THE DIVISION OF THE TEXT.

IN my text is both a fast and a feast: first a fast and then a feast: fast from worldly things; Labour not for the meate which perisheth: feast vpon Heavenly things, labour for the meate which endureth to lyfe [Page 13] everlasting, &c. Seeing this day of preparation is a fasting day, J shall content me with the first part of my text, reserving the rest vnto the day of the feast.

That wee may the better vnder­stand this dayes text, we shall first consider breefly the whole matter of this Chapter, that thereafter we may see vpon what occasion Christ teached the people the wordes of my text.

THE DIVISION O [...] THE WHOLE CHAPTER.

THE whole Chapter whereout J haue selected this text, may be de­vided into three parts.

In the first part we see a miracle of fiue thousand men fedde with fiue loaues, whereof the fragments after all were satisfied, did fill twelue baskets: Note. * Thus every bread did feede a thousand, and all being sa­tisfied, more was left at last than at the first was set downe: this is [Page 14] vnto verse 16,

Jn the second part wee haue a mi­raculous walking of Christ vpon the sea of Tiberias, or of Genezaret: For to speake this by the way, this sea was neither the Ocean nor the Me­diterranean sea, but a lake of four­teene or fifteene miles of length, and of fiue or six miles of breadth: Heere the most part of Christ his Apostles were fishers, before Christ cas [...]ed them to that office: of this wee haue from the sixteene verse vnto the twentie and two verse: The occasion of this walking was, that these whom he had fedde with loaues, did goe about to take him by force,V. 15. for to make him a King: He for to be quite of them; with­drew himselfe into a mountaine alone vntill evening: At that tyme the disciples entered into a ship, and went over that sea towards Capernaum; Jesus being behind: But while after they had sailed fiue [Page 15] and twentie, or thirtie furlongs, Jesus overtooke them, and entered into their ship,V. 21. and immediatly the ship was at the land whether they went; this is vnto verse 22:

Jn the third part is set downe how those men whom he had fedde, followed him over the sea towards Capernaum, and what conference the LORD had with them, after they came to him.

So soone as they came to him, they vttered many faire wordes, Rabbi, V. 25. (said they,) when camest thou hither? Note. These were very faire words; But what cared Christ for faire words? GOD regardeth not flatte­ring lips:Proverb. 26. 23. Burning lips, and a wicked heart, are lyke a potsheard covered with silver drosse. Note. * Though a mans mouth bee fired with loue toward GOD, if in his breast hee hath a prophane heart, hee is but a sheard in the sight of God: All the colour of his devotion is not from the sil­ver [Page 16] of sinceritie, but from silver drosse, the heart vnderneath being nothing but lyke a naughtie sheard: Such one day, though they were Kings and Rulers the LORD shall dash in pie [...]es, Psal. [...] V. 9. lyke a potters vessell, or as wee say, he shall ding them all into shardes.

I can not goe forward vntouch­ing this point.Note. * Many can with burning lips call Christ Rabbi, whose wicked hearts are covered but with the silver drosse of hypocrisie: Ju­das rabbied him with a kisse of bur­ning lips, Math. 26. 49. hauing a traitour his heart covered with silver drosse: Others esteemed him as a robber, Luke. [...]2. 52. and came out against him,Math. 27. 28. as against a theefe and a robber: Others robbed him of his garments, for while Christ was crucified, he hang vpon the crosse a naked man: Robbers who came out against him, as against a Rob­ber, robbed him of all his clothes.

* And what shall I say of the mostNote. [Page 17] part of the men that came to him heere Rabbied him but for to robbe him of his loaues.

To them Christ said yee followe me but for your belly: yee seeke me, (said hee,)Iohn. 6. 26. not because yee sawe the miracles, but because yee did eate of the loaues and were filled.

The doctrine is this,The do­ctrine. let men take good heed what moveth them chief­ly to serue God: If the motion bee from the belly, it will be a slow moti­on: Note. * Of such may be said that which the Apostle saith of the men of Can­die out of one of their owne Pro­phets or Poets.

[...].Tit. [...]. V. 1 [...]. That is, the Cretians, or men of Can­die are alwayes lyers, evil beasts, slow bellies.

God and the belly can not cleaue one to another,Note. [...] no more then the yron of Nebuchad-nezzar his image feete could bee mixed with clay:Dan. 2. V. 43. [Page 18] Nullum horum potest esse coagulum, nothing is able to make such things for to curd and joyne.

* Except that wee cast our bellie behind our back,Note. GOD his spirit will never dwell in our heart, nor suffer vs to see his face.

* Hee that beginneth his prayer with giue vs this day our dayly bread, Note. hath litle care of Our Father which art in Heaven, lesse vnderstandeth hee for thine is the Kingdome, the power and the glory. If man could truely think that GOD had a king­dome, he would first seeke the king­dome of GOD, being assured that GOD would cast all other things vnto him.

Take no thought for your life,Math. 6. 25. (said Christ,) what you shall eate or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on.

* As for meate,Note. consider the fowles of the aire, those birds in the mor­ning chirp before God for meate, [Page 19] and the blessed LORD openeth his pantrie, and giveth to them their breakfast, and after their dinner, and last of all their supper, which haue­ing gotten, at night they flee to their bush, as to their bed, and before they put their head vnder their wings for to sleepe, they chirp a litle to God againe, which is their grace after meate, and also a sort of evening prayer, whereby they com­mit themselues to their makers keep­ing. Thus as yee see the poore birds begge their foode, yea [...]the Lyons seeke their meate from God, and God filleth them with his blessings.

* As for clothes, behold the lillies, Note. God himselfe by the finger of nature spinneth their coats Royall robs: And now in this moneth of May, after a long buriall, the Lord hath made them partakers of a resurrecti­on, whereby these that once did wither, and ly vnder the ground like things buried, are made to come [Page 20] out clothed in apparell pleasant to the eye for colour, and perfumed with savour, like the garment of Esau,Genes. 27. 27. whose smell was like the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed.

* Mercifull God,Note. what vnbeleefe is this, that ma [...]e [...]h man so carefull for back and belly, as though God did loue the fowles and flowers better than man, for whom hee sent his owne Sonne to die! Mercifull God what a brutish stupiditie is this, that man can think that so migh­tie and so mercifull a God, either can not,Math. 6. 33. or will not giue, or rather cast to him that which is best both for his back and his belly! Now let vs come to the wordes.

Labour not for the meat [...] which perisheth.

HEERE first I obserue a do­ctrineThe do­ctrine. of wisedome for all those [Page 21] whom GOD hath appointed to teach others:Math. 11. 22. Learne of mee said the LORD: Let the most learned sit downe at the feete of this great Gamaleel. The men to whom Christ speaketh heere, were men from whom hee had withdrawen him selfe, because hee saw them worldly mynded: Yet seeing they are come to him, hee instructeth them: first what they should not doe, and af­ter what they should doe; yea be­fore hee came to them with instru­ctions, he reproveth them boldly in the face,Galat. 2. 11. as Paul withstood Peter, declaring plainely vnto them that they walked not vprightly, because they sought after GOD more for their belly, then for himselfe.

The vse: let vs learne of Christ heerehow we should proceed with carnall men,The vse. wee whom the Lord hath appointed to bee teachers in his Church.Note. * First of all we must proceede against them with re­profes [Page 22] proofes: malo nodo, malus cuneus, for a hard knot, wee must prepare a harde wedge.Note. * The law with its threatnings must goe before the Gospell, like a needle making way to the threede. It is great wisedome for teachers first to thunder downe the high corruptions of nature in those that are not cast downe for their sinnes:Luke. 3. 5. Every mountaine & hill shall bee brought low: Prophane hearts must not at the first bee dawbed with faire words, but rather dashed with reproofes. Woe to them that stroake knaues heads, for that is to spill them, and to bring the guilt of their blood vpon the teachers head: when the fester is begunne, the Surgeon must cut.Note. * The Lord himselfe teached his Prophet Elijah how to teach his stif-necked peo­ple, and that by the forme of his comming vnto him at Horeb, for to giue warning to the Prophet of his comming, hee sent before him [Page 23] three grimme, and austere messen­gers: The first was a great and strong wind which rent the mountaines, 1 King. 19. 11. and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord: After the wind came an earth­quake; The third was a fire: V. 12. After those three the spirit of God came into a still small voice: It is so, that Pastours must procede with a stub­burne people; the tempests of wrath must blow first with a galewind, and after with fearefull threatnings, the rebellious hearts must bee shaken as with an Earthquake: Jf all that moue not, the preacher must open vp Hell, and let wicked soules see those vnquenchable brimstone flammes of fire smoking with feare­full vengeance.

* It is so,Note. that we must come to the tryall of our selues this day in our Christian examination: let first the wind of Gods word▪ threatning our sinnes, rent the rockes of our hearts: After that wee must feele an Earth­quake: [Page 24] viz, a heartquake. After that our hearts haue beene shaken, as with a mighty wind, and after that they haue quaked for feare, if all that worke not, wee must consi­der the fearefull flammes where­with the wicked shall be scorcthed, the cause of everlasting weeping & gnashing of teeth.Note. * Such a soule as is shaken with winds, and qua­keth for feare, and trembleth at the fire of God his' wrath, is most meete to meete with God into the calme.

* Wee must doe with our selues this day,Note. as Joseph did with his bre­thren at their first meeting; it is said that that hee spake roughly vn­to them: Genes 4 [...]. 30. Wee must speake rough­ly this day against our selues, if we would haue God to speake meekly to vs to morrow: * Wee must de­est our ill thoughts words & deeds with many a fy,Luke. 18. 13. fy, fy: wee must strike with the Publican vpon our [Page 25] breast where all the mischeefe was bredde, and must strike with Ephra­im vpon our thigh, Ier. 31. 19. which caried vs to the effectuating of our wicked projects:Note. * yea, must hold an assise and justice Court within our consci­ence, where wee must first judge, and thereafter condemne our selues, if wee would haue God to absolue vs. Christ first spake roughly to the Cananitish woman, calling her a dogge; Math. 15. 26. but after hee had made her content to creepe for a crum, like a dogge vnder his table, hee com­forted her with wonderfull com­forts, wondring himselfe at her faith.

* The order of GOD his proce­ding w [...]th his owne children,Note. is first to sing of mercy, Psal. 101. 1. and after of judgment, if the song of mercy moue not: But because of our stubburnesse often the Lord must turne his tune, and first of all sing of judgment: That done, so soone as by reproofes & rough speaches hee hath affraigh­ted [Page 26] vs, and humbled our hearts, he being touched with their dolours, is so moved, that hee can no more refraine from discovering himselfe vnto vs, he cryeth out to our soules I am Ioseph, Genes. 45. 4. J am Iesus your bro­ther; come neere to mee I pray you:

* Before this bee done all our ill devises lyke the Aegyptians must remoue,Note. and pack themselues to the doore;* As Ioseph would not re­veale himselfe vnto his brethren,Note. so long as the Aegyptians were in­to the chamber of the house, neither will Christ reveale himselfe in mer­cy to the soule, so long as the black Aegyptians of reigning sinnes re­maine within the house of our hearts.

* Againe let vs consider heere those men did only follow Christ for loaues: Note. They sought nothing but bread, and yet behold heere they get better than bread, viz. instructi­ons from CHRIST, first what they [Page 27] should not labour for, Secondly what they should labour for.

The doctrine is this,The do­ctrine. what ever consideration moveth a man to fol­low Christ, it is good ever to fol­low Christ. Those men followed him only for their belly, and behold how hee feedeth their soules by the preaching of the word, instructing them for what they should not labour, and for what they should labour.

* J am assured that Christ never preached,Note. but some soule gat good. Hee who made poore fisher men fishors of men, Mark. 1. 17. could best fish men himselfe. The Apostles might cast their nets, and catch nothing: but Christ never toiled without any ta­king: Though at the beginning, while CHRIST preached vpon my text, his auditors cared for nothing but their belly: J am assured that before his Sermon was ended; some of them cast their bellyes behind their backs, for to seeke the food of their [Page 28] * There is not a preaching preach­ed but some gracious pickle falleth vpon some heart,Note. lyke well prepared ground.Note. * The preaching of the word is like sowing, when the sower hath put his sheete about his necke, he ca­steth the seed from him, not thinking that every pickle that commeth' out of his hand shall take root: No not: Some fall vpon stones, some vpon the way, some among thornes; scarsly doth the fourth pickle of that which was sowen come to the sheafe, for the hope of the fourth pickle the sower will bee content to losse three, the fourth by its incresse, being able to cause him sing,Psal. 126. 6. when he shall bring his sheaues with him.* As the sower singeth for joy while he reapeth the incresse but of the fourth,Note. so must the Teacher be glad if every fourth word of his sermon doe good, if the fourth person be touched: yea, which is more; as GOD for the loue of one would haue spared lerusalem, so the Teacher [Page 29] for the loue of one, though in all his flock he should haue but one good man, yet for the loue of that one, let him cast his seede of instruction, re­buke & comfort. Christ heere preached vnto Belly-Gods doubtlesse, for the winning of some from the loue of their belly vnto the loue of their soule: This much cōcerning the men whom Christ teached at Capernaum.

Now let vs consider well his do­ctrine in the verse which we haue red. Heere first he letteth them see, what they should not doe, secondly what they should doe: Labour not for meat that perisheth, but laboour for the meat that will endure & feed your souls to lyfe eternal. Note. * As if he should haue said, if yee doe the one yee can not doe the other, if yee haue your heart vpon the world, yee can not be carefull for the Heavens, if yee labour for belly­cheere, yee will neglect the soules food, and therefore my counsell is that yee labour not for the meate that perisheth.

[Page 30] The doctrine is this,Note. It is not possible that our hearts can doe a duetie to God,The do­ctrine. if they be too bent vpon any worldly thing: Caelum cu­pere nequimus nisi prius terra sordes­cat, wee can not desire the Hea­vens, till the earth seeme vile vnto vs. The heart of man will die if it bee cloven or halfed. Jf one serue two masters, one of the two shall bee displeased; wee can not with our eyes behold the Heavens and the earth together: wee can not looke to the east with the one eye, and to the west with the other at one tyme: wee are not able to think that wee are into two places together.Note. * Two severall thoughts equally intended can not dwell together in one heart at one time. Should any tyme bee wherein the thought of any worldly thing should over-master within our hearts the thoughts of our God?Note. Shall the spi­rit of God stand like a Page for to [Page 31] waite vpon thy worldly cogitati­ons, which [...]all should bee servants to the least motions of that spirit? God that made the world before thou was, will not bee a servant to waite vpon the world which should waite vpon him. A freeman will not be a drudge vnto his slaue: Many thinke themselues free of this sinne, but are not so indeede.

* A man may try the trueth of this in his sleepe,Note. and that by his dreames, which as Salomon saith,Eccles. 5. 3. come through the multitude of busi­nesse: As a man is exercised in the day, so will his thoughts bee in the night. If the world runne in our mynd all the day long, it will certainely lodge with vs all night: In our sleepe it will barre out the motions of grace.

The vse of this doctrine:The vse. Let vs striue to giue God his owne: The whole heart is Gods, the whole man is Gods; seeing all is his, let [Page 32] him haue all to whom all belongeth, and who is most worthy of it.

* Jf Cesar get that which is Cesars, Note. shall God want that which is Gods? The heart must not halt betweene God and Baal, as though men would giue to God, to the deuill the flesh and the world their day about.

But what is this that is said into my Texte? labour not (saith Christ) for the meat which perisheth.

Heere be good tydinges for many folkes:Note. * It would seeme heere that Christ dischargeth all trades and callinges and that he giueth all the world the vacance and the play:

* If the Master of the Schoole should every morning, nay but every after­noone say to his Schollers, close your bookes, pine not your selues any more, it is eneugh read, they would think euery after-noone like a lubile: Heere then be good newes for slug­gards: heere is an excuse for all these that are ydle. Behold the LORDS [Page 33] Command: Labour not for the meate which perisheth: Heere is an inhibi­tion served against all sort of world­ly labour: What then will yee say, doth CHRIST forbid men to labour? Shall this be a warrand from CHRIST for all men to sit idle.

Indeed if this so strictly taken, were true; the Trevants, sluggards, and idle Drones would labour, yea, fight for to maintai [...]e the trueth of this Text. What then? Doeth CHRIST discharge men to labour?

No not.Note. * When CHRIST said to his Disciples, sleepe on now, they ne­ver had so little cause to sleepe,Mark. 14. 41. nor so great cause to wake: Consider what I say: CHRIST never teached men to sit idle:Note: * What ever thou be, were thou a King, thou must labour. It is the King of Heavens precept to all the Sonnes of Adam: Sixe dayes shall thou labour: woe to thee that is idle, for who is idle, he is in the Schoole of wickednesse learning to doe ill, nihil agendo malè agere discimus, by doing nothing wee learne to doe ill. The Soules of men are like waters, [Page 34] putrescunt ni moveantur, they stink except that they be moved: All men must labour:Note. * The law is fixed, that all the sonnes of Adam must picke their crummes out of the cloddes with the sweat of their browes: Gen. 3. 19. woe to thee that loyters while thou should labour: Arise sluggard Vp, vp, with the chirping of the birds: labour, sweate for thy meate; otherwise if thou eate, the curse of God shall goe downe into thy belly,Numb. 5. 27. like the waters of jealousie, which shall make thy bellie to swell and thy thigh to rotte. Thou will say to mee,Note. I am a gentle-man: and what should I doe? Was not Adam a gentle-man, who was the King of the whole earth, the deare dar­ling of God before his fall? And yet even before hee sinned, GOD would not haue him to sit ydle: naye his Calling was to bee a Gardener: Scripture [...]aith, And the Lord God tooke the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dresse it, Gen. 2. 15. and to keepe it: But after that hee had sinned, the Lord laide a harder taske vpon him: In the sweate of thy face, Gen. 3. 1 [...]. said the [Page 35] Lord, shalt thou eate bread: And yet in that time, if any sinfull man might bee called a gentle-man, hee was one as being the first father of the old World:Note. * Was not Noah a gentle­man? was hee not the first father of the newe World? Gen. [...]. 20. and yet hee laboured in a vine-yeard: Scripture cal­leth him a husband man. Was not Iacob a gentle-man? and yet hee keept sheepe:Note. * Was not CHRIST a gentle-man? and yet hee laboured for his meate with Ioseph, the Car­penter,Mark. 6. 3. hee being a Carpenter him­selfe: Hee then who both laboured himselfe and commanded others to labour sixe dayes in the Weeke, for­biddeth not men to labour heere: what can thou doe, nothing? heare what a great and godly man of our Nation said to ydle drones:Note. * Call mucke creeles: Hast thou not heard mee? I say it againe Call mucke creeles. What is it then that hee forbiddeth heere, will you saye:Note. * I answere the labour which Christ dischar­geth heere, is, that which is done with a carkeing care and excessive [Page 36] desire of any thing belowe: When the desire of worldly things is more in our mind than spirituall things, when wee are more bent to get them than the spirituall, then are wee such labourers as are discharged in my Text.

* The French word which heere signifieth labour,Note. giveth some light to this: In the French Bible it is travaillez: As the learned French writers thinke travailler, is, as who should say tres-veiller, that is in Latine, pervigilare, to be almost alto­gether without sleepe, according to that of the Poet.

* This labour then that is heere forbidden concerning worldly things,Note. is, a labour that letteth not a man sleepe, but night and day taketh vp all the thoughts of his heart: while he lyeth downe at even, the world is in his mind, the last of all his thoughts, and the first in the morning: This labour is excessiue care, which the Pagans to the shame [Page 37] of Christians haue placed into the gorge pipe of hell.

* Take heede to this,Note. yee sonnes of men, If the cares of the worlde take the sleepe from you, yee are certainely labourers, but not in the LORD his vine-yard: looke not for a hire from the LORD for such la­bour: your mindes are so distracted with worldly cares, that yee cannot labour for the Lord, which is the chiefe labour that is profitable to the soule: Vnwise is hee who laboureth so for the body, that hee neglecteth the soule: The counsell of Bernard, is notable concerning this

* Ad laborem cum veneris, Note. sic tem­perabis opus agendum, vt solicitudo operis intentione animi tui ab ijs quae Dei sunt, non avertat, that is, When thou beginnest to labour, temper so the worke, that the care thereof distract thee not from the things of GOD: such a labour what ever day it bee vpon, were it vpon wedensday, is a breaking of the Lords sabbath: [Page 38] * The whole weeke is a Sabbath,Note: a time of rest from such labour: Were it to gather stickes with ex­cessiue care vpon Wednesdaye, is as who should worke vpon Sunday: * The one heere is as well forbidden in the Gospell,Note. as the other was in the law, yea and that more strictly: * For vnder the law the Priestes might profane the sabbath and bee blamelesse, Note. that is,Mat. 12. 5. they might labour by killing of beastes for sacrifice: But in this Sabbath of the Gospell which is a rest from carking care, no labour of that kind is permitted for any consideration.

The doctrine I obserue heere,The do­ctrine. is this: There bee many labourers in this world who are discharged to labour: This world is full of such labour:Note. * The most part of men sweate in this vine-yard: Most men seeke more after earthly trashes, than after heavenly treasures. Note. * That this is true, I shall by one argument in­force it vpon your consciences: Tell mee I pray you, if his Maiestie should cause proclaime at your crosse, that [Page 39] who in Burgh and Barronie should come to the Church-yard at such a houre, they should haue both their houses and lands made free for their lifetime, and that without any cost: and that who came not should bee depriued of the gift: Alas who would amongst you be absent? * The creples who haunt not the LORD his house would clinch out vpon their stilts: The blind wold be feet to the creples, and the Creples would bee eyes to the blind: O what a congregation should bee seene! I thinke that neither Church, nor Church-yarde should bee able to containe the multitude:Note. * But alas doe men so labour for the graces of GOD? There is not a preaching but while the Bell ringeth it cryeth, Come to GOD his house and receiue a Kingdome, come and receiue grace and glory: But I appeale to your owne Con­science how little a businesse will hinder you from comming for to receiue such offers.

* Mother Martha hath manyNote. Children which troubleth themseluesLuk. 10: 43 [...] [...] [Page 40] about many things, but fewe can learn of Marie to make choise of the best part, which shall never bee taken from them: I compare worldly men to great gluttonous fish; they follow after GOD his benefits, as they fol­low after the Schooles of herring; where such Schooles are to bee found there are they.Note. * Men for the most part are like the Ravens, feading v­pon the stinking carions of horse, dogs, and cats, whereas like Royall Eagles, they should conveene about the body of IESVS, according to that saying of CHRIST,Math. 24. 28. wheresoever the carcase is, there will the Eagles bee gathered together: Eagles flie to CHRIST, but Ravens runne to Carions.

* I will put foorth a Paradoxe:Note. There bee many idle men who la­bour more for the meate which pe­risheth, then these labourers, that in most painefull labour winne their bread with the sweat of their browes: But how can that bee?

The reason is, an ydle man may bee a covetous man:Note. The greedy desire of his heart to haue that which hee [Page 42] wanteth, is the labour that is heere forbidden by the LORD: There bee none so busie at this forbidden labour, as some who are stark idle: They abstaine from the lawfull labour of the body, while their mindes vnlaw­fully labour with laborious desires af­ter things which perish.Note. * Thus as hee who beeing his alone, said, that hee was never lesse his alone, than when hee was alone, so may I say of such idle drones, they labour not so much, as when they labour none: Note. * Many while they are most idle, they are least idle, for while their body is idle, they labour with ill desires.

Let vs in the words of my text obserue the wisedome of CHRIST: The auditours of his Sermon, were men addicted vnto their belly, to filthy panch pleasures: Behold heere according as hee saw their sinne, he fitted his reproofe, discharging them to bee so carefull for perishing things.Note.

* Heere is a doctrine of wisedome for all Pastours, where the boile is putrified,The do­ctrine. there must they launce: [Page 43] Those men had a boile in the belly: The Lord IESVS seeing it ripe, laun­ced it with a reproofe.Note.

* Wee all by nature from the Crown to the Sole are full of boiles and sores,Note. which draw to a head, which is the predominant sinne.

* Some haue the boile vpon the brow,Ier. 3. [...]. which scripture calleth a whoores fore-head. Note.

* Others haue the botch in the neck,Note. which maketh them stretch out their necks with loftie lookes:Note. * This was the sore of the daughters of Zion,Isa: 3. 16 17. they walked with outstreched necks; for this cause the LORD pla­gued them with scabbed crownes: 2. Pet. 2. 14. Others haue sore eyes, whose eyes are full of adulterie: Note. * Others haue scabbed eares, which Scripture cal­leth itching eares: 2: Tim. 4. 3. Others haue the water-canker in their mouth, which quencheth not,Note. but rather kindleth on the tongue the fire of Hell: Iam 3. 6. Note. * In nothing fire and water can agree but in the hellish mouth, wherein is a scolding tongue, sparkling out the spittle of despight:Note. Some haue a boile [Page 44] in the throate, whose throat is an o­pen sepulchre, Psal. 5. 10. blasting out the most vile belchs of blasphemie:Note. * Others haue vnder the arme hole, the boile or brooke of ill thoughts:Note. * Some haue the boile on the back, which is costly clothing:Note. * Others like the men of our text, haue the boile on the belly, which is gluttonie: Passe from the crowne to the Sole, from the Catarres of the fingers, vnto the gout of the feete. Thus as yee see in man there is nothing sound from crowne to sole; but in some the corruption within breaketh out more in one part than in another:Note. * Some per­sons predominant sinne is the whores fore-head, launce that the day, and let out the putrefaction before thou pre­sume to come to morrow to this holy table:Note. * Some haue eyes full of Adulterie; cast out that vnclean­nesse before thou looke vpon the LORDS bread:Note. * Thou whose mouth is cankred with scolding, hold out thy tongue to thy GOD, and request him to launce by his spirit and his word, that thy tongue, now thy [Page 45] shame, Psal. 30. 12. may become thy glory: * Thou whose throat hath beene full of bot­ches, hold vp the gorge-pipe to the LORD, intreating him to cleanse it from its sepulchrall corruptions: Note. * Thou who hast vnder thy arme hole a bag of putrified thoughts, away with them, cast the care of backe and belly v­pon the LORD:Note. * Thy care may canker thy sores, but the Lords care shall cure them [...].

Thus as yee see by nature we are but vile and abhominable bodies: Let vs consider our selues to day: Let vs view our predominant sinnes with all their Dominions, Note. even the lesser sinnes: let vs behold our selues to day in the glasse of God his law, let vs seeke out our sores from the crowne to the sole, and wee shall see whether or not wee bee pleasant guests for to sit downe at the King of HEAVEN his table.

Another doctrine I obserue heere concerning those men who followed CHRIST for loaues:The do­ctrine. This is it; * Seeing such a number ranne after CHRIST,Note. an abject man in the [Page 46] world, and that but for loaues, what would they haue done to another for dainties and delicate cheere?

* See how a loafe will make a belly-god to follow after a man like a dogge:Note. If the giver haue but a na­turall benefite of the worth of a loafe, hee needeth no more to a na­turall man but a hisse. Seeing such men will thus follow for loanes, what would they doe for Kingdomes?

* Satan thought that CHRIST had beene a man come to seeke himselfe in the world,Note: and therefore for to allure him to come to his service, hee offered him all the kingdomes of the world: But CHRIST who knew what hee had in Heaven, Math. 4. 9. chased Sa­than away with all his earthly king­domes.

* The vse of this Doctrine is,Note. that we follow the LORD for nothing so much as for himselfe:The vse. Indeede all his benefits should allure vs to followe him, but the maine cause of our followeing should bee himselfe;Note. * I am that I am should bee followed,Exod. 3. 14. for that which hee is.

[Page 47] In their followeing Christ for loaues,The do­ctrine. for which they were reproued, I gather a Doctrine of greate reproofe for Scotland; While wee heare of those men that followed Christ onely for loaues; like Dogges, followeing a man for bread, yee thinke not well of them, and indeede they are branded heere with a shamefull reproch, that they followed the Lord more for bread than for himselfe.

But what if wee find more matter of shame in Scotland than was in Capernaum. Those that came to Capernaum followed the Lord, because he gaue to them aboundance of bread:Note. * Scotland hath runne a way from the Lord because hee hath giuen to them aboundance of bread: diuerse called his blessings the plague of plentie the whole land gruged at the graces of God: many not onely gaue not thankes to the Father of mercies, but cried that hee would curse their mother the earth: that henceforth she should become barren. Note. * Wee haue dishonoured God our Father, we haue cursed our Mother in this Land, [Page 48] and all this was because God had multiplied our loaues:Note. * In this wee are worse than those of Capernaum: for aboundance of meat made them to follow after Christ, but aboundance of meate hath made vs to runne a­way from Christ: Except that parti­cularly wee repent vs of this Sinne the Lord either by another Famine more fearefull then ever we did feele, or by some forraine warre shall so depriue vs of our plentie, and scourge vs with such a scarcitie which shall make all the eares of EVROPE to tingle.

Are there any Mothers in this land more tender hearted than were the mothers of Israel, the daughters of Sarah? Yet some of them in their hunger, did eate their owne Children: * The little ones came to their mother,Note. with a pitifull voice, cry­ing, Where is breade and drinke? Lam. 2. 12. and after swoned and than died: That done the tender hearted mothers, did eate the tender flesh of their yong Children, which they nourished on their breasts:Note. * That which they [Page 49] before had fedde nine moueth into their bellys, they put into their mouths and stomacks for the feeding of their bellyes;Note. * Yea the mother which for the distresse of Famine, had par­ted with child, tooke vp the child that was of a spanne long which she did eate in her great distresse:Lam. 2. 20. Note. * O what a scarcitie behoved this to bee which made the naturall mother, so farre to passe the bounds of nature, and all for a spanne long of flesh.

This moued leremie the man that sawe those afflictions to cry,Note. My eyes doe faile with teares, Lam. 2. 11. my bowels are troubled, my liver is powred vpon the earth.

Because wee haue not seene such afflictions, wee thinke that such can not bee, neither haue beene, but that the lamentations of God his Booke are but fained Tragedies, or painted Sorrowes invented for to make others to mourne at the reading and seeing thereof, like Children that will weepe at the hearing of a pitifull tale.

LET vs now take good heed how the Lord heere calleth all this worlds cheare, hee calleth it the meate which perisheth: Note. * Christ speaking of all the meat that entereth in at the mouth, that it passeth out againe, [...],Math. 15. 17. that is to say, is cast out into the draught, a filthie place called [...], à seorsum sedendo, from mans sitting a part farre from all companie.

Take heed then, All this meat which we eate is said by Christ, to goe to the draught a place of secret filthinesse: In this place of my text it is called the meat which perisheth.

Let vs dwell a space vpon the con­sideration of those wordes. The meat for the belly which is said heere to perish,Note. perisheth many wayes. * First it perisheth, even in the pleasure & delectable taste thereof: Be it bee past the throate, the taste is away, and leaveth nothing behind it, but a re­grate that it would not continue: * Some knowing the shortnes of theirNote. [Page 51] throate, sup the strong drinke, and roll the sweet morsell vpon their tongue; for by this meanes to make the perishing meat eternall: And yet man can not attaine to that where­at hee would be: All his wiles faile him, and doe what hee can, he find­eth it to bee meat which perisheth: Though his throat were a mile long, at last peribit, it shall passe thorow: Last of all the greater man his plea­sure was in tasting, after the tast is past, the greater sorrowe doeth ensue: * This is that which maketh men to come more sadde from bankets than when they goe to them:Note. They are more rejoyced with the hope of a promised pleasure, than with the pleasure it selfe: Many are more glad before they come to the house of feasting in hope of good cheere, then when they are at table enjoying that which they hoped, because neither find they such pleasure as they looked for, and though they found more, yet this is their sorrow; all this pleasure will last but for a short space, the dinner with man his appetite not [Page 52] beeing able to last so long as an houre.

* What shall I say then?Note. All such pleasure are as Moses called our life, viz.psal. 90. 9 as a tale that is told: Note. * At the beginning of a tale, men hearken with some delight: a little after they wearie; but at last, they turne them­selues with a tush, that is but a tale, Is that it all?

* As in meate, so in all sorts of worldly pleasures:Note. When they are done and perished, what can men say, but is this it all, wherefore a man should losse his silver, his freinds, his credit, his name, his soule, and his salvation? What a foole haue I beene to haue spent all my rents & houses into good cheere? All the taste now thereof is away: All that meate and drinke are perished and gone.

* Another againe will say,Note. What a foole haue I beene to runne after the pleasures of my flesh, by blotting my good name, by scandalizing GOD his people, by shewing ill example, and by provoking my GOD to wrath? Is this all that I haue bought at so [Page 53] [...]

[Page 54] [...] [Page 55] did eate another after that, for that same night his Soule was taken from him:Luke. 12. 20. Foole, (said the voice from Heaven,) this night thy Soule shall be taken from thee.

The doctrineThe do­ctrine. I obserue heere, is, that there is nothing that is perma­nent heere below.Note. * There is nothing so stable in this world, but it is fol­lowed with a Page, called perish. That which is said heere of bread, may bee said of any other worldly things: Of all that wee see may bee said, it shall perish: What is the glo­ry of this lyfe? What becommeth of it.

It passeth by, it flieth away, yea, which is most,Note. it perisheth: What is pleasure but a perishing thing, that is purchased with paines? What is riches, and what is hee that is rich? all perishing things:Iam. 1. 1 [...]. The Sunne with its heate withereth, the grasse and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion perisheth; so shall all the rich men fade away in his wayes.

[Page 56] * What is honour?Note. To day a King, to morrow a carrion: Behold Ne­ [...]uchadnezar a King to day,Dan. 4. 33 and a­mongst the Oxen to morrow: Heere to day is Pharoh, Exod. 14. 21. a proud man in his Chariot, and drowned to morrow in the sea. Hearken and heare Herod, Act. 12. 22. now arrayed in royall apparell, spea­king like a god, behold him at once eaten with vermine.

I can not winne thorow all parti­culars; but let vs looke what men loue best, and that they shall find to perish.Note. * What is man his appro­bation, and all this worlds applause? What is it but a blast of wind, now blowing from the east; and againe the wind is turned cleane contrarie from the east to the west: To day I heare Hosanna, Hosanna, Mark. 11. 10. to mor­row nothing but Crucifie, Crucifie, Luke. 23. 11.

* All the things of this world which are most lyked of,Note. are but transitorie tras [...]es: Let wicked men dreame of immortalitie in things be­lowe, all their best things their triumphes and their joyes, with all their excellencie, are but shewes [Page 57] and perishing shadowes which haue no abode:Iob: 20. 5: The triumphing of the wicked (said Zophar,) is short, v. [...] and the joye of the wicked but for a moment: Though his excellencie mount vp to the Heavens and his head reach vnto the cloud, v. 7. yet hee shall perish for ever, like his owne doung: v. [...]. They which haue seene him shall say where is hee? Hee shall flie away as a dreame and shall not bee found: yea hee shall he chased away as the vision of the night: Thus as yee see all things are but earthly things which perish▪ Note. * And which is more those Heavens which yee see so glorious, are not endowed with an everlasting vertue: No not: The vertues of the heavens shall bee shaken; Mat. 24. 29. and as for the heavens them­ [...]elves,Psal: 10. 2 [...] ▪ the Psalmist is plaine. They shall perish, yea, all of them shall waxe olde like a garment.

* The vse of this doctrine is two­fold: first,The vse. seeing all things below are so transitorie, let vs not with cark­ing care conquesse the things that will not abide with vs: Why should we toile too much for to seeke those [Page 58] things which nill wee, will wee, shall perish? let vs not be too earnest to seeke any worldly thing which wee want, seeing after that we haue gotten it, it will not abide in vs: ye would thinke him a foole that would goe gather water in a sieue, or fathome the wind: Though wee could grippe the Heavens, and have the command­ment of the two great iewelles of HEAVEN, the Sunne and Moone, What should wee haue but things that should perish?Psal. 102. 26. They shall pe­rish.

Secondly as wee should not la­bour too earnestly to conquesse any worldly thing,The vse. neither should we be too carefull to keepe any thing, which either wee or others for vs haue conquessed:Note. * Let men doe their honest duetie, but let them not la­bour for to keepe that which hath Wings.

* I compare all worldly things in mens hands to a Wild Sparrowe put into a Child his hand:Note. Hee will hold it by the wing, and whiles by the foot, and whiles by the neb: But [Page 59] in the meanetime while hee is least aware, it flieth out of his hand and for all the annuell of his pleasures, yea both for stocke and brocke, hee hath nothing left but a regrate of losse.Note.

* So long as worldly thinges are stobfeathered, and haue as wee say but the padocke haire, they will lye still into our hands, for a space they will tarie with vs; But tarrie a little till their feathers bee growne and they shall take themselves to their flight:Note. * Some are more prime run­ning away with the Tewcheit or lapwing so soone as they are hatched: They leaue not so much behind them as the shell wherein they were con­tained: When the foolish man think­eth to find a full nest, all the birds of his hope are away, and not so much as the shell of appearance left behind.

* Mercifull God what a stupiditie is this?Note. wee see this dayly, and yet wee can not considder: wee see others make such losse, wee see all sorts of things perire, to perish, and passe thorow, and yet wee think that what [Page 60] wee haue, shall for ever tarrie with vs.Note: * I compare most men to keene players at Cardes and Dyce, They see others spend all their packe be­fore them, and yet they can not dreame that their packe can perish. This folie is seene in a greater matter more worthie to be laid to our hearts. * Wee heare of death dayly,Note. and will not bee wakened out of our im­mortall dreame: If men would well considder the mortalitie of this life:Iam. 4. 14. and how it is but a vapour and as a tale that is told they would not so toile for a tale,Psal. 90. 9. labouring night and day with carking cares for things which shall perish and flie away as a dreame. Iob. 20. 8.

One word before I end: Dearely beloved, yee haue heard how I in my weake measure of gift, haue beene like * Iohn the Baptist this day,Note. pre­paring the way of the LORD, by removing out of your hearts: the thornie cares of all worldly things, that to morrow yee may bee worthy communicants, and that the KING of Glory may enter into your hearts.

[Page 61] Now I exhort you in the name of IESUS, that this whole day ye care­fully, and painefully, labour in the preparation of your hearts, that to morrow yee may bee worthie guests at the table of your LORD: Labour this day I intreat you to search out all your sins of thoughts, words, & works, whereof yee are guiltie since yee can remember:Note. * Labour to search what good or ill intentions yee haue for times to come, and what sorrow yee haue for your bygone ill spent lyfe: Labour, labour in this; This is GOD his worke, and woe to him that shall doe it negligently.

* Wee must first then labour for to trye out our sinnes,Note. after that we haue found them out, wee must mourne for them, wee must confesse them, abhorre them, detest them, and wrestle with GOD in prayer, till hee seale vp the pardon thereof into our hearts:Note. * Wee must in this our preparation day, labour to shake off vs all the old clouts and ragges of our sinnes, and to put on vs, all our spirituall jewels, that therewith bee-beeing [Page 62] decked, wee may come to morrow to the royall feast of the great King.

* Brethren and Sisters, I intreat you to considder, that this day of our preparation, must be a day of painefull labouring with God for his favour, for the sanctifieng of our soules, that worthily wee may come to that royall feast: seeing CHRIST and his ANGELS will bee at the table, for to behold and considder vs to morrowe, wee must this day carefully wash, deck, and trimme our­selues, that wee may be pleasant in their presence, where such heavenly eyes shall behold us.

All this day must bee spent in such labour. * If idlely we neglect this duetie, wee haue to feare a more painefull labour, viz. laborare morbo the hard labour of God his wrath and of many painfull and fearefull diseases; yea, and death it selfe: For this cause,1. Cor. 11. 30. saith the Apostle, Many are weake and sickly amongst you, and many sleepe.

[Page 63] The LORD graunt that everie one of vs may in sinceritie of heart labour to prepare, and pu­rifie our selues, and that ac­cording to the purifica­tion of the Sanctua­ry. Amen, 2. Chron. 19. Amen.

The division of the words.

In these wordes, I perceiue three chiefe things to bee considered, 1. for what wee should chiefely labour, viz. for the meate which endureth to everlasting life. 2. who is the giver of this meate, it is the sonne of man, in these wordes which the sonne of man shall giue vnto you. 3. Wee haue to consider who did appointe him for that office, it is set downe in these words, for him hath GOD the Father sealed.

THE FIRST PART.
For what wee should chiefly labour.

FIRST of all let vs consider for what wee are commanded heere to labour, labour (saith CHRIST,) for the meate which endureth, &c.

First obserue heere the wisedome of CHRIST, secondly the corruption of our nature.

In this appeareth heere the wis­dome of CHRIST,The do­ctrine. in that after hee [Page 78] hath discharged men to labour for that which is not worthy their la­bour, hee clearly letteth them see for what aboue all things they should labour: This is wisedome first to take ill away, and then to put good into the place thereof. CHRIST first heere taketh ill out of the way, be­fore hee bring in that which is good: Hee dischargeth toiling for worldly thinges, before hee speake of spiritu­all labour: A wise man will not sowe amongst thornes: Worldly cares are but thornes.Note. * CHRIST heere with labour not, as with a pruning knife, sneddeth away such pricking briers; that done, he commeth to the maine point, declaring for what all men should labour, this is wisedome.

The vse: Let vs learne wisedome,The vse. whether wee bee Teachers or Scho­lers, let this ever bee our first mo­tion to take first evill out of the way: The weeds must bee first roo­ted, before wee sowe good seede.

* Before the goodnesse of CHRIST can dwell into vs,Note. there must first bee a preparation of the way in the [Page 79] wildernesse of our hearts. This was the vse of Iohn the Baptist his axe.

Secondly wee haue heere to con­sider the corruption of our owne na­ture:The do­ctrine. See how slow wee are for the obtaining of that which is good: Wee will not labour for thinges of worth, except that wee bee exhor­ted therevnto. Wee know not our wants: Wee are sicke of a Laodice­an sicknesse:Revel. 3. 17. Wee think that we haue neede of nothing: If we knew what is the worth of this meate, which endureth vnto life, wee would vn­bidden labour for it; where is the wearied man that hath neede to bee requested to rest himselfe on a bed? What needeth a man that is hun­gry to bee desired to eate his meate while it is before him? While Christ himselfe was wearied at Sichar, hee sought a drink of water.Iohn. 4. 7. * Shall a rich man request a beggar to begge silver from him?Note. And yet behold heere, and in diverse other places of Scripture, how wee must bee ex­horted with commandement after com­mandement, for to seeke that which [Page 80] is best for our Soules: Are wee not heere commanded to seeke that meat which will make our Soules to liue for ever? Wee are commanded, and yet for all that wee are slow to it: CHRIST must make an Oyas for to stirre vp men to come, and buy with­out money, that which is so precious that it can not bee bought for mo­ney,Isa. 55. 1. Ho! every one that thirsteth, Come yee to the waters, and hee that hath no money: come yee, buy and eate, yea, come buy wine and milke without money; and without price.

* If any Burgh of this Land would cry such a Faire,Note. that all might come and buy without money, who would tarrie away; and yet though by vs CHRIST hath commanded a free Faire to bee cryed for all men to come, and buy without money, [...]sa. 53. 1. may wee not say with the Prophet, But who hath beleived our report? Note. * A little invitation will make vs come willingly to feast with our friend: But to come and feast with our GOD, and feede vpon this meate, which will make our Soules to liue, wee [Page 81] neede much request and intreaty. What are these prefaces, which are now vsed before Sermons, but re­quests that wee would bee so good, as to apply our hearts to eate of this meate? Should wee neede request for to eate of such dainties.Note. * This new forme of spending the time in prefaces, declareth plainely that w [...] haue begun to loath that which we should loue. * This should make vs to feare that within a little space, both Prefaces and Preachings shal [...] bee taken from vs, and we brought to a fearefull conclusion of miserie.The vse.

The vse of this doctrine is, that wee striue to bee willing and glad to seeke spirituall things, and to la­bour for them. Seeing wee are so carefull for this body, that it want no­thing, how much more should wee bee carefull for the Soule, which is of greatest price.Note. * Bodily thinges are like Belly thinges, they all perish with the body and the belly. Let vs therefore rouse vp our spirits, and gird vp the the loines of our mind, 1. Pet. 1. 13. that according to our LORD his [Page 82] command heere wee may labour for the meate which endureth to everla­sting lyfe.

In this first part of this dayes exer­cise, we haue to consider two things, first what it is to labour: secondly, for what wee should labour.

As for the first, If we would know what labour is enjoyned heere, let vs remember what in the former Sermon was forbidden in labouring for perish­ing meat: The paines forbidden in that point, are enjoyned heere: while CHRIST commandeth vs to labour for this meate of lyfe: hee willeth vs both to labour with body & soule, both with heart and with hand: No­thing without or within vs must bee away from GOD his seruice: Blesse the LORD, Psal. 103. 1 O my soule, (said David,) and all that is within mee, blessed his holy name: The body of man, and the mind of man must labour:Note. * We must cause our passions and perturba­tio [...]s also labour for the Soule: As Ioshuah made the Gibeonites slaues for drawing of water for the house of his GOD, Iosh. 9. 23. so must wee make these [Page 83] our affections to bee drawers of wa­ter, euen of the teares of true and vn­fained repentance: wee must so la­bour for spirituall things, that the care thereof take the sleepe from vs: David arose at mid-night, Psal. 119. 62 for to la­bour in prayer: when Iacob keept Labans sheepe,Gen 31. 40 the sleepe fled away from his eyes: Note. * Shall a man be so care­full as to want sleepe for to keepe sheepe, and shall hee not be much more carefull for to keepe his soule? Shall a man labour for to please a man, & shall he not much more labour for to please his GOD? Shall a man labour for his backe and his belly? and shall hee take no paines for his silly soule? Shall a man highly esteeme things which perish, and shall that which is eternall bee lightly set by?

But let vs more particularly con­sider the properties of a good la­bourer.

First a good labourer must be vi­gilant and watchfull,The do­ctrine. [...]ar [...]ly rising at the chirping of the birdes: he must be a house-Cock for to waken others, and to set them on worke: so must [Page 84] the spirituall labourer doe, he must haste himselfe early from the bed of downe:Prover. 8. 17. He that seeketh me early shall find me.

All yee that are young make vse of this doctrine:The vse. seeke the LORD early yee Schollers: let this my Ser­mon by like the fiue houre bell: Though drowsie nature would faine lye still and sleepe,Note. vp, vp; from the feathers; Serue GOD in the morn­ing of thy lyfe: Serue him first in the morning of thy dayes: let the first part of the day bee spent into knee­ling before his footstoole: let GOD al­so bee served in the morning of all thy adoes:Note. * When euer thou is goeing to any action, were it at noone, or at even, labour a little with GOD: first, Serue him in the morning of that action:Note. * Before thou speake of any matter of weight, vp with thy heart and eyes to the HEAVENS, saying with a sigh, LORD direct mee in that which I am for to speake: see that in all things thou first la­bour with thy GOD.

[Page 85] * The first of all things of GODS in a particular maner:Note. GOD in Israel had the first of all things: These first­lings were but the ceremonie where­of the substance is, that all our thoughts, words and workes: begin at him, who is Alpha, the begin­ning of all the creatures of GOD. * It is a strange thing of this worlds folie: All men thinke,Note. that if a man learne not to be a Scholler in his youth, that it is no more time in the age of threescore to begin his A B C: Such a man needed not to thinke for to bee a Minister. Doe men of such an age begin any other trade or craft? Are not your Children sent to crafts while they are young. Where sawe yee any begin to learne a craft in the age of threescore? And yet most men thinke, though they haue lived fiftie or threescore yeeres, like Pagans, that vpon their death bed they will easi­ly learne to bee Christians.

* The ill spent liues of many are greatly to bee suspected,Note. though on their death-bed they will seeme to bee exceeding humble: Such often [Page 86] will haue faire shewes of repentance, so long as they are vnder the weightie h [...]d, but let them be once free of their affliction, incontinent it is seene how they returne to their old byas againe,Psal. 78. 57. like dec [...]itfull bowes. Who is more penitent in appearance than a theefe, while hee goeth to the gibbet? But let him once loose, it will bee seene that hee cannot refraine,* A long contracted habite is not removed in a short space.Note. It is a hard taske and labour to amend all the faultes of our life in three or foure dayes sicknesse. Scripture maketh no mention of any, but of one converted at the last gaspe, viz. the Thiefe at CHRISTS right hand, Luk 23 43 which was a miracle.

Secondly as we should labour ear­ly, so should wee labour earnestly, GOD willeth vs not to bee lazie at his service.Note. * GOD his Servants are all of the nature of the Scraphins, they haue fire in their wings: GOD liketh not the labour that is done with delayes:Note. * He can not abide the slaggards yet a litle while; [...] Hee is wearied of those who are wearie of [Page 87] well doing,Mal. 1. 13 like those Snuffers of Malachie.

Thirdly, as wee must labour ear­ly and earnestly for spirituall things, so must wee labour constantly: If a righ­teous man fall away,Ezek. 18. 24. GOD saith that hee will no more remember his bygone righteousnesse. Note. * Many now a little before, and little after the supper of the LORD will seeme to bee full of devotion. Some will put their fin­ger in their eye, and wring out some teares, which like Popish holy water, (as they thinke,) shall cleanse them from all bygone wickednesse; they can droupe like a bul-rush for a day; Isa. 58. 5. but so soone as such times are en­ded, then endeth all their devotion. * In such a time as this, such sin­ners are in a worse estate than at any time;Note. for their sinnes which at other times were stricken out like filthy pocks, are not taken away, but are stricken in about the heart a deadly disease: The lesse this venome appea­reth without, the greater is our dan­ger: for the poison of sinne lurking within about the heart is fostered & [Page 88] increased with a good conceit of our selues, that wee are not like o­ther men: This fond conceit joy­ning it selfe with the corruption of concupiscence into the heart, over­mastereth the good motions and vi­tall spitits that are within.

In all the time of labouring for grace and good things,Note. wicked men are as if they were in the stockes: They will begin, but they can not continue. Note. * Away with faire begin­nings which are not backed with perseverance: Revel. 2. 25 To Thyatira GOD said, that which yee haue already, hold fast till I come: Revel. 3. 2 To Sardis was said, strengthen the thinges which remaine: This was a sore reproch for Ephesus, Revel. 2. 4 that shee had left her first loue.

THE SECOND PART.
Who is the giuer of this meate.

NOW let vs come to the second and third parts of our Text, wherein I shall striue to be short. In this second part, wee haue to con­sidder, who is the giuer of this meate, The giuer is called the sonne of man, in these words which the sonne of man shall giue you.

Hee who is called heere the sonne of man, is CHRIST.

[Page 108] * CHRIST in Scripture is called the Sonne of three.Note. 1. The Sonne of GOD. 2. The Sonne of Marie. 3. The Sonne of man.

In regard of his Deitie, as second person of the Trinitie, Hee is the Sonne of GOD begotten of him, from all eternitie, coequall and coessentiall to his Father, of whose glory he is the brightnesse, and the expresse image of his person,Heb. 1. 2 the appointed heire of all things.

Hee was called the Sonne of Mary, because hee was conceiued in her Belly, and borne of her.

Heere hee is called by himselfe the sonne of man, because hee tooke vpon him mans nature, and became man like vnto vs in all things, sinne onely excepted: Note. * So soone as the fullnesse of time came,Gal. 4. 4. GOD sent foorth his sonne made of a woman, conceived of a woman, and not be­gotten by a man, and yet the sonne of man, and the Sonne of a virgine, even GOD manifested in the flesh a Sonne younger than MARIE his Mother,1. Tim. 3. 16. a Son older than Adam the Father of his [Page 109] Mother, a Sonne eternall with his FA­THER that begate him.Note. * As in the Heaven He was Motherlesse, as GOD, so on earth Hee was Fatherlesse, as Man, and yet the Sonne of Man.

Heere bee the three greatest won­ders of the World.Note. ‘DEVM nasci, Virginem parer [...], fidem haec credere.’ That GOD should bee borne, that a Virgine should bring foorth a Sonne, that man can beleeue it; though in the Creation hee may haue some ground:Note. * For seeing GOD at the beginning made the woman out of the man without the helpe of any woman, why might hee not make a man, and hewe him out of a wo­man without the helpe of any man? Hee who could giue a beeing vnto no­thing might also raise a nature of some thing: but to leaue this let vs con­sidder heere what is the office of this Sonne of man.

It is said heere that hee is ordained for to giue to vs the meate which endureth to euerlasting lyfe, in these words, which the sonne of man shall [Page 110] giue vnto you.

The doctrine I obserue heere is,The do­ctrine. that * CHRIST is the great Steward of HEAVEN, to whom the dispensation of eternall lyfe, and of all other good things is committed,Iohn. 14. 6. No man, (said hee,) commeth vnto the Father but by mee: There is no­thing also that can come from the Father vnto man, but by him.

The vse of this doctrine is,The vse. that wee bee earnest to make our aquain­tance with CHRIST, if wee would haue any good thing from the HEA­VENS: The Children of this world, are wise in their generation: By the proceedings of naturall wise men, we may learne spirituall wisedome.

* It is written of the men of Tyre and of Sidon, Note. that knowing that He­rod was highly displeased with them, they came with one accord to him to seeke peace; for to obtaine this,Act 12. 20. they made Bl [...]stus the Kings Cham­berlaine their friend: It is so that wee should doe; whether wee would pacifie GODS wrath raging against vs, or obtaine any favour from GOD, [Page 111] let vs first make IESVS CHRIST the great Steward, and Chamberlaine of Heauen our friend.

Againe let vs obserue heere how wee get this Meate with Life euer­lasting. The do­ctrine. It is said that the Sonne of man shall giue it: for two reasons, CHRIST the Sonne of man is said to giue life vnto man.

First because in his humane nature, by death hee hath merited this life vnto all beleeuers: Secondly because his humane nature is the instrument, whereby hee conuoyeth life vnto vs.

* As the stocke sendeth sappe vp from the roote to the graft,Note. so the humanitie of CHRIST, which is the stock of all the faithfull, conuoyeth life euerlasting from the diuine nature which is the roote of all good things, all these who are not ingrafted in him, are like that wanton widow? who is disgraced with this,1. Tim. 5. 6▪ Shee is dead while shee liveth, that is, spiri­tually dead in a naturall lyfe.

The vse of this is,The vse. that wee bee earnest with CHRIST, labouring for that meate of life, which onely [Page 112] He can giue:I [...]b. 2. 4. Seing skinne for skinne, and all that a man hath hee will giue it for this life,Isa 2. 22. which is but a past of breath in his nostrils, an evanishing vapour,Psal. 78. 39. a wind that passeth away and commeth not againe: what should a man refuse to doe, or suffer for the gift of life everlasting?

Againe,The do­ctrine. in that it is said, that the sonne of man shall giue euerlasting life, or the meate that feedeth to that life, I obserue that everlasting life is the gift of GOD: That which is a gift is not a reward: All the gifts of GOD are most free gifts: But a­mongst all the gifts of GOD, life ever­lasting is the most free gift:Note. * The greater GOD his gifts bee, they are the frieer: for what can a creature on earth deserue at GOD his hands on earth? If not on earth what can he deserue in HEAVEN? On earth I must bee a begger at GOD his doore for bread to my belly, which GOD will destroy with the belly, I must seeke it from GOD, not as due to me, but as his Almes; If it bee so of this meat, how much more shall it be [Page 113] so of the meat of my text, which feedeth to everlasting lyfe? Note. If man must labour for the meat of the earth with the sweat of his browes, and yet, after all that done, must begge his bread from GOD, who can think, that any man can merit the meat which endureth to everlasting lyfe? Let vs learne of my text, that it is the gift of GOD, in these words, which the Sonne of Man shall giue vnto you.

The vse of this doctrine is,The vse. that wee thanke GOD, who hath brought vs out of Babylon, where the do­ctrine of mans merits,1. Tim. 4. 1. the doctrine of Diuels is publickly teached, and a­vouched, yea, as though man could doe more than hee is obliged to doe. * Such men neede none of GOD his gifts,Note. but GOD must pay to them his debts: Such men vnderstand not what it is to come vnto the waters, for to buy wine and milke without money: Isa. 55. [...]. Let GOD himselfe tell the world how they are saued,Ephes. 2. 8. By grace, (saith hee,) are yee saued through faith, and that not of your selues, it is the gift of GOD: Note. * All that a man [Page 114] hath in this world, hee will giue it for this naturall life, and shall bee thought no foole in so doeing: See­ing this lyfe is thought worthie of all that wee haue, what can a man haue, or what can hee doe, or suffer worthy of lyfe euerlasting: It is best then that wee say with Scripture, It is the gift of GOD: Rom 6 23 CHRIST hath done with vs as Ioseph did with his brethren,Gen. 42. [...]5. who found that they had the cornes and their money both: such cornes were not sold, but f [...]ely gifted: The LORD giue vs hearts to bee thankefull, for the vn­speakeable gift of euerlasting lyfe.

THE THIRD PART.
Who appointed CHRIST the Sonne of man to bee the giuer of this everlasting meat.

NOW in the last part of our Text, wee haue to considder who [...]a [...]h appointed CHRIST, the giuer of this meat, which feedeth to euerlasting lyfe, This is set downe [Page 115] in these wordes, for him hath GOD the Father sealed: That hee was or­dained to bring this meat to the word, the Father hath confirmed it by his owne seale: [...].

A Seale is an outward signe con­firming, ratifying, and giuing au­thoritie to that wherevnto it is set: Thus wee see that by the King his Seale, Kings letters are made authen­ticke and of authoritie.

Let vs first consider the worde, and then wee shall speake of the diverse vses of a Seale, last of all wee shall draw a doctrine with the vse of application.

The word Seale properly signifieth that instrument, wherewith Charters and Patents are sealed, whereby they are ratified and made authentick.

It also siginfieth the Waxe which is sealed, for such stamped waxe, we ordinarily call the King his seale.

Because of the diuerse vses of seales, diverse things in Scripture are called Seales, or as said to seale: Because the Seale of a Charter, is that where­by the rights therein are confirmed [Page 116] and made authenticke, Sacraments haue beene called seals: for by them the writen promises of GOD are confirmed and made more sure vnto vs: According to this it is said of Abraham Rom. 4. 11. that hee receiued the Seale of circumcision: Because that a missiue letter being once sealed, all that is written within the same can no more bee seene, but is a secret to all that behold it outwardly: So the things of GOD are said to bee sealed, which are hidde or concealed, According to this that Booke of the Revelation,Revel. 5. 7. which none but the lambe could open, is said to haue beene sea­led with seuen seales.

* Wee haue also to obserue,Note. that in Scripture, things are said to seale in diuers maners: GOD is said to seale, and man is said to seale: of man his sealing, CHRIST speaketh, saying,Iohn. 3. 33. Hee that hath receiued his testimonie hath set to his seale that God is true, that is, Hee as it were subscribeth with his hand, the trueth of GOD his word.

GOD againe is said to seale men, [Page 117] and hee is said to seale his owne Sonne.

As for men who are his elect and chosen ones, GOD Sealeth them out­wardly, and inwardly: Outwardly, when hee maketh them partakers of his Sacraments, viz. of Baptisme or of the Supper: According to this, it is said of Abraham, when hee was circumcised that hee receiued the seale of Circumcision: Rom. 4. 11 Againe inwardly by his spirit, GOD is said to seale, when he maketh his elect sure of his favour or of their Salvation; according to this the Apostle saith to the Ephesians,Ephes. 1. 13 In whom after that yee beleeued yee were sealed with that holy spirit of promise: The chil­dren of GOD are said to be sealed by the spirit of promise, when the spirit of GOD within them maketh them sure of all that is promised vnto them: Because by faith and good workes our election is made sure vnto vs, faith and good workes are called the Seale of our election: The foundation of GOD (said S^t. Paul,) remaineth sure: 1. Tim, 2, 19, and [Page 118] hath this seale, the LORD knoweth them that are his: And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquitie: The foun­dation of GOD is his decree, vpon which the Salvation of the godly is builded: the trueth thereof, is made certaine vnto vs by the seale of a good lyfe, when wee depart from iniquitie:Note. * Good workes are the seale of the Spirit of GOD, where­by a Soule is confirmed that it be­longeth to the election of grace,

This much for clearing of diuers difficulties concerning sealing in the Scriptures.

Wee haue already heard how man is said to seale GOD his trueth, & how GOD is said to seale man, both outwardly and inwardly: In this my Text wee haue particularly to con­sidder, how GOD is said to Seale his Sonne, CHRIST IESUS, of whom it is said heere, Him hath GOD the Father sealed.

The LORD IESUS as is well re­marked by the excellent Divines, hath beene sealed by the Father diuersely.

[Page 119] First hee may bee said to haue beene sealed by the Father,Heb. 1. 3 because in him was the Character, the in­grauen image of the Father his per­son, that is, as a learned Interpreter saith, Persona quae personam pairis ad amussim refert: Sicut imago cerae im­pressa ad amussim refert imaginem in [...]culptam sigillo: The sense is this, The person of the Father is like that image, which is ingrauen into a seale of Siluer or Gold, and the person of the Sonne, is like that image in the waxe, which is sealed by the seale of gold: According to this, CHRIST the second person of the Trinitie, is said to bee sealed into an vn­speakeable manner by the Father, be­cause in him is the essentiall image of the Father.

Secondly, CHRIST was sealed by GOD, when hee was anointed with the oyle of grace, and gladnesse, aboue his fellowes: GOD the Father at that anointing,Psal. 45. powred into CHRIST man his spirituall giftes and graces without measure:Col. 1. 1. All the treasures of grace were stored vp into him: [Page 120] Wee all haue receiued of his fullnesse; Iohn. 1. 19. The fulnesse of GOD in him was a Seale, whereby both in his Words and Workes hee was knowne to be more than man, for as by his enemies confession,Iohn. 7. 46. never man spake as hee spake which was the worde Seale, S. which his enemies could not denye hee did among them the workes which no other man could doe, Iohn. 15. 24 this was his worke, Seale.

Thirdly GOD the Father sealed our Saviour, when by his testimonie from Heaven, hee declared to the world that hee was his beloued sonne in whom hee was well pleased. Mat. 3. 17.

The Sealing properly vnderstood heere, as Beza thinketh denoteth two things, first that GOD endowed him with such a verture, whereof the like was in no other creature,Col. 2. 9. for in him the fulnesse of the Godhead and essentiall image of the Father did so visibly appeare,Iohn, 14. 9, that who sawe him did see the Father.

Secondly by the Sealing of CHRIST by the Father hee vnderstandeth a commission from the Father, giuen [Page 121] vnto him for to come to the world and reconceale all repenting sinners to their GOD: This opinion he hath from Cyrillus.

S. Chrysostome and Theophylactus referre this Sealing of the Sonne of man, by the Father to the testimonies whereby the Father from Heaven declared him to bee his Sonne, par­ticularly in those words, This is my beloued Sonne, Mat. 3. 17. in whom I am well pleased: This also wee must consider that the glorious workes of Christ, wherein the infinite vertue of GOD, did appeare, were as a Seale, declare­ing to the world, that God the Fa­ther had appointed that man to bee the Saviour of the world,

Piscator interpreteth the word Sealed after this maner: Obsignauit, (saith he) est Metaphora sumpta ab ijs, qui quos mittunt eorum authoritatem obsignato di­plomate sanciunt: that is, sealing heere is, a metaphore or forme of speach, taken from these that confirme the authoritie of these whom they send, by a sealed charter or patent: Note. * Ac­cording to this the Father is said to [Page 122] haue sealed CHRIST, when hee sent him with a confirmed authoritie to declare his will and to giue gifts vnto man on earth as who were [...]ent with a Kings patent, to any of his dominions for effectuating his Ma­iesties businesse: So as one saith learnedly,Note. Obsignatio haec est approbatio & vt ita dicam authentisatio, That is, this sealing of CHRIST, is an ap­prouing and alloweing of him by authoritie, for to giue that meat which feedeth to euerlasting life.

The doctrine I obserue heere, is a doctrine of comfort for all Christi­ans:The do­ctrine. Behold heere Christ our Saviour, a sealed Sauiour, a Saviour whom the King of Heaven hath sealed by giuing him full commission, and power for to saue all wearied soules, that will come vnto him.

The vse of this doctrine is,The vse. that what ever wee want in this lyfe that is needfull, either for soule or body, let vs seeke it from him, with all boldnesse in all confidence to re­ceiue: Behold him heere sealed for to assure the world, that for this [Page 123] end hee is come downe to the world to giue life eternall to all these that will labour for it,Rom. 6. 22 in seeking it from h [...]m by humble prayers.

* When the Egyptians were di­stressed by Famine,Note. they all ranne to Ioseph, because they knewe that the King had giuen to him his ring and had sealed him for to guide the whole Land: what they did to Ioseph, Gen. 41. 24, let vs doe to IESVS, whom the Fa­ther of Heaven, the great KING of the whole world hath sealed and approued by words and workes, Iohn, 15, 24. by gifts and by graces without measure: Let euery emptie Soule come vnto him,Iohn. 3, 34 and receiue of his fulnesse even grace for grace:Col, 1, 19,

The LORD grant vs all this grace: To our GOD, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost bee Glory, and Maiestie, Dominion and power, for now and ever. Amen.