exprest So as cannot be conceived This Mercy farther appeares If we Consider that which also this Doctrine teacheth us it cost God and Christ somewhat before they helped Soules Christ must be bread That is not his up doing it But much must he doe and indure before he was fited for it As Bread doth before it become Bread Therefore we are the more bound to Him for his undertaking the Worke of Our Redemption And to God the Father For Giving Him to that Worke If a King should appoint his Sonne and his Sonne undertake to save Traytors onely by comming to the Prison fetching them out it were worthy of much Thankes But much more when the Sonne by much paines and cost shall doe it Ioseph procured Bread for Egypt But Cbrist was made Bread 2. USE For Incouragement to Such as droope in the Sence of their Misery and want of Life I may say to such of you as be amazed with the Sence of your Misery by Sinne As Iacob to his Sonnes Gen. 42. 1. 2. Why doe ye looke one upon another Behold I have heard that there is Corne in Egypt c. Whatever you want whether Gods Favour Or Image The Life of Comfort Or of Grace despaire not For God hath provided Bread for you I and ye need not be affraid to come to this Bread and take it For he loves to have People eate of Him as will clearely appeare by this which also followes from this Point Viz That Christ Came from Heaven for this End To recover Sinners out of their Misery And to helpe them to live For that is the End of Bread It is not directly for any other use It is so of Christs Comming Math. 18. 11. For the Sonne of Man is come to save that which was lost Iohn 3. 17. For God sent not his Sonne into the World to condemne the World but that the World through Him might be saved And Chap. 12. 47. I came not to judge the World but to Save the World Therefore they that feele their need of him need not feare Comming to Him or question his helping of them It was the End of His Comming and the Use God cheifly put Him to Therefore he will not be averse from it Hence it was in that Math. 18. 11. Having told them that this was the End of His Comming to Save He by a Parable shewes them what Ioy it was to Him to save any one How can He but joy in making good the End of his Comming Therefore they that droope in a Sence of their Misery and dare not goe to Christ for helpe doe not knowe Christ Nor the Mistery of his Incarnation Nor the End of his Comming That it was to Releive the Afflicted Learne it now therefore and come confidently to Him for Helpe He cannot but with all readines entertaine thee and the Opertunity of making good the End of his Comming Therefore in Scripture Christ was greedy of any opertunity to releive a distressed Soule And did not quench the smoaking flax c. Math. 20 most meeke and gentle and easily intreated therefore a Dove sate on him in His first Instalement into his Office This is a maine thing that is taught in the Gospel and may be observed through the whole Story that Christ with abundance of gentlencs willingnes entertained incouraged all that in sincerity came to him for helpe Feare not then Christs rejecting thee so thou have a right desire to him but presse him if he seeme to deny thee as the Woman did Marke 7 27. 28. Let not want of Life or Weakenes hinder thee for he came to helpe such as bread is for the empty and weake Therefore say ye as Moses Exod. 16. 15. 16. This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eate c. 3. USE Vse 3 To teach us how much we should esteeme prize Christ and Labour for Him even as hunger starved people doe for Bread Israell desired a cruell Bondage for Breads sake Exod. 16. 3. the Egyptian bondage frō which they were freed And they Ioh. 6. 24 26. How did they follow Christ from one Coaste to another for Loaves What did Egypt doe for Bread-Corne not Bread nor fitted to their hands Gen 41. 55. They cryed to Pharaoh for bread And Cap. 47. 14. They parted with all their Mony for bread And Ver. 17. They parted with all their Cattle And Ver. 20. They parted with their Land And Ver. 23. They sould Themselves Would ye so doe for Christ ye should have him Isay 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no mony come ye buy eate yea come buy wine milke without mony and without price and why should ye not since He is Bread not bread corne but ready fitted to your hands How did all Nations flock to Egypt Gen 41. 57. Because Bread Corne was there And why flock ye not to Christ since He is the Bread of Life Doe ye not manefestly give him the lye who calls Himselfe Bread And yee who so much care for Bread as if ye call it to mind ye did lately in the Famine yet prize not not care to get Him Though it may seeme not desirable as Bread oft doth to Children therefore when it is given them they cast it away Yet consider the case of your Soules hunger-starved And He the Bread of Life That I may quicken ye up to prize esteeme Christ Christ is better thē any bread in many perticulers more Consider in how many Perticulers He is better then any other Bread 1. Other Bread onely supports Life it doth not give Life as ye all knowe But Christ is a Bread that gives Life to them that be dead and therefore is called the Bread of Life Iohn 6. 53. 54. 57. 2. Other Bread preserves Life but for a while Gen 3. Eate it till thou turne to dust It doth but repreive as it were till an other Sessiōs It Corrupts and keepes not the Body from Corrupting But this Bread gives Eternall Life Iohn 6. 50. 51. This is the Bread which commeth downe from Heaven that a man may eate thereof and not dye But live for ever Therefore Christ by this Argument perswades them to prefer this before other meate Iohn 6. 27. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for that meate which endureth unto everlasting life which the Sonne of man shall give unto you 3. Other Bread helpes but the Body in Point of Life and but in an earthly Life But this helps the Soule Body and that in a Spirituall Life 4 Other Bread is not enough to Life but with that there must be other things even in this sence is that true Man lives not by bread alone Therefore ye have Sampson not complaining of danger of Death for want of Bread but Water But this Bread is Allsufficient It alayes Hunger Thirst both as is in the Text Yea Its Wine Milke fat Things
wholly destitute of God Grace for then thou must hunger thirst which Christ saith shall never be Neither is that of weight against this Cōmfortable Truth that Some object So long as one beleeveth he shall never loose wholly God Grace But one that beleeveth may loose his Faith and then loose God Grace wholly This I say is of no weight For though one may loose the use of Faith for some tyme Yet None that Beleeve can ever wholly loose Faith nor any other saving Grace as hath been showed in the opening of this Point and so as he can never wholly loose Faith so neither can he ever loose Christ or Grace If the Covenant did run thus That he that beleeves so long as he beleeves shall never fall away But yet he might loose all Beleeving and so fall away then were not that true Isay 55 3. For with Every Beleever God makes an Everlasting Covenant Even the Sure Mercyes of David Now how were the Covenant Everlasting or the Mercy Sure if that he might wholy loose Faith and so loose God all Grace Surely that Place expresly teacheth That when any one Beleeveth God makes with him a Covenant that shall Last for Ever and bestowes on him Mercy that is Sure and therefore he cannot be disappointed He that once beleeves must be for ever Gods and never so fall as to misse Heaven For Christ hath prayed for All that beleeve that They should be with him see his Glory Iohn 17. 20. 24. The Sonnes of God and so is every one that Beleeveth Iohn 1. 12. must be Like Christ when He appeares at the Last Day 1. Iohn 3. r. 2. Therefore He that beleeveth must be saved and can never wholy loose God or Grace And therefore it is that He that once Beleeves can never wholy loose his Faith because to the end He may never loose God or Grace God preserves Faith in him and by that Faith preserves him in Grace Favour with God till he come to inherite Glory 1. Pet. 1. 4. 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through Faith c. Secondly You that beleeve in Christ shall have All your desires alayed All your wants supplyed your Soules satisfied fully in this Life 1. Your sinfull desires to Sinne the Worlds Vanityes these shall be alayed by removing the Cause of them Viz Originall Corruption the Vanity of your Minds Hearts Your Soules shall be purged from those ill Humors which make you Hunger after this Trash and shall be put in right frame and you made to Hunger after good wholsome Things Viz Gods Favour Holynes Gall. 5. 24. Chap. 6. 14. Examine your Selves well and ye shall find that ye doe not so hunger after these Things as ye did and be ye sure that ye shall doe it lesse lesse till at last ye shall be quite freed from that vaine Desire For those many Exhortations in Scripture to Mortifie those Affections and to Lay them downe as Eph 4. 22. 23. 24. Coll. 3. 2. 5. doe include Promises upon your indeavor that it shall be done as may be gathered from Rom. 6. 12 14. where God promiseth that shall be which he exhorts to Yea Gods Exhortations to Beleevers are as his Word in Creation was Operative and working that which he Calls for and Commands to be Therefore doe ye but Exercise your Faith and use the Meanes God hath appointed and you shall have your sinnfull troublesome Desires alayed 2. So also Your good cōmendable Desires after Grace Holynes Those shall be satisfied Christ will fill you as full as ye can desire or contayne Allready ye have in you the Store-house Treasury of all Grace the Spring is in you Christ in whome is all you neede and therefore it is in him that you may have it He is yours and from him ye may have whatever you neede doe but let downe the Bucket of Faith and drawe what Water ye desire He will never with-hold any Grace yee thirst after if ye trust in him and use the meanes Psal 81. 10 He will fill the Mouth that is opened and according to your hope in him will he doe to you he may defer you a while to try the strength of your Desire and of your Faith but he will not with-hold ever but satisfie your Desire Yea he cannot with hold for what you seeke by Faith in Him and in the use of His meanes he must give you His Promise Office doe tye him to it for He is your Spring of Grace to satisfie your thirsty Soules And as a Man 's owne Spring cannot with hold Water from him when he comes to it no more can Christ Some wants ye shall have so long as ye live heere but yet there shall be a satisfieing filling up though not filled up as the Child is growing though not fully growen till he comes to Age And ye shall have that fullnes satisfaction that is needfull requisite for this Life so much ye shall have Therefore be Comforted and sinke not under the sence of your wants It is good to be sensible of spirituall wants so as to seeke for supply but it is folly unbeleefe to be discouraged under them since that ye have in hand doe possesse as your owne that which is able ready to supply them all if you use the meanes Viz Christ the Promises Would not one thinke them Fooles that complaine of Thirst and had a Spring of there owne at their Doore Yea farther Consider that ye have actually all Fullnes Viz In Christ the Promises there is All Fullnes what can you desire that is not there and it is all yours So that in your Substitute Treasury Srore house Wardroope there is actually all that you neede or desire and it is all yours For all is yours as ye heard before 1. Cor. 3. 21. and therefore the Apostle speakes of Calvin on this Scripture saith well Si eges nō habes fidem Si habes fidē non eges Beleevers as possessing all things 2. Cor. 6. 10. Iam. 2. 5. styles thē rich in faith that is not ment of abundance of Faith as sometime the word is taken but that by Faith they be Rich So that every one that Beleeves is Rich by Beleeving therefore possest of abundance else none are called Rich for the present injoying all that is needfull and Heires of a Kingdome for in the Life to come ye shall have a Satisfaction of all your Desires There ye shall have an absolute Fullnes all sinnfull worldly Desires shall be quite extinguisht all Holynes Happynes shall be perfectly administred there is nothing necessary or desirable for your Happynes but ye shall enjoy it actually in the highest Degree ye shall have your Wills to the full no Want or Crosse in any Desire God will say to you as Herod to Herodias her Daughter Marke 6. 22. 23. and
Esay 55. 5. Other Bread may be kept from you or tooke from you when you need it and usually is ratest to be had when we most neede it as in Famine As Ponds which be full in Winter when we need no Water but dry in Summer when Water is most needed But this Bread None can keepe nor take away It s Ever free plentifully to be had 6. Other Bread oft costs deare and is not every ones Mony as in Dearths But the Price of This as ye shall fee heerafter is onely the Receiving it the Comming Taking and Eating as it s in our Text and It s free for any without restraint or limitation of Persons 7. Other Bread may possibly have somewhat found in its roome that may serve Nature though not all so well But this Bread can onely helpe our Soules None else can but this as ye heard in opening the Doctrine So that without this There is no Life to be had Now Considering all these Super-excellencyes in Christ Why should ye not prize Him and labour for Him more then for Bread remember what you did for bread in the dearth and doe more for Christ 4. USE Vse 4 To teach us That Christ is onely for hungry Soules Such as be sensible throughly of their Misery by Sinne and so Pant after a Remedy For therefore he is called Bread because It s onely for the hungry God hath provided him onely for such as ye heard before from Luke 5. 31 32. as the Table is spread for the empty not for the full For indeed none else desire prize or will receive him pleasant food is slighted by the full even the hony combe much more this which is hard of digestion and very grosse to Flesh Blouds pallat eye Therefore observe in Scripture who they were that so Prized Christ they were Soules hunger bitten with the sence of their spirituall Misery And who did slight him Who were they to whome God never gave him the Pharisees blind People who were not hungry after a spirituall Mercy as not being throughly sensible of a spirituall Misery And this is the very reason why Christ is so litle regarded in the World When one lookes in the Scripture and sees what Excellent Things are spoke of Christ and on the longing desires the Saints of old had after Christ and their abundant joy in Christ and looke now how slightly by how few he is esteemed one would thinke that which is writ of them is fabulous or they were foolish or our Christ is not the same Christ or why should he then be longed for and now being come and offred is despised But he ere is the truth of it He is Bread and they were hungry But now most are full Full with their Sinnes their Honours Profits Contents of this World and therefore care not for Christ And mervaile at the hunger bitten Soules which keepe such a doe for Christ But let all such knowe that Christ is not as yet for them God never prepared appointed or sent him for such but for the hungry as the Shew-bread was not for David himselfe but in case of great hunger Math. 12. 3. 4. If God had immediatly suddenly conveyed Christ to sinnfull Soules then might he have been injoyed by you without being first hungry But since he gives him as Bread you must so take him that is first being hungry This is the reason why many eate this Bread Christ and be never the better because they eate him without hunger first and soe digest him not but fill their Soules with crudy Humors Security Presumption c. which kill the Soule Let an hungry Soule eate of this Bread it exceedingly strengthens him to all Obedience filling the Soule with good Nourishment Spirits of Love Peace Hope Joy But if any that be not hungry doe eate of Christ that is apply him He is to them but as the foode to the Angells who were without stomacks Gen 18 8. they see 〈…〉 eate but eate not and so were never the better for it though the foode was good Hence the Soules of People be so starveling like though they oft injoy large Meales of this Bread Viz the Word oft preacht Sacraments oft administred because wanting Stomacks they onely seeme to eate but eate not If therefore ye How to get a hunger after Christ would be the better for Christ ye must get an Hunger which that ye may the better doe 1. Disgorge your Soules of that Surfet of Sinne earthly Vanityes which ye have taken in By Considering the vanity hurtfullnes of them 2. Get a strong Appetite to Christ Which is done Partly by drinking downe the Vineger of the Law eating the sower Hearbs By the Law laboring to see your Sinnfullnes Misery thereby And partly by looking into the Gospel and Christs Beauty and Desirablenes as Eve by Considering the Fruite was drawne to take eate it But I will not presse this because I have lately done it and shewed you how farr you must be Humbled the Signes Meanes of it All that I now say is this That as it was with the bitter Water in another sence So is it with Christ If they that hunger take eate him they are saved by Him If they that hunger not medle with Him It is their bane ruine Therefore thinke not those Preachers your enemyes who labor to humble you by pressing on you the Law and your miserable Estate by Nature for it is but to make you hungry and so fit for Christ the Bread of Life We are your Pastors Nurses and must seeke to get you Stomacks that ye may eate and not tread under foote this spirituall foode therefore thus and for this end to seeke to humble you is a part of our Duty Love to you should Preachers onely preach Christ to you it would but delude you for till you be hungry God will not give him nor will ye accept him because He is Bread Thus much for the First Thing in the Text The Description of Christ as the sufficient Remedy of Mans Misery THE SECOND THING in the TEXT Is The secōd Thing in the text the Meanes by which this Christ This Remedy of our Misery may be had That is by Comming to Christ He that comes to Me shall never hunger This is farther exprest in the Text by an other word Viz Beleeving in him So that comming to him and beleeving on him is all one and the same and he that comes to Christ or beleeves in Christ shall obtaine Christ and get him for else he could not be kept from hungring thristing as the Text saith he shall be And in other Scriptures This which is the Meanes by which Christ may be had is exprest in other words As Iohn 1. 12. A receiving Christ for there receiving Christ beleeving on him is made all one and receiving Christ is the meanes of geting Christ or else he that
that ye will not have all groūd of Hope Mercy to be in God and none in your Selfe For observe it you will not goe that way which makes you ground your Salvatiō onely on Christ and not at all in your Selfe but you must see somewhat in your Selfe before you will beleeve And partly it is not daring to venter your Soules on Gods bare Word but you must see somewhat done by him in you before you will credit him For though He saith that Whoever comes to Christ and beleeves in Him shall be Saved Sanctified yet you will not beleeve till you find he hath sanctified you and so dare not trust his Word and therefore it is that the Scripture makes every Vnbeleever to make God a Lyar Consider that 1. Ioh. 5. 10 of Thomas Iohn 20. 25. The Disciples said we have seene the Lord But he said except I shall see the print of the nayles and put in my fingers I will not beleeve then Verse 29. Iesus said because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeved blessed are they that have not seene me and yet have beleeved Yea farther By this meanes you hinder the shining forth of Gods free Grace For whilst that you will not First beleeve but first will be able to doe somewhat you make not Christ Heaven a free Gift nor can it be free Grace in God and so not seeing Gods free Grace ye doe not so magnifie Him as else you would nor find such sweetenes in the Gospel nor be so incouraged as ye might be but sinke perplexe wound your Soules by feares discouragemēts which indeede be groūdles Also you hinder your owne Certainty Assurāce For whilst you ground your Beleeving on somewhat in your Selfe and not onely on Gods free Promise Word of Truth It being grounded partly at the least on your Selfe who change it is uncertaine chāgeable By all this I beseech you see your Error who being so much humbled as is requisite labour for Humiliation Holynes c. and doe not first cheifly labour to Beleeve Objection It may be Objected by some But I have indeavored this Way as you teach and have beleeved and yet I find not Christ Holynes follow after Answer 1 I Answer First it is not possible to Beleeve in the least measure or degree but Christ Salvation must be had because God hath absolutely promised it to Beleeving And the Spirit Sanctification must be had for these be as inseperable as Light from the Sunne but these things be not ever sensible to them that Beleeve 1. Because they doe not knowe consider the first least weakest workes of Christ in the beleeving Soule but onely judge themselves by the more full strong workings of Christ in the Soule In trying the truth of Faith take the weakest Evidences so they be sure though rest not there for that true Grace will never doe as if a Man judgeth Life onely by walking eating he may thinke a Man that sleepes is dead 2. Because the Act of Faith is not strong enough to put forth it Selfe very sensibly as the Acts of the Soule in a Swound inasmuch as there is not a frequēt accustomed acting and exercising Faith till by practise the Heart is setled in it 3. Because there is not a reflect Act a Considering what it is to Beleeve and that thou hast so done and then a drawing the comfortable Conclusions to thy Selfe that flowe thence and from Faith a reasoning to quicken thee up for Faith produceth its Effects by reasōing As thus If Christ hath suffered in the flesh then must I make the flesh suffer in me If Christ rose againe then must I rise to newnes of Life If Christ loved me so as to give Himselfe for me Then shall not I love Him so as to give my Lusts for Him c. Let these Things be observed and there is none that doe in the least measure truly Beleeve But they shall find Christ Salvation made theirs Secondly I Answer If thou hast indeavored to Beleeve and yet obtainest not Christ It is not because this is not the way the onely Way Meanes to get Him But because thou hast not Beleeved thou hast not gon this Way nor used this Meanes rightly Therefore thou must not give over this Way but labour to find it out If there be many Pathes in a Feild and but one that leades to the House a Man is going to and he have gon to the end of one Path and finds not the House It is a good reason why he should thinke that is not the right Path and so seeke it out but no reason why he should leave that Feild and betake himselfe to āother for in that Feild onely is the Path So it is no reason that thou shouldst cease striving to Beleeve and take to some other Course but labour to find out what it is to Beleeve and then care to doe that And as this Doctrine shewes their Error who labour to Repent to be Holy c. and not first to Beleeve So it also shewes their Error who finding a decay in their Soules of Grace and an increase of Sinne cease their Faith and lay it aside and take to some other Course Whereas the onely way meanes for them to recover themselves is to recover strengthen increase their Faith for Faith is the onely Meanes to Christ Salvation 2. USE Vse 2 For Exhortation To exhort ye all to labour above all things to Beleeve that is To entertaine Christ and resigne up your Selves to Christ in all his Offices to be saved through them Mind this Worke most of all for it is the all in all to your Salvation Thus did Paul Phill. 3. 8. 9. Yea doubtles I count all things but losse for the excelency of the knowledg of Christ and doe count all but Dunge that I may winne Christ And be found in him not having mine owne Righteousnes which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ This is a worke I commend to you and Command you in Gods Name It is Gods Worke that which he most chargeth on you under the Gospel Iohn 6. 29. doe yee make it your cheife worke You that take up your Thoughts Hearts most with the World with the Honours Pleasures or Profits thereof I might exhort you to beleeve for till you doe it you cannot be saved but you are to farr off from Faith yet You are to be exhorted to get Preparations for Faith your Hearts to be so affected by the Law with a sight of your Sinnes and Misery by it that ye may be brought to thirst after Christ and willing to entertaine him on any Conditions Mind ye this above all because without this ye cannot come to Faith that onely brings Christ Salvatiō This Worlds Honours Pleasures Profits cannot give you Christ nor Salvation and why then shall they be prefered minded sought
out of the Offer but on the same Tearmes any one whatever may come injoye Christ REASONS Reasons First Because this much magnifies sets out Gods Grace Free-Mercy whilst that Christ Salvation may not onely be had for taking but also may be had by any One whatever for taking So freely to offer Christ and Salvation to a few were greate Mercy but to offer it so freely to every one that is Wonderfull Mercy As it is great Mercy for a Prince to offer Pardō to one or two Traytors upon the tearmes of accepting Pardon but to tender it to all Traytors on the same free tearmes is wonderfull Mercy even as it was wonderfull Riches in Solomon in the 2. Cron. 1. 15 to make Silver at Ierusalem as Stones that is that any one whatever may have for taking up if he desires them for so are Stones Even thus is the Riches of Gods Mercy set forth inasmuch as Christ Salvation Things of more worth then Gold Silver are to be had by any whoever if they accept thē that is Beleeve in Christ Secondly Because this Incourageth every one to obey the Gospel beleeve in Christ inasmuch as Christ is not limited nor are any sequestred shut out from having Christ by Beleeving Therefore there is good Incouragement for any one so for every one to indeavor to Beleeve And this is a wise Administratiō of God for by this meanes they who live under the Gospel and yet beleeve not are left wholy without excuse even as that Man Math. 22. 12. speechles for it will be cleare even their owne selves being Judges that they missed Mercy because they cared not for it but loved other things better for when it was free to be had by any one by Receiving Beleeving they would not doe that even as the Traytor who receives not the free and generall Pardon hath no plea nor excuse left him when he comes to receive the Sentence And this seemes to be implyed in Iohn 3. 19. The Condemnation to them that have heard the Gospel◠will be this That Light came into the World which must be supplyed and might have been had by every one of them if they would have received it but they would not so much as take it when they might have had it because their deeds were evill This free tender of Christ It discovers the wickednes of their Hearts the evill Deeds of thē for therefore they will not love nor receive the light and leaves them without all Plea and makes their Destruction to be of themselves their owne willfull ruine who doe perish under the Gospel And as there is this effect So also by this meanes the Persons as the Apostle speakes 1. Thes 5. 9. are appointed by God to obtaine Salvatiō by Christ they are brought on to Beleeve and so to be saved by Christ For God doth not first shew People that he hath Elected them and then thereby perswade bring them to beleeve but Election is concealed as a secret thing and by Gods offering Christ freely to every one to be had by Beleeving His free Offer incourageth them to labour to Beleeve and they finding themselves not shut out of Mercy they labour to Beleeve and God helpes gives them the Gift of Faith and so they Beleeving come to knowe that they are ordayned to Life Eternall Acts. 13. 48. This is a wise course way to bring in the Elect and discourage or hinder none USE Vse Incouragment For speciall Incouragement to every one of you To come to Christ beleeve in Him I now in Gods Name as his Messenger Embassador Tender Offer Christ to every One of You on these Tearmes that ye Come to Him Receive Him Beleeve in Him and assure you that so doing Ye shall be saved by Him I tender Christ to you All onely annexing these Two Cautions least ye should mistake or abuse this Doctrine Cautions First That none must meddle with Christ but they who be willing to have him on His owne Tearmes Viz. To be Lord King to them aswell as Preist Secondly Whoever doe get Christ they are surely Changed by Him and made New Creatures These being premised I doe this Day Offer Iesus Christ to yee All and assure yee He is to be had by you if ye Come to Him Receive Him Beleeve in Him that is If ye Entertaine Him and give up your Selves to Him in all his Offices upon these Tearmes He may be had by any of you It is most probable there be Some of You to whome God intends good where He so freely sends his Gospel Now let every one hope it is he And indeavor to make it so as men doe at a Dole and let Heaven Suffer Violence Oh Receive Him then Give up your Selves to Him in Covenant Accept Him for your King Preist and Prophet Resolve this Day The Lord Jesus Christ shall be my Prophet I will in all Things labour to be Taught Guided by Him And he shall be my King I will in all Things care to be Ruled by his Lawes And he shall be my Preist I will rest on Him for Attonement and Satisfaction to God-wards I must addresse my Selfe to Two Sorts of People among you 1. To such of you as are Willing that Christ should raigne over you but dare not or cannot trust in Him for your Salvatiō be ye incouraged for there is none such but be wellcome to Christ that is all he seekes to raigne over you it is all the tearmes he stands on ye having granted him his owne Conditions why should ye question his Mercy This I say to you 1. that if ye be made willing to give up your Selves to Christ in all things to be guided by him and covet his Kingly Office in your Soules and study seeke for Holynes And 2. If ye find that hope of Mercy makes ye feare to offend care to please God in all things and doth not make you presumptuous secure bold to Sinne Then you may and should apply Christ for Mercy and expect it from him And doe it now Now He is offered to you this Day as a Preist to save you reconcile God to you accept it in that Office put your trust in him Is he not free for every one upon these tearmes and why will you neglect so free Mercy You have sinned against it hitherto in doubting questioning of it Oh now sinne not any longer but boldly venture thy selfe on Christ feare not thy Wellcome or being permitted to apply Christ the free generall Pardon is given out sue it forth whoever layes hold on Chrst must be saved Christ puts this out of doubt Iohn 6. 37. He that comes I will in noe wise send away Limitt not where God hath not limitted doe not shut out thy Selfe where God hath not shut thee out doe not inquire whether thou art chosen or no but looke to the Gospel in
shall be the day of his wrath so great terrible as that men shall say who shall be able to stand therefore unbeleevers of all rankes Kings Great men of the Earth Rich men and the Cheife Captaines Such as now dare looke Death in the Face shall then Call to the Mountaines Rockes to fall on them to cover them from that Wrath Revel 6. 15. 16. 17. And how can Such want ruine When the Gospel shall Iudge them as Christ tells you it shall doe those who heare it and doe not beleeve Iohn 12. 47. 48. The Word that I have spoken the same shall Iudge them at the Last Day And Such shall not onely perish but Perish worse thē Others The Gospel is a Savour of Death unto Death to them 2. Cor. 2. 15. 16. They are dead allready but shall dye worse They are fallen in Adam but shall fall farther Luke 2. 34. Therefore that Place is very Considerable Math. 10. 12. to 16. And when ye come into an house salute it And if the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy let your peace returne to you And whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your wordes when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodome Gomorrha in the day of Iudgement then for that Citie Thus much for the third Thing in the Text Viz the Persons that may use these Meanes and so obtaine Christ Now the Last followes THE FOURTH Last THING in the Text is The 4. Thing in the Text. the MOTIVE by which People are perswaded to use this Meanes and so get Christ This Bread of Life The Allsufficient Remedy of Mans Misery That is taken frō the great Benifite that by so doing will redound to thē As appeares by these Wordes Shall never Hunger Shall never Thirst Whoever Comes to Christ or Beleeves in Christ shall never Hunger nor Thirst As Bread alayes Hunger So doth this Bread This Christ And that in a better manner then Bread doth For 1. Bread alayes Hunger not Thirst But Christ alayes Hunger Thirst more appetites then Bread doth 2. Bread alayes but for a while Christ alayes for ever Paralell to this latter is that Iohn 4. 13. 14. Whosoever drinketh of this Water shall thirst againe But whosoever drinketh of the Water that I shall give him shall never thirst Where the Comparison is made and Christ in this Respect is prefered For the understanding this Yee must knowe that although in some regard as ye shall see heerafter this may be taken Litterally in some regard of the Body that they that Beleeve in Christ shall never hunger nor thirst Yet Cheifly this is to be taken Metaphorically so largely and so including the Litterall Corporall Sence and the meaning is this That all their Wants shall be supplyed all Desires alayed satisfied But this is exprest by not hungering thirsting because of following the Metaphors of Bread Water by which Christ is exprest Hungering Thirsting are painfull Desires of some necessary good Thing that 's wanting the one of Meate the other of Drinke for the good of the Body Now every Person having a reasonable immortall Soule hath many great Desires which be as so many Hungerings Thirstings Now by Christ all these Desires shall be alayed by supplying all his Wants and Christ is had by Beleeving This is the Meaning The Doctrine arising hence is DOCTRINE Doctrine Whoever Beleeves in CHRIST shall have all his WANTS supplyed and so all his DESIRES alayed and his SOVLE fully satisfied He shall be sent away with a Compleate Satisfaction as the hungry Man when he is filled with Meate or the thirsty Man with Drinke The Point is plaine expresse in the Text If there were no other Proofes we might build our Faith on it But there are Divers This was Prophesied off under the same Metaphors Isay 49. 9. 10. That thou maist say to the Prisoners goe forth to thē that are in darknes shew your selves they shall feede in the wayes their pastures shall be in all high places they shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the Heate nor Sunne smite thē for he that hath mercy on thē shall lead them even by the springs of Waters shall he guide them To which Christ hath reference Revel 7. 16. 17. Tbey shall hunger no more neither thirst any more c. And is in expresse wordes promised Ier. 31. 14. 25. And I will satiate the soules of the Preists with fatnes and my people shall be satisfied with goodnes saith the Lord And Verse 25. I have satiated the weary soule I have replenished every sorrowfull soule And so Ier. 50 19. I will bring Israell againe to his Habitation and he shall feede on Carmel Bashan and his soule shall be satisfied upō mount Ephraim Gilead And therefore it is affirmed as made good by in Christ Luke 1. 53. He hath filled the hungry wih good things therefore Psal 34. 8. 9. 10. The Beleever who is after exprest by the effects of Faith fearing seeking God is said to be Blessed and why because He shall want no good for that is Blessednes Thus much is also inplyed in Isa 55. 1. 2. 3. by Beleeving in Christ which is ment there by Comming Buying c. they shall come to injoy all good things that be requisite to their wellfare and so Consequently shall have All desires alayed Therefore it is that as all our Desires are in the Text exprest by Hūgering Thirsting so Christ is exprest by a Feast in Scripture and tipified by the Manna Rocke that yeilded Rivers of Water in the Wildernes to shew that as by comming to a rich full Feast there is a supply of all the wants an alaye of all the desires of an hūgry thirsty Man So by Beleeving in Christ all the Wants of People are supplyed and all their Desires alayed Therefore Math. 5. 6. They which Hunger be Blessed because they shall be Satisfied If not Satisfied they be not Blessed REASONS Reasons The Reason is grounded upon a two fold Proposition First That Beleeving possesseth a Man of Christ He that Beleeves in Christ hath Christ and is one with Christ Therefore as ye heard before Beleeving is compared to a Marrying and to an Ingrafting into Christ That looke as a Woman married to a Man injoyeth him as her owne and a Science grafted injoyeth possesseth the Tree for its owne So Whoever beleeveth in Christ Injoyeth Possesseth Christ for their owne Christ is the Gift of God Iohn 4. 12. and Faith is a receiving of this Gift Iohn 1. 12. Now as a Man that hath received a gift doth possesse injoye it as his owne So Beleevers receive Christ given of God and so injoye possesse him as their owne
Faith makes us the House of Christ Christ dwells in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. even as a man dwelleth in his House and so he hath Possession of the House So have Beleevers of Christ Hence when Thomas beleeved he saith my Lord my God Therefore David Psal 144. 1. 2. Challēgeth God to be his and why He trusts in Him in the end of the Verse So that Beleeving possesseth a Man of Christ Secondly as Beleeving possesseth of Christ maks him to be ours So the Having Christ makes God to be ours Christ brings to the Fruition enjoying of God which may be gathered from his very Name which is Emanuell that is God with us Math. 1. 23. which not onely implyes that in him God is come in our Nature because he that is God tooke our Nature into Personall Union but also that in by Him God is injoyed by us even by so many as have Christ For by Christ all is removed that kept us from God and all is supplyed that may bring us to God and make us injoy God The Sufferings Obedience Intercession of Christ appease Gods Wrath satisfie Gods Justice and soe brings the Person into full Favour with God Math. 3. 17. he saith not with whome but In whome I am well pleased And the Spirit Holynes of Christ workes out Corruption workes in Holynes and so there is brought about a Communion with God Fruition of God and so God walkes in them and is their Father and God they his Children People 2. Cor. 6. latter end And so in Eph. 2. 13. Having by Faith got Christ to be theirs though before they were affarr off yet now are made neere and so in the 19. Verse You are no more strangers foreiners but Citizens with the Saints of the houshould of God Hence is that Rom. 5. 11. Not onely so but we also joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement there is Joy in God through Christ therefore by Christ God is enjoyed Now where God is enjoyed All wants must be supplyed and All desires allayed For God is an Infinite Goodnes therefore they can want nothing that have him As they cannot want Light that have the Sunn or Water that have the Ocean because there is a sufficiency of Light in the Sunn of Water in the Ocean Now God is Alsufficiēt Gen. 17. 1. This God hath clearely proved by his Workes of Creatiō Providence He of Nothing made severall Things and filled them all full He gave Perfection to every Creature at first so that it lacked nothing and to the whole Creation that is ment by seeing it was good very good that is every Part was perfect lacking nothing and the Whole was very Compleate Full He that filled the whole World that it lacked nothing Cannot he fill Mans desires And so by his Providence he fills satisfies as Psal 107. 9. 145. 16. And he had not made all Man-kind to seeke him as he did Acts. 17. 26. 27. if he could not satisfie them for then he had made sōthing in vaine all the infinite desires that are in Man-kind after a cheife Good by injoying which they may be happy as they shew there is a God so they teach that that God can fully satisfie them all and this is expresse Psal 16. last Fullnes of Ioy Ioy therefore Fruitiō Satisfaction of Desire else noe Ioy and full Ioy therefore there is supply of all Wants and alaye of all Desires God himselfe is satisfied in himselfe else he were not God and being able to satisfie himselfe who is an Infinite being he can much more satisfie Man that is but of a finite being Since therefore Christ brings us into Gods Presence as Eph. 3. 12. By him we have accesse that is he is Gods Emissary sent from God to bring Beleevers into Gods Presence so to injoy God as the word signifies in Greeke it must needs followe That Every one that injoyeth Christ must be Satisfied and have All desires alayed Because with Christ God is had and so All fulnes For the better clearing this Point Consider we in In what respects or how a Beleever never hūgers nor thirsts What Respects or How this can be true That the Beleever never hungers nor thirsts It is true in some degree in this Life and fully compleately in the Life to Come First in this Life it is true in some degree That he that Beleeves in Christ hath all his wants supplyed so all his desires alayed And that in a Three-fold Respect 1. In respect of Sinne He that beleeves in Christ shall not hunger nor thirst after Sinne. This is the greatest Hunger Thirst of an Unbeleever Therefore Sinns are called Lusts because they are the appetites desires of Unbeleevers The Unbeleever as truely wants desires after the Commission of Sinne some or other according as he is carryed by Constitution Condition Custome Company or Tentation as the hungry or thirsty Man doth after Meate or Drinke Pro. 4. 16. They sleepe not except they have done mischeife therefore it is that they are so eager upō Sinne Pro. 1. 16 Their feete run to evill so 1. Pet. 4. 4. For there is a Nature in every Unbeleever that is satisfied upheld by commiting Sinne as our Nature is by Eating and Drinking therefore It lusts after evill Iames. 4. 5. But now He that Beleeves in Christ is not thus to Sinne The Body of Sinne is destroyed in him Rom. 6. 6. therefore he serves not and so seekes nor Sinne For he is said to be Dead to Sinne Verse 7. therefore he desires not after Sinne Hence Rom. 8. 5. The Beleever who is described by his inseperable Property to be after the Spirit minds the Things of the Spirit that is and not the Things of the Flesh The Unbeleever minds fleshly things as a Woman that is with Child her eyes are still on it if it be present or else her Phant'sy runns after it But the Beleever lives the Life of Christ and hath Christ dwelling in him therefore he must doe as Christ did that is not desire Sinning but to suppresse it as 1. Iohn 3. 8. and Verse 9. He is made pertaker of the seede of God therefore cānot sinne that is so farr as he is pertaker of that there is a Nature in every Beleever which is contrary to Sinne He pertakes of the Divine Nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. therefore wants not nor seekes any satisfaction by Sinne but the Contrary He lusts after Holynes as in the former Place is said minds the things of the Spirit lusts against Sinne as Gall. 5. 17. for it makes the Soule see misery in the Sinnes it desired and that happynes it sought in Sinne to see it seeke it in God Holynes Now in respect of this the Doctrine is true That in every Beleever there is no Hunger because
would a hungry Man doe for this will he not venter his Life If ye will Beleeve ye shall have a supply of all good things and be as Deut. 33. 23. Satisfied with Favour full of the Blessing of the Lord. Ye neede not goe out as I may so say but shall have of your owne whatever you neede for Soule or Body Ye may have outward Things yet want more or loose them againe But Beleeve ye shall have all Good and never loose it Ye desire Joy Heere is the Way to Full Ioy ye must have full fruition of all Good and that is onely had by Beleeving Your desires to Sinne shall be alayed and new Desires given you satisfied and that is all one as if ye had them of Sinne satisfied Therefore Consider what the Prodigall saith Luke 15. 17. 18. In my Fathers House is Bread enough and I dye for Hunger In God there is Fullnes enough of Satisfaction and I am distracted through want of it Reason then as the Prodigall did Allas I am heere ready to famish for want of Bread How unsatisfied is my Soule I follow after Wealth Honours Pleasures and yet my Soule hungers thirsts Why should my Soule be famished heere and perish heereafter There is Bread enough in the Gospel In Iesus Christ I may have to supply all my wants a Compleate Satisfaction Why should not I renounce my Selfe Forsake my Sinne and Goe to Christ I will goe to Him and Beleeve in Him How great a Benifite would it be to have Meate or Drinke that would alaye Hunger Thirst for Ever This is had by Faith This Argument perswaded the Woman Iohn 4. 14. 15. Let it perswade you Ye have heard in the former Doctrine That Any one what Person soever may by Beleeving get Christ God in his Gospel shutts out None therefore be not kept from indeavoring to Beleeve by a Conceite that such a Sinner as thou shalt not be accepted for any that come are Wellcome Labour thou thē to Beleeve and know that on these Tearmes Perfect Happynes is offered thee For it is that onely which can satisfie all Desires and therefore above all Labour to Beleeve in Christ If thou wilt not thou refusest Perfect Happynes and shalt have perfect Misery Secondly This serves also for Exhortation To You 2. To Beleevers that have Beleeved Gett more Faith and exercise Faith more So shall your Wants be supplyed and Desires satisfied and this is the Way to have more freedome from sinnfull worldly Desires and to have your fill of Grace God Happynes you want so much because you actually beleeve so little For Beleeving brings Satisfaction and the more ye Beleeve the more full Satisfaction Be allwayes then in the use exercise of Faith abound there with Sathan above all things labours to hinder your growth in Faith because by that meanes he would keepe you in want But learne you above all things to labour to abound in Faith for then shall you want nothing Hence are there so many Exhortations Prayers made by the Apostle in Scripture for Beleevers abounding in Faith For as they exercise increase in Faith so all Fullnes is farther conveyed to them Faith is as the Bucket which let downe fetcheth Water and the oftner you let it downe the more Water you have The Exercise of Faith is as the turning of the Cock which if turned let ts in Water So Faith exercised let ts in all supply and the more it is exercised the greater is the supply The more Faith the more fullnes If we want the want is not from Christ but from our want of the exercise of Faith Exercise Faith then and you will never be pincht with Hunger or Thirst or be so perplext as often ye are But you shall enjoy a Heaven upon Earth you shall have a sweete Influence of all Grace as fast as your Soules can receive it you shall enjoy the Spirit of God and the Favour of God and be fully satisfied All Supplyes are to be had onely from Christ and all to be had from Christ onely by Beleeving Faith Exercised doth Three Things Faith exercised doth 3 Things First It Conveyes the Thing that is sought Therefore so oft in Scripture It is made the Instrument of Conveyance of all Gods Blessings By Faith Sarah received the promised Sonne Heb 11. 11. So Gall. 3. 14. The Promise of the Spirit is received by Faith It is Faith brings it Therefore the Scripture makes Faith to Conveye the Pardone of Sinne the healing Diseases and whatever it beleeves Math. 8. 13. as ye heard before For whatever Faith layes hold on it makes it thine owne be it ever so much And. Secondly Vntill it hath Brought Conveyed the Thing It gives Assurance that it shall be had and so it gives Content Satisfaction in some measure as if it were had As it did to Abraham for his Isaac Gen. 17. 17. it made him laugh that is Ioy for it was another kind of laughing then Sarahs was who laughed out of scorne of the thing spoken as deeming it impossible therefore was shee rebuked I say Faith made Abrahamlaugh that is Ioy in the Assurance of the thing And so it made Hanna quiet and eased her of her perplexity 1. Sam. 1. 10. 18. upon Her praying shee Beleeving was Satisfied untill shee had it For Faith exercised doth assure the Soule the Thing desired shall be had in the best tyme manner Thirdly It presents all fullnes desirablenes as that which shall be in due tyme possessed enjoyed It gives a glimps of all that God hath Promised or thou desirest Faith leadeth thee to Heaven and sheweth thee the many Mansions the Crowne of Glory the glorious Roabes the immortall Inheritance the Kingdome that shall never be shaken whatever is to Come Faith gives the sight of it before hand looke as God did to Abrahā Gen. 15. He shewed him that full Posterity Possession that in due tyme he should have So doth Faith Heb. 11. 13. By faith they saw the things promised afarr off were perswaded of them embraced them or saluted them that is as things present and enjoyed by them Now Faith doing thus the more it is the more it doth thus as Fire heating the more the Fire is the more it heates and the more it is exercised the more it doth thus For it is with Faith as it is with any Skill Power or Habit if it be not used exercised it doth nothing he that hath it is never the better there is no difference twixt him another that hath noe such thing And this is the great folly of Beleevers that they grow not in and exercise not their Faith did they so they could want no good thing Therefore Consider what Increase can yeild ye so much Benifite as the Increase of your Faith what Exercise can doe ye so much good as the Exercise of your Faith