TWO SERMONS, FOR THESE WHO ARE TO COME TO THE TABLE OF THE LORD.  
With divers prayers fit for the necessities of the Saints at divers occasions.  
Carefully digested by Mr. ZACHARIE BOYD, Preacher of GOD'S word, at GLASGOW.  AUGUST. de doctrina CHRIST. Omnis res quae 〈◊〉 non deficit dum habetur, & non datur, nondum habetur, quomodo habenda est? 
I live to die, that I may die to live.  
EDINBURGH Printed by JOHN WR●ITTOVN. Anno DOM. 1629.   

TO THE RIGHT WORTHY CHRISTIANS THE INDWELLERS OF THE BURGH, AND BARONY OF GLASGOW.  
WELL-BELOVED in the LORD, The word of God is a treasure of knowledge: 
a Psal. 19 v. 7.  It maketh wise the simple. It made David 
b Psal. 119. 99  wiser than his teachers. Blessed is the man 
c Psal. 1. 2.  whose delight is in God's law, and who meditats on the same both day and night. This is the wisdom of the wise; but 
d Prover. 12. 23.  in the hearts of fools be proclamations of folly, for they know not that 
e Prover. 5. 21.  the LORD pondereth all their goings.  
Happy are ye, if ye can acknowledge the day of your merciful visitation: your God hath blessed you with many blessings: He hath done to you amongst many Cities, as Joseph did to Benjamin amongst his brethren, to whom he multiplied the number of his 
f Genes. 43. 34.  measses above theirs: But in a particular man●● he hath blessed you with the powerful preaching of his Gospel. The Lord who in Zacharias days promised to make the 
g Zach. 14. 4.  Mount of Olives to cleave, that jerusalem hid with hills might be seen by all nations; hath in this land, which was Scotia, a land of darkness, made a way to the sight of his glory, and to you in a special manner: I pray God ye be thankful, and that such favours continue.  
It h●th been God's providence by the occasion of the French bloody wars to bring me amongst you: My soul (the Lord is my witness) wisheth your well: In testimony therefore of my sincere and hearty love, receive favourably these two Sermons, with some few prayers. Take it in good part that I present you with them.  
All that is done in this envious and taxing age is liable to censure: Many strive to stop a work at the first stop, as though the praise of any were their prejudice: The tongues of such are armed with 
h Psal. 120. 4,  sharp arrows of the mighty, and with coals of juniper. 
Note.   
* Let such know that the best reproving of others is to do better themselves.  
It is my desire that ye would accept this little, and vouchsafe it a room of lodging in your favour, as being a testimony of love from him, who shall always pray 
i 1. Sam. 15. ●9.  the Eternity of Israel, to make his grace's rain down plentifully upon you, 
k Psal. 133. 3.  as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, where the LORD commanded the blessings. So humbly taking my leave, I entreat the LORD, in whom all 
l Col. 1. 19  fullness dwelleth, to replenish you with 
m Ephes. 1. 3.  all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places.  

n 2. Cor. 9 10.  Now he that ministereth seed to the sour, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness: Not else but humbly taking my leave, I remain  
GLASGOW this 5. of November 16●8. Yours ever in the Lord Mr. ZACHARI● BOYD.   

TWO PREPARATIVE PREFACES TO THE SERMON OF PREPA●RATION.  

THE FIRST PREFACE.  
THERE be two things in this world, which chiefly should grieve the heart of man: viz, sin and shame: The one is the mother; the other is the daughter: Sin is ever full of shame, a shameful thing, great with shame as a woman with child. 
Note.  * If we would kill the viper of ●inne, the mother of shame, let us be ashamed of our sins▪ The shame wherewith a sinner is ashamed of his sins, killeth sin and the shame to ensue. 
Note.  * If we be not ashamed of our sins which is repentance, God shall by his judgements make us ashamed of ourselves, which is vengeance: In the consideration of this, let us fall down upon our kne●s with public protestation, that to the Lord our God belongeth the righteousness, but to us open shame and confusion of face: 
Da●. 9 7.  Let us humbly confess our sins into his presence, and kiss his footstool by a humble debaseing of our souls and bodies before him, 
Reuel. 4. 10.  before whose feet the crowns of Heaven are cast down.   

THE SECOND PREFACE.  
* The fire of GOD his spirit is not a painted fire, 
Note.  which seemeth to be that which it is not: It ever hath some heat, though sometimes without flame.  
This day we are come before the Lord, for to blow at the coal: Man must blow, and God will blow: Man bloweth up the spark of grace by praying servently to God: God bloweth it up by the powerful preaching of the word outwardly, and by the secret motion of his spirit inwardly. When God quickened Adam, but a dead lump of clay, scripture saith that he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 
Gen. 2. 7.  and man became a living soul. 
Note.  * If the spirit of jesus this day breath into our hearts, he shall be unto our souls a quickening spirit, which is better than Adam's living soul: For as that soul it was deprived of all life by sin, but where once the quickening spirit is, 
1. Cor. 15. 45.  that soul can die no more: And seeing God his word is the instrument of life and the power of God to salvation, I entreat you all earnestly to pray from your hearts, that Christ who breathed upon his Apostles the sweet breath of the holy GHOST would also vouchsafe in some measure to blow breath upon you, and me at this time: The LORD blow into my heart and mouth the words that may save your souls.    

A SERMON OF PREPARATION TO THE COMMUNION.  
PREACHED THE THIRD OF MAY 1628.  

THE TEXT.  JOHN 6. V. 27. 
LABOUR not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.   
THE first things of the godly man are hardest, 
Note.  his last things are best things, like the wine of Cana in Galilee: 
john. 2. v. 1.  Many are the troubles of the righteous, 
Psal. 34 v. 19  these be his first things: But the Lord delivereth them out of them all, these be his last things.  
* As the Apryle showers go before the May flowers, 
Note.  so must our tears trickle before our triumphs: we must sweat before we climb up the everlasting hills, and sorrow before we sing: 
Gen. 49, v. 26.  We must groan before we glory, and we must fast before we 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 meat which perisheth: feast upon Heavenly things, labour for the meat which endureth to life everlasting, etc. Seeing this day of preparation is a fasting day, I shall content me with the first part of my text, reserving the rest unto the day of the feast.  
That we may the better understand this day's text, we shall first consider briefly the whole matter of this Chapter, that thereafter we may see upon what occasion Christ teached the people the words of my text.   

THE DIVISION O● THE WHOLE CHAPTER.  
THE whole Chapter whereout I have selected this text, may be divided into three parts.  
In the first part we see a miracle of five thousand men fed with five loaves, whereof the fragments after all were satisfied, did fill twelve baskets: 
Note.  * Thus every bread did feed a thousand, and all being satisfied, more was left at last than at the first was set down: this is unto verse 16,  
In the second part we have a miraculous walking of Christ upon the sea of Tiberias, or of Genezaret: For to speak this by the way, this sea was neither the Ocean nor the Mediterranean sea, but a lake of fourteen or fifteen miles of length, and of five or six miles of breadth: here the most part of Christ his Apostles were fishers, before Christ cas●ed them to that office: of this we have from the sixteen verse unto the twenty and two verse: The occasion of this walking was, that these whom he had fed with loaves, did go about to take him by force, 
V. 15.  for to make him a King: He for to be quite of them; withdrew himself into a mountain alone until evening: At that time the disciples entered into a ship, and went over that sea towards Capernaum; Jesus being behind: But while after they had sailed five and twenty, or thirty furlongs, Jesus overtook them, and entered into their ship, 
V. 21.  and immediately the ship was at the land whether they went; this is unto verse 22:  
In the third part is set down how those men whom he had fed, followed him over the sea towards Capernaum, and what conference the LORD had with them, after they came to him.  
So soon as they came to him, they uttered many fair words, Rabbi, 
V. 25.  (said they,) when camest thou hither? 
Note.  These were very fair words; But what cared Christ for fair words? GOD regardeth not flattering lips: 
Proverb. 26. 23.  Burning lips, and a wicked heart, are like a potsherd covered with silver dross. 
Note.  * Though a man's mouth be fired with love toward GOD, if in his breast he hath a profane heart, he is but a sheard in the sight of God: All the colour of his devotion is not from the silver of sincerity, but from silver dross, the heart underneath being nothing but like a naughty sheard: Such one day, though they were Kings and Rulers the LORD shall dash in pieces, 
Psal. ● V. 9  like a potter's vessel, or as we say, he shall ding them all into shards.  
I can not go forward untouching this point. 
Note.  * Many can with burning lips call Christ Rabbi, whose wicked hearts are covered but with the silver dross of hypocrisy: Judas rabbied him with a kiss of burning lips, 
Math. 26. 49.  having a traitor his heart covered with silver dross: Others esteemed him as a robber, 
Luke. ●2. 52.  and came out against him, 
Math. 27. 28.  as against a thief and a robber: Others robbed him of his garments, for while Christ was crucified, he hang upon the cross a naked man: Robbers who came out against him, as against a Robber, rob him of all his clothes.  
clothes And what shall I say of the most 
Note.  part of the men that came to him here Rabbied him but for to rob him of his loaves.  
To them Christ said ye follow me but for your belly: ye seek me, (said he,) 
john. 6. 26.  not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.  
The doctrine is this, 
The doctrine.  let men take good heed what moveth them chiefly to serve God: If the motion be 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 own Prophets or Poets.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 
Tit. ●. V. 1●.  That is, the Cretians, or men of Candie are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.  
God and the belly can not cleave one to another, 
Note. ●  no more than the iron of Nabuchadnezzar his image feet could be mixed with clay: 
Dan. 2. V. 43.  Nullum horum potest esse coagulum, nothing is able to make such things for to cured and join.  
* Except that we cast our belly behind our back, 
Note.  GOD his spirit will never dwell in our heart, nor suffer us to see his face.  
* He that beginneth his prayer with give us this day our daily bread, 
Note.  hath little care of Our Father which art in Heaven, less understandeth he for thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory. If man could truly think that GOD had a kingdom, he would first seek the kingdom of GOD, being assured that GOD would cast all other things unto him.  
Take no thought for your life, 
Math. 6. 25.  (said Christ,) what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on.  
* As for meat, 
Note.  consider the fowls of the air, those birds in the morning chirp before God for meat, and the blessed LORD openeth his pantry, and giveth to them their breakfast, and after their dinner, and last of all their supper, which having gotten, at night they flee to their bush, as to their bed, and before they put their head under their wings for to sleep, they chirp a little to God again, which is their grace after meat, and also a sort of evening prayer, whereby they commit themselves to their makers keeping. Thus as ye see the poor birds beg their food, yea ●the Lions seek their meat from God, and God filleth them with his blessings.  
* As for clothes, behold the lilies, 
Note.  God himself by the finger of nature spinneth their coats Royal robs: And now in this month of May, after a long burial, the Lord hath made them partakers of a resurrection, whereby these that once did wither, and lie under the ground like things buried, are made to come out clothed in apparel pleasant to the eye for colour, and perfumed with savour, like the garment of Esau, 
Genes. 27. 27.  whose smell was like the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed.  
* Merciful God, 
Note.  what unbelief is this, that ma●e●h man so careful for back and belly, as though God did love the fowls and flowers better than man, for whom he sent his own Son to die! Merciful God what a brutish stupidity is this, that man can think that so mighty and so merciful a God, either can not, 
Math. 6. 33.  or will not give, or rather cast to him that which is best both for his back and his belly! Now let us come to the words.   

Labour not for the meat● which perisheth.  
HERE first I observe a doctrine 
The doctrine.  of wisdom for all those whom GOD hath appointed to teach others: 
Math. 11. 22.  Learn of me said the LORD: Let the most learned sit down at the feet of this great Gamaleel. The men to whom Christ speaketh here, were men from whom he had withdrawn himself, because he saw them worldly minded: Yet seeing they are come to him, he instructeth them: first what they should not do, and after what they should do; yea before he came to them with instructions, he reproveth them boldly in the face, 
Galat. 2. 11.  as Paul withstood Peter, declaring plainly unto them that they walked not uprightly, because they sought after GOD more for their belly, then for himself.  
The use: let us learn of Christ heerehow we should proceed with carnal men, 
The use.  we whom the Lord hath appointed to be teachers in his Church. 
Note.  * First of all we must proceed against them with reproofs proofs: malo nodo, malus cuneus, for a hard knot, we must prepare a hard wedge. 
Note.  * The law with its threatenings must go before the Gospel, like a needle making way to the thread. It is great wisdom for teachers first to thunder down the high corruptions of nature in those that are not cast down for their sins: 
Luke. 3. 5.  Every mountain & hill shall be brought low: Profane hearts must not at the first be daubed with fair words, but rather dashed with reproofs. Woe to them that stroke knaves heads, for that is to spill them, and to bring the guilt of their blood upon the teacher's head: when the fester is begun, the Surgeon must cut. 
Note.  * The Lord himself teached his Prophet Elijah how to teach his stiffnecked people, and that by the form of his coming unto him at Horeb, for to give warning to the Prophet of his coming, he sent before him three grim, and austere messengers: The first was a great and strong wind which rend the mountains, 
1 King. 19 11.  and broke in pieces the rocks 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 Pastors must proceed with a stubborn people; the tempests of wrath must blow first with a galewind, and after with fearful threatenings, the rebellious hearts must be shaken as with an Earthquake: If all that move not, the preacher must open up Hell, and let wicked souls see those unquenchable brimstone flammes of fire smoking with fearful vengeance.  
* It is so, 
Note.  that we must come to the trial of ourselves this day in our Christian examination: let first the wind of God's word▪ threatening our sins, rend the rocks of our hearts: After that we must feel an Earthquake: viz, a heartquake. After that our hearts have been shaken, as with a mighty wind, and after that they have quaked for fear, if all that work not, we must consider the fearful flammes wherewith the wicked shall be scorcthed, the cause of everlasting weeping & gnashing of teeth. 
Note.  * Such a soul as is shaken with winds, and quaketh for fear, and trembleth at the fire of God his ' wrath, is most meet to meet with God into the calm.  
* We must do with ourselves this day, 
Note.  as Joseph did with his brethren at their first meeting; it is said that that he spoke roughly unto them: 
Genes 4●. 30.  We must speak roughly this day against ourselves, if we would have God to speak meekly to us to morrow: * We must dost our ill thoughts words & deeds with many a fie, 
Luke. 18. 13.  fie, fie: we must strike with the Publican upon our breast where all the mischief was bred, and must strike with Ephraim upon our thigh, 
jer. 31. 19  which carried us to the effectuating of our wicked projects: 
Note.  * yea, must hold an assize and justice Court within our conscience, where we must first judge, and thereafter condemn ourselves, if we would have God to absolve us. Christ first spoke roughly to the Cananitish woman, call her a dog; 
Math. 15. 26.  but after he had made her content to creep for a crumb, like a dog under his table, he comforted her with wonderful comforts, wondering himself at her faith.  
* The order of GOD his proceeding w●th his own children, 
Note.  is first to sing of mercy, 
Psal. 101. 1.  and after of judgement, if the song of mercy move not: But because of our stubbornness often the Lord must turn his tune, and first of all sing of judgement: That done, so soon as by reproofs & rough speeches he hath affraighted us, and humbled our hearts, he being touched with their dolours, is so moved, that he can no more refrain from discovering himself unto us, he cryeth out to our souls I am joseph, 
Genes. 45. 4.  I am jesus your brother; come near to me I pray you:  
* Before this be done all our ill devises like the Egyptians must remove, 
Note.  and pack themselves to the door; * As joseph would not reveal himself unto his brethren, 
Note.  so long as the Egyptians were into the chamber of the house, neither will Christ reveal himself in mercy to the soul, so long as the black Egyptians of reigning sins remain within the house of our hearts.  
* Again let us consider here those men did only follow Christ for loaves: 
Note.  They sought nothing but bread, and yet behold here they get better than bread, viz. instructions from CHRIST, first what they should 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 he feedeth their souls by the preaching of the word, instructing them for what they should not labour, and for what they should labour.  
* I am assured that Christ never preached, 
Note.  but some soul got good. He who made poor fisher men fishors of men, 
Mark. 1. 17.  could best fish men himself. The Apostles might cast their nets, and catch nothing: but Christ never toiled without any taking: Though at the beginning, while CHRIST preached upon my text, his auditors cared for nothing but their belly: I am assured that before his Sermon was ended; some of them cast their bellies behind their backs, for to seek the food of their * There is not a preaching preached but some gracious pickle falleth upon some heart, 
Note.  like well prepared ground. 
Note.  * The preaching of the word is like sowing, when the sour hath put his sheet about his neck, he casteth the seed from him, not thinking that every pickle that cometh cometh out of his hand shall take root: No not: Some fall upon stones, some upon the way, some among thorns; scarcely doth the fourth pickle of that which was sown come to the sheaf, for the hope of the fourth pickle the sower will be content to loss three, the fourth by its increase, being able to cause him sing, 
Psal. 126. 6.  when he shall bring his sheaves with him. * As the sower singeth for joy while he reapeth the increase but of the fourth, 
Note.  so must the Teacher be glad if every fourth word of his sermon do good, if the fourth person be touched: yea, which is more; as GOD for the love of one would have spared lerusalem, so the Teacher for the love of one, though in all his flock he should have but one good man, yet for the love of that one, let him cast his seed of instruction, rebuke & comfort. Christ here preached unto Belly-Gods doubtless, for the winning of some from the love of their belly unto the love of their soul: This much concerning the men whom Christ teached at Capernaum.  
Now let us consider well his doctrine in the verse which we have red. here first he letteth them see, what they should not do, secondly what they should do: Labour not for meat that perisheth, but laboour for the meat that will endure & feed your souls to life eternal. 
Note.  * As if he should have said, if ye do the one ye can not do the other, if ye have your heart upon the world, ye can not be careful for the Heavens, if ye labour for belly-cheer, ye will neglect the soul's food, and therefore my counsel is that ye labour not for the meat that perisheth.  
The doctrine is this, 
Note.  It is not possible that our hearts can do a duty to God, 
The doctrine.  if they be too bend upon any worldly thing: Caelum cupere nequimus nisi prius terra sordescat, we can not desire the Heavens, till the earth seem vile unto us. The heart of man will die if it be cloven or halfed. If one serve two masters, one of the two shall be displeased; we can not with our eyes behold the Heavens and the earth together: we can not look to the east with the one eye, and to the west with the other at one time: we are not able to think that we are into two places together. 
Note.  * Two several thoughts equally intended can not dwell together in one heart at one time. Should any time be wherein the thought of any worldly thing should overmaster within our hearts the thoughts of our God? 
Note.  Shall the spirit of God stand like a Page for to wait upon thy worldly cogitations, which●all should be servants to the least motions of that spirit? God that made the world before thou was, will not be a servant to wait upon the world which should wait upon him. A freeman will not be a drudge unto his slave: Many think themselves free of this sin, but are not so indeed.  
* A man may try the truth of this in his sleep, 
Note.  and that by his dreams, which as Solomon saith, 
Eccles. 5. 3.  come through the multitude of business: As a man is exercised in the day, so will his thoughts be in the night. If the world run in our mind all the day long, it will certainly lodge with us all night: In our sleep it will bar out the motions of grace.  
The use of this doctrine: 
The use.  Let us strive to give God his own: The whole heart is Gods, the whole man is Gods; seeing all is his, let him have all to whom all belongeth, and who is most worthy of it.  
* If Cesar get that which is Caesar's, 
Note.  shall God want that which is Gods? The heart must not halt between God and Baal, as though men would give to God, to the devil the flesh and the world their day about.  
But what is this that is said into my Text? labour not (saith Christ) for the meat which perisheth.  
here be good tidings for many folks: 
Note.  * It would seem here that Christ dischargeth all trades and callings and that he giveth all the world the vacance and the play:  
* If the Master of the School should every morning, nay but every afternoon say to his Scholars, close your books, pine not yourselves any more, it is enough read, they would think every afternoon like a lubile: here then be good news for sluggards: here is an excuse for all these that are idle. Behold the LORDS Command: Labour not for the meat which perisheth: here is an inhibition served against all sort of worldly labour: What then will ye say, doth CHRIST forbid men to labour? Shall this be a warrant 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 maintain the truth of this Text. What then? Doth CHRIST discharge men to labour?  
No not. 
Note.  * When CHRIST said to his Disciples, sleep on now, they never had so little cause to sleep, 
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 Heaven's precept to all the Sons of Adam: Six days shall thou labour: woe to thee that is idle, for who is idle, he is in the School of wickedness learning to do ill, nihil agendo malè agere discimus, by doing nothing we learn to do ill. The Souls of men are like waters, putrescunt ni moveantur, they stink except that they be moved: All men must labour: 
Note.  * The law is fixed, that all the sons of Adam must pick their crumbs out of the clods with the sweat of their brows: 
Gen. 3. 19  woe to thee that loiters while thou should labour: Arise sluggard Up, up, with the chirping of the birds: labour, sweat for thy meat; otherwise if thou eat, the curse of God shall go down into thy belly, 
Numb. 5. 27.  like the waters of jealousy, which shall make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot. Thou will say to me, 
Note.  I am a gentleman: and what should I do? Was not Adam a gentleman, who was the King of the whole earth, the dear darling of God before his fall? And yet even before he sinned, GOD would not have him to sit idle: nay his Calling was to be a Gardener: Scripture ●aith, And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it, 
Gen. 2. 15.  and to keep it: But after that he had sinned, the Lord laid a harder task upon him: In the sweat of thy face, 
Gen. 3. 1●.  said the Lord, shalt thou eat bread: And yet in that time, if any sinful man might be called a gentleman, he was one as being the first father of the old World: 
Note.  * Was not Noah a gentleman? was he not the first father of the new World? 
Gen. ●. 20.  and yet he laboured in a vineyard: Scripture calleth him a husband man. Was not jacob a gentleman? and yet he kept sheep: 
Note.  * Was not CHRIST a gentleman? and yet he laboured for his meat with joseph, the Carpenter, 
Mark. 6. 3.  he being a Carpenter himself: He than who both laboured himself and commanded others to labour six days in the Week, forbiddeth not men to labour here: what can thou do, nothing? hear what a great and godly man of our Nation said to idle drones: 
Note.  * Call muck creeles: Hast thou not heard me? I say it again Call muck creeles. What is it then that he forbiddeth here, will you say: 
Note.  * I answer the labour which Christ dischargeth here, is, that which is done with a carkeing care and excessive desire of any thing below: When the desire of worldly things is more in our mind than spiritual things, when we are more bend to get them than the spiritual, then are we such labourers as are discharged in my Text.  
* The French word which here signifieth labour, 
Note.  giveth some light to this: In the French Bible it is travaillez: As the learned French writers think travailler, is, as who should say tres-veiller, that is in Latin, pervigilare, to be almost altogether without sleep, according to that of the Poet.  Nam vigilare leve est, pervigilare grave. 
* This labour then that is here forbidden concerning worldly things, 
Note.  is, a labour that letteth not a man sleep, but night and day taketh up all the thoughts of his heart: while he lieth down at even, the world is in his mind, the last of all his thoughts, and the first in the morning: This labour is excessive care, which the Pagans to the shame of Christians have placed into the gorge pipe of hell.  
— Primisque in faucibus Orci  
Luctus & ultrices posuere cubilia curae.  
* Take heed to this, 
Note.  ye sons of men, If the cares of the world take the sleep from you, ye are certainly labourers, but not in the LORD his vine-yard: look not for a hire from the LORD for such labour: your minds are so distracted with worldly cares, that ye cannot labour for the Lord, which is the chief labour that is profitable to the soul: Unwise is he who laboureth so for the body, that he neglecteth the soul: The counsel of Bernard, is notable concerning this  
* Ad laborem cum veneris, 
Note.  sic temperabis opus agendum, ut solicitudo operis intentione animi tui ab iis quae Dei sunt, non avertat, that is, When thou beginnest to labour, temper so the work, that the care thereof distract thee not from the things of GOD: such a labour what ever day it be upon, were it upon wedensday, is a breaking of the Lords sabbath: * The whole week is a Sabbath, 
Note:  a time of rest from such labour: Were it to gather sticks with excessive care upon Wednesdaye, is as who should work upon Sunday: * The one here is as well forbidden in the Gospel, 
Note.  as the other was in the law, yea and that more strictly: * For under the law the Priests might profane the sabbath and be blameless, 
Note.  that is, 
Mat. 12. 5.  they might labour by killing of beasts for sacrifice: But in this Sabbath of the Gospel which is a rest from carking care, no labour of that kind is permitted for any consideration.  
The doctrine I observe here, 
The doctrine.  is this: There be many labourers in this world who are discharged to labour: This world is full of such labour: 
Note.  * The most part of men sweat in this vine-yard: Most men seek more after earthly trashes, than after heavenly treasures. 
Note.  * That this is true, I shall by one argument enforce it upon your consciences: Tell me I pray you, if his Majesty should cause proclaim at your cross, that who in Burgh and Barronie should come to the Churchyard at such a hour, they should have both their houses and lands made free for their life-time, and that without any cost: and that who came not should be deprived of the gift: Alas who would amongst you be absent? * The creples who haunt not the LORD his house would clinch out upon their stilts: The blind would be feet to the creples, and the Creples would be eyes to the blind: O what a congregation should be seen! I think that neither Church, nor Churchyard should be able to contain the multitude: 
Note.  * But alas do 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 receive a Kingdom, come and receive grace and glory: But I appeal to your own Conscience how little a business will hinder you from coming for to receive such offers.  
* Mother Martha hath many 
Note.  Children which troubleth themselves 
Luk. 10: 43●●  about many things, but few can learn of Marie to make choice of the best part, which shall never be taken from them: I compare worldly men to great gluttonous fish; they follow after GOD his benefits, as they follow after the Schools of herring; where such Schools are to be found there are they. 
Note.  * Men for the most part are like the Ravens, feeding upon the stinking carrions of horse, dogs, and cats, whereas like Royal Eagles, they should convene about the body of JESUS, according to that saying of CHRIST, 
Math. 24. 28.  wheresoever the carcase is, there will the Eagles be gathered together: Eagles fly to CHRIST, but Ravens run to Carrions.  

An Objection.  
But here some may object and say, what needed CHRIST to teach those men, not to labour for their meat? It would seem that they followed him for to eschew labour: They had seen how with five bread he had fed five thousand, and that of the fragments were twelve basket full. For this cause it would appear they followed CHRIST for bread, because they came easily by it without any labour: It might seem that CHRIST should rather have said, ye are but idle sluggards following me for loaves; Return home to your house, and work for your meat, labour, labour.   

The Answer.  
I answer, that this labour whereof CHRIST dischargeth them, is to be understood 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 obtain it, or to keep it, is that which is here discharged.   
* ay will put forth a Paradox: 
Note.  There be many idle men who labour more for the meat which perisheth, than these labourers, that in most painful labour win their bread with the sweat of their brows: But how can that be?  
The reason is, an idle man may be a covetous man: 
Note.  The greedy desire of his heart to have that which he wanteth, is the labour that is here forbidden by the LORD: There be none so busy at this forbidden labour, as some who are stark idle: They abstain from the lawful labour of the body, while their minds unlawfully labour with laborious desires after things which perish. 
Note.  * Thus as he who being his alone, said, that he was never less his alone, than when he 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 us in the words of my text observe the wisdom of CHRIST: The auditors of his Sermon, were men addicted unto their belly, to filthy paunch pleasures: Behold here according as he saw their sin, he fitted his reproof, discharging them to be so careful for perishing things. 
Note.   
* Hear is a doctrine of wisdom for all Pastors, where the boil is putrified, 
The doctrine.  there must they lance: Those men had a boil in the belly: The Lord JESUS seeing it ripe, lanced it with a reproof. 
Note.   
* We 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 sin.  
* Some have the boil upon the brow, 
jer. 3. ●.  which scripture calleth a whore's forehead. 
Note.   
* Others have the botch in the neck, 
Note.  which maketh them stretch out their necks with lofty looks: 
Note.  * This was the sore of the daughters of Zion, 
Isa: 3. 16 17.  they walked with outstretched necks; for this cause the LORD plagued them with scabbed crowns: 
2. Pet. 2. 14.  Others have sore eyes, whose eyes are full of adultery: 
Note.  * Others have scabbed ears, which Scripture calleth itching ears: 
2: Tim. 4. 3.  Others have the water-canker in their mouth, which quencheth not, 
Note.  but rather kindleth on the tongue the fire of Hell: 
jam 3. 6.  
Note.  * In nothing fire and water can agree but in the hellish mouth, wherein is a scolding tongue, sparkling out the spittle of despite: 
Note.  Some have a boil in the throat, whose throat is an open sepulchre, 
Psal. 5. 10.  blasting out the most vile belches of blasphemy: 
Note.  * Others have under the arm hole, the boil or brook of ill thoughts: 
Note.  * Some have the boil on the back, which is costly clothing: 
Note.  * Others like the men of our text, have the boil on the belly, which is gluttony: Pass from the crown to the Sole, from the Catarrhs of the fingers, unto the gout of the feet. Thus as ye see in man there is nothing sound from crown to sole; but in some the corruption within breaketh out more in one part than in another: 
Note.  * Some persons predominant sin is the whore's forehead, lance that the day, and let out the putrefaction before thou presume to come to morrow to this holy table: 
Note.  * Some have eyes full of Adultery; cast out that uncleanness before thou look upon the LORDS bread: 
Note.  * Thou whose mouth is cankered with scolding, hold out thy tongue to thy GOD, and request him to lance by his spirit and his word, that thy tongue, now thy shame, 
Psal. 30. 12.  may become thy glory: * Thou whose throat hath been full of botches, hold up the gorge-pipe to the LORD, entreating him to cleanse it from its sepulchral corruptions: 
Note.  * Thou who hast under thy arm hole a bag of putrified thoughts, away with them, cast the care of back and belly upon the LORD: 
Note.  * Thy care may canker thy sores, but the Lords care shall cure them●.  
Thus as ye see by nature we are but vile and abominable bodies: Let us consider ourselves to day: Let us view our predominant sins with all their Dominions, 
Note.  even the lesser sins: let us behold ourselves to day in the glass of God his law, let us seek out our sores from the crown to the sole, and we shall see whether or not we be pleasant guests for to sit down at the King of HEAVEN his table.  
Another doctrine I observe here concerning those men who followed CHRIST for loaves: 
The doctrine.  This is it; * Seeing such a number ran after CHRIST, 
Note.  an abject man in the world, and that but for loaves, what would they have done to another for dainties and delicate cheer?  
* See how a loaf will make a belly-god to follow after a man like a dog: 
Note.  If the giver have but a natural benefit of the worth of a loaf, he needeth no more to a natural man but a hiss. Seeing such men will thus follow for loans, what would they do for Kingdoms?  
* Satan thought that CHRIST had been a man come to seek himself in the world, 
Note:  and therefore for to allure him to come to his service, he offered him all the kingdoms of the world: But CHRIST who knew what he had in Heaven, 
Math. 4. 9  chased Satan away with all his earthly kingdoms.  
* The use of this Doctrine is, 
Note.  that we follow the LORD for nothing so much as for himself: 
The use.  Indeed all his benefits should allure us to follow him, but the main cause of our following should be himself; 
Note.  * I am that I am should be followed, 
Exod. 3. 14.  for that which he is.  
In their following Christ for loaves, 
The doctrine.  for which they were reproved, I gather a Doctrine of great reproof for Scotland; While we hear of those men that followed Christ only for loaves; like Dogs, following a man for bread, ye think not well of them, and indeed they are branded here with a shameful reproach, that they followed the Lord more for bread than for himself.  
But what if we find more matter of shame in Scotland than was in Capernaum. Those that came to Capernaum followed the Lord, because he gave to them abundance of bread: 
Note.  * Scotland hath run a way from the Lord because he hath given to them abundance of bread: divers called his blessings the plague of plenty the whole land gruged at the graces of God: many not only gave not thanks to the Father of mercies, but cried that he would curse their mother the earth: that henceforth she should become barren. 
Note.  * We have dishonoured God our Father, we have cursed our Mother in this Land, and all this was because God had multiplied our loaves: 
Note.  * In this we are worse than those of Capernaum: for abundance of meat made them to follow after Christ, but abundance of meat hath made us to run away from Christ: Except that particularly we repent us of this Sin the Lord either by another Famine more fearful than ever we did feel, or by some foreign war shall so deprive us of our plenty, and scourge us with such a scarcity which shall make all the ears of EUROPE 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 eat their own Children: * The little ones came to their mother, 
Note.  with a pitiful voice, crying, Where is bread and drink? 
Lam. 2. 12.  and after swoned and than died: That done the tender hearted mothers, did eat the tender flesh of their young Children, which they nourished on their breasts: 
Note.  * That which they before had fed nine moveth into their bells, they put into their mouths and stomaches for the feeding of their bellies; 
Note.  * Yea the mother which for the distress of Famine, had parted with child, took up the child that was of a span long which she did eat in her great distress: 
Lam. 2. 20.  
Note.  * O what a scarcity behoved this to be which made the natural mother, so far to pass the bounds of nature, and all for a span long of flesh.  
This moved leremie the man that saw those afflictions to cry, 
Note.  My eyes do fail with tears, 
Lam. 2. 11.  my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth.  
Because we have not seen such afflictions, we think that such can not be, neither have been, but that the lamentations of God his Book are but feigned Tragedies, or painted Sorrows invented for to make others to mourn at the reading and seeing thereof, like Children that will weep at the hearing of a pitiful tale.  The meat which perisheth: 
LET us now take good heed how the Lord here calleth all this world's cheer, he calleth it the meat which perisheth: 
Note.  * Christ speaking of all the meat that entereth in at the mouth, that it passeth out again, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Math. 15. 17.  that is to say, is cast out into the draught, a filthy place called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, à seorsum sedendo, from man's sitting a part far from all company.  
Take heed then, All this meat which we eat is said by Christ, to go to the draught a place of secret filthiness: In this place of my text it is called the meat which perisheth.  
Let us dwell a space upon the consideration of those words. The meat for the belly which is said here to perish, 
Note.  perisheth many ways. * First it perisheth, even in the pleasure & delectable taste thereof: Be it be past the throat, the taste is away, and leaveth nothing behind it, but a regrate that it would not continue: continue Some knowing the shortness of their 
Note.  throat, sup the strong drink, and roll the sweet morsel upon their tongue; for by this means to make the perishing meat eternal: And yet man can not attain to that whereat he would be: All his wiles fail him, and do what he can, he findeth it to be meat which perisheth: Though his throat were a mile long, at last peribit, it shall pass thorough: Last of all the greater man his pleasure was in tasting, after the taste is past, the greater sorrow doth ensue: * This is that which maketh men to come more sad from banquets than when they go to them: 
Note.  They are more rejoiced with the hope of a promised pleasure, than with the pleasure itself: Many are more glad before they come to the house of feasting in hope of good cheer, 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 being able to last so long as an hour.  
* 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 harken with some delight: a little after they weary; but at last, they turn themselves with a tush, that is but a tale, Is that it all?  
* As in meat, 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 loss his silver, his friends, his credit, his name, his soul, and his salvation? What a fool have I been to have spent all my rents & houses into good cheer? All the taste now thereof is away: All that meat and drink are perished and gone.  
gone Another again will say, 
Note.  What a fool have I been to run after the pleasures of my flesh, by blotting my good name, by scandalising GOD his people, by showing ill example, and by provoking my GOD to wrath? Is this all that I have bought at so   

did eat another after that, for that same night his Soul was taken from him: 
Luke. 12. 20.  Fool, (said the voice from Heaven,) this night thy Soul shall be taken from thee.  
The doctrine 
The doctrine.  I observe here, is, that there is nothing that is permanent here below. 
Note.  * There is nothing so stable in this world, but it is followed with a Page, called perish. That which is said here of bread, may be said of any other worldly things: Of all that we see may be said, it shall perish: What is the glory of this life? What becometh 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 pains? What is riches, and what is he that is rich? all perishing things: 
jam. 1. 1●.  The Sun with its heat withereth, the grass and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion perisheth; so shall all the rich men fade away in his ways.  
* What is honour? 
Note.  To day a King, to morrow a carrion: Behold Ne●uchadnezar a King to day, 
Dan. 4. 33  and amongst the Oxen to morrow: here to day is Pharaoh, 
Exod. 14. 21.  a proud man in his Chariot, and drowned to morrow in the sea. Harken and hear Herod, 
Act. 12. 22.  now arrayed in royal apparel, speaking like a god, behold him at once eaten with vermin.  
I can not win thorough all particulars; but let us look what men love best, and that they shall find to perish. 
Note.  * What is man his approbation, and all this world's applause? What is it but a blast of wind, now blowing from the east; and again the wind is turned clean contrary from the east to the west: To day I hear Hosanna, Hosanna, 
Mark. 11. 10.  to morrow nothing but Crucify, Crucify, 
Luke. 23. 11.   
* All the things of this world which are most liked of, 
Note.  are but transitory tras●es: Let wicked men dream of immortality in things below, all their best things their triumphs and their joys, with all their excellency, are but shows and perishing shadows which have no abode: 
job: 20. 5:  The triumphing of the wicked (said Zophar,) is short, 
v. ●  and the joy of the wicked but for a moment: Though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reach unto the cloud, 
v. 7.  yet he shall perish for ever, like his own dung: 
v. ●.  They which have seen him shall say where is he? He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found: yea he shall he chased away as the vision of the night: Thus as ye see all things are but earthly things which perish▪ 
Note.  * And which is more those Heavens which ye see so glorious, are not endowed with an everlasting virtue: No not: The virtues of the heavens shall be shaken; 
Mat. 24. 29.  and as for the heavens themselves, 
Psal: 10. 2●▪  the Psalmist is plain. They shall perish, yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment.  
* The use of this doctrine is twofold: first, 
The use.  seeing all things below are so transitory, let us not with carking care conquesse the things that will not abide with us: Why should we toil too much for to seek those things which nill we, will we, shall perish? let us not be too earnest to seek any worldly thing which we want, seeing after that we have gotten it, it will not abide in us: ye would think him a fool that would go gather water in a sieve, or fathom the wind: Though we could grippe the Heavens, and have the commandment of the two great jewels of HEAVEN, the Sun and Moon, What should we have but things that should perish? 
Psal. 102. 26.  They shall perish.  
Secondly as we should not labour too earnestly to conquesse any worldly thing, 
The use.  neither should we be too careful to keep any thing, which either we or others for us have conquessed: 
Note.  * Let men do their honest duty, but let them not labour for to keep that which hath Wings.  
* ay compare all worldly things in men's hands to a Wild sparrow put into a Child his hand: 
Note.  He will hold it by the wing, and whiles by the foot, and whiles by the neb: But in the meantime while he is least aware, it flieth out of his hand and for all the annual of his pleasures, yea both for stock and brock, he hath nothing left but a regrate of loss. 
Note.   
* So long as worldly things are stobfeathered, and have as we say but the padocke hair, they will lie still into our hands, for a space they will tarry with us; But tarry a little till their feathers be grown and they shall take themselves to their flight: 
Note.  * Some are more prime running away with the Tewcheit or lapwing so soon as they are hatched: They leave 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.  
* Merciful God what a stupidity is this? 
Note.  we see this daily, and yet we can not considder: we see others make such loss, we see all sorts of things perire, to perish, and pass thorough, and yet we think that what we have, shall for ever tarry with us. 
Note:  * I compare most men to keen players at Cards and Dice, They see others spend all their pack before them, and yet they can not dream that their pack can perish. This folly is seen in a greater matter more worthy to be laid to our hearts. * We hair of death daily, 
Note.  and will not be wakened out of our immortal dream: If men would well considder the mortality of this life: 
jam. 4. 14.  and how it is but a vapour and as a tale that is told they would not so toil for a tale, 
Psal. 90. 9  labouring night and day with carking cares for things which shall perish and fly away as a dream. 
job. 20. 8.   
One word before I end: Dear beloved, ye have heard how I in my weak measure of gift, have been like * john the Baptist this day, 
Note.  preparing the way of the LORD, by removing out of your hearts: the thorny cares of all worldly things, that to morrow ye may be worthy communicants, and that the KING of Glory may enter into your hearts.  
Now I exhort you in the name of JESUS, that this whole day ye carefully, and painfully, labour in the preparation of your hearts, that to morrow ye may be worthy guests at the table of your LORD: Labour this day I entreat you to search out all your sins of thoughts, words, & works, whereof ye are guilty since ye can remember: 
Note.  * Labour to search what good or ill intentions ye have for times to come, and what sorrow ye have for your bygone ill spent life: Labour, labour in this; This is GOD his work, and woe to him that shall do it negligently.  
* We must first then labour for to try out our sins, 
Note.  after that we have found them out, we must mourn for them, we must confess them, abhor them, detest them, and wrestle with GOD in prayer, till he seal up the pardon thereof into our hearts: 
Note.  * We must in this our preparation day, labour to shake off us all the old clouts and rags of our sins, and to put on us, all our spiritual jewels, that therewith bee-beeing decked, we may come to morrow to the royal feast of the great King.  
* Brethren and Sisters, I entreat you to considder, that this day of our preparation, must be a day of painful labouring with God for his favour, for the sanctifying of our souls, that worthily we may come to that royal feast: seeing CHRIST and his ANGELS will be at the table, for to behold and considder us to morrow, we must this day carefully wash, deck, and trim ourselves, that we may be pleasant in their presence, where such heavenly eyes shall behold us.  
All this day must be spent in such labour. * If idly we neglect this duty, we have to fear a more painful labour, viz. laborare morbo the hard labour of God his wrath and of many painful and fearful diseases; yea, and death itself: For this cause, 
1. Cor. 11. 30.  saith the Apostle, Many are weak and sickly amongst you, and many sleep.  
The LORD grant that every one of us may in sincerity of heart labour to prepare, and purify ourselves, and that according to the purification of the Sanctuary. Amen, 
2. Chron. 19  Amen.    

A WATCHWORD FOR ALL COMMUNICANTS, BEFORE THEY come to the supper of the LORD.  
AS for you Brethren and Sisters that are to communicate, to morrow ye shall see the remembrance of that, which the Sun in the Heavens could not behold for doole, viz. the bloody passion of our LORD.  
* This passion was so sore, 
Note.  that the Sun, 
Luke. 23. 45.  the eye of the world overclouded himself, and as it were winked, until the unspeakable torments of CHRIST'S death were passed; then were the Heavens covered with a veil of sack; then the earth shook: 
Note.  shook The stones, the bones of the earth were rend at the racking of the bones of GOD, the remembrance whereof should make hearts of stone to cleave asunder.  
To morrow, dear Brethren and Sisters we are for to eat with Christ: * Yea tomorrow we are for to ●ate of Christ, 
Note.  who is both the feast and the Feast-maker: To morrow we are all for to sit at his table, where he will narrowly behold and clearly consider the faces of our souls, and therefore we must take care this day that our Souls be washen and baptised with the truest tears of repentance. * ay read of james and john, while they were unchristned men, for to speak so, that is, not baptised, they desired the one to sit at CHRIST'S right hand, and the other at his left: But the LORD told them, that before such sitting down, it behoved them to be baptised with the baptism of afflictions: 
Math. 20. 22.  He and he only that is partaker of this Baptism to day, shall be made partaker of GOD'S Supper to morrow. As for these that are not baptised with tears of grief before they sit down at Table, the LORD hath sworn that they shall not partake of his feast: 
Note.  * They may well eat panem Domini the LORDS bread, but they shall never taste panem Dominum, the LORD bread.  
It shall therefore be our wisdom, that every one of us be busy to prepare his own heart, to deck & trim his soul before he approach unto this TABLE, for to appear before his GOD: 
Note.  * As joseph was trimmed and pulled, 
Genes. 41. 14.  before he would appear before Pharaoh, so must every soul have the Wedding garment, 
Math. 22. 11.  before it present itself before the LORD at his Banquet.  
Take heed what I say: This day is our preparation day: A day wherein we must provide that wherewith we must come before the LORD to morrow: 
Micah. 6. 6  
Note.  * If we do well, this day must be unto us all a very painful day, even a day of Battle against all the pleasures that ever we had in sin, since we could discern good from ill: In this day we must try and search carefully all the secrets of our hearts: 
Note.  * This is the time wherein we must keep an Assize against ourselves, both for to judge and condemn ourselves: 
Note.  * In a word, we must all take such pains in sifting out all our bypast iniquities, that the LORD may say of us, as he said of the woman that broke the Box of ointment upon his head, 
Mark. 14. 8  She hath done what she could.  
Good Brethren and Sisters! What ye can do, do: What ye can not do, pray GOD to do it, and to pardon you your impossibility: 
Note.  * I beleeue, 
Mar. 9 24  (said that poor man with tears, that is all that I can do;) but I believe not as I should, and therefore LORD help thou mine unbelief. Let us all be earnest to entreat GOD to give us grace to do what we can do, and what we can not do that he would pity us, and pardon us.  
I read that in the days of Hezekiah, a number of the people which had not cleansed themselves, did eat the Passcover otherwise then it was written; But what befell them? I pray you: Many of them were troubled with sore sickness: 
Note.  * But how were they cured of these diseases? It is said that Hezekiah prayed for them: The good LORD, (said he) pardon every one, that prepareth his heart to seek GOD, 
2. Chron. 30. 18. 19  the LORD GOD of his Fathers, though he be not cleansed, according to the purification of the Sanctuary. Now what was the fruit of that prayer? This was it, 
v. ●o.  The LORD harkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.  
That which the Passover was to them, the LORDS Supper is unto us, even a Sacrament appointed by GOD, for the sealing up of our Salvation: If we eat this supper otherwise than it is written, let us look for divers diseases: For this cause, (saith the Apostle,) 
1. Corin. 〈◊〉. 30.  Many are weak and sickly amongst you, and many sleep, that is, die. Let us therefore, as we would desire our body's health, and our soul's Salvation, prepare ourselves to meet the LORD to morrow: There is none of us I confess, that can prepare himself, according to the preparation of the Sanctuary, nor cleanse himself according to its purification, No Soul can be so well prepared and purified, as GOD in his Sanctuary requireth. 
Note.  requireth But this I dare be bold to say, that the good LORD shall pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek GOD; though he be not so cleansed, as the purification of the Sanctuary requireth.  
GOD'S word is plain, that GOD is merciful: He hath sworn by his life, that He deligteth not in the death of sinners. 
Note.  * He hath sent his word for to tell us, 
1. Cor. 11. 31.  that If we will judge ourselves, we shall not be judged. * Yea such is his mercy, 
Note.  that while we are chastised with sickness or death for our careless preparation, he maketh all that to work to our well, for when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord; 
1. Cor. 11. 32.  that we should not be condemned with the world.  
Now good people, not knowing if ever after this ye shall hear or I teach another Preparation Sermon in this place, let me conclude all with that adieu of St. Paul, said to the elders of Ephesus at Miletum, 
Act. 20. 32.  I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified.  
Pass the rest of this day in a serious meditation of your own misery, and of the bloody agony of JESUS our Master, 
Gal. 3. 13.  who out of love to us hang upon a cursed tree for to purchase unto us the everlasting blessings of his Father: To whom with the Son of his love, and with the Spirit of Comforts, be Glory and Majesty, Dominion, and Power, now, and ever. Amen,   

A SERMON FOR THE DAY OF THE SACRAMENT.  JOHN. 6. v. 27. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for the meat which endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you, for Him hath GOD the FATHER sealed. 

THIS TEXT in my former Sermon was divided into a Fast and a Feast: First here is a Fast, and then a Feast: The fast is from carking care, Labour not for the meat which perisheth: Fast from that: The feast is for the soul, a banquet of meat which feedeth to life everlasting; Feast upon that: Take pains and labour for it.  
This whole TEXT seemeth to run upon a Sabbath of rest, and upon fore working and labour.  
The first part is a Sabbath and rest from labours, Labour not for the meat which perisheth: The second hath a commandment of work, Labour for the meat which endureth to life everlasting.  
As for GOD his Sabbath which is a discharge of labour, a resting from toiling, I read in Scriptures of three sorts thereof.  
First there is one on earth enjoined by GOD his law, a day of rest: In it, (saith GOD,) thou shalt do no manner of work: 
Exod. 20. 10.  This is the law's Sabbath.  
The second is the Gospel Sabbath, which is a continual resting from carking cares: This is enjoined here, labour not for the meat, etc. This precept is for our whole life-time: * There is not one day of the week that GOD will dispense with any for to labour in this sort. 
Note.   
The third Sabbath is in●o the heavens, an eternal rest from all worldly toiling, and sweat of brows, the pains of sin: of all that are there, is said that they are blessed: 
Reval. 14. 13.  yea saith the spirit for thy rest from their labours.  
As there be three sorts of rest, first of the law, secondly of the Gospel, Thirdly of the HEAVENS, so there be three sorts of labour: first there is one enjoined by the law, a labour laid upon all the sons of Adam; to them it is enjoined six days in the week to win their meat with the sweat of their brows: * Cursed is that meat, 
Note.  which is not sawsed with sweet: Bitter is that bread which is not sweetened with the sweet of brows.  
The Second labour is, Gospel labour, a continual labour. Labour for the meat which endureth: This is enjoined in the second part of this Text: This is our spiritual exercise painful to flesh and blood in the best.  
The third labour, is Heavenly, which shall be our exercise in the life to come: 
Note.  * That labour shall be sweet without sweat, pleasant without pain: This labour is an everlasting praising of GOD without ceasing, which is so easy and so pleasant to the praisers that Scripture calleth it a resting from our labours. 
Rom. 14. 13.   
It is of the second sort of labour, whereof we have here the command: it is an Evangelicall labour which is here commanded by the LORD: labour, (saith he) for the meat which endureth to everlasting life: which the son of man shall give unto you, for him hath GOD the Father sealed.   

The division of the words.  
In these words, I perceive three chief things to be considered, 1. for what we should chiefly labour, viz. for the meat which endureth to everlasting life. 2. who is the giver of this meat, it is the son of man, in these words which the son of man shall give unto you. 3. We have to consider who did appoint him for that office, it is set down in these words, for him hath GOD the Father sealed.   

THE FIRST PART.  
For what we should chiefly labour.  
FIRST of all let us consider for what we are commanded here to labour, labour (saith CHRIST,) for the meat which endureth, etc.  
First observe here the wisdom of CHRIST, secondly the corruption of our nature.  
In this appeareth here the wisdom of CHRIST, 
The doctrine.  in that after he hath discharged men to labour for that which is not worthy their labour, he clearly letteth them see for what above all things they should labour: This is wisdom first to take ill away, and then to put good into the place thereof. CHRIST first here taketh ill out of the way, before he bring in that which is good: He dischargeth toiling for worldly things, before he speak of spiritual labour: A wise man will not sow amongst thorns: Worldly cares are but thorns. 
Note.  * CHRIST here with labour not, as with a pruning knife, sneddeth away such pricking briers; that done, he cometh to the main point, declaring for what all men should labour, this is wisdom.  
The use: Let us learn wisdom, 
The use.  whether we be Teachers or Scholars, let this ever be our first motion to take first evil out of the way: The weeds must be first rooted, before we sow good seed.  
* Before the goodness of CHRIST can dwell into us, 
Note.  there must first be a preparation of the way in the wilderness of our hearts. This was the use of john the Baptist his axe.  
Secondly we have here to consider the corruption of our own nature: 
The doctrine.  See how slow we are for the obtaining of that which is good: We will not labour for things of worth, except that we be exhorted thereunto. We know not our wants: We are sick of a Laodicean sickness: 
Revel. 3. 17.  We think that we have need of nothing: If we knew what is the worth of this meat, which endureth unto life, we would unbidden labour for it; where is the wearied man that hath need to be requested to rest himself on a bed? What needeth a man that is hungry to be desired to eat his meat while it is before him? While Christ himself was wearied at Sichar, he sought a drink of water. 
john. 4. 7.  * Shall a rich man request a beggar to beg silver from him? 
Note.  And yet behold here, and in divers other places of Scripture, how we must be exhorted with commandment after commandment, for to seek that which is best for our Souls: Are we not here commanded to seek that meat which will make our Souls to live for ever? We are commanded, and yet for all that we are slow to it: CHRIST must make an Oyas for to stir up men to come, and buy without money, that which is so precious that it can not be bought for money, 
Isa. 55. 1.  Ho! every one that thirsteth, Come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money: come ye, buy and eat, yea, come buy wine and milk without money; and without price.  
* If any Burgh of this Land would cry such a Fair, 
Note.  that all might come and buy without money, who would tarry away; and yet though by us CHRIST hath commanded a free Fair to be cried for all men to come, and buy without money, 
●sa. 53. 1.  may we not say with the Prophet, But who hath believed our report? 
Note.  * A little invitation will make us come willingly to feast with our friend: But to come and feast with our GOD, and feed upon this meat, which will make our Souls to live, we need much request and entreaty. What are these prefaces, which are now used before Sermons, but requests that we would be so good, as to apply our hearts to eat of this meat? Should we need request for to eat of such dainties. 
Note.  * This new form of spending the time in prefaces, declareth plainly that w● have begun to loath that which we should love. * This should make us to fear that within a little space, both Prefaces and Preachings shal● be taken from us, and we brought to a fearful conclusion of misery. 
The use.   
The use of this doctrine is, that we strive to be willing and glad to seek spiritual things, and to labour for them. Seeing we are so careful for this body, that it want nothing, how much more should we be careful for the Soul, which is of greatest price. 
Note.  * Bodily things are like Belly things, they all perish with the body and the belly. Let us therefore rouse up our spirits, and gird up the the loins of our mind, 
1. Pet. 1. 13.  that according to our LORD his command here we may labour for the meat which endureth to everlasting life.  
In this first part of this day's exercise, we have to consider two things, first what it is to labour: secondly, for what we should labour.  
As for the first, If we would know what labour is enjoined here, let us remember what in the former Sermon was forbidden in labouring for perishing meat: The pains forbidden in that point, are enjoined here: while CHRIST commandeth us to labour for this meat of life: he willeth us both to labour with body & soul, both with heart and with hand: Nothing without or within us must be away from GOD his service: Bless the LORD, 
Psal. 103. 1  O my soul, (said David,) and all that is within me, blessed his holy name: The body of man, and the mind of man must labour: 
Note.  * We must cause our passions and perturbatious also labour for the Soul: As joshuah made the Gibeonites slaves for drawing of water for the house of his GOD, 
josh. 9 23.  so must we make these our affections to be drawers of water, even of the tears of true and unfeigned repentance: we must so labour for spiritual things, that the care thereof take the sleep from us: David arose at midnight, 
Psal. 119. 62  for to labour in prayer: when jacob kept Laban's sheep, 
Gen 31. 40  the sleep fled away from his eyes: 
Note.  * Shall a man be so careful as to want sleep for to keep sheep, and shall he not be much more careful for to keep his soul? Shall a man labour for to please a man, & shall he not much more labour for to please his GOD? Shall a man labour for his back and his belly? and shall he take no pains for his silly soul? Shall a man highly esteem things which perish, and shall that which is eternal be lightly set by?  
But let us more particularly consider the properties of a good labourer.  
First a good labourer must be vigilant and watchful, 
The doctrine.  ●ar●ly rising at the chirping of the birds: he must be a house-Cock for to waken others, and to set them on work: so must the spiritual labourer do, he must haste himself early from the bed of down: 
Prover. 8. 17.  He that seeketh me early shall find me.  
All ye that are young make use of this doctrine: 
The use.  seek the LORD early ye Scholars: let this my Sermon by like the five hour bell: Though drowsy nature would fain lie still and sleep, 
Note.  up, up; from the feathers; Serve GOD in the morning of thy life: Serve him first in the morning of thy days: let the first part of the day be spent into kneeling before his footstool: let GOD also be served in the morning of all thy adoes: 
Note.  * When ever thou is going to any action, were it at noon, or at even, labour a little with GOD: first, Serve him in the morning of that action: 
Note.  * Before thou speak of any matter of weight, up with thy heart and eyes to the HEAVENS, saying with a sigh, LORD direct me in that which I am for to speak: see that in all things thou first labour with thy GOD.  
* The first of all things of GOD'S in a particular manner: 
Note.  GOD in Israel had the first of all things: These firstlings were but the ceremony whereof the substance is, that all our thoughts, words and works: begin at him, who is Alpha, the beginning of all the creatures of GOD. * It is a strange thing of this world's folly: All men think, 
Note.  that if a man learn not to be a Scholar in his youth, that it is no more time in the age of threescore to begin his A B C: Such a man needed not to think for to be a Minister. Do men of such an age begin any other trade or craft? Are not your Children sent to crafts while they are young. Where saw ye any begin to learn a craft in the age of threescore? And yet most men think, though they have lived fifty or threescore years, like Pagans, that upon their death bed they will easily learn to be Christians.  
* The ill spent lives of many are greatly to be suspected, 
Note.  though on their deathbed they will seem to be exceeding humble: Such often will have fair shows of repentance, so long as they are under the weighty h●●d, but let them be once free of their affliction, incontinent it is seen how they return to their old bias again, 
Psal. 78. 57  like deceitful bows. Who is more penitent in appearance than a thief, while he goeth to the gibbet? But let him once loose, it will be seen that he cannot refrain, * A long contracted habit is not removed in a short space. 
Note.  It is a hard task and labour to amend all the faults of our life in three or four days sickness. Scripture maketh no mention of any, but of one converted at the last gasp, viz. the Thief at CHRIST'S right hand, 
Luk 23 43  which was a miracle.  
Secondly as we should labour early, so should we labour earnestly, GOD willeth us not to be lazy at his service. 
Note.  * GOD his Servants are all of the nature of the Scraphins, they have fire in their wings: GOD liketh not the labour that is done with delays: 
Note.  * He can not abide the slaggards yet a little while; 
〈…〉  He is wearied of those who are weary of well doing, 
Mal. 1. 13  like those Snuffers of Malachi.  
Thirdly, as we must labour early and earnestly for spiritual things, so must we labour constantly: If a righteous man fall away, 
Ezek. 18. 24.  GOD saith that he will no more remember his bygone righteousness. 
Note.  * Many now a little before, and little after the supper of the LORD will seem to be full of devotion. Some will put their finger in their eye, and wring out some tears, which like Popish holy water, (as they think,) shall cleanse them from all bygone wickedness; they can droop like a bulrush for a day; 
Isa. 58. 5.  but so soon as such times are ended, then endeth all their devotion. * In such a time as this, such sinners are in a worse estate than at any time; 
Note.  for their sins which at other times were stricken out like filthy pocks, are not taken away, but are stricken in about the heart a deadly disease: The less this venom appeareth without, the greater is our danger: for the poison of sin lurking within about the heart is fostered & increased with a good conceit of ourselves, that we are not like other men: This fond conceit joining itself with the corruption of concupiscence into the heart, overmastereth the good motions and vital spitits that are within.  
In all the time of labouring for grace and good things, 
Note.  wicked men are as if they were in the stocks: They will begin, but they can not continue. 
Note.  continue Away with fair beginnings which are not backed with perseverance: 
Revel. 2. 25  To Thyatira GOD said, that which ye have already, hold fast till I come: 
Revel. 3. 2  To Sardis was said, strengthen the things which remain: This was a sore reproach for Ephesus, 
Revel. 2. 4  that she had left her first love.  

The meat which endureth to everlasting life.  
THE thing here for which we are commanded to labour, is meat: It is distinguished by a special property or effect, it endureth to everlasting life.  
The doctrine is this: The meat which GOD commendeth and commandeth here, 
The doctrine.  is spiritual meat; wherein we see that as the body of a man must have meat, so must our soul also have meat.  
The use: 
The use.  As we are careful for the body, so let us be more careful for the Soul: we all lay up our yearly provision for the body: we sow, we shear, we heap, we kill, we mill, grind, sift, and bake, and all for the meat of the body: what then shall we refuse to labour for the Soul, which is much more precious than the body? 
Note.  * Alas too many after they have stuffed their belly remember little that their soul is fasting: let all men be careful to labour for this meat: 
Note.  * When thou hast refreshed thy body with GOD his benefits below, say unto thy soul, my silly soul, my body is satisfied, but alas what hast thou gotten? I am persuaded that many pass many days, not remembering that they have a soul within their body: * They do to their soul, 
Note.  that which a good man would not do to his horse, he would be sorry to let him stand in stable a day without a ba●te: And yet how many days let we slip, not labouring for a crumb of spiritual meat to our soul.   

The Properties of this meat.  
Now let us consider what is the property of this meat, for which we are commanded to labour, it is this viz. durable: It is so durable that it feedeth to everlasting life. This meat hath many good properties: Among many I shall single out three: 1. It is a meat that is sweet. 2. It is wholesome. 3. It is durable.  

The first Sweet.  
First I say this meat is sweet, more sweet than Manna, whose taste was like wafers made with honey: 
Exod. 16. 31.  If hitherto thou hast not known the sweetness thereof, Now, 
Psal. 34. 8  taste and see how good is the LORD: David saith that his word is sweeter than the honey and the honey comb: 
Psal. 19 10.  
Note.  * ●s his word so sweet? O how sweet then must he himself be, which is the cause of all that Sweetness! O the Sweetness of GOD in this Sacrament of the Supper! If we could taste it, we would wonder at its taste: O the goodness of this bread which is panis domi●ius, the bread LORD: * This bread LORD carrieth such a virtue with it, 
Note.  that it maketh the bread of the LORD the outward element, to have a sweeter relish in the mouth of the receiver, then commoun bread: Likewise that wine being received by faith, hath a more savoury taste to the worthy communicant, than drunkards can find in their Belshazzars Cups at their greatest feasts. 
Dan. 5. 4.   
* The tongue of man can not express, 
Note.  the sweetness of this spiritual banquet, whereunto ye are invited this day: Is not this a banquet of love, which sweeteneth all things? None must gloume here upon another: None must have any grudge at another: This is a feast of friendship: The spouse in the Canticles speaking of CHRIST his banquet, saith, 
Cant. 2. 4.  He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love: Behold how so soon as the spouse came in the feasting house, CHRIST cast a banner over her, a banner of love.  
* We come to this feast, 
Note.  alas with banners of pride, the greatest enemy of love: Behold while this love Banner was cast over the spouse, she fell sick into the banketinghouse: Passa est deliquium animi, she swooned for love: while one is like to swoon, others will cry for wine for to uphold the failing spirits, so did this spouse, while she found herself so ravished with love, that her heart began to faint, 
Cant. ●. 5.  stay me with flagons (said she,) Comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love: See how she cried for a flagon of wine for to drink, and for apples of comfort for to savour, whereby her heart might be strengthened in the sickness of love.  
Now we are into the LORD his banqueting house, the feast will be ready anon: 
Note.  * Let us entreat the LORD, that he would cover us all together here with the Banner of his love, whereby we may be moved to love GOD above all things, and our neighbours as ourself, till thy Soul be enwrapped in this Banner; see that thou come not to this Table; But so soon as thou shalt find thy heart sicken with the love of him, then make haste to the Table: let thy Soul then cry for meat and for a drink of GOD his flagons: Cry for it, and he shall give thee the sweetest drink that ever thy Soul drank, I say the sweetest, for seeing the sickness of love is so sweet, how sweet must that drink be which healeth the Soul of such sickness? What I say of drink, that I say of meat: O the sweetness of that spiritual meat!  
* If a man hath eaten Cannell or Anise, 
Note.  his breath will be sweet and pleasant thereafter: A man also who truly hath eaten CHRIST, his breath in his words will savour more sweetly than Cinnamon.  
O the sweet savour of godliness, which is the savour of GOD himself. * By the savour of your breath it shall be known hereafter what ye have eaten this day. 
Note.  Ye who shortly after the Communion begin to rai●e, scold, lie, and brawl, beguile not yourselves: these rotten words are but stinking belches, which proceed from the rotten meat of damnation: If the bread Lord, this meat, whereof here is mention, were in such men's hearts, the savour of life would be in their words, for words do proceed from that whereof there is abundance in the heart.  
I pray you to remember, that this meat for which CHRIST biddeth labour is a meat most sweet: That which is sweet, worketh upon two senses often, viz. upon the savour and the taste. We say of a flower, it hath a sweet savour, and we say of honey it hath a sweet taste: The sweetness both of favour and taste concurreth in this meat of my Text: The meat is CHRIST, who is both of a sweet savour, and of a sweet taste.  
As for his savour, it is excellent, like that of the Rose and that of the Lily: I am the Rose of Sharon, (said he,) 
Cant. 2. 1.  and the Lily of the Valleys.  
* The garments of his righteousness, 
Note.  are all perfumed with Celestial Musk. Blind Isaac finding a smell of Esau his garment, 
Gen. 27. 27  rejoiced: Before he would bless him, he cried for savoury meat: He was blind, and could not see it; and therefore behoved to make choice by the savour. 
Note.  * A hungry man passing by a door where excellent meats are, will rejoice and be comforted with the smell thereof; the reek thereof will delight his heart. If thy Soul O man, be a hungry Soul to day in this the Lords his banketinghouse, thou shall find such a sweet savour of this meat, as shall comfort thy heart.  
* The reek of CHRIST his body broken and prepared to be meat to thy Soul, 
Note.  and the reek of his blood coming out of his wounds shall refresh thee so, that thou shall wonder what a virtue it can be.  
All the dearest dainties of this world are nothing but stink and corruption in comparison of the sweet savour of CHRIST his crucified body: There is in Him the savour of the rose, and of the Lily; spikenard, aloes, and Cassia. 
Note.  * All the perfume of Heaven is in Him: It is He who maketh all the HEAVENS like a Paradise of flowers: O the savour of our SAVIOUR, 
2. Cor. 2. 16.  the savour of life unto life! 
Note.  * O that savour of life, a living savour that maketh a dead soul to live a life which can not be taken away by death.   

The second, Wholesome.  
WE have heard of the first property of this meat for which CHRIST willeth us to labour, it is sweet: The second is, that it is wholesome; sanctificat, sanat, it maketh holy, and it maketh whole. 
Note.  * Holiness is only true health; This meat is both meat and medicine, for it both feedeth and healeth the Soul. 
Note.  * In my judgement in this world there is not a more powerful m●anes for to be cured of the disseases of the Soul, than first a reverend and careful hearing of the word, and then a frequent and well prepared taking of the Sacrament: Believe what I say; This I will say, behold that bread upon the Table with a faithful eye, and a sight of that bread shall heal thy wounds.  
* Shall the sight of a brazen serpent set upon a pole, 
Note.  a law ceremony be so powerful, 
Numb. 21. 9  for healing the deadly bite of a Serpent, and shall the ceremony of the Gospel be of a less virtue? * ay will tell thee O man; 
Note.  if thou hast any sort of earnest desire to get good here, though thou be not prepared nor purified, 
2. Chron. 30. 19  according to the purification of the Sanctuary: Let me say more, though thou want faith, and yet come with outward reverence, fearing to offend, if thou droop before GOD, taking some pains to do well, thou shall reap an outward benefit from GOD, as health of body, prosperity in thy actions, escaping of some temporal judgement.  
* This I may enforce by reason 
Note.  from Scripture: All that beheld the brazen Serpent had not true faith, yet all received a benefit: The faithful were healed▪ both in Soul and Body: The wicked because they obeyed GOD by looking up to his ordinance, were all healed of their bodily sore: Because Ahab, that was but a damned hypocrite, made a show of repentance lying into sackcloth, he found some favour with GOD: Though his heart was not upright, yet because he cowred and crouched outwardly and was afraid, the LORD pitied him and praised him▪ 
1. King. 2●. 29.  saying to Elijah, Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbled himself I will not bring the evil in his days: for his outward repentance GOD bestowed upon him an outward beneficence: The ill came not upon his house in his days.  
But as for these that are in the gall of bitterness, 
Act. 8. 2●.  scandalous in life and publicly profane lying in the bed of wickedness, or sifting in the Chair of scorners, 
Psal. 1. 1.  delighting in sin, vaunting and bragging of of their wickedness, taking no pains to mourn for their offending of GOD, in the name of JESUS CHRIST I excommunicate them from this holy Table: see that they be not so bold as to presume to profane this blessed meat:  
* Hear I plainly declare unto them, 
Note.  that in stead of wholesome meat and drink, they shall eat and drink the rank poison of their own damnation.  
* In judas his Sop was the devil, 
Note.  or the devil entered into him after the Sop: 
john. 13. 26.  A strange thing, Satan could never win in into the man, till he had gotten that Sop: Before the sop gotten, he had made many onsets, but could never get entry for to possess him so fully: But so soon as he received the sop, he followed it down into the man, who never ceased till he had hanged himself: 
Note.  * Satan may make many onsets on a profane man, but he never findeth such a door of entrance as when he findeth him taking out of GOD his servants hands the holy meat of the Sacrament: That is to him like the Traitors Sop: Thus the meat and drink of the Sacrament, which by GOD his ordinance, is a most wholesome meat, both for soul and body, by the abuse thereof, becometh an eaten and drunken damnation.   

The third, Durable.  
In this our Text, we have the third property of this spiritual meat for which CHRIST willeth us to labour, it is, d●●able.  
This is declared in these words which endureth to everlasting life: This is meat which passeth not thorough: This is holy meat, everlasting meat, not subject to corruption: Meat below must be salted lest it stink: over nights Mannah would not keep, 
Exod. 16. 20.  worms entered into it: and it stanke, The Gibeonits' bread being old, 
josh. 9 12.  became mouldy: Only CHRIST which is GOD his bread, endureth to everlasting life.  
here let us observe that the things of GOD are only durable; 
The doctrine.  temporal things below will abide some little space, but endure not; nothing here is permanent, for we spend our years as a tale that is told: 
Psal. 90. 9  what is this bread whereon we feed from nine hours unto twelve, and from twelve unto six? shall we call that an enduring meat?  
* All the most delicate meats of this world, 
Note.  are but like a feast in print: most delicate meats and drinks, are there but all in words and lines: There is nothing there indeed, which can feed: But my flesh, 
john. 6. 55  (said CHRIST) is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed: Temporal things may have the name of meat and drink, but nothing is so indeed, but CHRIST himself.  
Shall I call that meat indeed, which is not able to feed me four and twenty hours? shall I say that that is, which is ever passing thorough, as swiftly as the time? 
Note.  * Because of the continual flux of time, time is never said properly to be present, but either past or to come, the present being but an instant: It is so of all temporal things below, they are not durable, but are all sick of such a flux, that their present being in an instant is not worthy of the word of enduring: 
Note:  What is man his life here, but a tale already told? So long as a tale is in telling, it seemeth to be something, but when once it is told, the hearer will say, Tush, that is but a tale; 
Eccles. 1. 2.  The vanity of vanities, said the Preacher and all is vanity: The course of all things below, is in vanity, from vanity to vanity; There is nothing here fixed and permanent: That which seemeth most sure, is like the strength of our life, which as Moses singeth, 
Psal. 90. 20  Is soon cut off, and we fly away: All temporal things, are like the time, ever in a flux, like sand running out of a sand-glasse, they have no abode.  
But what soever thing is in GOD it is permanent: GOD his honour is permanent, his good will is fixed, his blessing is stable, 
Gen. 27. 33.  like Isaac his blessing, Him have I blessed and he shall be blessed: GOD his riches, are enduring riches: 
Prover. 8. 18.  Honour and riches are with me, yea, durable riches and righteousness: The water of the well of Sichar, did quench men's thirst for a space, but there is a liquor in CHRIST, which being drunken shall banish thirst away for ever: Whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again, 
john. 4. 13.  said CHRIST to the woman at the Well: But whosoever, 
v. 14.  (said he,) shall drink of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst, But the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a Well of water springing up into everlasting life.  
Now let us observe, to what this meat is said in my Text for to endure: It is said to endure to everlasting life.  
In this meat, I find two good things, 1. It giveth life where there is nothing but death. 2. It preserveth the life that is gotten: It endureth to everlasting life, that is, maketh the eater thereof to live for ever.  
By this clearly this spiritual meat is distinguished from all temporal cheer, There is no temporal meat that can put life in a dead man: There is no meat also, which can prolong the life of a man but an hour: But here is the meat, CHRIST, which endureth to everlasting life.  
By this I say, CHRIST is distinguished from all other meat in this world: 
Note.  * Let a man walk thorough all Country's, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in no place shall he find either meat or medicine, that shall prolong his days beyond the date of the most vigorous the four score year: 
Psal. 90. 10.  The Mannah which was Angels food, had not this property: Your fathers, 
john. 6. 49  (said CHRIST) did eat Mannah in the wilderness and are dead: No Apples of youth can preserve man from old age: 
Note.  * Physicitians may prattle and say.  Cur moriatur homo cum salvia crescat in horto? 
That is man needeth not to die if he knew the use of the herb sage: But if men could take this Saviour for saluia, they should find that men need not to die at all: This Saviour, is that spiritual Sage of Salvation? wherefore should a man die, seeing GOD hath so loved the world, 
john. 3. 16.  that he hath given his only son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life:  
Let us all therefore believe in this Saviour, for wherefore should ye die, O ye house of Israel? Let us eat him by faith: he is that spiritual Sage and Salue, which is the only remede against death: He who is CHRIST'S, may well, while he goeth to the grave, lay down his head for to sleep, or take a little nap, as we say, but he cannot die, because he hath eaten his Salvation, 
Luk ●: 3●.  even this meat which endureth to everlasting life.  
The use of this doctrine is, 
The use.  that seeing this meat is of such worth, we be careful to labour for it: If we labour for it, it will feed us eternally: But if we labour not for it, if we love it not, but loathe it, it shall be our death: the chief point of the condemnation of the wicked, shall be this, that this meat was offered unto him, but they would none of it: This is the condemnation of the world, not that they have sinned, but because they have despised the remedy of sin: This, (saith S. john,) 
john. 3. 19  is the condemnation, that light is com● into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light.  
* Now seeing ye are presently invited to the LORDS banquet, 
Note.  a banquet not of dead meat, but of liviug meat, which shall make your souls to live for ever, my Counsel is that as yesterday, so also this day ye labour for it: Take pains now, upon your Souls, that they may be wrought unto a holy reverence: Bend up all your spirits, and prepare you for your GOD: see what every man can do this day, for the Salvation of his own Soul: Let us all together wrestle with CHRIST, as it were half middle, half man, and let us say of this meat, as jacob said of the blessing, 
Gen. ●2. 26.  I will not let thee go: 
Note.  * Bread in Hebrew is called Lehem, from a word that signifieth to fight, because a man above all things earthly, will fight for his meat: If a man will fight for the food of his belly, what should he not do for to get meat to his Soul? Let us therefore labour and wrestle with jacob, pouring our tears and prayers, 
Hosea. 12. 4.  the armour of the Church, let us never let the LORD get rest, till we get that meat which endureth to everlasting life.     

THE SECOND PART.  
Who is the giver of this meat.  
NOW let us come to the second and third parts of our Text, wherein I shall strive to be short. In this second part, we have to considder, who is the giver of this meat, The giver is called the son of man, in these words which the son of man shall give you.  
He who is called here the son of man, is CHRIST.  
* CHRIST in Scripture is called the Son of three. 
Note.  1. The Son of GOD. 2. The Son of Marie. 3. The Son of man.  
In regard of his Deity, as second person of the Trinity, He is the Son of GOD begotten of him, from all eternity, coequal and coessential to his Father, of whose glory he is the brightness, and the express image of his person, 
Heb. 1. 2  the appointed heir of all things.  
He was called the Son of Mary, because he was conceived in her Belly, and borne of her.  
here he is called by himself the son of man, because he took upon him man's nature, and became man like unto us in all things, sin only excepted: 
Note.  * So soon as the fullness of time came, 
Gal. 4. 4.  GOD sent forth his son made of a woman, conceived of a woman, and not begotten by a man, and yet the son of man, and the Son of a virgin, even GOD manifested in the flesh a Son younger than MARIE his Mother, 
1. Tim. 3. 16.  a Son older than Adam the Father of his Mother, a Son eternal with his FATHER that begat him. 
Note.  * As in the Heaven He was Motherless, as GOD, so on earth He was Fatherless, as Man, and yet the Son of Man.  
here be the three greatest wonders of the World. 
Note.  DEUM nasci, Virginem parer●, fidem haec credere. That GOD should be borne, that a Virgin should bring forth a Son, that man can believe it; though in the Creation he may have some ground: 
Note.  * For seeing GOD at the beginning made the woman out of the man without the help of any woman, why might he not make a man, and hew him out of a woman without the help of any man? He who could give a being unto nothing might also raise a nature of some thing: but to leave this let us considder here what is the office of this Son of man.  
It is said here that he is ordained for to give to us the meat which endureth to everlasting life, in these words, which the son of man shall give unto you.  
The doctrine I observe here is, 
The doctrine.  that * CHRIST is the great Steward of HEAVEN, to whom the dispensation of eternal life, and of all other good things is committed, 
john. 14. 6.  No man, (said he,) cometh unto the Father but by me: There is nothing also that can come from the Father unto man, but by him.  
The use of this doctrine is, 
The use.  that we be earnest to make our acquaintance with CHRIST, if we would have any good thing from the HEAVENS: The Children of this world, are wise in their generation: By the proceedings of natural wise men, we may learn spiritual wisdom.  
* It is written of the men of Tyre and of Sidon, 
Note.  that knowing that Herod was highly displeased with them, they came with one accord to him to seek peace; for to obtain this, 
Act 12. 20.  they made Bl●stus the King's Chamberlain their friend: It is so that we should do; whether we would pacify GOD'S wrath raging against us, or obtain any favour from GOD, let us first make JESUS CHRIST the great Steward, and Chamberlain of Heaven our friend.  
Again let us observe here how we get this Meat with Life everlasting. 
The doctrine.  It is said that the Son of man shall give it: for two reasons, CHRIST the Son of man is said to give life unto man.  
First because in his humane nature, by death he hath merited this life unto all believers: Secondly because his humane nature is the instrument, whereby he convoyeth life unto us.  
* As the stock sendeth sap up from the root to the graft, 
Note.  so the humanity of CHRIST, which is the stock of all the faithful, convoyeth life everlasting from the divine nature which is the root of all good things, all these who are not engrafted in him, are like that wanton widow? who is disgraced with this, 
1. Tim. 5. 6▪  She is dead while she liveth, that is, spiritually dead in a natural life.  
The use of this is, 
The use.  that we be earnest with CHRIST, labouring for that meat of life, which only He can give: 
I●b. 2. 4.  Seing skin for skin, and all that a man hath he will give it for this life, 
Isa 2. 22.  which is but a past of breath in his nostrils, an evanishing vapour, 
Psal. 78. 39  a wind that passeth away and cometh not again: what should a man refuse to do, or suffer for the gift of life everlasting?  
Again, 
The doctrine.  in that it is said, that the son of man shall give everlasting life, or the meat that feedeth to that life, I observe that everlasting life is the gift of GOD: That which is a gift is not a reward: All the gifts of GOD are most free gifts: But amongst all the gifts of GOD, life everlasting is the most free gift: 
Note.  * The greater GOD his gifts be, they are the frieer: for what can a creature on earth deserve at GOD his hands on earth? If not on earth what can he deserve in HEAVEN? On earth I must be a beggar at GOD his door for bread to my belly, which GOD will destroy with the belly, I must seek it from GOD, not as due to me, but as his Alms; If it be so of this meat, how much more shall it be so of the meat of my text, which feedeth to everlasting life? 
Note.  If man must labour for the meat of the earth with the sweat of his brows, and yet, after all that done, must beg his bread from GOD, who can think, that any man can merit the meat which endureth to everlasting life? Let us learn of my text, that it is the gift of GOD, in these words, which the Son of Man shall give unto you.  
The use of this doctrine is, 
The use.  that we thank GOD, who hath brought us out of Babylon, where the doctrine of man's merits, 
1. Tim. 4. 1.  the doctrine of Devils is publicly teached, and avouched, yea, as though man could do more than he is obliged to do. * Such men need none of GOD his gifts, 
Note.  but GOD must pay to them his debts: Such men understand not what it is to come unto the waters, for to buy wine and milk without money: 
Isa. 55. ●.  Let GOD himself tell the world how they are saved, 
Ephes. 2. 8.  By grace, (saith he,) are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of GOD: 
Note.  * All that a man hath in this world, he will give it for this natural life, and shall be thought no fool in so doing: Seeing this life is thought worthy of all that we have, what can a man have, or what can he do, or suffer worthy of life everlasting: It is best then that we say with Scripture, It is the gift of GOD: 
Rome 6 23  CHRIST hath done with us as joseph did with his brethren, 
Gen. 42. ●5.  who found that they had the corns and their money both: such corns were not sold, but f●●ely gifted: The LORD give us hearts to be thankful, for the unspeakable gift of everlasting life.   

THE THIRD PART.  
Who appointed CHRIST the Son of man to be the giver of this everlasting meat.  
NOW in the last part of our Text, we have to considder who ●a●h appointed CHRIST, the giver of this meat, which feedeth to everlasting life, This is set down in these words, for him hath GOD the Father sealed: That he was ordained to bring this meat to the word, the Father hath confirmed it by his own seal: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
A Seal is an outward sign confirming, ratifying, and giving authority to that whereunto it is set: Thus we see that by the King his Seal, King's letters are made authentic and of authority.  
Let us first consider the word, and then we shall speak of the divers uses of a Seal, last of all we shall draw a doctrine with the use of application.  
The word Seal properly signifieth that instrument, wherewith Charters and Patents are sealed, whereby they are ratified and made authentic.  
It also siginfieth the Wax which is sealed, for such stamped wax, we ordinarily call the King his seal.  
Because of the divers uses of seals, divers things in Scripture are called Seals, or as said to seal: Because the Seal of a Charter, is that whereby the rights therein are confirmed and made authentic, Sacraments have been called seals: for by them the written promises of GOD are confirmed and made more sure unto us: According to this it is said of Abraham 
Rom. 4. 11.  that he received the Seal of circumcision: Because that a missive letter being once sealed, all that is written within the same can no more be seen, but is a secret to all that behold it outwardly: So the things of GOD are said to be sealed, which are hid or concealed, According to this that Book of the Revelation, 
Revel. 5. 7.  which none but the lamb could open, is said to have been sealed with seven seals.  
* We have also to observe, 
Note.  that in Scripture, things are said to seal in diverse manners: GOD is said to seal, and man is said to seal: of man his sealing, CHRIST speaketh, saying, 
john. 3. 33.  He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true, that is, He as it were subscribeth with his hand, the truth of GOD his word.  
GOD again is said to seal men, and he is said to seal his own Son.  
As for men who are his elect and chosen ones, GOD Sealeth them outwardly, and inwardly: Outwardly, when he maketh them partakers of his Sacraments, viz. of Baptism or of the Supper: According to this, it is said of Abraham, when he was circumcised that he received the seal of Circumcision: 
Rom. 4. 11  Again inwardly by his spirit, GOD is said to seal, when he maketh his elect sure of his favour or of their Salvation; according to this the Apostle saith to the Ephesians, 
Ephes. 1. 13  In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise: The children of GOD are said to be sealed by the spirit of promise, when the spirit of GOD within them maketh them sure of all that is promised unto them: Because by faith and good works our election is made sure unto us, faith and good works are called the Seal of our election: The foundation of GOD (said St. Paul,) remaineth sure: 
1. Tim, 2, 19,  and hath this seal, the LORD knoweth them that are his: And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity: The foundation of GOD is his decree, upon which the Salvation of the godly is builded: the truth thereof, is made certain unto us by the seal of a good life, when we depart from iniquity: 
Note.  * Good works are the seal of the Spirit of GOD, whereby a Soul is confirmed that it belongeth to the election of grace,  
This much for clearing of diverse difficulties concerning sealing in the Scriptures.  
We have already heard how man is said to seal GOD his truth, & how GOD is said to seal man, both outwardly and inwardly: In this my Text we have particularly to considder, how GOD is said to Seal his Son, CHRIST JESUS, of whom it is said here, Him hath GOD the Father sealed.  
The LORD JESUS as is well remarked by the excellent Divines, hath been sealed by the Father diversely.  
First he may be said to have been sealed by the Father, 
Heb. 1. 3  because in him was the Character, the engraven image of the Father his person, that is, as a learned Interpreter saith, Persona quae personam pairis ad amussim refert: Sicut imago cerae impressa ad amussim refert imaginem in●culptam sigillo: The sense is this, The person of the Father is like that image, which is engraven into a seal of Silver or Gold, and the person of the Son, is like that image in the wax, which is sealed by the seal of gold: According to this, CHRIST the second person of the Trinity, is said to be sealed into an unspeakable manner by the Father, because in him is the essential image of the Father.  
Secondly, CHRIST was sealed by GOD, when he was anointed with the oil of grace, and gladness, above his fellows: GOD the Father at that anointing, 
Psal. 45.  poured into CHRIST man his spiritual gifts and graces without measure: 
Col. 1. 1.  All the treasures of grace were stored up into him: We all have received of his fullness; 
john. 1. 19  The fullness of GOD in him was a Seal, whereby both in his Words and Works he was known to be more than man, for as by his enemy's confession, 
john. 7. 46.  never man spoke as he spoke which was the word Seal, S. which his enemies could not deny he did among them the works which no other man could do, 
john. 15. 24  this was his work, Seal.  
Thirdly GOD the Father sealed our Saviour, when by his testimony from Heaven, he declared to the world that he was his beloved son in whom he was well pleased. 
Mat. 3. 17.   
The Sealing properly understood here, as Beza thinketh denoteth two things, first that GOD endowed him with such a virtue, whereof the like was in no other creature, 
Col. 2. 9  for in him the fullness of the Godhead and essential image of the Father did so visibly appear, 
john, 14. 9,  that who saw him did see the Father.  
Secondly by the Sealing of CHRIST by the Father he understandeth a commission from the Father, given unto him for to come to the world and reconceale all repenting sinners to their GOD: This opinion he hath from Cyrillus.  
S. chrysostom and Theophylactus refer this Sealing of the Son of man, by the Father to the testimonies whereby the Father from Heaven declared him to be his Son, particularly in those words, This is my beloved Son, 
Mat. 3. 17.  in whom I am well pleased: This also we must consider that the glorious works of Christ, wherein the infinite virtue of GOD, did appear, were as a Seal, declareing to the world, that God the Father had appointed that man to be the Saviour of the world,  
Piscator interpreteth the word Sealed after this manner: Obsignavit, (saith he) est Metaphora sumpta ab iis, qui quos mittunt eorum authoritatem obsignato diplomate sanciunt: that is, sealing here is, a metaphor or form of speech, taken from these that confirm the authority of these whom they send, by a sealed charter or patent: 
Note.  * According to this the Father is said to have sealed CHRIST, when he sent him with a confirmed authority to declare his will and to give gifts unto man on earth as who were ●ent with a King's patent, to any of his dominions for effectuating his Majesty's business: So as one saith learnedly, 
Note.  Obsignatio haec est approbatio & ut ita dicam authentisatio, That is, this sealing of CHRIST, is an approving and alloweing of him by authority, for to give that meat which feedeth to everlasting life.  
The doctrine I observe here, is a doctrine of comfort for all Christians: 
The doctrine.  Behold here Christ our Saviour, a sealed Saviour, a Saviour whom the King of Heaven hath sealed by giving him full commission, and power for to save all wearied souls, that will come unto him.  
The use of this doctrine is, 
The use.  that what ever we want in this life that is needful, either for soul or body, let us seek it from him, with all boldness in all confidence to receive: Behold him here sealed for to assure the world, that for this end he is come down to the world to give life eternal to all these that will labour for it, 
Rom. 6. 22  in seeking it from h●m by humble prayers.  
* When the Egyptians were distressed by Famine, 
Note.  they all ran to joseph, because they knew that the King had given to him his ring and had sealed him for to guide the whole Land: what they did to joseph, 
Gen. 41. 24,  let us do to JESUS, whom the Father of Heaven, the great KING of the whole world hath sealed and approved by words and works, 
john, 15, 24.  by gifts and by graces without measure: Let every empty Soul come unto him, 
john. 3, 34  and receive of his fullness even grace for grace: 
Col, 1, 19,   
The LORD grant us all this grace: To our GOD, Father, Son, and holy Ghost be Glory, and Majesty, Dominion and power, for now and ever. Amen.    

DIVERS PRAYERS FOR DIVERS NECESSITIES OF THE SAINTS.  

Non vox sed votum, non chordula musica, sed cor,  
Non clamans sed amans cantat in ore DEI.  This have I thus englished. 
Not voice but wish, not sounding harp but heart,  
Not cries but love have in GOD'S ear a part.   

A NOTABLE PRAYER OF THAT FAITHFUL SERVANT OF GOD, M. JOHN BELL, Minister of Glasgow, which ordinarily he useth before Sermon.  
WE are here assembled in thy presence, O blessed Father! according to thine own commandment, to seek thy gracious face: What are we O Lord, whom thou should admit to come into thy presence, who not only are dust and ashes, but also that which is worse, unclean and sinful wretches, unworthy we confess to behold the Heaven, far less to offer and present our speeches and prayers to thee who art the GOD of HEAVEN? Yet it hath pleased thee in mercy, to grant unto us this access, and liberty that we may come before the Throne of grace.  
Holy Father teach our hearts with a religious fear, and an humble reverence towards thy divine Majesty, in whose sight and presence now we are: Remove from us the impediments which are great and many, and which suffer us not to draw so near to thee our GOD as we should, & as we would: Take from us this veil of darkness, which still by nature covers the eyes of our minds: Remove the foolishness, and the vanity of our worldly, profane, and wand'ring cogitiations, as also that hardness and security, that deadness and dulness of spirit, that ●urketh in us, and that maketh thy holy word so oft powerlesse in our hearts, and fruitless in our lyues.  
Give us for thy good names sake, circumcised and sanctified ears: Give us also circumcised and sanctified souls that when thou speaks unto us by thy truth preached, we may reverently attentively, and obediently, and when we send up to the our GOD, the Sacrifice of our supplications, it may proceed from that solid faith and sincere fervency, which be cometh thy elect: withhold not from us O fountain of grace! Withhold not th● spirit of grace, which thou hast promised to all these that in humility do ask the same. Remember not against us our bypast manifold iniquities, whereby from time to time we do offend thee and grieve thy holy spirit.  
O our GOD cast all our sins behind thy back, and look in the face of thine anointed, our Advocate at thine own right hand the LORD JESUS: Grant for his sake that so many as be here now present, may feel forcibly that Heavenly fire of the inward Teacher, to come down and enter into their hearts, to enlighten and purge them, to change and renew them more and more, till last it shall please thee in mercy to compleete in them the work of grace, and crown the same with endless glory.  
Finally, seeing it is thy holy will, and accustomed working to employ the weak ministry of mortal and sinful men, in carrying the great and weighty message of thy holy word, let it please thee to strengthen and assist me, that both in fidelity and wisdom and sincerity, I may express and utter the Heavenly oracles, to these who in humility shall ask the same.  
Waken up also their hearts and Consciences, that as good and well prepared ground, rightly they may receive the immortal seed of thy truth, and hereafter bring forth such good fruit as may glorify thy thy blessed name, adorn and beautify their Christian profession, edify others by good example of life, and certify more and more their own conscience, that they are called effectually to be heirs of life through the Lord JESUS our blessed Saviour, in whose name, etc. Our Father, etc.   

A Prayer fitted to the state of one that is near the doors of death.  
QVicken us O LORD, and we will call upon thy name: 
Psal. 8 18.  Let the words of our mouth, 
Psal. 19, 14,  and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord our strength a●d our Redeemer. O Father of mercies, 
Revel. 1 18  which hast the keys of death and of the grave, at thy command, thou rulest all that is above and below: Thy mercy is ever above all thy works: 
Psal. 130. 4,  O Lord mercy is with Thee that thou mayest be feared, Mercy also is with Thee, that thou mayest be loved, yea and mercy is with Thee, that Sinners may be saved: 
Psal. 86. 5.  Thy word is pure and plain, that thou art plenteous in mercy to all that call upon Thee.  
Now for the sake of thy Son, let it please Thee to pardon and pity this poor trembling & weak hearted sinner, now drawing near the jaws of death, into which he is even now ready to fall; Let it please▪ Thee to seal fast up in his heart, the full remission of all his transgressions of thought, word, and work: Say unto his Soul I am thy Salvation: There is nothing that can pacify thy wrath, or allay the qualms of his Conscience: except only the purging and purifing blood of thy Lamb the LORD JESUS: who came into this world, for to save Sinners: 
1. Tim. 1. 15  Let that blood of sprinkling by its divine virtue▪ 
1. Pet. 1. 2.  make all his sins though double died in crimson colour, 
Isa. 1. 18.  to become white like Wool and Snow: Thou who by the touching of thy garment, suffered a▪ HEAVENLY healing virtue to go▪ out for the curing of that bloody flux, 
Luk 8. 46▪  bind not up now the virtues and powers of thy mercy, from this Soul sore yerning for thy ●auour.  
In this last conflict of the last Battle of his Soul, so sinew him with thy grace, and so support and underprop him by the strength of thy love that in his greatest weakness, he may find thy grace sufficient for him: 
2. Cor. ●1● 9  As his natural strength shall decay, let spiritual courage increase: 
Psal. 51. 6.  Thou desirest truth in the inward parts, put thou into his heart that which thou desires. 
Host 11, 8.   
O thou whose most merciefull heart is ever turned within Thee, and whose compassions are ever most cheerfully rolled together at the ●hing of the prisoner: Take notice 〈◊〉 the sighs and groans, 
Psal. 79. 11  of this thy Servant, now in the extremity of anguish: Satan now is come to his taste onset, the fear of death and the terrors of the grave, are now in Battle array against him: Now LORD confound Satan the ring leader of all his enemies: Suffer him not to prevail against him, for whom thy Son hath suffered death: Let his Soul know that thou hast disarmed death of its sting, 
1. Cor. 15. 55,  and that death is no more death, but a sleep to all the friends of CHRIST, who hath plucked out the sting thereof, 
john, 11, 11  Let neither the grips of death nor the griefs of the grave dismay him: Let him know that by thy Resurrection, thou hast so overcome the grave, 
Isa. 57 ●.  that thou hast made it a resting bed to each one walking in his uprightness.  
How great or grievous so ever the assaults of his enemies be, make him still hold him fast by Thee: When flesh and heart and all shall fail him, 
●sal. 73, 26.  be thou then the strength of his heart and his portion for ever Behold he hath none in Heaven bu● Thee, 
〈…〉  and there be none on earth whom he desires besides Thee: disappoint him not LORD: Seeing he trusts in The, let his Soul rejoice in thy Comforts as one that findeth a great spoil: 
Psal. 119. 162.  Make him now turn his back upon all worldly desires, as Hezekiah did when he turned his face to the wall: 
Isa. 38. 2,  Make the hope of Glory so strong within him, that all that is here below, were it never so specious or precious, may seem to him Dirt and Dung in comparison thereof: 
Philip, 3, 8  As the time of his departure shall approach, so let his soul draw nearer unto thee that gave it, 
Gen, 2: 7,  by breathing it into his nosthirls: So long as it shall please thee that it remain within him, work Heavenly motions in his heart, that as the Hart panteth after the water brooks, 
Psal: 42, 1,  so may his Soul pant after that River, 
Psal. 46▪ ●4▪  the streams whereof make glad the City of God. We conclude all our confused suits, with the perfection of the pattern of all prayers, ●●ying as our LORD hath taught us; Our Father which art. etc.   

A prayer at the very point of death.  
NOW LORD it is time to help, when breath begins to fail at ●he last dints of death: All diseases are from thee, and to thee belong the issues of death: Now behold thy Servant here in the very pangs and throes thereof: The shadow of death is now upon his eye lids: 
job, 14, 14,  The appointed time of his changing is now come, that thou wilt, like a weaver cut off his life from the thrum: 
Isa, 38. 12,  Seing ●his change is appointed for all th● Sons of Adam, let thy mercy toward him, make him to change for the better, even from bondage, death, and darkness to life, light, and liberty, yea and from grace to glory, Keep now his Soul in readiness, 
1▪ Pet, 1, 3,  that in a lively hope he may wait for thy Salvation. 
Gen. 49, 〈◊〉.   
Now Lord his last hour is come to a quarter: The task of his toil is near an end: when all shall be finished, let him enter into the full possession of these joys, whereof he hath received the pawns and pledges by thy favour: At the last blast and billow of Satan's temptations, let him find his Saviour Christ to be a sure harbry for his Soul: The Soul which thou keepest can never miscarry: Let thy grace be the staff of his strength till thou bring him unto glory: While the eyes of his body are covered with a shadow of death, clear thou so the eyes of his Soul, that with Stephen he may see the Heaven's open, 
Act. 7, 56.  and thy Son his Saviour at thy right hand pleading