to the majestie of God humbly confesseth that hee was but dust and ashes Yea Adam in his best estate of his innocencie was bound to glorisie God with the like confession of the basenesse of his originall and to let Adam alone the heauens are not cleane in his sight yea he hath found follie in his Angels they couer not onely their feete but their faces before the Lord what then shalt thou do O man who dwellest in lodgings of clay a sinfull creature by thine owne aposâ—…asie loaden with iniquitie how shouldest thou bee humbled and bow downe thy soule in the presence of thy Maker Redeemer and thy iudge Presumption in praier thus being remoued I returne to the comfort Thou being thus humbled with an hatred of thine owne sinnes with feare and reuerence of that diuine maiestie trusting to his promise goe on with boldnesse to the throne of grace Noli vilipendere orationem tuam quoniam illo ad quem oras non vilipendit esteeme not lightly thine owne prayer as though it were a smal thing seeing the Lord to whom thou pray est hath declared that he accounts so much of it suppose it be weake yet remember etiam solis vagitâ—…bus infans matrem commouâ—…t ad misericordiam euen the very cryes of the infant that vtters no distinct voyce moues the mother vnto commisseration And what comparison betweene the loue of a mother toward her children and the loue of the Lord towards his No father will giue to his children that asketh a stone instead of bread nor a Serpent in stead of a fish What kindnesse then if wee craue it may we looke for at the hands of our heauenly father As the heauens are aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue yours Our prayers saith Cyprian are arma coeâ—… sâ—…ia quae stare nos faciunt fortiâ—…er perseuerare haec sunt munimenta spiritualia telâ—… diuina they are spirituall armour wherby we stand and strongly perseuer to the end they are heauenly darts and defences Oh that wee vnderstood the excellenâ—…e of this grace of prayer that so we might the more delight in it it is the hand of a christian which is able to reach from earth to heauen and take forth euery manner of good gift out of the Lords treasure It is one of those keyes of the house of Dauid whereby we open the doores of the heauenly pallace goe in to take a view of that eternall building and glorious mansion prepared for vs in heauen It is the messenger that with speed goeth from our soules saluting no creature by the way and entreth straight into the Mercie seate in heauen reporting to the Lord all our desires and returning backe a fauourable answere from him Yea it is vnto vs as that â—…iery chariot of Eliah whereunto we mount vp and haue our conuersation with God in the heauens O happie soule therefore which God hath endued vvith this most heauenly grace Except thou blesse me It were for vs a good thing if wee could learne from Iacob this holy vvilfulnesse neuer to let the Lord alone till he blesse vs. But alas here we are taken in our sinne we fall to our prayers without preparation we powre out a number of words without deuotion and so goe away without a blessing We send out our prayers like to incense made indeed according to the Lords direction but not kindled with fire from the Alter that is petitions lawfull enough and agreeable to Gods word but not powred out in feruencie And so no meruaile that the Lord smell not in them a sweet sacrifice for incense without fire hath no fragrant smell and so hauing finished our colde prayers vvee rise without examination not once considering with what fruit we haue prayed and whether wee haue gotten a blessing from God or no. CHAP. XVII Iacob cannot ende till God haue blessed him GOdly Iacob will here teach vs another lesson that we should not let our gripes goe nor cease from crying vntill the Lord haue blessed vs. Then hath Iacob doone when as the Lord hath blessed him but till hee get the blessing Iacob in no wise will part with the Lord. Where if thou dispaire how shalt thou know in prayer when God blesseth thee I answere Except the Lord teach thee I cannot tell thee the spirit of God when he comes downe with a blessing makes himselfe to bee knowne No man hath felt so sensible a shower of raine descending on his body as the child of God will feele when the shower of grace descends on his soule then the foundations of that earth which is in man are shaken the stonie heart melteth the eye aboundeth in ioyfull teares the tongue is loosed that was bound before the minde is filled with vnaccustomable light the whole soule with vnspeakeable comfort Finally such an alteration is made of his whole desires for a change of his whole inward and outward disposion as the childe of God feeles better than hee is able to vtter Which if we obtaine not in prayer as many times it falles out let vs receiue it as a checke of our coldnesse as a spurre to further humiliation that so with a new blessing wee may fall to seeke the Lord and his blessing And here againe wee haue to consider another lesson for in this that he seekes a blessing from him who wounded him wee are to take vp the nature of faith which is of such quicknesse that no maruell the Auncient said Fides Linceos habet oculos for albeit the Lord would take on him the shape of an enimie and shew himselfe an angry iudge to his children yet will they still looke for fauour and kindnesse at his hand It was the Lord who afflicted Iob with outward and inward troubles of the which nature sense could gather no other conclusion but that God had forsaken him and had become his enâ—…mie yet faith aboue sense and nature leadeth him through all these misly cloudes to looke vnto God as vnto his mercifull father and therefore resâ—…s he in that notable conclusion whereof we haue made mention before Albeit the Lord stay me yet will I trust in him CHAP. XVIII Faith through death espies life THis fulnesse of faith doth also appeâ—…e manifestly in all the rest of Gods children especially in time of trouble for what maketh them reioyce in afflictions and to triumph when they are going through the valley of death but the sight certaintie of a better How commeth it that in the same moment wherein God is taking their temporall life from them they are seeking an eternall life from him Out of doubt it commeth of their liuely faith which through wrath sees mercy through the clowde of light momentary afflictions it beholdeth an infinit weight of glory But this quicknesse of faith appeares most of all wonderfully in the vp taking of Iesus Christ for he appeared in the world disguised A King in
heart of man cannot vnderstand What then shall wee thinke of him who prepared them Must not his glorious Majestie by infinite degrees surpasse the reach of our vnderstanding CHAP. XXVII What sight of God shall wee haue in the heauens YEt I speake not this to take away that sight of God which wee shall haue in the heauens It must bee true which the Apostle saith Wee shall see him as he is it being vnderstood with these restrictions First the sight of God vvhich vve shall haue in heauen shall bee perfect in respect of vs the Lord shall dwell in vs fully and replenish euery power and facultie of soule and body vvith his joyfull presence Hee shall fill my whole minde with â—…is light no darknesse shall bee left in it he shall quicken my whole heart no more deadnesse shall bee in it and the whole affections shall bee replenished with his peace and joy Now the Lord dwels in vs but he fils vs not Wee are yet hungry and thirstie Wee know but in part but in the heauens wee shall be filled perfectly with that presence wherein is the fulnesse of ioy the Lord shall then be all things in all vnto vs. Now the greatest measure of the sence of mercy is called by the holy spirit a tasting tast and consider how gracious the Lord is but there is promised vnto vs a full satisfaction ye shall bee satisfied Inebriabor ab vbertate domus tuae I call this sight perfect in respect of vs the Lord shall fill all that is in vs wee shall desire no more but we shall not be able to comprehend all that is in the Lord. Augustine expresseth this by a proper similitude for he compares the godly in the heauens to vessels cast into the sea were they neuer so large they shall be filled full of water and yet that which they containe is nothing in comparison of that great aboundance which is about them So euery godly man glorified in heauen shall be fully filled with gods comfortable presence so that hee shall know no want and yet shall he not be able to comprehend that infinit majestie and peace and joy and glory of the incomprehensible God Therefore said I that in respect of vs wee shall haue in the heauens a perfect sight of God that is so farre as we can bee capable of him Mensuram plenam superfluentem tunc dabit in sinâ—…s vestros A good measure prest and running ouer saith our Sauiour shall bee then giuen into your bosomes Secondly that sight of God that in heauen wee shall injoy shall bee immediate and this is such a sight as none can vnderstand till wee get it Yet to make it as plaine as we may let vs compare it with that which we haue here in earth The sight that now we haue of God is as through a glasse or a vaile that is by mediate reuelations Now vvee know him by seeing him in his Creatures wee know him by hearing him in his word we know him also euen in the earth by spirituall meditation that begetteth some secret sense of his mercy yet al these are a walking by faith not by sight at the least but a dark sight of God and through couerings but in the heauen we shall see him not by halues but by an immediate sight which wee shall then best vnderstand as I sayd when we shall attaine vnto it The Lord of his mercy purge and prepare vs in time and then hasten that day wherein we shall see him And yet because eternall life must be begunne on the earth and that it is not possible wee can see God in the heauen vnles wee haue first seene him in the earth let vs take heed vnto those three things whereby wee may attaine vnto the sight of God First remember that God without his own light cannot beseen the eye suppose it be an organe of sight were it neuer so quicke seeth nothing in the darke the Sunne without the Sunne cannot bee seene farre lesse can the Lord be seene without the Lord. In light saith the Psalmist shall we see light If therefore we would begin to see the Lord let vs walke in his light making his word a lanthorne to our feete in all our wayes taking heede vnto it as vnto a most sure word and a light shining in darknesse therewithall joyning to the Lords prayer Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of thy law Secondly we must remember that wee cannot see God without some similitude and conformitie with him Therefore saith Christ. Blessed are the poore in spirit for they shall see God Among all the members of the body none can see the Sunne but the eye because of some similitude that is betweene them For as God hath set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the great world the Sunne and Moone in the sirmament as instruments of light to serue it so hath hee placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the little world which is Man two eyes in the highest part of his body as organes of light to serue him But the eye being any way troubled or offended as we see by experience â—…bhorres the light wherein it otherwise delights and after the same manner the minde of man polluted with sinne neyther can nor dare looke vp to the Lord. Oculus cordis parturbatus auertit se à luce iustitiae nec audet eam contemplari The eye of the heart being perturbed saith Augustine turneth it selfe away from the light of righteousnesse and dares not behold it And to the same effect he sayes in another place Male viuen do videri à Deo non potes videre Deum not potes bene autem viuendo videris vides If thou liue an euill life thou shalt be seene of God but shall not see him but if thou liue a good life thou art not onely seene of him but thou maist also see him So necessary is this conformitie with God by sanctificati on that without it we cannot see God Thirdly to the sight of God there is requisite attention and consideration a meeke and quiet spirit a heart stablished by grace separate from other things and fixed on the Lord Oculus circuÌ„mactâ—…s non videt etiam quae ante se sunt A watering and reeling eye sees not those things which are before it and an vnstable minde tossed too and fro with restlesse cares and perturbations is not meete to see the the Lord. When the Lord appeared to Eliah there went before him a mighty winde an earth-quake and fire but God was not in any one of them hee followed in a soft and still voyce to teach vs that we must haue meeke setled and pacified spirits if we looke that God should bee familiar with vs and wee must set the eyes of our soules stable and sixt on the Lord attending on his shining mercies like the eyes of seruants on their maisters and while the Lord
hath he vttered toward man his wonderfull loue Man being man onely aspired to be like vnto God and so lost himselfe that now hee is become worse then a Companion to beasts But Iesus being very God was content to become man that he might saue man vvho vvas lost O how hath the loue of Iesus ouercome our ingratitude hee became the sonne of man to make vs the sonnes of God he hath taken on him our sinnes and giuen to vs his righteousnesse he refused not to vndergo that death which vvas due vnto vs that he might make vs pertakers of his life In a word Quod homo est Christus voluit esse vt homo possit esse quod Christus est That vvhich Man is Christ would bee that man might bee made that which Christ is and therefore Humiliauit se vt populum qui iacebat erigeret vulneratus est vt vulnera nostra sanaret seruiuit vt ad libertatem seruientes extraheret mori sustinuit vt moriens immortalitatem mortalibus exhiberet Hee vvas humbled himselfe that he might raise vp his people lying in bondage He was wounded for our transgressions that by his stripes wee might be healed He became a seruant that wee vvho vvere seruants might be restored to liberty He suffered death that he dying might giue immortalitie to vs that are mortall This is O Lord the greatnesse of thy loue towards vs the length and breadth the height and depth whereof all thy Saints are not able to comprehend But O Lord graunt that vve may daily grow in the feeling therof that with joy of heart wee may resigne our selues fully to thine only seruice vvho so willingly hastâ—… giuen thy selfe to be ours But to returne to the consideration of the persons who wrestles yee may meruaile what wrestling can bee betweene parties so vnequall betweene God and Man betweene the Creatour and the Creature betweene the Potter and his Vessell When the Lord is angry the foundations of the mountains and earth doe shake Hee breaks downe and it cannot be built he shuts vp and it cannot be loosed The pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe at his rebuke hee dryes vp the sea and maketh the floud desart there fish rot for want of water and dye for thirst Hee clothes the heauens with darknesse hee biddeth his lightning walke and they say Loe here we are he maketh the pot to boyle like ae pot of oyntment who is able to stand before this holy Lord And how then is it that Iacob is brought in here as a wrestler with the Lord But here ye must consider the parties as they are set downe in this conflict by Moses The Lord in this wrestling vtters not himselfe as the mightie God hee shews not himselfe in his power for so should hee easily haue confounded his creature but the Lord vttereth himselfe as a man and a man in pith strength inferiour to Iacob Iacob againe is here to be considered not as a simple man nor as a man vvrestling by his owne strength but as one standing wrestling by the strength of God and hereof commeth his preâ—…ailing in this battell The Lord vtters himselfe lesse then he is and makes vp Iacob much more then hee was Magna certè Dei nisericordia in figura hominis luctari voluit cum iusto vt se illius humilitati attemperarâ—…t And this same is the Lords dealing in all his wrestling with his children that neither doth hee vse his strength against theÌ„ nor yet leaue them to their owne weakenesse If the Lord should shew himselfe a strong God in wrestling against vs then indeed none were able to stand before him The three Disciples at the sight of Christs glory when hee was transfigurate on mount Tabor fell to the ground astonished If sinfull flesh bee not able to abide the sight of his glory how shall it indure the dint of his power that which is most of all how could fraile man sustaine the bensall of his Wrath and anger if the Lord would intend it Hereof then commeth our standing in these inward conflicts of conscience that our faithfull God suffers vs not to be tempted abouâ—… our power he assailes vs not aboue our strength he sets not our sinnes in order before vs that wee should see them as we committed them Hee permits not his deputy the Conscience to accuse and torment vs according to the merite of our transgressions hee mittigates the stroke of his rod extenuates the pith of his hand when hee puts at vs. And with this also by his secret grace he vnderprops vs otherwise no power should bee found in weake man to stand in the meanest of these battels wherein God sheweth himselfe our aduersarie party Yea if the Lord should set vp one of our sinnes to pursue vs and then withdraw his secret grace from vs wee should fall into the desperation of Caine and Iudas And if hee should arme but one of our owne cogitations against vs we should become miserable murtherers to our selues like Saul and Achitophell If he take his breath out of our nosthrils we fall to the ground or if he should abstract from vs the vse of Reason which he hath lent vs we become worse then the beasts Thus neither in inward nor outward wrestlings haue wee any strength of our owne to stand before him Our standing in trouble is onely by the strength of God who sustaines vs hee puts at vs with the one hand and vnderprops vs with the other It is God in vs vvho ouercommeth himselfe opponing vnto vs. Qui pro nobis morteÌ„ semel vicit semper vincit in nobis And this yee may see clearely in his dealing with that woman of Canaan his audible voyce was against her but the secret helpe of his spirit vvas with her with one hand hee repelled her and with the other hee drew her heart neere vnto him CHAP. VI. Consolation for the Godly afflicted THis I haue marked for thy consolation thou who art the vvarriour and vvrestler of God that thou maist know God is the strength of thy life and finding it so maist be thankfull and entertaine his presence vvith thee For vvhereof thinkest thou hath it come that so many yeeres thou hast stood in the middest of so many tentations that so long thou hast endured these spirituall vvrestlings wherein thy conscience and God vvho is greater then thy conscience hath stood vp thine accuser hath it come of any strength in thee None at all If the Lord had not holpen me my soule had almost dwelt in silence It is the Lord that kâ—…epeth our soules in life The Lord vvho seemed our Aduersarie was our secret helper hee shooke vs with tentations and sustained vs with his grace Euen the Lord who wounded vs did heale vs. The Lord is the dâ—…liuerer of our soule out of all aduersitie Otherwise it
which thou hast gotten are pledges of a fill of mercy vvhich yet abides thee For so Dauid of that which he had felt concludeth doubtlesse kindnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life CHAP. XIIII The presence or absence of God is euer dispensed for the weale of his owne Children FOr the Morning appeareth These words containe the reason why the Lord desires that Iacob should let him goe because the Morning appeareth This at the first seemes a strange reason Is it not a like to thee O Lord to abide with thy seruants in the morning as in the euening or is there O Lord with thee any such distinction of time Surely none at all for thou O Lord art couered with the light as with a garment euen the darknesse with thee is light yea those bright Angels that stand about thy throne makes the midnight where they come for shining light like the noone-tide of the day But we must consider that this reason respecteth not the Lord it respecteth Iacob and so the meaning is It is for thy cause O my seruant Iacob that I desire to goe for now the morning appeareth and thou must goe on in thy journey thy seruants family will wait for thy comming as being vncertain whether they shall remoue or remaine till thou direct them and therefore that I be no more to stay thee from them let me go And of this we may more euidently perceiue that which I said how the going and comming of the Lord to and fro his children is alway ordained and dispensed for their weale when hee commeth when hee goeth all is for our weale Ne timeas ô Sponsa nec existimes te contemni si paulisper tibi sponsus subtrahit faciem suam omnia ista tibi cooperantur in bonum de accessu recessu lucraris Be not afraid saith Bernard O spouse neither thinke that thou art contemned albeit for a short while the bridegroome withdraw his face all that he doth works for the best vnto thee thou hast gaine both of his comming to thee of his going from thee And this for the comfort of one exercised with spirituall desertion doth hee explaine more cleerely in the wordes vvhich hee immediatly subjoynes tibi venit recedit venit ad consolationem recedit ad cautelam ne magnitudo consolationis extollat te ne si semper adesset exilium deputares pro patria arrham pro praeâ—…ij summa paulisper permittit nos gustare quam suauis sit antequaÌ„ plane sentiamus se subtrahit ita quasi alis expansis te prouocat ad volandum Hee commeth saith he for thy consolation and goes for thy warning and humiliation least the greatnes of his comfort should puffe thee vp and least if hee were alwayes present thou shouldest esteeme this place of thy banishment for thine own country and should take this earnest for the principall summe hee lets thee tast of his sweetnesse for a short while and incontinent before thou feele it fullie he withdrawes himselfe and so as it were with his wings stretched out ouer thee he prouokes thee to mount vp and slie after him This is the reason why the Lord dispenses in such sort his presence and absence vnto his Children If at no time hee shewes himselfe vnto vs then would wee bee ouercome of that heauinesse vnder which we lye through manifold tentations and if alwayes he should be familiar with vs then would we take the earth for the heauen and forget our fathers house which is aboue therefore sometime he with-drawes his presence from vs that hee may teach vs to become weary of this barren wildernesse wherein we liue absent from our Lord Hee ascends many times from vs that we may stand like these Disciples on the Mount of Oliuet not looking downeward to the earth but gazing looking vpward towards our Lord who hath gone from vs he giues vs a little tast of his graciousnesse and then hee goes but goeth in such sort that he cryes after him Come and see Not of purpose to defraud thee of any joy that is in him doth he goe from thee onely that hee may prepare thee to follow him to that place wherein he will communicate to thee the fulnesse of ioy and let thee see that glory he had with his father from the beginning Hee will not alway tarry from vs least we despaire neither yet alway remaine with vs on earth least vve presume Sometime he will kisse vs with the kisses of his mouth and as it were vvith the Apostle rauish vs vp to the third heauens other times againe as it seemes he casts downe his angry countenance vpon vs he humbles vs to the hell and permits Sathan also to buffet vs least wee should be exalted out of measure Alwayes this comfort vvee haue of the Lords vvorking with vs that as here wee see hee comes to Iacob and goes from him for his vveale so vvhether he shew himselfe familiar vvith vs or againe for a vvhile hide his face from vs in both the one and the other hee is vvorking for our comfort and vveale Onely let vs possesse our soules in patience and giue glory to God CHAP. XV. How their inward exercises of conscience workes in the godly a diuorcement of their soules from all creatures and a neerer adherent to the Lord. WHo answered I will not let thee goe Perceiue here how the mint of the Lords departure workes into Iacob a more constant cleauing and adhering to the Lord. This as I said before is that notable fruite which all the Lords spirituall desertions worketh in his children it augments in them a desire of mercie and a more earnest carefulnesse to seeke the Lord. And this also wee see in our dayly experience for among all them who professe the name of Iesus Christ yee shall finde none more feruent in praier more continuall in mourning and sighing for their sinnes none that thirsteth more earnestly for mercie then they whom God hath humbled in their spirits with threatnings of spirituall desertion As here Iacob is more wakened by this one word Let me goe then by all the rest of the wrestling so is there nothing goeth so neere the heart of the godly as doth the mint of the Lords departure from them they are neuer so louing to him as at those times when hee seemeth to count least of them if hee looke angerly vpon them the more pittifully looke they vnto him if hee threaten them they threaten kindnesse vpon him the hardlier that hee answeres them the more importunately doe they cry vpon him Then with Dauid they water their couch with tears and call vpon God all the day long Their eyes cast out water continually when the comforter that should refresh their soules is away from them In a word these desertions worke in Gods children a diuorcement of their soules from the delight of euery creature a straiter adherence
shâ—…pe of a seruant He being the God of glory came couered with such contemptible couerings that the vvorld mis-knew him His miraculous conception without the help of man was obscured with the couering of Maries espoâ—…sing vnto Ioseph his birth without all vncleannesse obscured with the couering of Maries purification his innocency in like manner obscured with the couering of circumcision and so 〈◊〉 est noui solis fulgor saith Bâ—…rnard and thus was the glory of this â—…ght shining sunne which the world saw neuer before obscured Yet through all these and many couerings that Centurion through faith espâ—…ed him to bee the sonne of God and those three wise men who came from the East by the light of faith through all these vayles saw him to bee a glorious King and therefore also fell downe and worshipped him But these blind Bethleemites amongst vvhom he was borne hauing no more but the eyes of nature wherewith to looke vpon him could not discerne him albeit this was their glory that out of them came that Gouernour who should feede his people by this faith Agnouit Simeon infantem tacentem for lack of it occiderunt Iudaei mirabilia facientem Simeon by faith acknowledged Iesus euen in his infancy when he had not yet spoken a word but the Iewes for lack of faith blinded with infidelitie flew him after that he had wrought many Miracles So then to returne to our ground it was a great faith in Iacob that hee sought a blessing from him who wrestled against him Nature will neuer learne vs that lesson Come and let vs return to the Lord he hath spoyled and he will heale vs hee hath wounded and he will binde vs vp Without faith there can bee no prayer to God especially at that time when God layeth his heauie hand vpon vs How shall they call to him in whom they beleeue not Where the fountaine is drye what water can there be in the strand ergo vt oremus credamus vt ipsa non deficiat â—…ides qua credimus oremus Therefore that wee may pray let vs beleeue and that our faith whereby we beleeue faint not let vs pray And this for the fulnes of faith CHAP. XIX The goldy in their prayers aboue all things seeke Gods fauour and blessing PErceiue yet farther out of these words that Iacob seekes nothing from God but his blessing The children of God euen then when God is most familiar vvith them seek nothing comparable to his blessing Herein they are insatiable on the earth they can neuer get enough of his blessings Iacob vvas blessed before of the Lord and now againe hee seekes a new blessing and euery time that hee meetes vvith the Lord all that he desires is a blessing It is far otherwise with miserable Worldlings it is seldome and far betweene that they come to the Lord they seeke some other thing then himselfe or his blessing some worldly benefit or deliuerance from temporall trouble is the summe of all their suite So Cain forgetting to seeke mercy for his sinne sought onely protection to his body Whosoeuer findeth mee shall slay mee and from time to time he got that hee vvent out from the presence of the Lord. O miserable man that left not behinde him so much as a petition to God for mercy deliuerance from that wrath vvhich his sin had brought vpon him CHAP. XX. Worldlings in their prayers dishonor God and preiudges themselues IN this doing vvicked men doe both dishonour the Lord and prejudge themselues they consider not the insinite goodnesse and the al-sufficiency of the Lord they measure him with their base and earthly minds and therfore in stead of eternall they seeke nothing but temporall and perishing things It was a princely answere that Alexander gaue his friend Perillus to whom he had offred fifty talents of siluer to help his daughter to marriage vvhich the other thinking too much replyed that ten talents were sufficient Yea said Alexander it were enough for thee to receiue but not for me to giue And to another in like case hee gaue the like answere Ne quaere quid tâ—… accipere sed quid me dare deceat But much more may our al-sufficient God that Monarch of the world indeede who is rich vnto all who cals vpon him giue vnto vs a greater rebuke that cannot enlarge our hearts nor open our mouthes wide that hee may fill them with his good things contenting vs to seeke the earth when the Lord offers vs the heauen seeking with worldlings that our wheat and our wine may abound and not with Godly Dauid that the light of the countenance of God which brings ioy to the heart may be vpon vs. The Lord esteemes this a very great indignitie and contempt done vnto him and therefore he complaines on the Iewes by his seruant the Prophet Hosea They howle vpon me in their beds for wine and oyle they cry like dogs for that vvhich may fill their bellies but sends not out the voice of my children to cry vnto me for mercy and grace It is in like manner very prejudiciall to themselues who doe it for they fast and weary their spirits in seeking many things and in the meane time are carelesse to seeke one thing the obtaining whereof might bring them vnto all things thus they consume themselues with vaine labour Qui rerum magis specie quam authore dilectati prius vniuersa percurrere de singulis cupiunt expiriri quam ad Christum curent vniuersitatis principem peruenire Who being delighted with the shew of things more then vvith the authour of them are desirous to know euery thing by experience but not carefull to come vnto Christ vvho is that head fountaine of vvhom all things are where otherwise if according to the command of our blessed Sauiour men would first seeke the kingdoâ—…e of God then all other things should be cast vnto them This is the onely compendious way to satisfie our insatiable desires Quicunque hic varia quaeris ipse vnus tibi erit omnia whatsoeuer thou bee who here seekes sundry things seek the Lord and he shal be all things in all to thee When the Lord offred to Salomon to giue whatsoeuer he vvould aske he sought from the Lord a wise and vnderstanding heart which so pleased the Lord that not onely hee gaue him that which he asked but also second and inferiour gifts as riches honour which he asked not so great delight hath the Lord to here vs seeke from him those things which are greatest and excellent Let vs therefore ascribe vnto the Lord glory and power hee is a great King let vs not dishonour him by seeking from him small and perishing things the least of them is enough for vs to receiue For we are not worthy of the least of his mercies but not enough for the Lord to giue suppose the Lord would â—…ue vs all the workes of his hand into
with his mercies till the Lord get his 〈◊〉 praise And hereof it commeth that they erect publike monuments memorials or at the least send out publike thanksgiuing for these mercies which God priuately and secretly hath bestowed vpon them But as to the wicked they swal ow vp the benefits of God in vnthankfull obliuion if the Lord increase then wealth and prosperitie they sacrifice to their owne net as though their prouidence and wit had done it and if hee doe preserue them from dangers they impute their deliuerance to their idoll they make their mouth to kâ—…sse their hand as if their owne arme had saued them Thus are they like vnto that salt sea whereinto Iordan floweth it swalloweth vp all the water of Iordan but waxeth no greater neither yet doth the salt and bitter waters thereof become sweeter for all that the wicked receiue from the LORD their old scent remayneth in them they are not the better neither is their hart enlarged to praise him They doe take from the Lord without giuing againe like barren and vnprofitable ground that deuoureth seede and renders nothing And therefore is neere vnto cursing whose end is burning Learne therefore O man to be thankfull to thy God euery benefit that thou hast receiued that encreaseth not thy thankfulnesse shall assuredly encrease thy iudgement Quâ—…m enim beneficia accepta meliorem non reddunt is certè etiam grauius supplicium commeretur He whom benefits receiued maketh not the better doth assuredly thereby demerite heauier punishments We are next to consider how it is that Iacob accounts it a great mercy that he hath seene God and yet his life preserued Seeing the Lord is the God of comfort how is it his presence should bring a terrour vnto men it is his countenance that makes glad the hart when he hides his face the creature is troubled but when he sends forth his spirit they are created and the face of the earth is renued When thou didst hide thy face saith Dauid I was sore troubled How is it then that Iacob here should say that the sight of the face of God causeth death and that his countenance should confound man Adam in Paradise in the state of innocency was familiar with God he saw and heard the Lord was comforted from whence then commeth this change that man cannot see the Lord and liue Surely the fault is not in the Lord his countenance is the wel-spring of life hee is the father of light and the God of all consolation The fault is in vs in our sinfull and peruerted nature Faultie weake eyes cannot behold the light without paine not for any euill which is in the light which is good and comfortable but for the infirmitie which is in themselues And sinfull men cannot see the Lord without feare not for any fault in the Lord who is merciful and gracious but for that peruerse disposition which sinne hath wrought in our selues This made the Israelites to tremble when they heard him and made that holy Prophet Esay cry out woe is me when he saw but a similitude and representation of his Maiesty And who then may abide that Maiestie in it selfe These three pillars of the Church Peter Iames Iohn fell downe to the ground astonished at a small manifestation of his glory the brightnesse of his glorious face shining like the Sunne confounded them how then should they beare the glory of his diuinitie And in vs it is this same sinfull nature which only hinders vs from the sight familiarity of our God What then shall we do but embrace the counsaile of the Apostle S. Iohn Whosoeuer hath this hope in himselfe namely to see God purgeth himselfe euen as God is pure We must remoue our sinnes and draw the powers of our soules to some neerer conformitie with the Lord if so be wee hope to dwell with him For without peace and sanctification none can see the Lord. But here againe it is to bee asked how sayes Iacob he saw the face of god seeing the Lord gaue Moses this answere when hee sought a sight of his face No man can see me and liue and we know that Iohn the Baptist saith No man hath seene God at any time but the sonne who is come from the bosome of the Father he hath reuealed him How is it then I say that Iacob here saith I haue seene God face to face I answere that this is spoken in comparison of other visions and reuelations made to Iacob before his meaning is no other but that hee had now seene the Lord by a more excellent and notable manner of apparition then euer he had seene before And where Moses is said to haue seene the Lord face to face this is only spoken in comparison of Moses with other Prophets who had not so cleare a reuelation of the Majestie of God as Moses had this is euident out of the Lords owne words If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you I will be knowne to him by a vision and speake to him by a dreame my seruant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house to him will I speak mouth to mouth not in darke wordes and hee shall see the similitude of the Lord. Yea let no man thinke because of these words that any of the Fathers saw the Lord as hee is thou canst not see the Sunne as it is Hee that a farre off lookes to the sea sayes truely that hee hath seene the sea but what is it that hee sees in respect of that which hee seeth not Yea wee cannot see a mortall man as he is and how then shall wee see the Lord as hee is If the Fathers had seene the Lord as he is then all the fathers had seene him one manner of way because God in himselfe is one simple and vndiuided essence but they saw him many manner of wayes in diuers soâ—…mes and apparitions To Iacob hee appeared in a siery busâ—… to the Israelites in a cloude to Elias in a soft and calme ayre to Esay in another manner of vision all which doe proue that hee shewed not himselfe neyther did they see him as hee is but onely in such manner of manifestation as the Lord thought most expedient for the time But what speake I of the sight of GOD on the earth wee shall not see him as hee is in the heauens For euen those holy Angles which stand about his Throne are described vnto vs couering their faces with their two wings witnessing thereby that there is a God of a more infinite glory then they are able to comprehend And no meruaile for euery Creature Man or Angell is finite a vessell of limited and definite bounds Now sure it is that no finite thing can comprehend that which is infinite that peace of God promised vnto vs passeth all vnderstanding and these things prepared for vs are such as the
death to follow his Lo◅d yea most desirous to be dissolued by death in so much as hee knew it to be a meane to conioyne him neerer vnto Christ. And herein he stands vp to witnesse vnto vs that vnlesse wee haue a most feruent desire to participate of this holy Sacrament which the Lord hath instituted to seale vp and increase our spirituall Communion with him wee are manifestly conuinced to be such as in whom their is no loue of the Lord Iesus If we will not goe with him to eate and drinck in his Parlour at Ierusalem it is not likely that we will follow him out of the Cittie bearing his reproach to bee crucified with him on mount Caluarie The Apostle is desirous to goe through death that hee might come to Christ and it was the notable word of that auncient Ignatius the scholler of Christs best beloued Disciple Saint Iohn Nihil visibilium moror nihil inuisibilium modo Christum acquiram I stand said hee vpon nothing visible nor inuisible I care not what torments come vpon me so that I enioy Christ Iesus and will not wee then casting away all impediments come ioyfully forward to this holy Table wherein our blessed Sauiour communicates himselfe vnto vs and wherevnto this day so louingly he inuites vs Now hee standes at the doore and he knocks offering to come in suppe with them who will open vnto him Now the maister shall say to his Disciples Take re and eate this is my bodie Now saies the bridegroome to his friends Eate O my friends and make you merrie my welb◅loued Now doth the Angel intimate that proclamation which hereafter will be resounded with greater ioy from heauen Let vs be glad and reioyce for the marriage of the Lambe is come And now the Sauiour calles vpon sinners with outstretched armes Come to me all ye who are wearie and laden and I will refresh you Those diseased creatures who lay at the poole of Bethesda wayted diligently on the occasion when they should step downe into the water for he that first stepped in after the Angell had troubled the water was made whole whatsoeuer his disease was Praysed be God though we haue not now those waters of Siloam wherein with that blind man wee may cure our bodily diseases wee haue the waters of that Shiloh of the which whosoeuer drinks shall not thirst any more these are the waters of life that are able to cure all our spirituall infirmities the benefit is not restrained to one that first sits downe at his Table but is extended to all those who make themselues readie to come vnto him Let vs not therefore neglect so faire an occasion of grace but let vs vp arise let the Bride make her selfe readie and go foorth to meete the Bride-groome Let vs begin in this wildernes to eate the fruits of our promised Canaan which is aboue Let vs open to the King of glory that knocks let vs go to our sauiour that cries come and ioyfully communicate with our Lord who commaunds Take and eate this is my body For here is giuen the greatest gift and that in the most excellent manner that God hath to giue on earth vnto the sonnes of men for here he giueth it as it were with both his hands that is not onely by his word but also by his Sacrament onely take heede to this warning let a man trie himselfe and so let him eate There is danger in hearing of the word and therefore our Sauiour forewarnes vs Take heede how you heare Ther is danger also in communicating in the preceeding verse the Apostle forewarned vs of it He that eates of this bread and drinks of this cup of the Lord vnworthely is guiltie of the bodie and blood of the Lord. In the subsequent verse hee forewarnes vs also of the danger He that eates and drinkes vnworthely eateth and drinketh his owne damnation And in this interiected verse which now by the grace of God wee haue to handle hee sheweth vs the way how to eschew them both and therefore let vs harken the more attentiuely vnto it This precept hath two parts in the first we are commaunded to try before we eate in the second wee are commaunded to eate af◅er triall Before we communicate he requires triall and after triall hee commands to communicate and so he encounters with two sorts of men whereof the one eates of this bread and tryes not and these faile against the first the other tries themselues but eates not of this bread and these faile against the second both of them are here corrected by the Apostles precept In handling whereof we begin first at the last part that such as are resolued to bide away if it please God may bee made willing to come and then by God his grace we shall return to the first that such as are willing to come may bee instructed how they should communicate And so let him eate It is not then as ye may perceiue left free vnto men to communicate or abstaine from the Communion as they please but we are bound by a commaundement to eate and drinke at this Table Doe this said our Sauiour in remembrance of mee Our first father Adam failed in eating of that tree of knowledge of good and euill whereof God forbade him to eate but many of his sonnes failes in refusing to eate of that tree of life whereof God commaunds them to eate In their words they condemne the fact of their fathers because they were Sicut omniū parentes ita omniū peremptores prius peremptores quam parentes perishers of their posteritie ◅re euer they were parents and in their deede they are dayly imitators of their folly It was a punishment vnto Adam to be debarred from the tree of life and it is but a pastime to many of his foolish posteritie to debarre themselues from it Thus stands the corrupt nature of man still in contrarie termes with the Lord And the children fulfilles the measure of their fathers iniquitie where God forbids man to eate there will he eate and where the Lord commaunds him to eate there will he not eate The Serpent spake from the earth albeit ye eate of that tree which God hath forbidden yee shall not dye and man hearkened vnto it The Lord Iesus speakes from heauen come and eate of the tree of life and yee shall liue but man will not heare him O silly and fearefull Rebellion the Seducer is beleeued and the Sauiour is not beleeued This day wisdome hath prepared his Table hee cals vpon you all Come and eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawne hee that find eth me findeth life and shall obtaine the fauour of the Lord but hee that sinneth against mee hurteth his owne soule and all that hate mee loue death Thus are wee louingly called and fairely forewarned and all those are made
kinde Pelican that sendeth out his owne bloud to nourish his young and all this hath our Lord Iesus done not grudgingly but willingly prouoked hereunto by that feruent Loue hee bare to the glory of God his father and to our saluation Which shall yet appeare more euidently out of his owne comfortable saying to his Disciples I haue greatly desired to eate this Passeouer with you O word full of consolation sundry Passeouers had hee eaten before with them but hee protesteth this was his desired Passeouer See yee not here his vnquenchable Loue hee knew it was the last hee was to eate vpon the earth he knew he was to drink no more with them of the fruit of the Vine till it was fulfilled in his Fathers kingdome hee knew that the same night they would â—…ay him and that after Supper a bitter Cup of Passion was abiding for him yet his loue ouercame all these impediments and made him thinke long to eate of this Passeouer And which is much more before euer hee gaue himselfe to bee crucified for vs on the Crosse hee prouided this Sacrament as a meanes of the communication of himselfe vnto vs thereby assuring vs that his subsequent passion should not defraude vs but rather affoord vnto vs and make ready for vs that righteousnesse and life by Christ purchased on the Crosse and communicate in his holy Table to them who are his In the one hee was prepared and made ready as the onely foode of our soules to eternall life in the other hee is applyed Communicated and giuen vnto vs both of these necessarily behooued to bee done for the work of our Saluation Sicut enim ad potandum vinum venire nemo potest nisi botrus calcetur ante prematur sic nos sanguinem Christi bibere non potuimus nisi Christus prius fuisset calcatus pressus It was a great Loue which made our Sauiour content that his bloud should be shed out on the Crosse and so should bee made both a ransome and a conuenient foode for vs for the father sent him Quasi saccum plenum misericordia in passione conscindendum vt effundatur quod in eo latet pretium nostrum So is this also a new declaration of his loue that before his body was broken and his blood was shed hee first ordeyned the meanes whereby it should be communicated vnto vs. These and many more spirituall meditations should bee vnto vs as the breathings of the mouth of God to kindle in our soules that little sparke of the loue of God which alas for fault of entertainement is almost ouer gone and extinguished with the ashes of our corruption for seeing our Sauiour longed to eate with vs shall not we long to eate with him he greatly desired to giue himself to vs in this table and for vs on the crosse shall not we earnestly desire to receiue him hee knew it was the last he should eat vpon earth that after it heauy sufferings abode him wee know that our banqueting here is the banquet that shall be accomplished in heauen it is begun here it shall not end here Comfortable is that word of our Sauiour it shall be fulfilled in my kingdome and will not we then ioyfully begin this banquet shall we be so foolish as to wait vpon lying vanities and forsake our owne mercies shall we turne our back vpon the fountaine of liuing waters and digge to our selues Cisterns that can hold no water certainely our darknesse is grosser then the darknesse of Egipt and our hearts harder then the Adamant except this burning loue of the Lord Iesus rauish vpward our hearts after him The spouse in the Canticles professeth she was sicke of the loue of her glorious husband the Lord Iesus but alas wee are not touched with the like loue wee feele not the smell of his oyntments therefore with the rest of the Virgins we runne not after him Eliah touched Elisha with his Mantle and therwithall the Lord ioyned his inward calling and suddenly Elisha left his plough of Oxen and of a husbandman became Prophet Now the Lord cals vpon vs by his word and Sacrament let vs also pray that the Lord would shed abroad in our harts by his holy spirit the sence of that loue of God then should wee neglecting all things runne after the Lord seeking onely to inioy him The men of this world maruell to beehold the suddaine change of life which is made in the children of God by his effectuall calling they maruell to see them running so feruently after Christ seeking him by continuance in prayer by hearing of his word by participation of his Sacrament and that with such an insatiable desire that in this life they can neuer be satisfied with hearing reading praying and communicating but if the Lord should in like manner touch their harts and let them feele the power of an inward calling then would they marueile no more farre lesse disdaine yea they would make hast and ioyne themselues to the company of the godly And Saul also should become amongst the Prophets The woman who had liued before a licentious life would now change it with Mary Magdalene shee had beene a great sinner in the Cittie but became an example of Repentance to all the sinners in the Cittie shee prostrates no more her body to her carnall Louers but falles downe at the feete of Christ to craue his mercy in stead of her wanton lookes her eyes poure out teares and her beautifull hayre which before shee set out as a proclaimer of her Lust now shee pulleth downe to wash the feete of Christ. Thus all the former meanes of her sin shee maketh new witnesses of her repentance the man in like manner who had sate all his dayes with Mathew at the receipt of Custome that is who had liued in the sinfull trade of vnlawfull gaine would now in like manner forsake it but where the Lord by effectuall calling workes not in the heart an earnest loue of God no meruaile they lye still in the graue of their sins and rise not to walke after the Lord. We are therfore so much the more to vse all the ordinary means which may entertaine in vs that little sparke of the Loue of God till it grow vp vnto a great flame for the farther vnion and coniunction of our Soules with Iesus Christ and this for our disposition towards God As concerning our Christian disposition to our neighbour it is vsuall to the spirit of God to comprise it vnder Loue. Our Sauiour saith that loue is the Cognisance of his Disciples and the Apostle calleth it the band of perfection and fulfilling of the Law and no meruaile for Loue speaketh with the tongue of euery Vertue All the sundry precepts wee are commaunded to doe vnto our neighbour are summarily comprehended vnder this one Loue one another As this Sacrament sealeth vp the Communion of the
Mat. 5. 2 Chris. in Gen. 32. How as maÌ„ Christ appeared to the Fathers before his incarnation Gal. Difference betweene Christs apparition and his manifestatioÌ„ after in the flesh Christs loue is seene in his familiar apparition to the fathers before the Law But more aboundant ly hath he shewed his loue to vs in this last age Iraen contra Val lib. 3 cap. 28. Bern. Sâ—…r 2. de aduen dom Iraen contra â—…al lib. 3 cap. 31. Tertullide carne Christi Phil. 2. 7. Bern. de aduentu Dom. Serm. 1. Man lost himselfe aspiring to be like vnto God Christ hath saued Man by humbling himselfe to become like man Cypr. de Idol van Cipr. de Eleemos Esay 53. 5. Ephes. How is it that weake men in wrestling should bee partie to the mighty God Psal. 18. Iob. 12. Iob. 26. Esay 50. Iob. 38. Iob. 41. 1 Sam. 6. Because God vttereth not his power and houlds vp man by secret grace Chrisost. in Ge 32 Otherwise Man could not stand before him 1 Cor. 10. 13 Psalm 50. In wrestlings spirituall God is both our assaulter and vpholdâ—…r Cyp. lib. 2 epist. Psal. 94. 17 Psal. 66. 9. Hose 6. Psal. The Lord will not giue his children immunitie from troubles Iam. 1. 12. Spirituall wrestling a witnesse of gods familiar presence with vs. 2 Cor. Prouer. 1 The. 5. 3 The wicked being dead captiues cannot fight 2 Tim. 〈◊〉 I. Rom. Wrestling a sure token of spirituall life Tim. In all our afflictions we should goe by the instrument and looke to God as our party Iob. Our impatience proceedes of this that vve looke to the instrument more then to God Mat. 6 August hom 14. Dan. Sam. Ruth Tertul. lib. de patien Ier. 12. 5. Rom. 8. Hos. 12. 4. Sore wrest lings when God at one time humbles his children both in body and minde Prou. Ps. 109. 22 Psa. 143. 4 Iob. 10. 17 Iob. 9. 8. 2 Cor. 7. 5 1 Cor. 10. A rare tentation wheÌ„ Gods working seems to fight with his word and promise 1 By Iacob 2 By Abraham 3 By Iacob 4 By the woman of Canaan Ps. 119. 75 verse 89. â—…sa 38. 15. Pst 119. 18 Psa. 89. 33 4 The fourth circuÌ„stance how long endureth the wrestling 1 Chro. 10 13. Our afflictions are measured in quantitie qualitie and time Psal. This shuld teach vs patience in trouble for there is no deliuerance till God giue it How foolish are the wicked who seeke deliueraÌ„ce by other meanes Ier. 28. 13. We should pray to the Lord in trouble but not preuent him Psa. 16. 20 Psal. 27. 5. 5 The fift circumstance the euent of the wrestling Esay 40. In our spirituall battels we get no victorie without a wound Second part of the Historie containing the conference beetweene Iacob and the Angel Threatninges of spirituall 〈◊〉 are prouocations of the Godly to drawe neere vnto the Lord. Luke 24. 20. The Lord will haue vs to pray for these same blessings that he hath concluded to giue The Lords presence is not ioyned without intermission in this life Two sorts of the Lord his presence one secret which we want neuer another felt which allwaies wee enioy not Esay 43. 3. This felt presence before trouble is as a preparatiue Psal. 27. 1. And after trouble it is to Gods children a restoratiue Mat. 27. 4. Psa. 104. 2 It is granted for our coÌ„solation and taken away for our humiliation Bernard Spirituall desertions are prouocations of vs to follow the Lord. Lam. 1. 14. There is a striuing with God acceptable to him namely when wee will take no refusall of that that God hath promised Nothing in the world so strong as the prayer of the godly for they are the bands vvhereby the Lord is holden detained Iam. Rom. 8. Bern in fest Pent. Serm. 1. Psal. Pro. 10. 24 A warning for attention in prayer Chrisost. de Canan homi 15. We should not despâ—…e our ovvne prayers they being povvred out vvithout presumption and why Macar hom 31. Cyp. lib. 1 epist. 1. A commendation of prayer Iacobs feruency and zeale in praier convinces our inconsideration and coldnesse Hovv may vve knovv vvhen God blesseth vs in praying to him The quick nes of faith Bern. in Epiphan serm 1. Faith in wrath can see mercy Faith offends not at the base forme and shape in which Iesus Christ appeared but throgh it sees him to be the king of glory Ber ser. 4. in vigilâ—… Dom. Mat. 2. 11. Mich. August serm 20. Hos. 5. Psal. 4. How foolish they are who in prayer seek other things before they seek the Lord. Bernard August serm 4. The onely way to get other things is first of all to seeke the Lord. Ier. 38. Faith a rare â—…ewell and why Cyril catech 17 A new name is giuen to Iacob Iacob had two names and they both are from wrest ling. With the new name God also giueth him new grace Ber. hom 4. super missâ—…s est Hos. By this rule we should try if the new christian name be pertenent to vs or no. Ioh. It is horrible sacrilegde to sin vnder the christian name Miserable are the wicked for they desire that which they shall neuer obtaine The wicked haue receiued their consolation on earth Ionas Psalme No immunitie from affliction promised vnto vs. Many not coÌ„sidering this become apostates in the time of trouble Carol. Sigon de repub haeb This made the Iewes stumble at Christ because they looked or a temporal kingdome Luk. 4. 18. 2 Pâ—… 2. 20 Tim. Heb. 11. Pro. 19. 12 Esay Eus. lib. 4 cap. 16. They feare not much the wrath of man who haue been humbled with the sense of the wrath of God Rom. Especially not to search out the diuine majestie farther theÌ„ it is reueaâ—… led to vs in the word Prou. Basil. de martyre Maman Iud. 2 Points of necessary knowledge Yet neglected by Adams sins who desired rather to eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life Dent. This curiositie bridled and reproued Rom. Ciril Catechi 6. Aug. de vnit at Eccl. cap. 19. Bernard Act. 1. And this is a happy exchange wherevnto we should 〈◊〉 agree Bodily sicknesse hath chased many to their soules health Riches refused to some of Gods children for their greater good Cyp lib. 2 Epist. 2. Bâ—…r super Mat. 19. Ecce nos reliquimus omnia Such thaÌ„kfulnes becomes the children of God Psal. Pro. The great vnthankfulnessâ—… oâ—… the 〈◊〉 Hos. 6. Chris. de Sacerd. lib. 4. How it is that the sight of God terrifies man seeing he is the God of comfort Psal. 104. 29. The cause of this is not in the Lord but in our sins Exod. Esay 6. Sin therefore is to be remoued if we would see the Lord with ioy 1 Ioh. 3. Heb. 12. In what sense saith Iacob hee saw the face of God Neuer any man on the earth saw the Lord as he is Neither shall wee see the Lord in the heauen as he is and why 1 It shall be a
hath mercy vpon vs. These are the principall helpes whereby the sight of God is begun in earth which will be perfected in heauen CHAP. XXVIII The other thing wherein Iacob shewes his thankefulnesse is his obedience Verse 31. And the Sunne arose to him THe other thing wherein Iacob vttereth his thankfulnes is in the obedience he giues to the Lords calling walking on in the journey which God commanded him Without this the other had beene nothing for except we obey serue the Lord in our callings doing that which is commaunded vs wherein can wee be thankfull to him and truely there is no better token that we haue beene refreshed by the countenance of God who is the strength of his people then this if with boldnesse and spirituall courage we follow him where away he cals vs albeit we should finde neuer so many impediments before vs. But it is to be marked Moses saith he halted as he went on in his journey This is the meruailous working of the Lord no doubt that Iacob being hurt in the night his thigh-bone disjoynted yet walkes vpon it in the morne and the hurt which he receiued of the Lord hinders him not nor stayes him from going forward in the journey which was enjoyned him by the Lord. We haue shewed you before how the children of God in their wrestlings do in such sort preuaile that they get no victory without a wound who is able to say that hee hath in such sort fought against Sathan and sin but oftentimes hee hath beene buffeted by Sathan and wounded by sinne Yet such is the gratious dispensation of the Lord that as Iacobs hurt made him not giue ouer the journey but rather confirmes him to go forward with greater boldnesse now halting on one thigh then before when hee went straight vpon both so the Lord doth so dispence the spirituall battailes of his Children that out of their manifold falles buffets and wounds which they receiue in this warfare hee workes in them a greater hatred of sinne and loue of righteousnes a greater attention and circumspection in all their wayes and a greater feruency and zeale to run out the race which is set before them and to renue the battaile against Sathan and sinne And this wee may see cleerely in Dauid who after his adultry murther being renued by repentance â—…iseth againe with a greater hatred of sinne and more earnest desire of mercy than euer he had before And did not Peters fall bring forth in like manner the like fruits in him that hee sheddeth teares now more aboundantly then at any time before hee now stands boldly to confesse the Lord Iesus before the Counsell whom before he had denied before a Dâ—…msell and in all the rest of his life he shewes himselfe an example of godly zeale labouring to confirme his brethren by a good conuersation whom before hee had offended by his stumbling and falling Thus the Lord by some one sinne wherein hee sussereth his children to haue experience of their weakenesse wakeneth them to a narrower inquisition of their sins for a light paine in the head men runne not to the Phisitian nor to the water for a light spot in their garments but if the defiling be great then we doe take occasion thereat to wash away euen the smallest spot that is in them So the godly when oftentimes they passe ouer small sinnes without remorse the Lord permits them to fall into greater that so they may be moued to mourning hasten to an earnest reformation of all Where wee are not to thinke that this commeth of any goodnesse that is in vs or in sin which we haue brought forth but of the excellent wisdome and goodnesse of God Deus etiam summus est medicus qui benè nouit vti enim malis For God is that great Phisitian who can vse to good euen those things which are euill And it doth saith the same Father more aduance the glory of Gods goodnesse etiam de malis bene facere quam mala esse non sinere euen to draw good out of euill rather then that he should suffer euill not to be Thus the Lord our God maketh all things serue and worke for the best to them that loue him so as euen the wounds which we receiue in spiritual wrestlings may well worke in vs a greater humiliation but shall not confound vs so that we leaue off the race and course to our heauenly Canaan Wherein if we cannot alway runne in the strength of the spirit with Eliah yet let vs by Gods grace endeauour to halt forward with Iacob at least creepe forward towards our heauenly Father as his little babes children who are but yet learning to walke proceeding alway from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our GOD in Sion whereunto the Lord that is the author and finisher of our Faith the beginner perfecter of our saluation bring vs of his great mercy in Christ Iesus To whom with the Father the holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS A CONDVIT of Comfort Full of sweet Consolations for all those that desire the comfortable sweetnesse of Iesus Christ. By WILLIAM COVPER Minister of Gods word LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to sould at his shop at the great South doore of Paules 1608. A CONDVIT of Comfort Rom. 8. 28. Also wee know that all things worke together for the best to them that loue God euen to them who are called according to his purpose My helpe is in the name of the Lord. THis Chapter may be conueniently tearmed A compend of Christian consolation for wheras many kinds of comforts are dispersed throughout the holy Scriptures for the strengthening of the man of God some of euery kinde are here gathered together in one and like chosen flowers picked out of the word of God are knit together in one bunch presented to thee who art a Christian. There are two things onely which trouble vs in this life The first is the remanents of sinne in our corrupt nature this was such a matter of griefe to the holy Apostle that it made him to crie ouâ—… O miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death So displeasant was it to him to lâ—…ue in that body wherin hee found the motions of sin rebeling against the law of God And if the Apostle accounted this but then so weighty to him alas how should wee complaine and what cause haue wee with Ezechia to walke weakly in the bitternesse of our soules all our dayes in whom the life and power of that sinning is farre lesse restrained Yet least we should be so cast downe with the sense of sinne that we despaire and perish being swallowed vp with griefe the Lord furnisheth vs with many comforts against it from the beginning of this Chapter to the middest of the 17. Verse The
gracious the Lord is telling you that the graciousnesse of the Lord cannot be considered by him who neuer diâ—… tast it If you goe to speak to a vvorldling of inward Peace of spirituall Ioy or of the Priuiledges of a Christian you shall seeme to him a Barbarian or one that speaketh a strange language which he vnderstaneth not or if he himselfe speak of them which he sees learnedly hearing or reading yet shall hee speake like a Bird vtteâ—…ing voyces vvhich shee vnderstandeth not As the bruit Beast knoweth not the excellency of mans life and therefore delighteth it selfe vvith Hay and Prouender seeking no better because it knoweth no better So the naturall man knoweth not the excellency of a Christian and therfore disdaines him counting him a foole a mad man and the off-scum of the world hee taketh the dongue of the earth in his armes for his inheritance let him brook the portion of Esau that the fatnesse of the earth may be his dwelling place let his wine and his wheat abound to him hee cares for no more he knowes not vvhat it is to haue his soule made glad with the countenance of God This is your miserable condition O ye wretched Worldlings ye are cursed with the curse of the Serpent yee creepe as it were on your bellyes and licke the dust of the earth all the dayes of your life yee haue not an eye to looke vp to heauen nor a hart to seeke those things which are aboue most fearefull is your estate vvee warne you of it but it is the Lord vvho must deliuer you from it This resolute knowledge is the mother of spirituall courage constancie and patience therefore the Apostle vrgeth it in this place that the Christian may be made thereby strong and patient in tribulation and indeed what needes hee feare in the euill day yea though the earth should be remoued and the Mountaines fall into the middest of the sea vvho knoweth that the Lord sitteth on his throne hauing the whole vvorld as a glassie Sea before him gouerning all the walterings changes and euents of things therein to the good of them that loue him Oh that we had prosited so much in the schoole of Christ all our dayes that without any doubting or making any exception vvee could beleeue this vvhich here the Apostle layeth for a most sure ground of comfort that so vvee might chaunge all our thoughts and cares into one namely how to grow in the loue of God that in a good conscience vve might say to the Lord vvith Peter Lord thou knowest I loue thee And as the rest of our feares griefes and temptations which many times doe so compasse vs that to our judgements vvee can see no out-gate cast all the burthen of them vpon the Lord who careth for vs and hath giuen vs this promise for a Premunire All comes for the best The Souldier with courage entreth into the battell vnder hope to obtaine the victorie the Marriner with boldnesse committeth himselfe to the stormie Seas vnder hope of vantage and euery man hazardeth in his calling and yet are they all but vncertaine venturers and know not the end But the Christian runnes not as vncertaine but as one sure to obtaine the Crowne for he knows that the God of peace shall shortly tread Sathan vnder his feete What then shall he not with courage enter into that battell wherein hee is made sure ere euer hee sight that all the Warriers of Iesus shal become more then Conquerours through him If wee will onely stand still we shall see the saluation of the Lord. Gedion and his three hundred fought against the great Host of Midian without feare because he was sure of victorie Dauid made hast and ran to encounter with Goliah because hee was perswaded the Lord would deliuer him into his hands The Israelites spared not to enter into the flood of lorden because they saw the Arkâ—… of God before them diuiding the waters And shall onely the Christian stand astonished in his temptations notwithstanding the word of God goe before him to resolue him that whatsoeuer fall out shall worke for the best vnto him The Lord increase vs make vs abound more and more in loue of our God for perfect loue casteth ouâ—… fear The Lord strengthen our Faith that through these misty clowdes of afflictions which now compasseth vs wee may see that comfortable end which the light of God hath discouered vnto vs. But wee are to beware of the subtile sleights of Sathan who to the end hee may spoile vs of this comfort in trouble endeauoureth by many meanes either to quench this light of God in our minds or else to darken and obscure it by the precipitation of our vnbeleeuing hearts carrying vs headlong to iudge of the works of God by their beginnings and to measure our selues in trouble by our present estate and condition not suffering vs to tarrie while we see the end whereof it comes to passe that our hearts beeing tossed to and fro with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like trees of the Forrest shaken with the winde in our necessities we hasten to be our owne prouisors in our dangers we will be our owne deliuerers euery way we become the caruers of our own condition we haue so much the more to beware of this precipitation because the dearest seruants of God haue fallen through it into fearefull sinnes against the Lord their God and breed great vnquietnesse vnto themselues When Dauid was in extreame anger in the wilâ—…ernesse of Maon hee said in his feare that all men were liers O what a blasphemy that euen the promises of God made to him by Samuel the Lords Prophet were but lies and how many times thought hee in his other troubles that God had forgot to bee mercifull and had shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure But when hee saw the end then was hee compelled to accuse himselfe to giue glorie to God and to say I should haue beene dumbe and not opened my mouth because thou didest it I said it in my feare but now I see Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Aâ—… this precipitation made Dauid to stumble and fall so will it carry vs also to the like inconuenience too except we beware of it For if we shold looke to Lazarus in the dongue hill full of Byles and sores hauing no comfort but from the dogges and compare him with the Rich man cloathed in purple and faring daintily euerie day What can wee iudge but that Lazarus is the most miserable of the two yet tarrie while the Lord haue ended his worke and Lazarus hee conueyed to Abrahams bosome and the rich glutton be gone to his place then shall truth appeare manifestly All things worke together for the best to them that loue God Let vs learne therefore to measure the euent of things not by their
of thine iniquitie the Lord shall giue thee to drinke of the cup which thou hast filled with thine owne hand and shal double his stripes vpon thee according to the multitude of thy transgressions CHAP. VIII The Christian is not at his best now it is the working onely BVt as to the children of God if you will aske when they are at the best I answere praised bee God our worst is ended our good is begun our best is at hand as our Sauiour said to his Kinsmen so may we say to the Worldlings your time is alway but my time is not yet come We are at the worst immediately before our conuersion for our whole life till then was a walking with the Children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to damnation and then were wee at the worst vvhen vvee had proceeded furthest in the way of vnrighteousnesse for then vvere wee furthest from God Our best beganne in the day of our recalling wherin the Lord by his word and holy spirit called vpon vs and made vs turne our backs vpon Sathan and our face toward the Lord and so caused vs part company with the Children of disobedience among vvhom vvee had our conuersation before then we came home with the penitent forlorne to our fathers familie but they went forward in their sins to judgement That was a day of diuision betwixt vs and our sinnes In that day with Israell we entred into the borders of Canaan into Gilgall there were circumcised and the shame of Egypt was taken from vs euen our sinne vvhich is our shame indeede and which vvee haue borne from our mothers wombe the Lord graunt that we may keepe it for euer in thankfull remembrance and that wee may count it a double shame to returne againe to the bondage of Egipt to serue the Prince of darknesse in Bricke and Clay that is to haue fellowship any more with the vnfruitfull workes of darknesse but that like the redeemed of the Lord wee may walke from strength to strength till we appeare before the face of our God in Sion Alwayes this difference of estates of the godly and wicked should learne vs patience let vs not seeke that in the earth which our gracious God in his most holy dispensation hath reserued for vs in the heauen let vs not be like the foolish Iewes who loued the place of their banishment in Babell better than their home for here wee are not at our best now our life is hid with the Lord and wee know not yet what wee shall be but wee know when he shall appeare wee shall bee like him the Lord shall carry vs by his mercy and bring vs in his strength to his holy habitation Hee shall plant vs in the mountaine of his inheritance euen the place which hee hath prepared and Sanctuary which he hath established then euerlasting ioy shall be vpon our heads and sorrow and mourning shall slie away from vs for euer And now till the Lord hath accomplished his work vnto vs let vs not faint because the vvicked flourish neither thinke we haue cleansed our hands in vaine because they prosper they are to bee pittyed rather then enuyed let them eate and drinke and bee merry sure it is they will neuer see a merrier day then that they see presently they haue enjoyed their heauen in the earth they haue receiued their consolation in this life and haue gotten their portion in this world Oh what tongue can expresse their misery And yet as Samuel mourned for Saul when God rejected him and Ieremy wept in secret for the pride of his people that would not repent of their sinnes how can wee but take vp a bitter lamentation for many of you whom in this time of grace wee see to bee strangers from grace Wee vvish from our hearts ye were not like the kinsmen of Lot who thought hee vvas scorning when he told them of a iudgement to come and therefore for no request would goe with him out of Sodome but tarried while the fire of the Lords indignation consumed them But rather as Sara followed Abraham from Calde to Canaan so you would take vs by the hand and goe forward with vs from hell to heauen But alas The lustes of the flesh holds you captiue your sinnes hath blinded you and the Loue of the world doth bewitch you but all of them in the end shall deceiue you For All the labour vnder the Sun is but vanitie and vexation of spirit When you haue finished your taske you shall bee lesse content then yee were at the beginning you shall be as one wakened out of a dreame who in his sleepe thought he was possessor of many things but when hee awaketh behold he hath nothing Like that rich man who said in his securitie Now my soule thou hast much good for many dayes and euen vpon the next day vvas reducted to greater pouertie then that dispised Lazarus that hee had not so much as a drop of cold water to coole his tongue with then shall you lament we haue wearied our selues in the way of iniquitie and it did not profit vs. Alas how shall I learne you to bee wise The Lord when he created man set him in a roome aboue all his creatures and now degenerate man sets euery creature in his heart aboue the Lord. O fearefull ingratitude Doe you so reward the Lord yee foolish people and vnwise There is nothing which you conceiue to be good but when you want it you are carefull to seeke it when you haue it you are carefull to keepe it onely you are carelesse of the Lord Iesus though he be that incomparable iewell that brings light in darkenesse life in death comfort in trouble mercie against all iudgement you should set him as a signet on your heart as an ornament on your head put him on as a glorious attire that gets you place to stand before God But what paines doe you take to seeke him what assurance haue you that ye are in him or what mourning do you make because ye are strangers from him Can yee say that the tenth of your thoughts and wordes are imployed vpon him Alas how long will you wander after vanities and follow lies Will ye for euer forsake the fountaine of liuing waters and digge to your selues broken pits that can hold no water O consider this in time yee that forsake the Lord least he teare you in peeces and there be none to deliuer you CHAP. IX All things worke to the worst to the wicked THe last lesson wee obserue in this part of the verse is this as All things worke for the best to them that loue the Lord so all things worke for the worst to the wicked there is nothing so cleane which they defile not nothing so excellent which they abuse not Make Saul a King and Balaam a Prophet and Iudas an Apostle their preferments shall be their
his purpose Thirdly the euident token according to Gods calling which is the loue of God The purpose of God concerning thy saluation thou maist know by thy calling and if againe thou wilt try thy calling try it by the loue of God which thou finds in thee And of these three I will now speake briefly CHAP. XI What comfort wee haue in this that our saluation is grounded on the Lords vnchangeable purpose ACcording to his purpose Here you see then how the Apostle draweth our Calling from the purpose of God and so when hee will comfort vs vvith the certaintie of our saluation he leads vs out of our selues vp to the Rocke that is higher then wee hee teacheth vs to cast our Anchor within the vaile and to fasten our soules vpon that vnchangeable Purpose of God It is most expedient for the Children of God to mark this because the manifold changes wee finde in our selues doe oftentimes interrupt the peace of our minds that the Lord our God hath in such sort dispensed our Saluation that the ground thereof is laide in his owne immutable Purpose but the markes tokens and pledges hee placeth in them after their Calling for whom it was ordayned The tokens are changeable as we our selues in whom they are are changeable but the ground holds fast being laid in the vnchangeable God in whom can be no shadow of alteration and this should comfort vs against our daily vicissitudes changes defects and temporall desertion our faith may faint our spirituall life may languish our hope hoouer our harts in praying fall downe like the infeebled hands of Moses yet let vs not despaire no change in vs can alter the Lords vnchangeable Purpose he vvho hath begun the work in vs will also perfect it Because I am not changed saith the Lord therefore is it that yee O Sonnes of Iacob are not consumed This purpose of God is called otherwaies The will of God and the good pleasure of his will and it doth learne vs to giue to the Lord the praise which is due to him namely the praise of the whole worke of our saluation should bee ascribed to the good pleasure of his will onely and not to our foreseene merits that poyson of pride which Sathan powred in our first parents wherby hee prouoked them to aspire to be equall with God doth yet appeare in their posteritie the corrupt heart of man euer ayming at this eyther in part or in whole to haue the praise of saluation ascribed to himselfe and so would start vp in the roome of God vsurping that glory which belongeth to the Lord and hee will not giue to another then the which no Sacriledge more fearefull can be committed against the Lord. O man content thee vvith that which the Lord offers thee and let that alone vvhich the Lord reserueth to himselfe My peace saith the Lord I giue vnto you but my glory I will not giue to another It is enough that the saluation of the Lord is thine but as for the glory of saluation let it remaine to the Lord hee is for this called the Father of Mercy because mercy is bred in his owne bosome many causes without himselfe found hee moouing and procuring him to execute Iustice but a cause moouing him to shew mercy found hee neuer saue onely the good pleasure of his will Therefore saith the Apostle The Lord hath called vs with an holy calling not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace Surely except the Lord had reserued mercy for vs vvee had beene like Sodome and Gomorrha but it hath pleased him in his mercy of the same lumpe of clay to make vs Vessels of honour whereof he hath made others vessels of dishonour and who is able sufficiently to thinke of so great a benefit Therefore let the re deemed of the Lord cry out with a lowder voyce then Dauid O Lord what are wee that thou hast beene so mindfull of vs Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but vnto thy name giue the glory for thy louing kindenesse and for thy truths sake for our Saluation commeth of god that sitteth vpon the throne and of the Lambe to thee therefore be praise and honour and glory for euer and euer CHAP. XII Two callings outward and inward TO them that are called The purpose of God which is sufficient in it selfe is made knowne and manifest to vs by his Calling for our Calling is a declaration of the decree of our Election and as it were the secret voice of God bringing from the Heauens to our soules this comfortable message That wee are the sonnes of God Now wee must know that Gods Calling is twofold one outward which is common also to the wicked of it speakes our Sauiour Many are called but fâ—…w are chosen The other inward and effectuall proper only to the godly whom the Lord is purposed to saue And this will learne vs to consider of three sorts of men in the world wherof some are not called at all some called but not chosen some chosen and therefore are called to be sanctified iustified and Glorified Yee that will take a right view of all mankinde shall finde them as it were standing in the three circles they onely being happie who are within the third In the outmost Circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling and here stands the greatest part of the world In the middlemost Circle which is much narrower are all those which are partakers of Gods outward calling by the word Sacraments And in the third circle which is of smallest compasse in regard of the rest stands those who beside the outward calling of God by his word are called also inwardly and effectually by his holy Spirit These are Christs little flocke the fewe chosen the communion of saints the Lords third part so to speake with Zacharic the two parts shall be cut off and die but The third will the Lord sine as siluer and gold of them will the Lord say This is my people and they shall say The Lord is my God It is a great steppe indeede that we are brought from the vttermost Circle vnto the second but it is not sufficient to saluation yea rather they who stand in the second Circle hearing the voice of God call them to repentance and yet harden their hearts and will not follow the Lord may looke for a more fearefull condemnation than they who are in the vtmost ranke of all Waightie are all those warnings of our Sauiour Sodome and Gomorah shall be in an easier estate in the day of iudgement then they to whom the Lord hath spoken by his worde but they would not receiue it and that double stripes are for him that knowes his Masters will and doth it not Content not your selues therefore with this that you are brought within the compasse of this visible Church and made partakers of an outward
Sanctified in Christ Iesus to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glory for euer Amen FINIS A PREPARATIVE for the new Passeouer Very profitable to bee perused and read of all those who are called to the holy Table of our Lord. By WILLIAM COVPER Minister of Gods word Prouerbs Chap. 9. Verse 5. Come eate of my meate and drinke of the wine that I haue drawne 8 My fruit is better then Gold euen then fine gold and my reuenewes better then fine siluer LONDON Printed for Iohn Budge and are to sould at his shop at the great South doore of Paules 1608. To the right worshipfull Sir Dauid Murray speciall Gentleman of the Prince his Bed-chamber multiplication of mercy grace and peace RIght Worshipfull albeit no distance of place can disioynt them in affection whoÌ„ God hath conioyned by the band of one spirit yet is it no small stop of that Christian conference wherby eyther of them might happely edifie and be edified of others I haue therefore taken mee to the next remedy since I cannot reach towards you with my tongue I haue endeuoured by writing to bestow vpon you some Spirituall Gift according to my line or measure for recompence of that Comfort which I haue reaped of that Grace of God which is in you I know these colder parts of the I le wherein we soiourue doe not vsually render such ripe fruites as those on which the Sunne beates more hotely yet are they also profitable in their kinde for nourishment specially of such who from their youth haue beene accustomed to feede vpon them Neyther hath the Lord our God debarred vs from Communion of that which is the greatest glory of the I le the Sun of righteousnesse hath shined vpon vs also The Lord hath made our darknesse to bee light and lead vs who were blinde a way wee knew not The Lord hath set his Standard amongst vs. Hee hath not onely sayde to the South keepe not backe but hee hath also commaunded the North to giue and to bring vnto him his Sonnes from farre and his Daughters from the ends of the Earth As the going forth of the Sunne is from the one end of Heauen to the other rising in the East and running on like a mighty man his race towards the West so hath the Law gone forth of Sion and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem the light of the Gospell through many nations hath come from them of the East toward vs in the West where now it stands more meruailously then the Sunne stood in Gibeon in the dayes of Ioshua till the fulnesse of the Gentiles in these parts the remnants of Iaphets house bee brought into the Tents of Sem. How long it will so continue the Lord knoweth Now the shadows of the euening are stretched ouer them of the East the Sun is gone downe ouer their Prophets Darknesse is vnto them in stead of Diuination If our vnthankefulnesse prouoke the Lord to withdraw it from vs woe in like manner shall bee to this Land when God departs from it There was neuer people before vs had any more but their day of Grace some longer some shorter but as they had a Morning so hath an Euening also ouertaken them While therefore wee haue the light let vs walke in the Light Blessed shall wee bee if wee know those things which belong to our peace for in our dayes that promise which the Lord made two thousand and sixe hundred yeares agoe is aboundantly performed that hee would giue the ends of the earth to his Sonne for a possession Happy are they among vs who shall be found of that number sought out by the Candle of the Gospell as peeces of lost Money and like wandring Sheepe taken out of the mouth of the Lyon and giuen in a Gift to Christ that hee may saue them these are the Redeemed of the Lord let them praise the Lord and among them come yee in also and giue glory to God take in your heart and mouth with Dauid that Song of thanksgiuing The Lots are fallen vnto mee in pleasant places and I haue a faire Heritage It is written of Theodosius that hee thanked God more for that hee was a Christian then for that he was an Emperour because the Glory hee had by the one would vanish but the benefits hee enioyed by the other hee knew were to continue for euer and though it may bâ—…e most iustly great matter of your ioy that by the fatherly care of our Gracious Soueraigne yee haue beene placed a Domestique Attendant on his Maiesties most Princely Sonne euen from his very Cradle wherein hetherto you haue beene praised for Fidelitie and I hope shall be so to the end yet let this bee your greatâ—…st Glorie that the Lord hath made you partaker of that blessing which commeth by the Gospell and giuen you the earnest of that Inheritance prepared for them who are sanctified by Faith in Christ Iesus For increase whereof in you as I daily send vp my weake Prayers vnto the Lord so shall I be aboundantly contented to know that these small fruits of my hâ—…sbandry which haue growne this last Sum mer in the pleasant valley of Perth not far from your natiue soyle may be any way profitable to confirme and establish that which GOD hath wrought in you 〈◊〉 them therefore right Worshipfull come towards you as those fruits which Iacob sent to Ioseph from Canaan Southward to more plentifull Aegipt though not as supplements of your neede yet as Testimonies of that loue which I beare toward you in the Lord to whose mercy I commend you for euer in Iesus Christ. Your W. in the Lord Iesus M. William Cowper Minister of Christ his Euangell at Perth A PREPARATIVE for the new Passeouer CHAP. I. Of the feruent desire Christians haue to be vnited with Christ. How Inexcusable they are who neglect this holy sacrament The great danger in comming vnprepared The parts of the precept First that we try Secondly that wee eate the last handled first AS the soule of a Christian longeth for nothing more then to be fully vnited with the Lord Iesus so doth he greatly account of euerie meane whereby this vnion is aduanced The Apostle S. Paul was so inflamed with the loue of Christ that in comparison of him he esteâ—…med all other things to be but doung and euerie thing an aduantage that might serue to conioyne him wiâ—…h Christ for albeit the nature of man abhorreth nothing more then death yea euen the soule of the godly desires not to lay aside the body if it might stande with the Lords dispensation which the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himselfe We would not saith he be vncloathed but would be cloathed vpon that mortalitie might be swallowed vp of life Yet did the loue of Christ so far ouercome him that he was content through the valley of
compound wherein are things of sundry kindes which must be distinguished and so the word of discerning imports that secret There are here things of sundry sorts wee must discerne euery thing in the owne kind so our Sauiour taught vs and after him his Apostles and this truth the auncient Fathers haue deliuered vnto vs Eucharistia said Irenaeus ex duabus rebus constat terrena coelesti The Eucharist consists of two kind of things the one earthly the other heauenly And Augustine calleth it visibile signum inuisibilis graciae the visible signe of invisible grace And Macarius calleth this Bread and Wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Examplaria figurae seu Typi carnis sanguinis Christi Resemblances figures and Types of the Body and Bloud of Christ Iesus Now it is sure that a Type Patterne or figure must euer bee distinguished from that whereof it is a figure This Sacrament then being a compound thing must be considered not as a simple but as a compound thing If it bee asked whether a man be earthly or heauenly because hee is a compound creature It must bee answered by a distinction If it be asked how a Christian being on the earth the Apostle saith that hee hath his Conuersation in the Heauens it must be answered by a distinction and if also it be asked whether this Sacrament bee an earthly or an heauenly thing how the signe is giuen and how the thing signified how Christ Iesus is in heauen and yet present in the Sacrament All these I say must be answered by distinction Sursum est Dominus said Augustine sed etiam hic est veritas Dominus corpus enim Domini in quo resurrexit vno loco esse potest veritas eius vbique diffula est Our Lord is aboue in heauen yet here also is our Lord as hee is the truth for the body of our Lord in which hee arose from death can bee but in one place but his truth is diffused into euery place And againe Ibat per id quod homo erat manebat per id quod Deus ibat per id quod vno loco erat manebat per id quod vbique erat Hee went hence by that which was man he stayed by that which was God hee went away by that which was but in one place hee stayed by that which was in all places And againe Ascendit super omnes coelos corpore non recessit maiestate He ascended aboue all the heauens in his body but hee departed not hence in his Maiestie And Cyrill in like manner Non enim quia nunc non adest in carne ex eo putes quod spiritu medio hic non adsit Thinke not that with his spirit he is not here amongst vs because hee is not now amongst vs with his bodie Thus yee see we must vse a distinction And yet albeit we are forced here to acknowledge the sundrie natures of things compound and consider them in their owne kinds wee must for all that take heed to the wonderfull vnion and Sacramentall coniunction that is betweene them which is so strait that vnto the receiuer they are inseparable for the which also the earthly thing receyues the name of the heauenly And this must also be considered least on the other hand separating those things which God hath conioyned we make this Bread and this Wine but naked and bare signes and so iustly incur that blame which our aduersaries vniustly would lay vpon vs and in like manner this punishment which here the Lord threatens against them who are euill discerners CHAP. III. Three rules to be obserued in the right descerning the Lords bodie First that euerie thing in this sacrament be taken in his owne kinde Who failes in this and how Secondly that this sacrament bee vsed according to Christs institution How the Papists faile in this Thirdly that this sacrament bee vsed to right ends and those ends set downe The conclusion of the first part of the precept VVE are therfore to consider that for the right discerning of the Lord body these three rules are to bee obserued first that in this sacrament we take vp euerie thing in the owne nature and kinde Next that we vse euery one of them in the manner appointed by Christ and with that reuerence that is due vnto them And thirdly that this Sacrament be celebrated vnto the right ends for which our Sauiour appointed it Against the first failes both Papists and bastard professors Papists are euill discerners because they take the signe for the thing signified the earthly thing for the heauenly The men of Lystra were euill discerners when they tooke Paul and Barnabas for Iupiter and Mercurius Gods in their account and therfore would haue worshipped them as Gods but in this light farre blinder are they who will adore a creature insteade of the creator and that with the same kinde of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by their owne confession is due to God onely They alleadge for their error the word of truth Iesus Christ speaking say they of the bread called it his body wee say in like manner that this bread is Christs bodie but sacramentally bâ—…t deny that the bread is transubstantiate into the verie naturall bodie of Christ as they against the principles of faith and nature falsely affirme It is strange to see what backward peruerse handlers of holy scripture these men bee where they should sticke to the letter they inforce an allegorie to serue their purpose What plainer Historie then that which Moses hath God made two great lights the greater to rule the day the lesser to rule the night yet is this place violently wrested when out of it they will gather that the Papall dignitie which as they say God hath appointed to rule ouer the spiritualtie is gâ—…eater then the regall and that the Pope by as many degrees excelleth the Emperour as the Sunne excells the Moone And againe where the Spirit of God vseth a figure there they sticke to the Letter These words according to the Letter Mandant flagitium commaund an impietie And therefore by Augustines rule should be esteemed figuratiue Si praeceptiua loquutio est aut flagitium aut facinus vetans aut vtilitatem beneficentiam iubens non est figurata loquutio si autem flagitiuÌ„ vel facinus videtur iubere aut vtilitateÌ„ aut beneficentiam vetare figurata loquutio est nisi manducaueritis inquit Christus carnem â—…ilij hominis facinus iubere videtur figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum suauiter vtiliter recondenduÌ„ in memoria quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa sit If a speech of precept either foâ—…bid some sinne or heynous deede or else commaund a profitable or a good deed then it is no figuratiue speech but if it seeme to commaund a sin or heynous deede or forbid a profitable and honest action then it is
cont Ualent lib. 4. cap. 34. How the Bread and Wine are changed 2 Rule Cyp. lib. 〈◊〉 Epist. 3. Papists faile against this rule because they perueâ—…t Christs institution Sacrilegiously they abstract the vse of the cup from the people Consil. Trent De conse dist 2 cap Comperimus Reu. 22. 19. 3 Rule The first end of this sacrament is a thankfull commemoration of Christs death Zach. 12. 10. Errour of concomitance disprooued Ezec. 28. 3 Concomitance destroies the first end of this Sacrament The secoÌ„d end of this Sacrament is the com munication of Christ to them who are his In this sacrament Christ is truely exhibit and giuen Yet Christ is not receiued of euery one who receiueth the bread For there is a great difference betweene communication and acceptation The wicked care not Christ in the sacrament Ioh. 6. 54. Aug. in Ioan. cap. 6. Tract 26. They refuse a great gift wâ—…o refuse to communicate 2 Sam. 20. 1. Gen. 3. 24 Hag. 2. 14. â—… kin 7. 2. Lu. 11. 38. Iohn 13. 9 Ierem. 4. 14. 1. Sam. 6. 1. Sam. 21. Ex. 12. 48. Exo. 12. 6. Exo. 19. 9. Exod. 3. 5. Abac. 1. 13 1 Cor. 11. Mat 22. 13 Lam. 3. 14 1 Sam. 7. 4 Gen. 33. Mal. 1. 14. 1 Cor. 10. 16 Ioh. 19. 40 Mat. 9. 17. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Reu. 19. 9. Mal. 3. Psal. 19. 7. Psal. 12. Mala. 3. 3. The tryall here commanded is a searching out of our imperfections Luk. 5. 32. Luke 5. 8. Psal. 51. 1. 1. Tim. 1. 15 Esai 1. 16 Ber. in caÌ„t Ser. 23. Rom. 7. Mat. 11. 29 Ber. Epi. 72. Banquetters there were the poore the maimed the blind Math. 22. Math. 12. 20. Esay 42. 3. 2. Cor. 8. 9 Luk. 5. 31. Ps. 146. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 12. Heb. 5. 12. Zach. 12. Psal. 146. Psal. 119. Psal. 13. Reu. 3. 18. Eph. 3. 20 This tryall is not that daily and ordinary trial required in all our actions Psal. â—…9 12 Psal. 16. 7. Psal. 119. 59 Cyp. lib 2 Epist. 2 Psal. 4. 4. Psal. 73. 13 Miserable is their estate who liue vvithout dayly tryall They are like Achitophell who put his house in order but not his soule 2 Sam. 7. 1 23 Iere. 2. 19. Psal. 90. 8. Psa. 50. 21 But a singular ex traordinarie triall is required before coÌ„munion Euery new sight of our selues discouers new corruption Esay 6. 5. Iob. 42. 6. Iam. 3. 6. Man being well tried shall appeare a new found world of wiekednes Foure bands of cogitatioÌ„s which oppresse the minde Rom. 6. Iob. 31. 1. Psal. 39. 1. Psal. 19. 12 Iere. 9. 1. Es. 38. 15. Psal. 6. Psal. 2. 3. Reuel 3. Pro. 16. 2. Ezec. 8. 9. Euerie imperfect thing must be tried by an other then it selfe Act. 17. 11 Rom. 16. Luk. 18. 11. How wee may profit by comparing our selues with others Ioh. 20. Phil. 3. 4. It is not enough that pastors Elders try vs we must try our selues 1. Cor. 2. 11 Ecclesi 37 14. Other men cannot know whether thou come to the Table as a Iohn or as a Iudas Let euery man therfore aske for himselfe is it I Lord. We should try our selues and not other men This reproues them who before coÌ„munion try â—…aults done to them more then sins done by them Esay 40. 3. Leu 19. 17 Zach. 3. Eph. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 14 Ro. 13. 12. Iam. 1. 17. Otherwise no commu nion with the Lord. Basil Hexam hom 7. Est. 2. 12 2 Cor. 12. 2. Without Diuorcement from our olde sinnes no marriage with the Lambe Psal. 4. 5. Not a generall confession but a particular inquisition should bee made of our sinnes 2. King 21. 29. 1. Pet. 4. 1. Cor. 11. 31 Psal. 34. 18 Iere. 2. 35. Esay 2. 12. 1. Pet. 5. 5. Tit. 2. 11. Reu. 19. 8. Ge. 37. 23. Col. 3. 12. Psal. 120. Phil. 1. 23 Psal. 16. 11 Gen. 1. Our soules cannot rest but in him Eccl. 2. 3. Psal. 39. 5. August Pro. 14. 13 Esa. 48. 22 Esay 7. 2. Rom. 2. Psal. 73. Two things pro fitable to help vs to this heauenly disposition 1 Consideration of the place wherein this Sacrament was first instituted 2 Consideration of the time August in Ioan. The time warneth vs to celebrate this supper like a Pasteouer 1. Kin. 19. 7. But most of all the meditation of the loue of God is profitable to vvorke in vs this hea uenly disposition Eph. 3. 18. Psa. 66. 16 Psal. 139. Iob. 30. 18 Psa. 145. 9 It is not a light meditation of this loue that will raise vp our hearts Neuer such a loue shewed as Iesus hath shewed vnto vs. Ioh. 15. 13 Iohn 13. 1 Stronger then the loue of Ionathan to Dauid 1 Sam. 20. Iohn 17. Cant. 5. 9. Or the loue of a mother to her Children Chrisost. serm de corpore Christi A proofe of Christs wonderfull loue towards vs. Luke 22. Cyp. lib. 2 Epist. 3. Ber. in Epiph ser. 1 What a notable comfort we haue heere that this banquet beguÌ„ in earth shall be fulfilled in heauen Luk. 22. 16 Iona. 2. 8. Iere. 2. 13. Can. 5. 8. Can. 1. 1. Kin. 19. 19 Rom. 5. Worldlings who tarry from Christ if they were touched with the sence of this loue woud forsake all follow him 1. Sam. 19. 13 Women would be changed like Mary Magdalen Luke 7. And sinfull men should be changed like Mathew the Publican Without Loue wee cannot bee of the communion of Saints Ioh. 13. 34 Of the effects by which our loue shold be tryed Gal. 6. 10. Eph. 4. Readinesse to forgiue rare to bee found Mich. 7. 1 Psal. 12. Christians liue now like Iewes and Samaritans of old As men are mortall so should their anger bee Readinesse to doe good to others is as rare Professors liues like the sonnes of Anack churlish Naball or the rich glutton Zac. 11. 9. 1. Ioh. 4. 8. 2. Sam. 9. Ephe. 2. 1. Ioh. 3. 1. Like Iacob the Centurion the womaÌ„ of Canaan and Elizabeth Psal. 8. Luke 1. Our humiliation necessarily required for effecting our vnion with God Mich. 6. 8. With this humiliation wee should haue also an hungring for the Lords saluation Luk. 1. 53. For the Lord filleth the hungry strengtheÌ„s them who are ready to faint 2. Sam. 3 33. Psal. 42. Math. 5. Luk. 18. 4. 2. King 7. Iohn 1. 1. Cor. 7. 35. 2. Sam. 5. 2. King 2. 2. Iohn 6. 68.