Two Sermons for the Lords Table, Sermon 1

Two Sermons for the Lords Table · Sermon 1

p. 11A SERMON OF PREPARATION TO THE COMMUNION.

PREACHED THE THIRD OF MAY 1628.

THE TEXTE.

IOHN 6. V. 27.

LABOVR not for the meate which perisheth, but for the meate which endureth vntounto everlasting lyfe, which the Sonne of man shall giuegive vntounto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

p. 12THE first things of the godly man are hardest,Note. his last things are best things, lyke the wyne of Cana in Galilee:Iohn. 2. v. 1.John 2:1 Many are the troubles of the righteous, Psal. 34 v. 19.Ps 34:19these be his first things: But the Lord delivereth them out of them all, these be his last things.

* As the Apryle showers goe before the May flowers,Note. so must our teares trickle before our triumphs: we must sweate before we climb vp the everlasting hils, and sorrow before wee sing: Gen. 49, v. 26.Gen 49:26Wee must groane before we glory, and we must fast before wee feast.

THE DIVISION OF THE TEXT.

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

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

THE DIVISION O… THE WHOLE CHAPTER.

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

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

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

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

So soone as they came to him, they vttered many faire wordes, Rabbi, V. 25.(said they,) when camest thou hither? Note.These were very faire words; But what cared Christ for faire words? GOD regardeth not flattering lips:Proverb. 26. 23. Burning lips, and a wicked heart, are lyke a potsheard covered with silver drosse. Note.* Though a mans mouth bee fired with louelove toward GOD, if in his breast hee hath a prophane heart, hee is but a sheard in the sight of God: All the colour of his devotion is not from the silver p. 16of sinceritie, but from silver drosse, the heart vnderneath being nothing but lyke a naughtie sheard: Such one day, though they were Kings and Rulers the LORD shall dash in pie…es, Psal. … V. 9.Ps 5:9lyke a potters vessell, or as wee say, he shall ding them all into shardes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Labour not for the meat… which perisheth.

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

The vse: let vsus learne of Christ heerehow we should proceed with carnall men,The vse. wee whom the Lord hath appointed to bee teachers in his Church.Note. * First of all we must proceede against them with reprofes p. 22proofes: malo nodo, malus cuneus, for a hard knot, wee must prepare a harde wedge.Note. * The law with its threatnings must goe before the Gospell, like a needle making way to the threede. It is great wisedome for teachers first to thunder downe the high corruptions of nature in those that are not cast downe for their sinnes:Luke. 3. 5.Luke 3:5 Every mountaine & hill shall bee brought low: Prophane hearts must not at the first bee dawbed with faire words, but rather dashed with reproofes. Woe to them that stroake knaues heads, for that is to spill them, and to bring the guilt of their blood vponupon the teachers head: when the fester is begunne, the Surgeon must cut.Note. * The Lord himselfe teached his Prophet Elijah how to teach his stif-necked people, and that by the forme of his comming vntounto him at Horeb, for to giuegive warning to the Prophet of his comming, hee sent before him p. 23three grimme, and austere messengers: The first was a great and strong wind which rent the mountaines, 1 King. 19. 11.1 Kgs 19:11and brake in pieces the rockes before the Lord: After the wind came an earthquake; The third was a fire: V. 12.After those three the spirit of God came into a still small voice: It is so, that Pastours must procede with a stubburne people; the tempests of wrath must blow first with a galewind, and after with fearefull threatnings, the rebellious hearts must bee shaken as with an Earthquake: Jf all that moue not, the preacher must open vp Hell, and let wicked soules see those vnquenchable brimstone flammes of fire smoking with fearefull vengeance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The vse of this doctrine:The vse. Let vsus striue to giuegive God his owne: The whole heart is Gods, the whole man is Gods; seeing all is his, let p. 32him hauehave all to whom all belongeth, and who is most worthy of it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nam vigilare leve est, pervigilare grave.

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

—Primisque in faucibus Orci

Luctus & vltrices posuere cubilia curae.

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

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

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

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

An Objection.

But heere some may object and say, what needed CHRIST to teach those men, not to labour for their meate? It would seeme that they followed him for to eschue labour: They had seene how with fiue bread he had fed fiue thousand, and that of the fragments were twelue basket p. 41full. For this cause it would appeare they followed CHRIST for bread, because they came easily by it without any labour: It might seeme that CHRIST should rather hauehave said, yee are but idle sluggards following mee for loaues; Returne home to your house, and worke for your meate, labour, labour.

The Answere.

I answere, that this labour whereof CHRIST dischargeth them, is to bee vnderstood of the labouring of the mind: A carking care, an earnest and ardent desire more than is competent for any worldly thing, either for to obtaine it, or to keepe it, is that which is heere discharged.

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

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

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

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

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

* Some hauehave the boile vponupon the brow,Ier. 3. ….Jer 3 which scripture calleth a whoores fore-head.Note.

* Others hauehave the botch in the neck,Note. which maketh them stretch out their necks with loftie lookes:Note. * This was the sore of the daughters of Zion,Isa: 3. 16 17. they walked with outstreched necks; for this cause the LORD plagued them with scabbed crownes: 2. Pet. 2. 14.2 Pet 2:14Others hauehave sore eyes, whose eyes are full of adulterie: Note.* Others hauehave scabbed eares, which Scripture calleth itching eares: 2: Tim. 4. 3.Others hauehave the water-canker in their mouth, which quencheth not,Note. but rather kindleth on the tongue the fire of Hell: Iam 3. 6.Jas 3:6Note.* In nothing fire and water can agree but in the hellish mouth, wherein is a scolding tongue, sparkling out the spittle of despight:Note. Some hauehave a boile p. 44in the throate, whose throat is an open sepulchre, Psal. 5. 10.Ps 5:10blasting out the most vile belchs of blasphemie:Note. * Others hauehave vnderunder the arme hole, the boile or brooke of ill thoughts:Note. * Some hauehave the boile on the back, which is costly clothing:Note. * Others like the men of our text, hauehave the boile on the belly, which is gluttonie: Passe from the crowne to the Sole, from the Catarres of the fingers, vntounto the gout of the feete. Thus as yee see in man there is nothing sound from crowne to sole; but in some the corruption within breaketh out more in one part than in another:Note. * Some persons predominant sinne is the whores fore-head, launce that the day, and let out the putrefaction before thou presume to come to morrow to this holy table:Note. * Some hauehave eyes full of Adulterie; cast out that vncleannesse before thou looke vponupon the LORDS bread:Note. * Thou whose mouth is cankred with scolding, hold out thy tongue to thy GOD, and request him to launce by his spirit and his word, that thy tongue, now thy p. 45shame, Psal. 30. 12.Ps 30:12may become thy glory: * Thou whose throat hath beene full of botches, hold vp the gorge-pipe to the LORD, intreating him to cleanse it from its sepulchrall corruptions: Note.* Thou who hast vnderunder thy arme hole a bag of putrified thoughts, away with them, cast the care of backe and belly vponupon the LORD:Note. * Thy care may canker thy sores, but the Lords care shall cure them….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

p. 50The meate which perisheth:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Praeterit, imo fugit, non fugit, imo perit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All this day must bee spent in such labour. * If idlely we neglect this duetie, wee hauehave to feare a more painefull labour, viz. laborare morbo the hard labour of God his wrath and of many painfull and fearefull diseases; yea, and death it selfe: For this cause,1. Cor. 11. 30.1 Cor 11:30 saith the Apostle, Many are weake and sickly amongst you, and many sleepe.

p. 63The LORD graunt that everie one of vsus may in sinceritie of heart labour to prepare, and purifie our selues, and that according to the purification of the Sanctuary. Amen, 2. Chron. 19.2 Chr 19Amen.