Selected quad for the lemma: life_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
life_n	blood_n	day_n	eat_v	4,490	5	7.6787	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73885	Divers select sermons on severall texts Viz. 1. Of quenchiug [sic] the spirit. I Thessalon. 5.16. 2. Of the sinners suite for pardon. 2 Sam. 24.10. 3. Of eating and digesting the Word. Ier. 15.16. 4. Of buying and keeping the truth. Prov. 23.23. Preached by that reverend and faithfull minister of the word, Ier. Dyke, late preacher of Epping in Essex. Finished by his owne pen in his life time, and now published by his sonne Dan. Dyke Master of Arts.	Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639.; Dyke, Daniel, 1617-1688.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Heart-smitten sinner's suite for pardon.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Of quenching, and not quenching of the spirit.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Purchase and possession of the truth.; Dyke, Jeremiah, 1584-1639. Right eating and digesting of the Word.	1640 (1640)	STC 7414; ESTC S124520	150,541	441

and he caused me to eate the roule Well but would the opening of his mouth and eating it with his mouth serve the turne No vers 3. Sonne of man cause thy belly to eate fill thy bowels with this roule that I give thee So in the eating of the Word delivered to us it is not enough to take it into our mouths but we must swallow it downe cause our belly to eate it and not onely fill our eares our heads memories but we must fil our bellies and our bowels with it This is done when wee not onely heare and meditate upon it but when it is so digested and concocted by us that wee by obedience and conformity to it even become one vvith it As vvhen meate is eaten and digested it becomes one vvith the substance of the body This point of eating is that Rom. 6.17 Yee have obeyed from the heart that forme of doctrine whereunto ye were delivered That looke as meate eaten becomes one with the body and takes the same forme with it so then is the Word eaten when we yeeld such obedience to it as that we are delivered into the forme of the Word And this is indeede the maine and principall thing in this eating And till this be done the Word is not eaten Many have a conceit that they eate the Word because they heare take some delight in it c. but in the mean while they yeeld not obedience to it bring it not into practise it is in their eares it is in their mouthes it is in their note Bookes but it is not in their bellies and bowels It is just with them as in that case with those Jsa 29.8 As an hungry man dreames and behold he eates as in his dreame hee dreames he eates but he awakes and his soule is empty And so many they dreame they eate because they heare c. but yet their soule is empty and their belly is empty because they never caused their belly to eate they never filled their bowels the Word never yet sanke into their hearts to worke them to obedience to it And thus in these things stands this duty of eating and this is the duty that wee are to doe And that we may be stirred up to it consider these motives First eating the Word it is both the meanes and the signe of spiritiuall life It is the meanes of life Eating maintaines life let a man give up eating and hee must give up living no eating no life Gen. 47.15 Give us bread for why should wee dye in thy presence And if they had bread yet if they did not eate it if they had kept it in their cupboords laid it by and lookt on it they had dyed neverthelesse It is not the having but the eating of bread that makes men live Nehem. 5.2 We tooke up corne that we may eate and live Men may have meat and may have bread and yet if they eate it not they may dye And when once men leave eating it is a signe they are neere dying Psal 107.18 Their soule abhorreth all manner of meate and they draw neere to the gates of death It is a signe men are in a dying condition when once they are past eating because eating is the meanes of preservation of life So it is here eating the Word is the meanes of spirituall life The Word is called the Word of life It is called our life Deut. 32.46 47. and so eating the Word is the eating of that which is life and eating of life the meanes of life There was an eating by which death entred into the world Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thereof surely shalt thou dye But this eating is that by which life comes to us and in the day that we eare the Word living wee doe live we have hereby the life of grace and shall be assured of the life of glory They that eate of this bread sh●ll live for ever and not dye at all That as Joh 6.48 49 50. I am that bread of life Your Fathers did eate Manna in the Wildernesse and are dead This is the bread which commeth downe from heaven that a man may eate thereof and not dye So in this case And looke as Christ againe speakes of eating himselfe Joh. 6.53 54. Then Jesus said unto them Verely verely I say unto you Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have no life in you Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day So here also for Christ is eaten by eating the Word Isa 55.1 Buy and eate vers 3. Heare and you shall live Blessed are they that eate bread in the Kingdome of God No eating bread in Gods Kingdome unlesse fitst wee eate the Word here And so blessed are they that eate the Word for they shall eate bread in the Kingdome of God They shall eate and live for ever And as it is a meanes so a spirituall life When men doe eate the Word it is a signe they are alive and and in spirituall health A dead man cannot eate onely living men eate and when men eate and fall hard to their meate it is a signe that they are alive and their health good When men can eate and fall hard to the Word it is a signe that they are in life and health Therefore as yee would use the meanes as have a signe of spirituall life so eate the Word Secondly That which moved Eve to eate the forbidden fruit should move us to eate the commanded fruit Gen. 3.6 And when the Woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise she tooke of the fruit thereof and did eate and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eate So here the word is good good for food it is that which is to be desired to make one wise therefore let us take thereof and eate heartily of it The goodnesse of the Word is that which should move to eate Good meate tempts men to eate and though men have no great stomacke yet if they heare meat commended for good meate they will eate of it Isa 55.2 Hearken and eate that which is good And it is Salomons argument Prov. 4.1 2. Heare yee children the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding For I give good doctrine Yea and hee presses this duty of eating upon this ground Prov. 24.13 14. My sonne eate thou hony because it is good and the hony combe which is sweet to thy taste So shall the knowledge of wisdome be unto thy soule when thou hast found it then there shall be a reward and thy expectation shall not be cut off The summe is As when men finde honey they doe not forbeare but will fall to and eate because they know it is so sweet and good So when thou findest the Word fall

fore-fathers godly christians before Luthers time here in England when there was some glimpse of the light of the Gospel they bought the truth though at an high price It is memorable which Mr. Foxe speakes of them They did sit up whole nights in reading and hearing good Bookes read That was one part of the price they gave But they did not onely buy with their paines but with their purses with their goods being at great cost and expences in buying Bookes in English They gave sometimes five markes and more for a good Booke they gave a loade of hay for a few chapters of Saint James or Saint Paul in English It was more money five markes then then ten pound is now What a deale of cost was it to buy such bookes I but it was to buy the truth and good men they thought truth deare at no price nor the meanes of truth too high at any rate It was Gods price then and they shukt not at it Thus is truth to be bought Buy the truth lay out money and stick not at it to maintaine preaching to buy a Bible c. Alas I want money I have so many occasions and the world so hard I cannot be at the charge of maintaining preaching buying Bibles c. Those be the shuckings of earthly hearts that are of Judas minde that the oyntment was wasted that was bestowed upon Christ But suppose there be truth in it yet I say buy the truth and rather then not buy it doe as our Saviour advises Luc. 22.36 He that hath no sword let him sell his coat and buy one So sell thy coate and purchase a Preacher sell thy coate and buy a Bible Thou must come to Gods price if buy Thirdly Our comforts of this life as peace liberty houses lands husbands wives children life it selfe Sometimes truth is at dearer rates then at other times God sometimes raises the price that truth cannot be bought nor had but at these high rates That if a man will have it it may cost him his deerest comforts his very blood and life it selfe Truth was very deare at very high prices in Queene Maries dayes It pleased God that by the raising up Queene Elizabeth a nursing mother in Israel that the prices fell and truth was had at easier and lower rates But yet when truth was at these deare prices in Queene Maries dayes we see the servants of Christ did not sticke to give the price of their blood for it And though it were as much as their lives were worth to be medling with the Truth and the Gospel yet they were content to come to Gods full price to the very highest price of all to part with all the comforts of this life and life it selfe for the truth when God pitched that price And though it be sometimes at lower prices yet that is a price that must be pitcht upon and wee must be willing to give it if God call for it Joh. 8.31 32. Yee shall be my Disciples and yee shall know the truth The knowledge then of the Truth and being a Disciple are both of a price Looke what it will cost to be a Disciple that it may cost to get the truth At what price then is it to be a Disciple Matth. 16. If any man will be my Disciple let him take up his crosse and follow mee So that hee that will bee a Disciple must reckon upon the price of the Crosse and so must hee that will buy the truth for a man must bee a Disciple that will have the truth I confesse this is a sharp price when God calls for it and yet this price must then be given Wee saw before that it is a commodity royally worth what ever God askes for it This men count too high a price and so start at it that they let the bargaine goe They deale just in this case as Boaz his kinsman did in the buying of Naomies land Ruth 4.3 4. Hee said I will redeeme or buy it I but vers 5. Boaz tells him of a condition that goes with the bargaine What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi thou must also buy it of Ruth c. thou must take her to wife c. The man had a good minde to buy the field but when hee heares of that condition hee starts at it vers 6. by no meanes can I buy it lest I marre mine inheritance So when truth is offered unto men to buy it God offers to sell truth to you say his Ministers Buy it therefore and let not such a commodity goe Oh say men wee will buy it with all our hearts I but what day you buy the truth you must make account to take up the crosse make account of losse of liberty c. when men heare that and see the price so high oh say they wee cannot buy it lest wee marre our credit our liberty our houses and lands and our very lives This price is thought too high and thereupon men breake off Those in the parable the stony ground seemed to be very forward to buy the truth but when persecution and tribulation arises because of the Word they are offended they cease trading any longer they like not the buying truth at such smart rates as those If men might have the truth and their credit the truth and their peace ease liberties they could be well content to buy it but if it cannot be bought but upon such hard termes they will none they will stay till it may bee had better cheape And this is the second thing in which is the full price of Truth a willingnesse for truths sake to part with any thing that is deere and pretious The third thing in which this buying stands is in paying current money for it Hee that buyes a commodity and comes with false coyne hee doth not buy but hee cheats Hee is a cheater not a chapman When Abraham bought the field of Ephron the Hittite Gen. 23.16 Hee weighed him foure hundred shekels of silver current money with the Merchant So must God be dealt with all men that will buy his commodity and trade with him must pay him current money Now money that is current must first bee good mettall secondly it must bee weight If a man pay gold the mettall is currant but if gold want weight and be light it will not passe and proves not currant for want of weight If money be weight yet if it be not good mettall be false and counterfeit coyne be brasse and copper be gilded or silver'd brasse that 's not currant But when money is good for the materiall is true silver and true gold and when it is good for the weight then it is currant money And such money must they buy withall that will buy truth and will trade with God for this commodity Now this currant money is not onely to use the meanes and to use them with industry but to use the meanes with industry in sincerity out

have our sinnes pardoned so never give wee our soules rest till wee have gotten true faith indeed So long as you live and goe on in your unbeleefe it is impossible to have the pardon of sinne Hee that beleeveth not the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. ult There is no pardon so long as under wrath So long as in unbeleefe so long under wrath Tit. 1. To the unbeleeving all things are unclean their consciences being defiled So long then as a man is in unbeleefe so long hee is defiled because sinne being not pardoned the guilt thereof defiles his conscience and his person How many be there that have had the pardon of sinne preached to them and offered to them in the Gospel in the Name of Christ and yet to this day their sinnes are upon them and not taken away And what is the reason of it Because they are not sprinkled with Christs blood And why not Because they want an hand of faith to take the blood of Christ which is shed and to sprinkle it upon their owne consciences And so for want of faith they have all their sinnes lye unpardoned upon their soules Secondly repentance for sin There is no pardon to be had without repentance As there is a faith unto life Joh. 6.47 Hee that beleeveth on mee hath life And a justification of life Rom. 5.18 So there is a repentance unto life Act. 11.18 And as the Lord Christ is a Saviour so hee is a Prince Act. 5.13 And to what end is hee both A Prince and Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinne Hee indeede gives forgivenesse of sinne but hee also gives repentance yea and hee gives repentance that he may give pardon And where hee intends the latter hee workes the former David begs to have his iniquity taken away God hee promises to take away another thing Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh It is a sure thing that they that will have iniquity taken away must have the stony heart taken away they that will have the sting taken out of their heart must have the stone taken out of their heart hee gives repentance and remission of sinnes when he gives remission hee takes away the sting when hee gives repentance hee takes away the stone and he first takes away the stone before hee removes the sting And therefore Christ joynes both these together in the commission hee gives his Apostles Luc. 24.47 And that repentance and remission be preached in his Name They that preach remission in Christs Name and preach repentance in his Name they must first preach repentance before they preach remission All to teach that they must have repentance that will have remission and that repentance is a speciall meanes to get the pardon of sinne And therefore wee shall see that the promises of pardon are made to repentance that when God promises to give pardon of sinne to any hee promises it to such as are so conditioned and so qualified with repentance Zech. 13.1 There is the promise of a fountaine that shall be opened for sinne that is to take away the sinne of Judah and Jerusalem I but that fountaine is yet unto the Jewes a sealed fountaine their iniquity is not taken away they yet lye under their guilt But yet there is a promise of a day when that sealed fountaine shall be broken up and shall be opened But what day is it In that day In what day It hath reference to that which goes before in the former chapter See vers 10 11. c. They shall looke upon me whom they have pierced that is they shall beleeve in Christ whom they crucified And upon it they shall mourne for him c. They shall repent for that sinne of the rejection of Christ and the murder of him In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem c. And in that day shall a fountaine be opened to the inhabitants of Jerusalem In that day then that Jerusalem shall mourne in that day shall the fountaine be opened to Jerusalem for sinne Oh that mine head sayes Ieremy were as a fountaine of teares When their heads and hearts shall be opened as a fountaine of teares to mourne for their sinnes then shall the fountaine of Christs blood be opened for their sinnes When they shall wash themselves in the fountaine of teares of repentance in that day will God wash them in the fountaine of Christs blood The day of repentance is the day of pardon in that day a sinner repents in that day God pardons and takes away iniquity There is no question but the Lord lives by his owne rule which he gives us to live by The rule hee gives us to live by is that Luc. 17.3 4. If hee repent forgive him if hee trespasse against thee seven times yet if he say I repent you shall forgive him As upon a brothers repentance wee must forgive so upon our repentance God will forgive Repent and thy brother must forgive and repent and God will forgive Alas what are our mercies to the mercies of God Gods mercies are an Ocean a boundlesse bottomlesse sea of mercies our mercies are but small drops out of this Sea Now if God do binde us that have but poore small and a few drops to be thus mercifull as upon repentance to forgive them then surely the Lord whose mercies are as the waters of the Sea that cover the earth upon our repentance will give us pardon or else our drops should do more than his Sea and hee should binde us to doe more with our drops of water then hee will doe with his whole Sea Surely as mans power wisdome justice cannot exceed Gods so neither can mans mercies and compassions goe beyond his He that will have a trespasser against man pardoned upon his repentance before man hee will pardon a trespasser against God upon his repentance before him To this purpose also are those promises Isa 1.16 17 18. Come now c. Now When Wash you make you cleane c. and then come and though your sinnes be as Scarlet c. Scarlet is a deepe dye a dye that will hold a dye that will not easily be fetcht out not easily made white And yet God promises to turne scarlet colour into snow colour scarlet into white It is easie to turne white into scarlet but not so easie to turne scarlet into white And yet God will doe it Hee will wash them with the scarlet blood of Christ and that shall turne their scarlet into white Other blood dyes and staines what is washed in it but Christs blood takes out staines and makes white Apoc. 7.14 These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe I but when will God thus change their scarlet white when will hee take away their iniquity Then when they were washed and made cleane c.

Know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke What ever is pretended yet Lord this is the true cause It is for thy sake alone that I am thus odious And that hee opens more particularly vers 16. for thy sake it is for thy words were found by mee and I did eate them I have beene faithfull when I found what thy word and will was to disperse and practise it and hence is all this adoe therefore the clamours and curses are against mee Because I eate thy Word therefore it is that they are ready to eate up mee and to devoure mee That is the dependance of these words And wee may take this by the way from it That the true ground of all clamours curses reproaches against Gods servants is nothing else but this tbeir conscientious and close walking with God and walking by the rule of his Word Psal 69.7 8 9. For thy sake I have borne reproach shame hath covered my face I am become a stranger unto my brethren and an alient unto my mothers children For the zeale of thine house hath eaten me up and the reproathes of them that reproached thee are fallen upon mee Because the word is eaten by them or they eaten up with zeale for God and his Word therefore is the world ready to eat them For the words themselves and their sense Thy words were found by mee that is thou didst reveale and make known thy Word and will to mee And I did eate them It is a metaphor by which hee expresses with what readinesse and forwardnesse hee received the Word either to disperse it to others or for his owne practise and obedience viz. with such readinesse and affection as an hungry man would doe his meate I was as willing to disperse and obey thy Word as if thou hadst commanded mee to have eaten meat when hungry And so the point is That the Word of God found by us Doct. made knowne to us must be eaten of us It is not enough to heare the Word to reade the Word but wee must eate the Word That which Ezekiel and John did in a speciall case peculiar to them that must wee all doe Eze. 3.1 2 3. Moreover he said unto me Sonne of man eat that thou findest eate this roule and goe speake unto the house of Israel So I opened my mouth and hee caused me to eate that roule And he said unto me Sonne of man cause thy belly to eate and fill thy bowels with this roule that I give thee Then did I eate it and it was in my mouth as hony for sweetnesse So John Apoc. 10.9 And J went unto the Angel and said unto him Give mee the little Booke And hee said unto mee Take it and eate it up and it shall make thy belly bitter but it shall be in thy mouth as sweet as honey So wee when we finde the Word must eate it There must be a manducation a comestion of the Word As the body hath its food so the soule also Now for the body it is not enough to see food and looke upon it nor to feele food and to handle it nor to smell food but if the body will be nourished and maintained in life it must eate food and take it in so likewise the soule having its food and the Word being its food it is not enough to heare it and receive it in at the eare but it must also eate it and take it in at the mouth The Word is milk 1 Pet. 2.2 1 Cor. 3.2 I have fed you with milke Therefore not enough for men to have milke amongst them but they must be fed with it and they must feed upon it And how can men feed unlesse they eate The Word is bread Amos 8.11 A famine not of bread but of the Word that is a famine not of bodily but of spirituall bread Therefore it is sprituall bread And what more usuall then this Scripture phrase of eating bread Bread is appointed and made for that use and end to be eaten Bread may be in the house may be on the table may be in a mans hand and yet if a man eate it not hee is never the fatter nor fuller nothing can satisfie a mans hunger or keep life up but the eating of bread The Word is hony Psal 119.103 And of this hony may it bee said as Prov. 25.16 Hast thou found Hony eat so much as is sufficient for thee or as Prov. 24.13 14. My son eat thou hony because it is good and the hony combe which is sweet to thy taste So shall the knowledge of wisdome be unto thy soule when thou hast found it then there shall be a reward and thy expectation shall not be cut off As wee see Samson Judg. 14.8 9. When he found hony in the carkeyse of the Lion he took thereof in his hands and he went on eating So when wee finde this hony it is not onely to be lookt on gazed on wondred at talkt of but to be eaten Ier. 3.15 That shall feed you Therefore the Word is to be fed upon and to be eaten else how fed See Isa 55.1 2. Buy and eate what is that vers 2. hearken and eat Therefore the word must be so hearkned unto as must be eaten When God gives the Ministery of the Word hee makes that good Hos 11.4 I laid meat unto them And when hee layes meat to us hee lookes wee should eate that meate And that which wisdome speakes Prov. 9.5 Come and eate of my bread may without any great forcing be applyed unto this particular for that bread there spoken of is offered in the Ministery of the Word Now for the better conceiving of this duty consider such particulars as this metaphor implyes Consider wherein this eating stands It stands in these things First in an appetite unto and a desire after the word Unto eating is required an appetite and a stomacke it is mens appetites and hunger that sets them on eating A man cares not for eating unlesse his appetite and stomack be up unlesse hee be hungry So this eating of the word implyes an appetite and a stomacke to it When God sets this food before us wee should have our spirituall appetite and come to it with sharpe set stomackes 1 Pet. 2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word And such an appetite had Iob to the Word Iob 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Hee had it in such esteeme that he desired it more and had a stronger appetite to it then to his necessary food not onely then he had to his dainties and superfluities but more then to his necessary substantiall food without which hee could not well live and subsist Such was Davids appetite Psal 119.20 Mine heart breakes for the longing c. and that not at some fits but at all times This good cheere never came amisse to him his stomacke was ever good hee could at any time eate and

68.11 The Lord gave the Word great was the company of them that published it Wee have had preaching and Preachers and this spirituall food Gods plenty wisdome cryes out to men as Prov. 9.5 Come eate of my bread And Christ calls upon men as Cant. 5.1 Eate O friends and fall to and take your filles And yet men sit and looke on and regard neither this food nor these invitations but deale with the Lord as Salomon wishes men to deale with a churle Prov. 23.6 7. Eate not the bread of him that hath an evill eye neither desire his dainty meates eate and drinke saith he but his heart is not with thee Just so deale men with the Lord when he calls upon them to eate the Word as if God had an evill eye as if his heart were not with them whereas as the Word and food is good so also is his eye good and his heart is with us and it would be meate and drinke to him to see us fall to and eate heartily Such carriage at our Neighbours Tables would be construed a discurtesie and men would force themselves to eate against their stomackes rather then to give their discontent at his Table And yet wee stand not upon giving the Lord such grosse disgusts as not to eate when he layes and sets meate before us There is much preaching and yet but little eating Many instead of eating the Word could finde in their hearts to eat the Minister And what thinke we is the reason that men eate the word no more then they doe It is from these three causes First from fulnesse The full soule loathes the honey combe Prov. 27.7 When a mans belly is full hee hath not onely no minde to eate but hee loathes to eate and that not onely course and common foode but the daintiest and sweetest food hee treadeth under foot the honey combe The Word is honey and this honey is to be eaten when it is found Prov. 24.13 And yet when men finde it they eate it not but loath it and tread upon it And the reason is because they are already full Such a fulnesse as that Rom. 1.29 Being filled with all unrighteousnesse fornication wickednesse covetousnesse maliciousnesse full of envy murther debate deceit malignity wh●sperers Their hearts are cram'd full of their lusts And their hearts being already filled with carnall and worldly lusts they loath these honey combes Some feed so full upon that hony Pro. 5.3 The honey which drops from the lips of a strange woman that they tread this honey combe under foot There be a great many that eate as the Serpent doth Gen. 3.14 Dust shalt thou eate all the dayes of thy life All worldly hearts are of the Serpents dyet they eate dust and so fill themselves with the dust of the earth that they loath to eate the Word Because mens hearts are stuft with this baggage and base food therefore will not men eate this Angels food this bread of Heaven Secondly from lingring and hankring after some other food Such a disposition takes off the stomack from wholsome food The Israelites had Angels food the bread of Heaven and yet at last this food would not down with them nay they loathed their Manna And a man will not eate what hee loathes But what was the cause that they cared not to eate manna See Numb 11.4 They fell a lusting or they lusted a lust and said who shall give us flesh to eate and vers 5. fish to eate and they long after the garlicke and onyons of Egypt and therefore now this Manna will not downe with them So men when once they begin to lust a lust after novelties in doctrine the wholsome savoury truth of God they begin to loath they are weary of it quite cloyed with it then no wonder it is not eaten When once mens lippes hang after Egyptian food popish and corrupt doctrine then truth will not downe by any meanes Isa 44.20 He feedeth on ashes That is but strange food a mad dyet for a man to live and feed on ashes But what makes him feed so fondly A deceived heart hath turned him aside So with many deceived heart hath turned them aside and then they fall to eating of ashes and therefore like those that have the greene sicknesse their mindes hang after ashes and such trash and so no mind to the wholsome food of sound Doctrine See the case cleare 2 Tim. 4.3 4. They will not endure it therefore not eate it not indure it as a man cannot indure the meate he loathes But why not indure it They have itching eares that itch after novelties and therefore shall turn away their eares c. Thirdly from sicknesse or if yee will from deadnesse Sicke men forsake their meate and refuse their meat Men are spiritually sicke and have some diseases upon them that make them eate nothing at all or else they doe but piddle and trifle as good never a whit as never the better Nay men are dead void of the life of God and that 's a maine reason that they eat not Dead men cannot eate Secondly since it is a duty that must be done therefore let people examine themselves whether they doe it or not whether the Word be eaten by them or not Quest How may one know whether he eates the Word or not Answ By these things First By spirituall cheerefulnesse livelinesse and quickning When a man hath eaten it makes him cheerefull and lively Act. 14.17 He fills our heart with food and gladnesse A man when hee hath fasted and long forborne his meate his spirits waste and decay but when hee eates that repaires his spirits and renewes them and so makes a man come to himselfe and makes him fresh and lively See Jonathans case 1 Sam. 14.27 29 30. Hee was faint and his spirits spent so that his eyes began to grow dimme through faintnesse and want of spirit and he doth but eate a little honey and his spirits are refresht and repaired that his eyes were enlightned And if but a taste of the honey did so much How much more sayes Jonathan if the people had eaten freely had they beene cheered and repaired Wee finde a man 1 Sam. 30.12 that had eaten nothing in three dayes and three nights by reason of which his spirits were quite gone and hee was even a dead man But see vers 11. 12. And when he had eaten his spirit came againe unto him It was in a manner gone from him before but now hee had eaten hee was so refresht and cheered that hee was alive againe his spirit came againe So it is in this eating it fills the soule with cheerefulnesse and livelinesse A man that eates the Word indeed findes his heart finely cheered filled with spirits Thy words were found by me and I did eate them How did that appeare And it was unto me the joy and rejoycing of mine heart Oh how mine heart was cheered within mee oh how my spirit was refresht Prov. 24.

My sonne if thou finde honey as Jonathan did eate it for it is good So eate this honey for it is good Why what good will follow upon it If thou be faint lumpish spirits downe dim sighted it will enlighten thine eyes it will so cheere thy spirits that it will recover thy deadnesse and dimnesse it will enlighten and enliven thee When that man had eaten his spirit came againe If before thou wert dead and heavy and lumpish unto good duties yet if thou doe eate the Word one good meale of it will recover thee out of that deadnesse and make thee lively and cheerefull in duties of worship and obedience By this try thy selfe If thus it be with thee thou hast eaten the Word but the little quickning refreshing the little enspiriting of men after the Word heard argues how little men doe eate it Secondly by spirituall satisfaction A man that is hungry his stomack is stil craving and he desiring something that he wants and let him have this or that yet hee is not satisfied unlesse he may eate Mirth musick company pleasure let an hungry man have yet there followes no satisfaction still his stomacke craves But let a man but eate then there is a satisfaction and that craving is over Nehem. 9.25 They did eate and they were filled And so in the miracle of the loaves it is said they did all eate and were filled their hunger was allayed and satisfied So it is here The heart of man is full of cravings and hungrings after profits pleasures vanities lusts and though a man eate of these never so much these satisfie not the hungry cravings of the heart nay the more they are fed upon still the heart craves them more But now when a man eates the Word all these cravings of the heart cease and are satisfied A man upon eating the Word findes such satisfaction in it and his heart so fitted that it is at rest from those troublesome and inordinate cravings these unnaturall dogged appetites are quenched The soule that eates the Word findes it selfe so abundantly satisfied that it lingers not after the profits and pleasures of the world Hee that eates this Manna lingers not after the flesh-pots the onyons and garlicke of Egypt Isa 55.2 Wherefore doe yee spend mony for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not hearken diligently unto me and eate yee that which is good and let your soule delight it selfe in fatnesse though these things then satisfie not yet the Word it satisfies and fills and feeds and fattens By this may men try themselves if they have so received the Word as that their hearts are weaned from their carnall and worldly lusts those insatiable cravings are at an end such satisfaction is a signe that a man hath eaten But the contrary shewes how few have eaten Many would seeme to eate and professe they have eaten but yet their hunger after the world their profits and pleasures are as keene and as eager as ever Their hearts doe restlesly crave these things Thine heart is not filled therefore thou hast not eaten Thirdly by spirituall strength fatnesse good liking good complexion so it is in bodily eating keep men from eating and their strength decayes they grow feeble their complexion decayes and they looke with an ill complexion pale wan and ill coloured As wee see in a siege when men have beene coopt up and have not had meate to eate they have come out like so many dead carkaises out of their graves so weake so poore such ghostly lookes as it is enough to scare a man with the sight of them But now eating mends all this that breeds good blood health strength fatnesse and a good habitude of body Upon eating followes strength strength to walke and to worke 1 King 19.8 And he arose and did eate and drinke and went in the strength of that meate forty dayes and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God Upon eating followes fatnesse Nehem. 9.25 They did eate and they were fat Upon eating followes goodnesse of complexion Dan. 1.13 upon the eating of this pulse their countenances were faire and fat And thus is it upon eating the Word men have strength in their soules to walke in the wayes of God men grow fat grow up as calves of the stall full of good Rom. 15.14 they are fat and flourishing Psal 92.14 They have faire and good complexions their wisdome and other graces cause their faces to shine their lives and carriages are faire and lovely And by this may men know whether they have eaten the Word or not If it be thus with them that they have strength against their lusts if they have strength to walke in obedience c. a signe they have eaten the Word But this shewes that few have eaten and doe eate the Word Many say they doe but how is it they be so weake and so feeble that they cannot walke and worke How is it that they be so leane that there is such an emptinesse of grace and goodnesse 2 Sam. 13.4 Why art thou being the Kings sonne leane or thin from day to day so how is it that thou eating the Kings dyet the bread of heaven art thus thin and leane How is it that thy life thy complexion mends not but thy complexion and conversation is so ill It fares with many as in that case Gen. 41.18.21 When the seven leane kine and ill-favoured had eaten up the fat It could not be knowne that they had eaten them they were still as hadgeld hildings and carrion-like scroyles as before So here men say they have eaten but looke on their lives and it cannot be knowne as arrant scroyles as ever as very swearers drunkards as ever as proud covetous loose as ever A cleare signe that such doe not eate the Word Fourthly they that eate the word will ever doe as Eve did when shee did eate the forbidden fruit Gen. 3.6 Who gave also to her husband and hee did eate so ever here There is no such good fellowship as in this eating where there is no man that would eate alone As Job 31.17 where that holy man professeth That hee had not eaten his morsell himselfe alone and the fatherlesse had not eaten thereof so here none that eateth the Word of God eateth his morsell himselfe alone and giveth not the fatherlesse and needy soule to eate thereof But as in Samsons Riddle Out of the eater came meate so here out of the eater of the Word commeth meate to feed others judge by this Thirdly if the Word must be eaten then it teacheth us to be frequent in hearing and diligent in taking all opportunities Some men can content themselves if need be with one Sermon in a yeere and it is enough a conscience if well followed One meale in a yeere were short commons A man desires to eate every day twice some thrice a day There is a necessity of eating frequently so here take all opportunities of hearing

good bargaine for no price Here is that then which may draw us on to strike thorow this bargaine and may encourage us to trade and buy we shall be sure to have a pennyworth for our penny we shall not bee pincht with a deere penny-worth Many a man hath a great minde to such an house and land he would faine buy it he beates the price and bids faire for it but yet as good a minde as hee hath to it he buyes it not he feares it is to deere he feares he shall repent him of his bargaine and wish his money in his purse againe and therefore falls off But now here is no such feare what ever the Truth cost thee suppose it cost thee much paines and labour suppose it proves matter of great charge to thee suppose it cost thee thy credit and respect in the world thy liberty thine estate thy bloud thy life yet thou buyest it not too deere it is well worth all thou canst give for it A man may buy house and lands good house and lands too deere a man may buy Gold too deere as the Proverb is but yet hee cannot buy Truth nor Grace nor Christ nor Heaven too deare The Land is worth foure hundred shekles and Heaven and Christ Truth and Grace is worth all that ever God shall aske for it A man may buy a good purchase of land and yet have no cause to rejoyce in it may wish hee had never medled with it but had kept his money in his purse Ezek. 7.12 The time is come the day draweth neere let not the buyer rejoyce Such times may come as a man may have but little joy in buying a a purchase But a man that buyes the Truth shall never repent him of his purchase but let such a buyer rejoyce Come what times will come yet he may rejoyce yea the worse the times may be the more cause may he have to rejoyce in his purchase Thus being convinced that this duty is to be done that Truth is to bee bought come wee now to shew how this duty is to be done and wherein this buying stands This buying then stands in diverse things First In giving a price and paying a price for it In trading in the world when a man gives the price for a commodity he buyes it and a man cannot be said to have bought a commodity till some price be given for it that is contracted for ye are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore in buying there is a price given When Abraham bought the fields of Ephraim he gave him the price of foure hundred shekels and when hee gave that price then hee bought it Deut. 2.6 ye shall buy meate of them that ye may eate and ye shall buy water of them that ye may drinke But how must they buy yee shall buy meate of them for money and ye shall buy water of them for money That which a man hath without money or some valuable consideration it is not bought but is given freely or taken unjustly But when a man gives money for bread gives money for water then he buyes it So in this case hee that would buy Truth must give a price for it it will not bee had for nothing that which a man hath for nothing is not bought The price that men must give for Truth and Grace is the use of all such meanes by which Truth and Grace is to be gotten So buy the Truth that is use all meanes by which it may bee had God hath appointed certaine meanes in the use of which he will give Grace and the knowledge of the Truth and they that will have this commodity must give this price must use such meanes as God requires to be used to this end This price that God sets is not a matter of money Simon Magus would have bought that gift for money Act. 8.18 He offred them money But thy money perish with thee saith Peter to him We our selves are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. but yet 1 Pet. 1. are not redeemed with Silver and Gold and corruptible things so Truth and Grace must bee bought but yet it is not gold that will buy this Gold But there is another price with which Truth must bee bought The use of those meanes which God hath appointed that is the price that look as by the giving of a price an earthly commodity is bought and obtained so by the use of the meanes Truth and Grace is gotten and obtained And what then are those meanes First Prayer Buy the truth pray for the knowledge of the truth pray for grace As by money wee obtaine and buy the commodity wee neede and have a minde to so by prayer wee obtaine and buy the truth Jam. 1.5 If any of you lacke wisdome Shop-keepers as men passe by their doores aske them What doe yee lacke what is it that you want So the Apostle here seemes to say what is it that ye lackc what is it that ye want Doe yee want grace Do ye want knowledge and wisdome Well what if we doe How may wee come by it Buy it sayes the Apostle I but what is the price that must be given for it If any man lacke wisdome stand in need of this commodity let him aske of God And it is the price that Christ sets upon grace Matth. 7. Aske and ye shall have The price that the Lord sets upon the knowledge of the truth Jer. 33. Call upon me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and hidden things which thou knowest not God highly befriends us hee sets the commodity at a low price It is little worth that is not worth the asking The way then to buy is to beg begging is buying and praying is paying And therefore how often finde wee David in those suites Teach mee thy truth teach me thy Statutes c. David knew the commodity would not be bought without this price and therefore hee stickes not at it he gives the price and seekes grace and the knowledge of the truth by prayer Secondly hearing the Word and attending upon the Ministery thereof As Paul speakes of Christ Rom. 15.8 That Jesus Christ was a Minister of the circumcision for the truth of God So it may in another sense be said of the Ministers of the Gospel That they are Ministers of the Gospel for the truth of God to make knowne the truth of God to offer and tender it unto people And Mal. 2.6 The Law of truth was in Levi's mouth God sends them to set his truth to sale they bring this commodity to Market So that if wee would buy the truth wee must attend upon them whose worke is to dispense the Word of truth as the Gospel is called Ephes 1.13 And it is a part of the price that is to be given for it to come to attend upon their Ministery See Mal. 2.6 The Law of truth was in his mouth and vers 7. They should seeke the Lawes of