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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20536	Ten sermons tending chiefely to the fitting of men for the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper VVherein amongst many other holy instructions: the doctrines of sound repentance and humiliation, and of Gods speciall fauours vnto penitent sinners, and worthy communicants are largely and effectually handled. The six first, by I. Dod. The foure last, by R. Cleauer. Whereunto is annexed, a plaine and learned metaphrase on the epistle to the Collossians, written by a godly and iudicious preacher. There is also set before the sermons, a short dialogue of preparation: containing the chiefe points that concerne the worthy receiuing of the Lords Supper, taken for the most part, out of the sermons following: and collected into a method for the benefit and ease of those that desire direction in this matter.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.	1610 (1610)	STC 6945; ESTC S114601	221,900	292

these imperfectiōs of ours for Christ was appointed to be an vniuersall Minister for all his elect in the perfection of his petitions thankesgiuing all the blemishes that are in ours shall be hidden and couered Thirdly this is for the reproofe of such prophane persons Vse 3 as come vnchearefully and heauily vnto this Sacrament and if the respect of their gouernour of the lawes and of their owne credite did not moue them they would altogether absent themselues from it these are wretched persons that make no more account of this singular pledge of Gods fauour Hath Christ prayed vnto his Father for a matter of no worth and giuen thanks vnto him for that which is of no estimation But let such vnbeleeuing and sinfull wretches go and as for vs let vs be assured for our comfort that when Christ became asuitor to his Father he was in such fauour with him that he obtained that which was worth the hauing and deserued praise thankesgiuing both from him and from all his people as that which should be a meanes of their euerlasting happinesse Verse 22. Take eate this is my body c. This is the commandement that our Sauiour giueth vnto the communicants to wit that they should take the bread and take his body eate corporally and eate spiritually receiue the signe and the thing signified the one as well as the other for so much doth the promise which is annexed This is my body imply As if he should haue said This bread broken before your eies doth plainly represent vnto you my body that is the whole manhood a part being put for the whole which is giuen for you and shall be broken for you that so you may haue a spiritual communion with me as there is a naturall vnion betwixt you and this bread which I giue vnto you and the like is to be vnderstood of the wine The words thus expounded according to the simple meaning thereof affoord vs this doctrine that Christ Iesus in the Lords Supper Doct. 7 by corporall foode doth giue vs a most sure possession of himselfe Our vnion with Christ by the Sacrament and neare vnion with himselfe The bread and wine are not onely pledges of what shall be bestowed on vs but effectual means to exhibite the things promised vnto vs and therefore Christ vseth these words Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 Luke 22.20 Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you which is broken for you and so of the wine Drinke ye all of it this is my bloud which is shed for you Now what can be nearer vnto vs then our meate and drinke We haue greater interest in nothing then in our foode for that is made a part of our selues If we eate meate in another mans house after we haue receiued it it is more ours then his that prepared it no one ioint is so neare another nor the soule so neare to the body as our foode is neare vs when once it is digested and turned into nourishment vnto vs which doth plainly represent vnto vs the neare coniunction that is betwixt Christ euery worthy receiuer Hence proceedeth that speech of the Apostle The cup of blessing which we blesse 1 Cor. 10.16 is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is do not these cause vs to haue an effectuall cōmunion with him in all his gracious merits Now if question should be made why Christ should make choise of bread to be a signe in this Sacrament rather then of any other more excellent and glorious creature The answer is Answer that he did it for diuerse reasons 1. Why GOD made choise of bread Because it was his will as it is said concerning the Gospel that it pleased him by the foolishnesse of preaching to sone them that beleeue There is besides his pleasure great wisedome in it because it is very fit to represēt that vnto vs for which it was ordianed it being substantiall foode and therefore called the staffe of mans life on which it doth as it were leane and whereby it is vpholden and besides this is for euery mans stomach and for euery ones state and may euery where be gotten And yet withall we must know that bread cannot fully expresse the efficacy of the spiritualll food Christ Iesus which we are to feed vpon for bread is earthly that food is heauenly bread preserueth the corporall life and that but for a time Christ not onely preserueth but giueth not a naturall but a supernaturall not a temporall but an eternall life Thirdly God made choyce of bread in respect of his owne glory that the weaker the meanes are the stronger his hand might appeare to be If we had bene to receiue gold or gemmes or precious stones our senses would haue bene more wrought on then our hearts and we should haue more regarded the signe then the thing signified the which inconueniences with other of the like kind the Lord by giuing vs bread hath preuented Seeing then that the bread as also the wine in the Lords Supper is of such excellent force and vse as to put vs in mind of Christs death and bloudshedding to testifie his vndoubted true and reall presence to euery faithfull communicant and to refresh and feede the soules of the worthy receiuers vnto eternall life in which regard they doe as farre surmount common bread and wine as the waxe wherewith a pardon or charter or any other euidence is sealed is of more worth then that which is to be sold in the trade mans shop Seeing I say that the bread is of such singular vse this maketh first Vse 1 for the confutation of the Papists which hold that after the words of consecration there remaineth no bread at all but that it is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ I●ndeed we graunt that as the bread so Christ his body is there offered and receiued by euery faithfull communicant but how nor corporally but spiritually not from the Ministres hand but from God hand not by sense but by faith And for the further clearning and confirming of this truth many reasons might be brought but I wil produce but onely some few The first is taken from the expresse words of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures who mentioneth bread after the words of consecration Reasons against transubstantiation saying the bread which we breake 1 Cor. 10.16 and againe He that eateth this bread c. I Corinthians 11.27.28 A second reason is this We receiue the same in substance which the Fathers did in the wildernesse I. Cor 10.1 for the Manna is there called spirituall meate and the rocke is said to be Christ now it is certaine that they did not corporally eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ because he had not then assumed our nature and our Sauiour denieth the Manna to bee the true bread

Iohn 6.32 which came downe from heauen Thirdly if the bread by the words of cōsecration be transubstātiated it wil follow that wicked cōmunicants may also partake of Christ for Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. that all good and bad did eate the same spirituall meate c. as touching the outward signe and Element and so cannot afterwards perish and be damned for that whosoeuer eateth of Christ his flesh c. Iohn 6.55.56 hath eternall life and he will raise him at the last day for he dwelleth in vs and we in him Now it is certain that there is no cōmunion betwixt the Lord Iesus wicked sinners neither are they in the state of saluation neither shall they be raised vp vnto Glory at the last day and consequently they feede not on him and the Sacramentall signes are not transubstantiated into him A fourth reason is from the end for which the Sacrament was instituted by Christ and is continued in his Church Then his meaning was not according to his humane nature to conuerse with his people one earth after a bodily manner for though he were present with his disciples at the first celebration sensibly in his manhoode yet the purpose of it for afterwards was to continue a memoriall of him when the heauens should containe him Acts 3 21. Luke 22 29. therefore saith he doe this in remembrance of me Which should be superfluous and needlesse if he were continually conuersant with his members euery where in the Masse and in the Lords Supper Fiftly many fowle absurdities do ensue vpon this grosse opinion of transubstantiation for First either one Christ in his bodily presence must be both in heauen and earth Absurdities and in innumerable places there at one instant or else be multiplyed and many Christs many Sauiours and many redeemers must be dispersed throughout all the Churches where the Masse is offred or the Sacrament administred and so when the Lord did first celebrate it there was to be one Christ breaking and distributing and another Christ broken and giuen one Christ to Peter another Christ to Iohn and to euery Apostle one Secondly how can cruelty be here auoided how can men deuoure him and not kill him how should men swallow him vp and yet offer no violence vnto him A glorious body may be in many places at once Obiect and be eaten and not hurt because it is not patible nor mortall But when the Disciples first receiued him Answer he was both mortall for he dyed on the morrow and patible for he was in an agony and torment that night and therefore how commeth it to passe that the nailes should haue force to kill him which onely pierced some part of his body rather then their teeth which chewed him whole But he himselfe saith This is my body Obiect So it is sacramentally and by a Trope Answer but not literally and simply as the words may be misconstrued The like kinde of speech is vsed in other Sacraments Circumcision is called the couenant Gen. 17.13 the Lambe is called the Passeouer Exod. 12.11 the rock Christ 1 Cor. 10.14 And is not the cup sayd as well to be the bloud of the new Testament and yet our Sauiour calleth the consecrated wine the fruit of the vine Matth. 26.29 But Christ saith Iohn 6.53.55 Obiect Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you for my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeed He speaketh not there of the Sacrament Answer but rather of the faithfull embracing of him in his word for the Lords Supper was neuer before nor at that time instituted and as yet the words of consecration had not bene spoken and therefore if this be vnderstood literally without the spirituall meaning thereof it will follow that either Transubstantiation was before the Lords Supper or the Lords Supper before the night in which he was betrayed And in this place he maketh no mention of bread to be turned into his body and the words wrested would rather argue his body to be transubstantiated into bread or flesh then breade to be changed into his body Secondly Vse 2 as this serueth for the confutation of them that hold there is no bread at all in the Lords Supper so it maketh against such as thinke there is nothing but bread to be expected there that we are to receiue onely the outward signe in a bare remembrance of Christ his death and passion and so do they depraue the mysteries of God and extenuate his promises as if when the Lord calleth all his people to this memorable banquet he should deceiue them with empty dishes and with painted meat in stead of better cheere Ester 1 It would haue bene a great disgrace for Ahashuerosh to haue dealt so when he called all his Princes to a banquet and therefore they are iustly to be reproued that esteeme so basely of this holy feast seing God offereth and exhibiteth truly though not corporally his owne Sonne with all his precious merits to euery faithfull receiuer so that euery guest at his table may truly be said to feede on Christ Iesus Thirdly Vse 3 this is for instruction that seeing by this Sacrament we may be so nearely vnited vnto Christ we should come with a large expectation of receiuing good from the same and therefore make preparation for the same accordingly that so we may not come vnworthily lest we receiue iudgements in stead of mercies Fourthly here is another instruction that when we come to this celestiall feast we fall to it and feed of it as Christ biddeth vs Take and eate let vs set our eyes our eares our taste yea and our hearts also aworke with all serious meditation to make vse of those heauenly mysteries and when we see the bread broken let vs boldly conclude Christ was broken for me and therefore I shall escape the breaking which I haue deserued and when the bread is giuen vnto vs let vs resolue Christ with all his benefites is bestowed vpon me and when we eate the bread let vs assure our soules of this Christ is made vnto me the true bread whereby my soule shall be nourished vnto life eternall This is the earing that the Lord requireth and accepteth and thus doing we shall shew that there is mutuall loue and kindnesse betwixt him and vs which is a thing well pleasing vnto him and therefore he exhorteth all his seruants saying Eate O friends drinke and make you merry Cant. 5.1 O welbeloued None but those that are friends can eate of his dainties and all those that are friends will eate of the same therefore if euer we would shew our selues to be Christ his friends if we would enioy the feeling of his loue vnto vs and be assured of our loue towards him let vs refresh our soules at this banquet and not let our Sauiour be at cost in vaine in making so good and so large

of any commandement but driuen vnto it by a secret prouidence of God Secondly they do it not in loue vnto God but in malice against God or men or both as Iudas in a splene conspired against his Maister because he found fault with his hypocriticall dealing Mark 14.6 c. and 10. c. Thirdly they aime not at Gods honour though they accomplish that which tendeth to his honour but they seeke themselues some way or other in that which they doe Which serueth for the iust reproofe terror of those Vse 1 that when they are conuicted of any haynous crime cast off all the fault with this I was predestinated vnto it and vnlesse God had appointed it I could neuer haue done it What of that therfore they hope there is no danger hanging ouer their head for such facts But what then will they say of Iudas did not he do that which God had decreed yet our Sauiour saith woe to him and we may as well say woe vnto thee for whatsoeuer they imagine the necessity of their sinning in respect of Gods decree doth nothing diminish the grieuousnesse of their offence neither shall it at all mitigate the extremity of their punishment This is for our instruction Vse 2 that we should frame our obedience in another manner and for that purpose reason thus with our selues haue I a cōmādement for this which I do is it a duty warranted by the Word which I now performe Some do that which God hath appointed but it is onely by a prouidence not in any conscience how doth my obedience differ from theirs Do I practise good duties because God calleth for them then shall my seruice be acceptable vnto God do I forbeare euill because he forbideth it then do I that which is pleasing vnto him otherwise not In this maner let vs sift our hearts performing euery thing in that manner and to that end which God hath ordained that we may not onely doe that which the Scripture saith for so did Iudas but that which the Scripture warranteth and in that sort as it approueth for so Gods seruants are bound to do It had bene good for that man if he had neuer bene borne It is good for vs that he was borne because we haue benefite thereby but not for him because whatsoeuer matter of contentment he had in his life time turned at length to the increase of his misery and to his perpetuall damnation Whence this point may be gathered Doct. 5 that All the delights and contentments of wicked men in this world No earthly contentment can coūteruaile the punishments in hell cannot counteruaile the miseries that they shall feele in the world to come Iudas had life it selfe which is a thing very delightfull and of which it is truly said though by a lying spirit Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life He had also great preferment being one of the Apostles and the chiefe office amongst them namely to be their pursebearer which liked him exceeding well because he was a thiefe and stole from them much of that which was giuen yet notwithstanding all this and whatsoeuer else can be named our Sauiour saith it had bene good for him that he had neuer bene borne The like may be said of Saul Ieroboam Ahab and many other kings Who would accoūt it a good bargain to haue their kingdomes with all the honours and delights which they could afford and their victories with all the glory that accompanieth the same vpon this condition that he shall endure the same miseries and torments in hell that they do Certainely no wise man would willingly make such a match for what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule First Reason 1 the best delights and contentments of this life are mixed with many troubles sorrowes and feares but their miseries in the life to come are pure miseries without any mitigation or comfort in their paine and torment Secondly their pleasures heere are few and short and of small continuance but their paines hereafter shall be innumerable and endlesse Thirdly all their delights in this life are but snares and all their good cheere and dainties but poysons and the more men take of them Reuel 18.7 the more grieuous shall their punishment in hell be For instruction Vse 1 that we should not endanger our soules for the enioyment of the pleasures of sinne for a season yet many are so foolish that so they might satisfy their fleshly desires they care not though they doe it with the price of their soules so they may haue their pleasures and commodities and fulfill their beastly lusts they will euen sell themselues vnto destruction as Ahab did not caring what miseries they cast themselues into nor what snares they intangle thēselues in so they may accomplish their brutish and diuellish purposes being therein more silly then the poore bird or fish that once perceiuing the snare or the hooke will not easilie meddle nor aduenture the danger the second time Secondly if it be so Vse 2 that all the cōmodities and delights of this life cannot counteruaile the miseries of damnation then on the other side why should it not hold as true for our comfort that all the losses and sorrowes of this life cannot counteruaile the happinesse of saluation for the Apostle saith Rom 8.18 that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vnto vs the one being light momentany the other weighty and eternal Let vs suffer neuer so many disgraces and losses go through neuer so many hard brunts our blessed estate in heauen will answer for all so that as it was said of Iudas it had bene good for him he had neuer bene borne notwithstanding all the delights that he enioyed so may it as truly be said happy we that euer we were borne notwithstanding all the miseries that we haue endured yea though they haue bene as great as theirs of whom mention is made Hebrewes 11. that they were racked and stoned and hewen in sunder c. for they endured all in hope of a beter resurection Verse 35. and so should we if God bring vs vnto the like extremities And thus much of the conference now followeth the institution of the Lords Supper The end of the ninth Sermon THE TENTH SERMON MARKE 14.22.23.24 22 And as they did eate Iesus tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to them and said Take eate this is my body 23 Also he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thankes gaue it to them and they all dranke of it 24 And he said vnto them This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many ANd as they did eate Iesus tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes c. or as the word fignifieth blessed that is prayed

prouision for vs. Vers 23. Also he tooke the Cup c. In that wine is ioyned with the bread Doct. 8 this point may be noted Christ maketh vs a sull meale that Iesus Christ in the Sacrament doth make vs a full meale We haue here not onely bread but wine not onely the body of Christ but his bloud also euen the whole Christ with all his graces offered vnto vs. This is promised in the Prophesie of Isaiah where it is said Isaiah 25.6 In this mountaine shall the Lord of hoasts make vnto all people a feast of fat things euen a feast of mixed wines c. Meaning that he would make for his Church complete prouision whatsoeuer might be for health or strength or delight And the like is proposed in the ninth chapter of the Prouerbs And there is cause why we should thinke this to be so for First he is of sufficient ability so that he can doe it Reasons And Secondly his loue vnto vs his people is such that he is willing ready to doe it Some men whē they make feasts could prouide variety of good cheare but they are loath to go to the charges others are franke and liberall enough but they want ability to giue great intertainment so that they speake that truly which others doe vaine gloriously I am sorry that your cheare is no better But it is otherwise with the Lord as he is bountifull and will not spare cost so is he rich in all aboundance of heauēly treasures and needs not spare cost and therefore seeing Christ hath prayed that al his ghests might haue of the best they shal not faile of any thing that their heart can desire and long for Especially seeing it is for his owne glory A mortal sinfull man euen the king of Persia for the setting forth of his magnificence and greatnesse spared no cost in the feast that he made vnto his Princes Ester 1 much lesse wil the Lord of glory in this banquet which he prouideth for his people feeing that he is incomparably better able and more bountifull and withall seeth and considereth the seuerall needes and necessities of all his children Here then in the first place Vse 1 is confuted the error of Popish Priests that will haue but one kind of food at this table and so cause the people to haue a dry feast without any wine at al thus do they sacrilegiously rob Gods people of that allowance which he hath appointed for them and him of that glory which is due in respect of his large bounty in this behalfe For whereas the Lord instituted the cup as well as the bread and prayed and gaue thanks for the one as wel as for the other bidding thē drinke all of the wine as well as eate of the bread they teach and practise the cleane contrary And that their sacriledge may not seeme so vile as in truth it is Obiect they produce some shewes of reason for this their dealing It is needlesse say they to adde the wine vnto the bread for when we receiue that we feede on the whole Christ and partaking of his body we must needs withall partake of his blood which is contained in the veines See here how shamelesly they controll Christ himselfe Answer for if we receiue the bloud in receiuing his body why did he ordain the cuppe as well as the bread They answer Obiect that Christ gaue it onely to Ministers and so doe they So did he the bread also Answer and therefore by the same reason they may administer neither bread nor wine vnto the Laity and what reason can they alleadge why Ministers may not receiue the bloud in the veines as well as any other But the words of Christ may decide this controuersie when he saith Drinke yee all of this this is my bloud c. which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins And who are those many euen all that should afterwards beleeue in him To those for whom Christ his bloud was shed the cuppe must be administred but his bloud was shed for priuate men as wel as for Ministers and therefore the cuppe must be administred to them as well as vnto the Apostles themselues A second vse of this point is for instruction Vse 2 that seeing there is such plenty and variety of all good things offered vs at this banquet no other feasting or voluptuous liuing should either keepe vs from it or make vs come vnworthily vnto it yet how many are there that do so glut themselues with eating and drinking and surfetting on their carnall delights that they are altogether vnfit for the Lords table Thirdly here is matter of reioycing for Gods poore seruants Vse 3 that though they fare hard at home yet they may haue as good refreshing as any other in the Lords house for Christ Iesus doth there prouide a full meale for them This was Dauids comfort when he was banished from the assemblies of Saints and could not be present at the Sacraments and sacrifices when he could but remember that he had bene at them and also bene a profitable communicant as oft as he could it did much refresh his soule so that it was satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse with the very meditation therof he had receiued such store of grace from Gods ordinances and such a strong apprehension of his fauor that he counted it better then life it selfe And the cōsideration thereof did not onely comfort his soule but helped him also in his bodily necessities in so much that when he was in a barren and dry wildernesse pinched with hunger and pressed with thirst the very remembrance of those things that were past long before did cause him more chearefully to vndergoe all his penury and want If he then tooke such comfort therein in his absence how much more should we being present at the same Verse 24. This is my bloud of the new Testament That is this is a signe and seale of the new Testament which is so called because thereby Iesus Christ doth bequeath vnto his people as all the benefites of 〈◊〉 life so the speciall blessing of all euen eternall life and this is tearmed a new Testament in respect of that which was made the time of the law That was and this is when that was insufficient in some respects the Lord abolished it and established this in stead thereof as being much better then that for though both of them aime at saluation by Christ yet it is in a different manner for 1 Differences betwixt the old and new Couenant That was obscure consisting in rites and ceremonies where by Christ was darkly perfigured but this is more plaine and perpicuous so that Gods mercy and goodnesse towards vs in his Sonne may more clearly and euidently be discerned in this one Sacrament then it could by all their sacrifices Then the bloud of beastes was shed in stead of Christs but now hath he shed his owne bloud

Nehemiah and in those of his time O Lord I beseech thee let thine eare now harken to the praier of thy seruant and to the praier of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name Hee could not say that they did so feare his name as they should but this they could say that they desired to doe it better which desire was a fruite of the grace it selfe This should instruct and incourage vs still to bee doing in the seruices and workes of God Vse Oh but wee finde many imperfections Obiecti and many wants and weakenesses in our selues What of that If we aime at perfection Answ and haue respect to euery commandement of God and come as neere the marke as we can the Lord will accept vs according to that wee haue and not reiect vs for that we haue not If wee could obey perfectly to what end were Christ his obedience and if God should looke after none but those that can fully please him in all things hee should bee a Lord and a master without subiects and seruants Psalm 130.3 If thou O Lord saith Dauid shouldest marke what is done amisse who should stand Therefore though wee cannot pray with that feeling heare and read with that profit sing Psalmes with that ioyfulnesse and cheerefulnesse of heart as wee should though wee cannot forgiue our enemies long for Christ his comming haue such a tender feeling of the afflictions of the Saints nor attaine to such heauenly meditations night or day as wee doe desire and as God doth command yet let vs not bee discouraged if we striue to bring our wicked flesh to the performance of these duties and though we haue much adoe with it yet if wee draw it as a Beare to the stake vnto Gods worship and to the performance of Gods duties in publike and priuate and when we feele most backwardnesse and vntowardnesse in our nature yet wee consent in our very soules that the Law of God is holy and good and iust and that our wils and affections are indeede very corrupt and rebellious but we would rather then all the world that things went otherwise with vs that sinne might bee subdued and grace planted in steede thereof and it is our continuall griefe that God should bee so gracious and kind and liberall to vs and we can be no more obedient and loyall and seruiceable vnto him if I say wee find such a heart within vs we need not be dismaied but may cheerefully goe on with full perswasion and vndoubted resolution that the Lord will be mercifull vnto vs and take our obedience in good worth Onely that wee may not deceiue our selues let vs bee euermore carefull to vse the meanes whereby wee may grow better and auoid the meanes whereby wee may bee made worse As was more largely taught in the former Sermon in the end of the 3. Doctrine For if one say that hee desireth heauen and yet will neuer frequent Sermons nor good companie where hee may bee instructed nor vse any priuate or publike exercises of religion whereby hee may bee edified he is no more to bee regarded then a sluggard that pretendeth that hee meanes to haue a good crop and yet will neither manure nor plow nor sowe his ground but when others are labouring hee is sleeping or loytering as no man will euer looke that the one should haue a plentifull haruest of Corne so will no wise man beleeue that the other shall obtaine a plentifull crop either of grace heere or of glory hereafter Yee shall eat the good things of the Land Before hath beene shewed that all repentant sinners shall haue the blood of Christ to wash and clense their soules now in these words is declared that they shall not onely haue spirituall grace but also right vnto and the right vse of all the benefits of this life Whence this doctrine may be gathered that Obedience to Gods commandements Doct. 10 though it be not perfect True obedience brings outward presperity Deut. 28.1.2 c. brings the blessing of God vpon vs for outward things as well as for inward This is promised in Deuteronomie where Moses speaketh thus vnto the people of Israel If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God and obserue and doe all his commandements which I command thee this day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all the nations of the earth And all these blessings shall come on thee c. Blessed shalt thou bee in the Citie and blessed also in the field c. and so he goes on shewing that true and faithfull obedience is that which bringeth all maner of blessings for body and soule for name and estate yea and for seed and prosperitie also 1 Tim. 6. 4.8 And therefore the Apostle telteth Timothy that goodlinesse is great gaine and that it hath the promises of this life and of the life to come in which regard Dauid saith I haue beene yong and now am old Psal 37.25 yet I saw neuer the righteous for saken nor his seed begging their bread Hee had seene and so may wee that children of great men haue broken forth into many horrible sins and so haue beene brought to a strange and miserable and violent death and to many wofull straites and extremities before their death but hee neuer saw neither shall wee see the godly seed of godly men forsaken of God and men and left as vagabonds to beg their bread but God hath euer had and still will haue a speciall care of them and euer made al necessarie prouision for them either hee himselfe by a more particular prouidence of his casteth sufficiently of these outward things vpon them or blesseth their labours so that they are made a meanes of maintenance vnto them or if they faile that way hee moueth the hearts of some or other of his seruants to pitie them and to supply their wants so that whatsoeuer their necessities be they are freed from that curse that is denounced against the seed of the wicked to wit Psal 109. ●0 that they should wander vp and downe as vagrants begging their bread and making a trade of that vile and wretched course of life And there is cause why we should rest fully resolued of this point Reason that none of Gods houshold shall euer want necessarie reliefe Because all will yeeld that hee is the gouernour of heauen and earth and the disposer of all things in them both and then they must grant further that those that are best and doe best shall speed best because God loueth them most and how then can we make question whether or no the Lord will bestow vpon them a competent measure and a comfortable vse of these earthly blessings seeing all is in his hand and hee wisheth so well vnto his owne people especially seeing hee hath straightly charged vs not to care what wee shall eat Math. 6.25 or drinke or what wee shall put on but first