affords a Divine Presence in his own Appointments which fattens and fills them up unto us His Paths drop Fatness Psal 65.11 when he walks in the midst of the seven Golden Candlesticks Rev. 2.1 There be Fat Sacrifices in God's House tho' we can perform but poor lean Service When we bring our own we offer lean Kine but if we offer his they are Fatlings that come up with Acceptance upon his Altar Isa 60.7 We are apt indeed to wait upon the Lord 1 Cor. 7.35 and attend with much Distraction but lo in God's House when we see what he hath done there we shall behold the Fat and the Head in Order Lev. 1.12 God's House is rich you shall meet with enough to spend on there and to carry home besides Many a Favourite of God's when he hath gone from an Ordinance hath found that a Mess of Meat hath followed him from the King 2 Sam. 11.8 Oh! the Stores that God hath brought forth in Ordinances as Scriptures Sermons Sacraments and a House-full of Prayer and Praise by which he says as to his People at the slaughter of Gog Ye shall be filled at my Table Fzek. 39.20 form part If you go into the Sanctuary and enquire you shall find God doth not keep an empty House for you but he makes such Provisions in the Ordinances for his Guests Psal 36.8 that they shall be satisfyed with the Fatness of thine House 17. The Supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Ordinances will not of themselves be a Feast without God's Spirit Rom. 1.4 He must be a Spirit of Holiness to regenerate and a Spirit of residence to inhabit a Spirit to change and a Spirit to dwell in us that may abide with us for ever Joh. 14.16 Now at this Feast he is wont to shed on us the Renewings of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 It is the Office of the Spirit here to put us into a Capacity to glorifie God and enjoy him The Spirit stamps a Divine Impression and then witnesseth to us that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 We lose much of the Savour of the Word when we have forgotten how it sounded forth the Spirit therefore is provided to quicken and refresh our Memories and Understandings when it brings all things to our Remembrance Joh. 14.26 It is to help our Infirmities in Prayer Rom. 8.26 we know not what to Pray for as we ought 'till the Spirit worketh a Sense of what we need and stirreth up a Praying Frame in us Christ had the Spirit without measure Joh. 3.34 an inexpressible Effusion of the Holy Ghost was poured forth on him and he hath made ready some Droppings of that Spirit to descend on Vs as we sit at Meat When your Spirit is faint still he hath the Residue of the Spirit for you Mal. 2.15 when you cannot eat as you would of the King's Venison God hath then provided you his Spirit to quicken you to your Meat and make your Stomach sharper You need not rise without a Supply of the Holy Spirit where you may like the Disciples according to your measure Act. 13.52 be filled with the Holy Ghost God's Spirit will make up the Imperfections of our own and be helpfull still to furnish us tho' we want spiritual Blessings in any heavenly things whatever I will pour out my Spirit unto you Prov. 1.23 I will put my Spirit within you Ezek. 36.27 If you have had a little measure of the Spirit of God at one time he hath prepared enough to infuse a Double Portion which you shall receive perhaps at another time from the Fulness of the same Spirit It is not only a Stook
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
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