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therefore it is plain, the foul of man is no mean thing. The Angels as we fee, are ready to enter field with the Dragon and his Angels Neither doth Heaven only take this care of us, but the Earth alfo is ready to help us, and openeth her mouth and swalloweth up the flood which the Dragon cafts out of his mouth, Apocalyps the twelfth, chapter and the fixteenth verfe. Therefore if they have fuch care of us, it is reafon we fhould have care of our felves; if they take fuch care for man, that is but earth, then ought we for Heaven to be carefull: If no man be crowned, no not the Angels themfelves, except they strive aright, the fecond epistle to Timothy the fecond chapter; no more fhall we be crowned unlelle we be as carefull of our felves as the Angels. If the Angels were fo bufie to defend the earth, we must be more diligent to fight for Heaven. Again, here we fee,that to come to Heaven is a matter of fight and wraftling, Ephefians the fixt chapter: If we look upon Chrit and the Apostles, we will fay it is Lucia, a wraftling; but if upon common Chriftians it is but Ludus, a paftime and fport. And he that firrs up this warre and conflict is not dead, howfoever he was put to the worst, but only driven out of Heaven. That battail which was in Heaven among the Angels, is come down to men on earth, and now the Dragon fights with the womans feed; and therefore it imports the womans feed to fight with him: For the warre we have, is not only with flesh and blood, that is, with our own paffions and affections, which is the philofophical warre, though we must fight with them alfo, becaule fleshly lusts fight against the spirit, the first epistle of Peter the second chapter and the eleventh verfe: But our wraftling is chiefly with the spirits, with spiritual wickednesse in heavenly places, Ephefians. the fixt chapter. And what, is this enemy the Dragon foolish and weak after his conqueft had over finne? No, he is the old Serpent; therefore full of experience. Thefe enemies or oxpropes, Ephefians the fixt chapter, therefore they want no power. But are they difcouraged upon this overthrow? No, but he is the more fierce and his wrath kindled, knowing his time is but fhort, Apocalyps the twelfth chapter and the twelfth verfe. Then fecing we have fuch an enemy, we must ftrive rightly if we will be crowned, fi placeat Corona, placeat Audium we must take the more heed to our felves, because, as Gregory fai.h, Magis eft fortis noftrâ negligentiâ, quàm fuâ potentiâ.

Secondly, As we give God thanks, that he makes this account of us; fo are we to thank him, that he hath created and commanded fuch excellent fpirits to fight for us; and to pray that they which have thus fought for us in Heaven, may in earth fight with us to help us that as they have caft him out of Heaven, fo we may overcome him in earth: We are to thank God that we, which by our finnes have made our felves like the beasts that perish, Pfalm the 49. fhall be ineu, Luke the twentieth chapter, and to pray that we may drive the Dragon into the bottomleffept. Thirdly,we are to take heed that we provoke not the Angels with our misdeeds, Exodus the twenty third chapter and twenty firft verle; nor alienate them

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from us with the wicked words of our mouths, Ecclefiaftes the fift chapter and the fitt verse. If we suffer our felves to finne by filthy words and fpeeches, we make them turn their favour from us. When we come into the Church, we must come with a due regard and reverence, propter Angelos, the first epiftle to the Corinthians the eleventh chapter: for by rude and uncomely behaviour in the Congregation, and by fuffering our mouths to utter offenfive fpeeches, we offend the Angels and deprive our felves of their favour, fo as they will not care for our fafeguard: But if as the Angel tells Danil, Daniel the tenth chapter and the twelfth verfe, We set our hearts to underftand and to humble our felves by fasting before God, that may draw their affection towards us; for repentance is that which doth minifter joy to the Angels in Heaven, Luke the fifteenth chapter.

Laftly, By this means, though we obtain not fuch a perfect conqueft over the Dragon as the Angels did; yet we fhall attain to the firft degree: though we cannot drive him out of earth, as they did out of Heaven, yet we shall obtain thus much, That he shall not prevail against us, no more than he did against them. We fee it in Paul,though he fought never fo much, yet he could not avoid it, but finne would dwell in him, Romans the seventh chapter : but this victory he obtained, that it did not reign in his natural body, Romans the fixt chapter. Though, till our corruption be diffolved, we shall not drive him out, we fhall fo be armed,That he shall not prevail against us. We must indeavor our felves, that by thankfulneffe to him for vouchlafing to us this help, and by interceffion to continue the fame, we may still refift the Dragon, not fuffering our felves to take the foyl, how foever we cannot utterly drive him out. And in this refpect, when we shall be Jike the Angels, then shall we tread Satan under our feet, then fhall the Dragon be bound in chains and caft into the bottomleffe pit; fo fhall we have a final conqueft over him. Now we must labour to attain to the firft degree of the Angels victory and fo fhall we be crowned.

John 6. 37.

O&ob. 7. 15996

Quicquid dat mihi Pater, ad me veniet: & eum qui venit ad me, nequaquam ejecerim foras.

HE words are Chrifts, and are both agreeable to the action we have in hand, and also a good dependance upon that wherein we have been heretofore converfant. But that thefe words are to be applyed to the holy Eucharift and Sacrament of the Lords Supper appears, for that before he calls himself the bread of life, verfe the thirty fift; The bread from Heaven, verfe the fourty firft; The living bread, verle the fifty firft; and all along this chapter there is nothing fpokea of Christ,

but

but as he is the matter of this Sacrament: and therefore these words are to be understood of the holy Eucharift.

And so these words as they yeeld comfort to the commers, perfwading them that they are of thofe, whom God the Father hath given to Chrift; to no leffe comfort is reached to them here; for that they understand from Chrifts own mouth, That if they come to him, they fball not be cast out, but received of him, so as none fhall be able to take them out of his hands, John the tenth chapter and the twenty eighth verfe.

On the other fide, They that come not, may know from hence, that as they are not in the number of the Fathers Donatives, that is, fuch as are given to Chrift, but are the portion of Satan, For they fball be cast out into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, Apocalyps the twenty first chapter and the eighth verle; And into utter darknesse, where is weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matthew the eighth chapter

and the tweltch verfe.

Touching the dependance his words have with that part of Scripture which we ufually have held, when we fpake of Cains departure from Gods prefence, we heard that he did fet himfelt as neer Eden as he could be; that he was content for a little trifling pleasure, that fhortly fadeth, to forgoe Gods prefence,where is pleasure for evermore; that fora little worldly gain with Balaam, he gives over all godlineffe, which is the true gain, and that not he, but the whole world through ambition, as Lords, doe feek the worlds honor with the loffe of the honor and favour of God. Being thus departed from God, we heard he came to a Land called Nod, that is, a Land of unquierneffe and troubles,both in respect of the inward difquietness of his foul by contiDual fear & the outward vanities of the whole world; where he found that having forfaken God, with whom is fulneffe of joy, he could not have his defire fatis fied by any pleasure that the world could afford. But we left not Cain there, but heard, that the end of that journey was woe, as it shall be the end of all those that walk in Cains way, Jude the eleventh verfe.

And for that there is none but may fall into the fame way, it concerns every man to think how, being departed from the presence of Gɔd, he may come back to Chrift, and especially that he watch his opportunity, to come at such a time as Chrift will not caft him out ; And that is taught us here, in these words, where Chrift faith, That whosoever commeth to him, as he is the bread of life, he shall not be caft forth.

But we must watch this opportunity; for there are two venite's, Come to me all ye, Matthew the eleventh chapter, that have departed from me, to receive worldly pleasures and gain; The other, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome, Matthew the twenty fift chapter and the thirty fourth verfe. But he that will have his part in this latter venite, must have his part alfo in the firft: He must come again to Chrift by repentance, elfe he cannot come to be partaker of the heavenly Kingdome..

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In these words of Chrift we have three perfons: First, Pater dans. Secondly, Homo veniens. Thirdly, Chriftus non ejiciens. Whereof the two former parts be the Conditin, the third perfon belongeth to the Promife. The Condition ftands in The Fathers giving, and our comming; The Promile is Chriff's not cafting out,

Touching which parts joyntly, we are to oblerve thefe, That every one by experience finds that the state of finners, live they never fo pleasantly, is but as Cain called his forne, Chanoch, that is, a good beginning; For the mid'ft of that state is unquietneffe, and the end everlafting death. Which being confide red, it will make every man willing to come again to God if there be any hope, they fhall be received; In regard of our felves, as St Paul fpeaketh of her that departed from her husband, the first epistle to the Corinthians the feventh chapter and the cleventh verfe, fo it were juft, that in as much as we have willingly forfaken God, and departed from him, preferring tranfitory and earthly delights before his favour, he should fay, Qui difcedit, difcedat, that being once gone fiom him, he should not

receive u, again.

But here we are to admire the goodneffe and mercy of God and Chrift, that in ead of a revenger and punisher, he is a mercifull receiver; that where in Juftice Chrift might be a rock of offence, to fuch as depart from him, he will be a rock of refuge to them; that he is fo farre from cafting out, if they come, that he is content to feck fuch as are loft, Luke the nineteenth chapter and the tenth verfe, That he fends and fends again, that they should come back, Maithew the twenty fecond chapter, That he ftands at the dore knocking, Apocalyps the thud chapter, And faith, Come to us all ye, Matthew the eleventh chapter: So there is no doubt but Chrift will recive them that come to him. For, as the ancient Fathers note, If when he comes to us, we caft not him out, neither will he caft us out when we come to him: And that no unworthineffe by means of any filth, either of body or foul, doth keep him from us, we fee for bodily uncleanneffe, he was content to be received by Simon the leper, Mark the fourteenth chapter and the third verfe: And in regard of fpiritual pollution, howsoever a man know himself to be a finner, that is, to have an unclean foul, yet not to defpair, becaufe Chrift, by the confeffion of his enemies, is (uch a one as doth not only receive finners, but eats with them, Luke the filteenth chapter and the third verse; yea, he not only receiveth them that deferve to be cast out, as unworthy to inherit the Kingdom, the first epifle to the Corinthians the fixt chapter and the nin h verfe; but doth alfo wash, fanctifie, and jufifie them in his own name, and by the spirit of God.:

The Condition on our part was, That we come, the meaning whereof, if we look into the ancient Fathers upon the thirty fitt verfe, He that commeth to me, is fome externall part of Gods worship; for fo they expound it by the Apoftles words, Romans the tenth chapter, If thou beleeve in thy heart, and confeffe with thy mouth; for beleving is the affection of the heart, but confeffion is outward in the conver

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fation of life, as fome are faid to deny God in their works, Titus the first chapter and the fixteenth verse. :

There are diverfe forts of comming: First, We are laid to come to Chrift in Baptifme, Mark the tenth chapter, Sinete parvulos venire ad me. Secondly, In Prayer; toras Augustine faith, Precibus, non paßibus,iter ad Deum. Thirdly, In the hearing of the word: fo many re to forted and came to Chrift, Luke the fifteenth chapter and the first verfe: And we likewife come to. Chrift, when we come to hear his Minifters; for he that heareth him heareth us, Luke the tenth chapter.. Fourthly, By Repentance, as Luke the fifteenth chapter, I will goe to my Father. But Chrift receiveth none of these, but that we come to him as he is panis vita; when we come to Chrift, as he offers himself in the Sacrament, to be the lively food of our fouls; when we come to the fame, and doe it in the remembrance of his death. And there is reafon why both we fhould come to Christ, and he should receive us comming.

First, There is reafon we fhould come to Chrift, in regard of our finnes already paft: For we have need of a Sacrifice, both in refpect of the grinding and upbraiding of our confciences for the finnes we have committed, and by reafon of the punishment we have deferved by them. This facrifice we are put in minde of in this Sacrament, That Chrift hath offered himselfto God an oblation and facrifice of a sweet fmelling favour, wherein we have planted in our hearts the paffive grace of God, for the quieting of our confciences against finne past, by the taking of the cup of Salvation, which makes us lay, Return into thy reft o my foul, Pfalm the hundred and fixteenth; and for the turn ing away of deferved punishment, as the blood of the Pafchal Lamb, Sprinkled upon the dores, faved the Ifraelites from deftroying, Exodus the the twelfth chapter. So in this true paffover we receive the blood of the immaculate Lamb Chrift, to affure us of peace with God, and to deliver us from the deftroying Angel. As the Heathen had their Altar, whereon they offered to their gods; fo we have an Altar,that is, the Lords Table, where we celebrate the remembrance of that obla tion once made by Chrift, Hebrews the thirteenth chapter and the twelfth veife.

In respect of finne to come likewife, we have need to come to Chrift; for thereby there is wrought in us active grace, whereby we are enabled to refift finne: Forthe endowing of our fouls with much ftrength, Pfalm the hundred thirty eighth, and with much power from above, is here performed unto us that come aright, Luke the twenty fourth chapter: And therefore the Apoftle would have us to ftablish our hearts with grace, the spiritual food, and not with meat, Hebrews the thirteenth chapter: For by this means we shall be made able both to indure the conflict of finne, and to be conquerors over Satan and our own corruptions. Thirdly, For that the eating of the flesh of Christ and the drinking of the blood, is a pledge of our raifing up at the last day, verfe the fifty fourth; and that after this life we which come to the Lords Supper fhall be invited to the fupper of the Lamb, Fiff 3

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