THE Triumph of a Christian, Containing three excellent and heavenly Treatises.  

1 Jacob's wrestling with God.  
2 The Conduit of Comfort.  
3 A Preparative for the Lord's supper.   
Full of sweet consolations for all that desire the comfortable sweetness of jesus Christ, and necessary for those who are troubled in Conscience.  
Written by that worthy man Master William Couper, Minister of God's word.  
Commit thy way unto God, and he shall bring it to pass.  
LONDON:  
Printed for john Budge, and are to be sold at the great South door of Paul's Church▪ 1608.   

TO THE VERY GODLY and right Noble Lady, my Lady Mary Stewart, Countess of Marre.  
RIght noble Lady: The Church of God is compared by Solomon to a terrible army, wherein are bands of strong men, and valiant Israelits, expert in the war, and that can handle the sword. And every Book of sacred Scripture we may call, a several Armour-house, furnished better than that house of Lebanon, which Solomon stored with shields and Targets of Gold. In it are weapons of war, both invasive, and defensive, armour convenient for every state of life, and meet for every kind of battle, wherewith our adversaries are able to assault us. But as David's Woorthies were not all of one valour, for Abishai chief of the second three, yet di●… not attain unto the first three: So have not all the Warriors of Christ a lik●… strongth, & skill to fight the Lords battles And therefore we who are but novices in the spiritual warfare, as we should be careful every day to put on the complete armour of God, that we may stand, so should we diligently take heed to other valiant Wrestlers, who through Faith and Patience have inherited the promises before us, that we may learn of them, how to wield our weapon in the spiritual warfare, Among many, whose battles are registered in the book of God for our instruction, I have here brought in worthy jacob, a wrestler from the womb, even to the day of his death, who in this his singular, & most rare wrestling with God, let us see an Image of Gods wrestling with his Children, the variety of temptations, whereby he proves us, and the means by which we stand. Sundry others before me, have written learnedly and largely of this subject, but I have laboured as far as I could, to eschew coincident doctrine, and have principally endeavoured myself, to search out such observations, as through experience, by the grace of God, I have found most comfortable for such as are exercised in conscience. And these (right Noble Lady) I have been bold to Dedicate unto your Honour, as unto one who having obtained mercy of God, is through his grace, daily exercised in the spiritual warfare. Accept it therefore as a testimony of that love and reverence that I bear to that grace of God, which is manifest in you: for the increase whereof I daily pray unto God, that he would confirm you to the end, and bring forward his own work in you to perfection.  
Your Ladyships in our common Saviour, the Lord jesus. WILLIAM COWPER.   

GENESIS Cap. 32. Ver. 24. 24 NOw when jacob was left himself alone, there wrestled a man with him unto the breaking of the day. 25 And he saw that he could not prevail against him, therefore he touched the hollow of his thigh, & the hollow of Jacob's thigh was loosed, as h●… wrestled with him. 26 And he said, let me go. For the morning appeareth, who answered, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 Then said he, what is thy name, and he said, jacob. 28 Then said he, thy name shall be called jacob no more, but Israel, because thou hast had power with God, thou shalt also prevail with men. 29 Then jacob demanded, tell me thy name, I pray thee, and he answered wherefore now dost thou ask my name? and he blessed him there. 30 And jacob called the name of that place Peniel, for said he, I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. 31 And the Sun rose to him, as he passed Peniell, and he halted upon his thigh. 
CHAP. I. A privilege of the Godly, that say God is with them, none can be against them, to hurt them. My help is in the name of the Lord.  
IT is a comfortable saying for the Godly, that is set down by the Apostle, If God be with us, who can be against us? This sentence doth not deny, but that good men even in a good course may have enemies: but it doth import this comfort, that the opposition which is made unto them, cannot hurt them; we may be cast down, but we cannot perish: Our enemies may trouble us, but cannot overcome us. 
Ius. Mar. Apol. 2. ad Anton. Imp.  Yea, capitis poena nos possunt afficere, nocere non possunt, they may take the head from us, but cannot hurt us. It is not for this life they fight, who have laid hold on eternal life; our joy and our crown none are able to take from us. Uerè enim tuta pro Christo, & cum Christo 
Bern.  pugna, in qua nec vulneratus, nec occisus, fraudabiris victoria. There is no danger in that battle wherein we fight for Christ, and with Christ, for we are sure, that whether we be wounded, or slain, we shall not be defrauded of 
Yet good men may be crossed in a good course.  the victory. jacob here a good man, is in a good course, for he is travailing at the Lords command from Padan Ara●… unto Canaan, yet is he troubled with enemies: for Laban pursues him behind, and Esau cometh against him before; but both of them labour in vain, because God is with him.  
The Lord doth in such sort bridle 
2 King. 9 20. But God shall either bridle, or change, or confound their enemies.  the rage of Laban, that albeit he marched after jacob more furiously than jehu the son of Nimshi marched after jehoram, thinking to satisfy his discontented mind, by reducing jacob to a greater slavery than he was in before: yet the Lord puts inhibition to the conclusions of his heart, and makes him fain to sue for Jacob's friendship, and to enter into a covenant of peace with him.  
Yea, which is more comfortable, the Lord maketh Laban himself a preacher of God's providence, in mercy watching over jacob. Thus the Lord bridleth Laban, and sends him back again to his own harm, without doing harm to jacob, or any of his. And as to Esau the Lord in like manner changes his cruel Heart, and makes him favourable to jacob, so that the same hands wherewith once he thought to have slain him, embraces him, and with the same mouth that once vowed to have his life, he kisses him: so sure are they unto whom the Lord is a protector. For when the ways of a man please the Lord he can make his enemies his friends.  
If ye will mark and consider this 
As the sufferings of Christ abounds in us, so his consolations aboundeth. 2 Cor. 1. 5. Verse 2.  History, that the Lord so carefully way●…es upon his servant jacob, that for every trouble which arises to him, he acquaints him ever with some new and singular Consolation. In the beginning of this Chapter, the Angels of the Lord appeared unto jacob, to comfort him, they brought him in effect this message from the Lord: Fear not, O jacob, the power and malice of thy brother Esau, for here are we, the host of the living God to go with thee, and assist thee, according to the promise of protection in thy journey, that God made to thee in Bethel, wherein thou sawest the Angels ascending and descending upon the Ladder: we are now sent to wait upon the; as we conveyed thee in thy coming, so are we now safely to convey thee in thy returning, in despite of all that will oppose themselves against thee.  
This vision no doubt did confirm the heart of jacob for a while, and encouraged him to the journey: yet soon after he is troubled with a new fear. ●…he report of his Messengers, who told him that Esau was coming against him with four hundred men, doth in such sort disquiet his mind, that he forgets his former comforts, and he becomes exceedingly afraid.  
And in this each one of us, may 
An image of our weakness.  see an image of our own weakness. jacob had many proofs and experiences of God's mercy, it is not long since he got joyful deliverance, from Laban, and since the Lord as I have said, comforted him by the ministry of his Angels: and yet now behold how small a thing discourages him: certainly such is the weakness of the dearest Children of God, that it is not one confirmation, yea not many experiences of mercy, that will sustain us, but we have need continually and hourly 
We have need that the Lord should every day renew his mercies towards us.  to be strengthened with new grace of corroboration. Plants that are set in the earth, require watering when they are young, & corn that grows in the field, without the first and latter rain, comes not to maturity and perfection: so we, unless that every hour the rain of heavenly grace descend upon us from God, or at the least his dew distill into our hearts, by a secret and unperceived manner, cannot possibly stand; no, not one moment, in the state of grace. Every spiritual desertion manifests our weakness, the voice of a damosel shall shake us, as it did Peter; the rumour of a trouble shall affray us, as here it affrays jacob: it is the Lords countenance which maketh us to live▪ Cause thy face O Lord to shine 
Psal. 80.  upon us, and we shall be safe.  
Abraham in Egypt got a notable 
Not once, but often do the godly fall, and that many times in one & the self same sin.  proof of the Lords provident mercy waiting over him, preserving Sarah inviolate, when he had exponed her chastity to the concupiscence of an Ethnic, king Pharaoh: but was this experience of God his mercy sufficient to confirm him, and make him strong against the like tentation in time to come? No surely, for shortly thereafter in Gerah, among the Philistines, he falls into the same sin of fearful distrust; so that again the second time he seeks the preservation of his life, by hazarding the chastity of Sarah: And that worthy Prophet Samuel, albeit he found many a time the Lords presence with him, assisting him in such sort, that he suffered none of his words to fall to the ground, yet when God commanded him go, and anoint David, he refused at the first, & why? because he feared least Saul should slay him. Who would think that such weakness had been in the man of God, that having the word of the Lord for his warrant, he should yet be afraid of the countenance of man? Thus now and 
We have our spiritual faintings and sownings, warning us of our own weakness. Acts.  then hath the Lord given to the best of his children, a proof of their own weakness, that we looking unto them, might be humbled within ourselves, knowing that we are nothing without the Lord. As Eutichus fell from his seat in the window, wherein he sat hearing Paul preach: so have we our own sownings, whereby many times we fall from the seat of our devotion, from the full assurance of faith, which causes confidence, from the sense of mercy and spiritual joy rising thereof, into horrible distrust, and fearful perturbations; so that we become almost dead, heartless, comfortless, and without feeling: But blessed be the Lord, who even at those times, doth keep our souls in life, and lifts us again into his 
Psal.  arms, more lovingly then Paul did Eutichus he sets us again on our feet, he renews his mercies, and restoreth his former joys unto us. Let it therefore 
And that God is the strength of our life.  never go out of our minds, that God is the strength of our life, without whose grace we have no standing, that so our eyes and our hearts may be continually advanced towards him, desiring the Lord to be with us, and at no time to leave us. In all the course of our life, let us say to the Lord with Moses, I will not go forward one foot, except thou go with me, otherwise we shall faint under every burden, stumble at every impediment, and fall under the least tentation, that shall overtake us: but if the Lord be with us, we shall be able to do all things, through him that comforts us.   

CHAP. II. Gods fatherly compassion appears in that he handles us most tenderly, when we are weakest.  
NOtwithstanding, for this infirmity in jacob the Lord doth not reject him, but rather like a loving father, handles him so much the more tenderly. It is the Lords praise and our comfort, he breaks not the bruised reed, and quenches not the smoking flax, he is the God who comforts the abject, and bindeth up the broken in heart. It was not for Jacob's worthiness, that the Lord did first choose him, and now for his weakness he will not reject him: therefore doth he now appear to jacob in his need, and minister unto him greater comfort than any he got before. In the beginning of the Chapter, the Lord sent his Angels, his ministering spirits to comfort him; and now because jacob yet is in fear, in the end of the Chapter, ye see how he comes himself, and comforts him. Such is thy tender mercy O Lord towards those whom once thou hast chosen to be thine, that thou wilt never forsake them surely, because thou 
Malac.  art not changed, therefore it is that we are not consumed, though we fall thou wilt put under thine hand and raise us up 
Ps. 37. 24.  again, and makest thy last comfort always the greatest.  
The vision is rare; the like not again 
This rare vision teacheth the manner of Gods wrestling with his children.  to be found in all the book of God: yet most profitable for our edification, as containing in it an exemplar of Gods wrestling with his own children, and therefore meet to be considered of all the good soldiers of jesus Christ, wrestlers in the spiritual warfare. And therefore, for the better understanding of it, and giving greater light to the whole story, in the entry we shall permit these three things God willing. First what moved the Lord at this time to appear unto his servant jacob. Next what is the form and manner of the Lords apparition. And thirdly what is the end of it.   

CHAP. III. The cause moving the Lord to appear to jacob, at this time.  
THe cause moving the Lord to appear to jacob, was the hard estate wherein his servant stood at this time. For jacob is now in great anguish of mind, tumbling as it were between fear and confidence, between hope and despair: hope bidding him go forward in his journey, despair by the contrary dissuading him; confidence promising him safety, fear threatening him with danger. His hope leans on the word of God, who promised to be with him, and prosper him: his fear is conceived of the words of Esau, who had vowed to slay him, and is now wakened again, and augmented by the report of his servants, who told him, that Esau was coming against 
Jacob's perplexity.  him with an army. Thus did he walk staggering upon feet, not unlike the feet of daniel's Image, partly of clay, 
Dan.  partly of iron. Some of his thoughts being weak and impotent; others strong and forcible to carry him forward. In this perplexity now stands jacob, having no conclusion nor counsel within him without contradiction, uncertain what to do, or which way to turn him; not unlike jehosophat, which being straited 
2 Chro. 20  with the Ammonites, Moabites, and Edomites, stood up before the Lord and said, O Lord there is no strength in us, to stand against this great multitude, neither do we know what to do, but our eyes are towards thee. In like manner say I, doth jacob here, being assaulted with a force he was not able to resist, he turns him to the Lord, and exponés to the Lord in humble manner his fear: Deliver me O Lord from the hand of my brother Esau, for I fear him, lest he come upon me, and smite me, and the mother upon the children. Therefore is it that now the Lord comes, as in due season and convenient time, to show himself for the comfort of his servant. No help for jacob in man, the Lord puts to his right hand, & comforts him. Ibi enim incipit divinum 
The help of God begins when other help fails.  auxilium, ubi deficit humanum. When all other helps fails the Children of God, then cometh in the help of God, for he knows best the very point and article of time, wherein it is meet that he should be the diliverer of them who wait upon him.  
As to the manner of the apparition, the Lord is not content to answer 
The manner of the Lords apparition is both by word and vision.  jacob by word only, nor by sending secretly patience and comfort unto his troubled spirit (which way many a time he answers the prayers of his own) but he confirms him by an extraordinary vision. For he appears to jacob, in the form of a man, and wrestles with him, he assays him not with a superior strength which he was not able to withstand, but applies himself to Jacob's weakness, and disposes the wrestling in such a manner, that jacob gets the victory, albeit not without a wound, for his thigh-bone is disjointed, and put out of the joint, so that he haulteth all the days of his life: which as for the present time it was a matter of his humiliation, being a discovery of his weakness, and of the Lords indulgence, whereby only he prevailed victor in the combat, so was it for all time to come, a memorial and remembrance unto him of this most comfortable apparition.  
And as to the end of the Lords appearing, 
The end of the Lords apparition is Jacob's confirmation.  the end, saith Theodoret, was the confirmation of Jacob's heart against fear; ideo enim Angelus cum jacob luctari voluit, ut timenti fratrem fiduciam inijceret. And this ye may perceive out of the words which the Lord utters when the wrestling is ended, thou hast wrestled with God, and shalt also prevail with men. Fear not therefore (will the Lord say) O my servant jacob, to encounter with Esau, who is but a mortal man; I, who have furnished thee with strength to stand in this wrestling with GOD, shall furnish thee with strength also in all thy conflicts with men, and thou shalt prevail. This is the ground of all our comfort in trouble, which if we could remember, than would we not be cast down nor disquieted with fears,, but would sanctify 
Esay. 8. 13.  the Lord of hosts in our hearts, and make him our fear. It is not in our name, nor strength, nor in the power of nature that we stand and wrestle. We go forth against our Goliath in the name of our God, weak in ourselves, yet in him more than Conquerors: Maior enim est 
Cyp. lib. 2 epist. 6.  qui prae est in nobis, quam qui in hoc mundo, nec plus ad deijoiendum potest terrena poena, quam ad erigendum divina tutela. He is stronger that rules in us, than the Prince of this world, Neither are these evils which earthly men are able to inflict upon us, so forcible to cast us down, as the heavenly help is able to raise us up: let us always walk forward in this our strength. The Lord 
Psal. 27.  is my light and salvation, the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid.  
But now, before that yet we enter into the particulars, let us mark this profitable lesson, that upon the grounds I have laid, arise to be observed. If we consider what is the Lords purpose 
How marvelously God in dealing with his children works by contraries.  and intention, what again are the means that he useth to bring about his purpose: and ye shall see that the Lord useth means, which appears contrary to his end. His purpose is to confirm jacob, the means he useth, is wrestling with jacob, a strange manner of working, that the Lord should shake him he minds to strengthen, that he should wound him whom he purposes to confirm: and thus, and this manner of way on a sudden, terrify by a strange wrestling in the night, & in a solitary place, his servant, whom he came to comfort; but so it is, the working of the Lord oft times is by contraries. In the first work of creation, he made all things of nothing. 
So did he work in them the work of creation.  He commanded light to shine out of darkness. He form the body of man, his most excellent earthly creature, of the basest matter dust and clay; of the vilest creature, he made the most honourable, and all to show the glory of his power. In the work of redemption in 
So also in the work of redemption.  like manner, our Saviour jesus by sustaining shame, hath conquered to us, glory; by enduring the Cross, hath obtained the crown; by suffering death, hath destroyed death, and him who had the power thereof: and after the 
And so daily in his Saints Psal.  same manner of working, he is yet daily marvelous in his Saints: By death he brings them unto life; He kills and he makes alive. Through doubtings he leads them to assurance; by temporal despair he brings them to abound in hope; he afrayes them with his terrors, to make them the more capable of his consolations. It is strange and marvelous in our eyes; may not we learn it by daily experience, that God delivereth us from Satan, by letting Satan loose for a while upon us? He saves us from our sins, by gathering all our sins against us, and laying them to the charge of our conscience, and by a present feeling of his wrath, he maketh us flee that terrible Wrath which is to come.  
Be not therefore discouraged, ye 
We should not therefore be discouraged when God seems uncouth and strange to us.  who find this working of the Lord, faint not though the Lord after this manner do exercise you, that when ye cry for mercy, yet to your feeling ye apprehend nothing but anger: reverence the working of God, suppose for the present ye understand it not; let the Lord walk on his own way, and wait thou with patience for comfort in the 
Psal.  end, the Lord will send a gracious rain upon his inheritance to refresh it, when it is weary: though he kill us, he shall make us to live again. When he hath humbled us to the grave, yet will he raise us again. After two days he will revive us, 
Hose. 6.  and in the third he shall raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. It is no rotten foundation we lean to; the foundation 
Tim.  of the Lord remains sure, & therefore, albeit the Lord should s●…ay us yet will we trust in him. He sent a fearful darkness on Abraham or ever he showed him 
Genesis.  the comfortable vision. He stroke Paul 
Acts.  unto the ground, and confounded him, before that he converted him; he struck him with blindness, or ever he opened his eyes; he began hardly with jacob, but ends with a blessing; at the first he dealt rigorously in his answers with the woman of Canaan, but in the end comforted her. As joseph for a long time made it strange with his brethren, but at length his inflamed affection compelled him to embrace them: So the Lord, though he make a show of an angry countenance towards his own, yet his inestimable love and fatherly compassion shall force him to reveal himself unto them in the sweetness of his mercy: For a little while have I forsaken 
Esay.. 54. 7  thee, for a moment, in mine anger, (as it seemed) I hid my face from thee for a little season, but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer. We shall perceive 
For in the end he shall show himself a loving father to his own  in the end, that which now in the midst of trouble we see not: though in our afflictions we take him up as an adversary, through the weakness of our faith, yet shall we find, that then God was with us, working for our deliverance, when he seemed to be against us. Let us not therefore be cast down, when the Lord worketh with us after his own manner of working, by means unknown to us. Let us learn of jacob to wrestle with the Lord, and with that woman of Canaan, cleave to him the faster, that he seems to put us away: we shall feel in the end, the Lord is near 
Psal. 1. 19  unto them who a●…e of a contrite heart, & will save such as be afflicted in spirit. Yea, we shall with David rejoice and glory in the Lord, it is good for me that ever the Lord corrected me; The Lord be blessed therefore, for he hath shown his marvelous kindness towards me.  
It is now time that we enter into the 
Division of the history.  History itself, which hath these two parts: The first sets down the Angels 
1 The wrestling, and five circumstances thereof.  wrestling with jacob: The second contains the conference of the Angel with jacob, which follows upon the wrestling. As for the wrestling, we have in it five things to be considered: first, the time of it: secondly, the persons 
2 The conference betwixt God and jacob.  between whom: thirdly, the manner of the wrestling, whether corporal only, spiritual only, or mixed: fourthly, how long continues the wrestling: and last of all the event & issue of this wrestling.   

CHAP. FOUR The first circumstance, the time of the wrestling.  
AS to the first, the circumstance of 
1  time is noted by Moses, when jacob (saith he) was left alone. Amongst many reasons that might move jacob to be alone, I incline to none more than this: he sought to be solitary, to the end he might have the fitter occasion to pray, and pour out his grief the more freely and homely into the Lord's bosom. For we know that the presence of men is oftentimes a great impediment of the free communing of our souls with God, and that the children of God will boldly communicate those secrets to the Lord, which they 
Solitariness convenient for prayer.  will not utter to their dearest friends. We have here then to learn with jacob, sometime to withdraw ourselves from the dearest company of men, that we may have the better occasion by prayer to confer with our God, For he who loveth wisdom, will separate himself to seek it. Yet are we to remember, 
And yet solitariness avails not without inward attention.  that solitariness avails not without, unless there be silence within: For though the body be removed from the eyes of men, if the soul in the mean time be disquieted with bands of restless and troublesome motions, it is not possible that we can pray. Maxima est segnitia, alienari & capi 
Cypr de orat. dom.  ineptis cogitationibus, cum Dominum deprecaris, quasi sit aliquid, quod magis debeas cogitare, quam quod cum Deo loquaris, quomodo te audiri à Deo postulas, cum te ipse non audias, vis Deum memorem esse tui cum rogas, cum tu ipse memor tui non sis, hoc est ab hoste in totum non cavere, hoc est vigilare oculis & cord dormire, cum debeat Christianus, etiam cum dormit oculus, cord vigilare. It is (saith Cyprian) a very great sloth to be alienate and carried away with unmeet cogitations, when thou prayest unto God: as if there were any thing whereof thou shouldest think more than this, that thou art speaking with God. How desirest thou that God should hear thee, when thou hearest not thyself? or that he should be mindful of thee, who art not mindful of thyself? By so doing, thou art not wary enough of thy enemy, this is to watch with thine eyes and sleep with thy heart, whereas it becometh a Christian even to wake with the heart, when the eye is asleep: I sleep but my heart 
Cant.  waketh.  
When therefore we go to pray, we 
What preparation should go before prayer.  must do as did our Saviour, when he went to raise Tabytha from the dead, he put the Minstrels and the Mou●…ners to the door; and we must put worldly thoughts out of our minds, tolerable servants (if so be we use them as servants) at another time, but no way tolerable in the time of prayer: Like the Asses and Servants of Abraham, which he used as helps to carry him forward in his journey, but left them at the foot of the mountain, when he went up to pray, and sacrifice to the Lord. And thus the perturbations of our minds within being quieted, then let us eschew as far as possibly we can, all occasions of distractions without us. Let us with his spouse in the Canticles, follow our Husband to the 
Cant.  fields, and there talk with him: or with David, let us examine our hearts upon 
Psal. 4.  our ●…eds, and be still: or as our Saviour 
Mat. 6. 5.  commandeth us: Let us enter into our chamber, and shut the door, and there in secret pray to our heavenly father. After this manner went Daniel to his 
Dan. Acts.  chamber alone, and Peter to the top of the house alone, and jesus Christ 
How careful we should be, and why, to seek occasions to pray.  went alone to the mountain to pray all night. And so much the more earnestly should we practise this Lesson, because now by Jacob's example we learn, that then the Lord doth deal most familiarly to show himself unto us, when we are best content to separate ourselves from all other pleasures, that we may get conference with the Lord: whereas by the contrary, when we neglect to seek him, and will not do so much as redeem a time and occasion to speak with him, by foregoing for a while, the company of men, the Lord accounts that he is dishonoured 
Neglect of prayer is a contemning of God.  of us, that we are such, as have little delight in the Lord, yea, prefers every thing before him: and therefore also it is, that the Lord delights not to be homely with us, and to acquaint us with his familiar presence, because we do not carefully wait upon him.  
The Lord therefore increase in us 
True prayer always returns with profit to us.  this delight & disposition to pray, that we may esteem it a benefit & vantage to us to have the least occasion to pray, for it was never yet seen but that a heart to pray hath ever been an undoubted forerunner of a special blessing of God to ensue. If we open our mouth 
Psal.  wide the Lord shall fill it: seeking must go before finding, & we must knock before it be opened. If we have the first we may be sure of the second. Our Saviour hath assured us, that our heavenly father will give his holy spirit to them who desires him. When Abraham 
Genes.  prayed to the Lord, the Lord answered him in such sort that every petition he sent forth returned back with some new gain: at six petitions he brought the 
How at six petitions Abraham brought the Lord from fifty to ten.  Lord from fifty to ten, that the Lord promised to spare all Sodom for ten righteous. And that which is most comfortable, the Lord left not off answering, till first Abraham ceased from praying: As that Oil miraculously multiplied by Elisha, continued so long as the poor widow had an empty vessel wherein to receive it: so may we be sure that the grace of our God, shall without ceasing be multiplied upon us, so long as our hearts are enlarged to call upon him. Blessed are they 
Mat. 5.  who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.   

CHAP. V. The second circumstance, the persons between whom the wrestling is.  
THe second thing that here comes 
2  to be considered, is the persons, between whom the wrestling is. He that wrestles here with jacob, is not a Man, albeit Moses so calleth him, because so he appears: neither is he a created Angel, albeit Hosea call him an Angel of God. But he who wrestles is the son of God, the great Angel of the covenant, hic homo verus Deus 
Chris. in Gen. 32.  est, non ex nuncupatione, sed natura: he it is, who in this combat is the wrestler with jacob.  
Where first it is to be demanded, 
How as man Christ appeared to the Fathers before his incarnation.  how it is that jesus Christ appeared to the Fathers under the law, in form and shape of a man, he not being yet incarnate and made man indeed. The answer is, that appearing of Christ in form of a man, was as Tertullian calleth it, praeludium humanitatis, a presignation of his manifestation after in the flesh: but there is a great difference between the appearing & his incarnation that followed, in the fullness of time. For 
Gal.  first, albeit christ before his incarnation took on verily the body of man, yet 
Difference between Christ's apparition and his manifestation after in the flesh.  was he not then a man indeed, he was not then of the seed the woman, but when fullness of time came, God sent his son into the world made of a woman, than the word was made flesh: then took he on the seed of Abraham, & became in all things man like unto us except sin: then he assumed our nature, and joined it into one subsistence with his divine nature, that is, into one personal union, for the straightness of the which conjunction, it is said, and most truly, that Christ jesus Man is God, and Christ jesus God is Man: which before his incarnation could not be said of him. Secondly, whereby Christ under the law took on the body of man, was but temporal, and for the doing of some particular errand, which so soon as he had finished, he laid away again. But Christ jesus hath now assumed the nature of man, never to be laid away again: as he hath joined our nature with his divine nature in a personal union, so also in an everlasting union; so that there shall never be a separation between them.  
Alway in this manner of Christ's appearing 
Christ's love is seen in his familiar apparition to the fathers before the Law.  unto jacob, & other of his servants before the law: let us take up the love of jesus toward his own, that for their sake he is content to abase his majesty, and appear to his servants, not in a shape answerable to his glory, but in such a form as their weakness might best comport with: for what kind of more homely and familiar apparition can God use to man, than to appear as a man, in the shape most familiar to man? Not as God clad with glory and Majesty, for that way no flesh might abide him. In this O Lord thou hast showed thy goodness to man: in this our father Abraham, Isaac, and jacob had a proof of thy loving kindness: and in this, all thy children may see what great account thou makest of them, who love and fear thy holy name.  
But what is all this, if it be compared 
But more abundant lie hath he showed his love to us in this last age.  with that which after followed, I do mean with that great love, which now in this last age of the world, according to the truth of his promises he hath showed unto his Church, in that he hath kept the precise, promised, and 
Iraen. contra Val lib. 3 cap. 28. Bern. S●…r 2. de adven. dom. Iraen. contra ●…al. lib. 3 cap. 31. Tertullide carne Christi. Phil. 2. 7.  appointed period of time, wherein he hath appeared to his Church, not in sh●…pe of a man only, as he did to our fathers, but in the very nature of man. A man indeed, albeit not made man, after the manner of other men: For he is the stone cut out of the mountain without hands: He was not made man by the operation of man: He is a flower of the field, not of the garden; he grew up like a Branch of the root of jesse: but not by the ordinary labour of a Gardener. He is the second Adam, very man, but not begotten by man: He being the God of glory, made himself of no reputation, he took upon him the shape of a servant, and was made like unto men: and all this he did, that in our nature he might work the work of our redemption. He came down from the bosom of his Father, as the great Angel of his counsel, to reveal to us his father's will concerning our salvation. It is not customable, that honourable personages should come to the poorer, but his compassion of our necessities constrained him: jacentes enim paralytici in grabbato, 
Bern. de adventu. Dom. Serm. 1.  divinam illam non potteramus attingere celsitudinem: For we lying sick of the palsy in our couch, were not able to reach unto that divine and high majesty; therefore he humbled himself to come unto us, because we were not able to go unto him.  
And herein hath he uttered toward 
Man lost himself aspiring to be like unto God: Christ hath saved Man by humbling himself to become like man.  man, his wonderful love. Man being man only, aspired to be like unto God, and so lost himself, that now he is become worse than a Companion to beasts: But jesus being very God, was content to become man, that he might save man, who was lost. O how hath the love of jesus overcome our ingratitude! he became the son of man, to make us the sons of God, he hath taken on him our sins, and given to us his righteousness, he refused not to undergo that death, which was due unto us, that he might make us partakers of his life. In a word, Quod homo est, 
Cypr. de Idol. van.  Christus voluit esse, ut homo possit esse, quod Christus est: That which Man is Christ would be, that man might be made that which Christ is: and therefore, Humiliavit se, ut populum qui 
Cipr. de Eleemos.  iacebat erigeret; vulneratus est, ut vulnera nostra sanaret; seruivit, ut ad libertatem seruientes extraheret; mori sustinuit, ut moriens immortalitatem mortalibus exhiberet. He was humbled himself, 
Esay. 53. 5.  that he might raise up his people lying in bondage: He was wounded for our transgressions, that by his stripes we might be healed. He became a servant, that we who were servants might be restored to liberty: He suffered death, that he dying might give immortality to us that are mortal. This is, O Lord, the greatness of thy love towards us, the length, and breadth, the height, and depth whereof all thy Saints are not able 
Ephes.  to comprehend: But O Lord grant that we may daily grow in the feeling thereof, that with joy of heart, we may resign ourselves fully to thine only service, who so willingly hast●… given thyself to be ours.  
But to return to the consideration 
How is it that weak men in wrestling should be party to the mighty God.  of the persons; who wrestles: ye may marvel what wrestling can be between parties so unequal, between God and Man, between the Creator and the Creature, between the Potter and his Vessel. When the Lord is angry, the foundations of the mountains and earth do shake. He breaks down, 
Psal. 18.  and it cannot be built, he shuts up, and it cannot be loosed. The pillars of heaven 
job. 12.  tremble and quake at his reproof: at his rebuke he dries up the sea, and maketh the flood desert, there fish rot for want of water, and die for thirst. He clothes the 
job. 26.  heavens with darkness: he biddeth his lightning walk, and they say Lo, here we 
Esay. 50. job. 38. job. 41. 1 Sam. 6.  are: he maketh the pot to boil like ae pot of ointment, who is able to stand before this holy Lord? And how then is it that jacob is brought in here as a wrestler with the Lord? But here ye must consider the parties, as they are set down in this conflict by Moses.  
The Lord in this wrestling utters 
Because God uttereth not his power and holds up man by secret grace.  not himself as the mighty God, he shows not himself in his power, for so should he easily have confounded his creature, but the Lord uttereth himself as a man, and a man in pith & strength inferior to jacob. jacob again is here to be considered, not as a simple man, nor as a man wrestling by his own strength; but as one standing & wrestling by the strength of God: and hereof cometh his pre●…ailing in this battle. The Lord utters himself less than he is, and makes up jacob much more than he was. Magna certè Dei 
Chrisost. in Ge 32  nisericordia in figura hominis luctari voluit cum justo ut se illius humilitati attemperar●…t. And this same is the Lords dealing in all his wrestling with his children, that neither doth he use his strength against them, nor yet leave them to their own weakness. If the Lord should show himself a strong God in wrestling against us, than indeed none were able to stand before him. The three Disciples at the sight of Christ's glory, when he was transfigurate on mount Tabor, fell to the ground astonished. If sinful flesh be not able to abide the sight of his glory; how shall 
Otherwise Man could not stand before him.  it endure the dint of his power? & that which is most of all, how could frail man sustain the bensall of his Wrath and anger, if the Lord would intend it?  
Hereof then cometh our standing in these inward conflicts of conscience, 
1 Cor. 10. 13  that our faithful God suffers us not to be tempted abou●… our power: he assails us not above our strength: he sets not our 
Psalm. 50.  sins in order before us, that we should see them as we committed them. He permits not his deputy the Conscience to accuse and torment us according to the merit of our transgressions, he mitigates the stroke of his rod, & extenuates the pith of his hand, when he puts at us. And with this also by his secret grace he underprops us; otherwise no power should be found in weak man, to stand in the meanest of these battles, wherein God showeth himself our adversary party. Yea if the Lord should set up one of our sins to pursue us, and then withdraw his secret grace from us, we should fall into the desperation of Cain, and judas. And if he should arm, but one of our own cogitations against us, we should become miserable murderers to ourselves, like Saul and Achitophel. If he take his breath out of our nostrils, we fall to the ground: or if he should abstract from us the use of Reason, which he hath lent us, we become worse than the beasts. Thus, neither in inward, nor outward wrestle, have we any strength of our own to stand before him.  
Our standing in trouble is only by the strength of God, who sustains us: he puts at us with the one hand, and 
In wrestle spiritual, God is both our assaulter and vphold●…r.  underprops us with the other. It is God in us, who overcometh himself opponing unto us. Qui pro nobis mortem semel vicit, semper vincit in nobis. And this ye may see clearly in his dealing with that woman of Canaan, 
Cyp. lib. 2 epist.  his audible voice was against her, but the secret help of his spirit was with her: with one hand he repelled her, and with the other he drew her heart near unto him.   

CHAP. VI Consolation for the Godly afflicted.  
THis I have marked for thy consolation, thou who art the warrior and wrestler of God, that thou mayst know, God is the strength of thy life: and finding it so, mayst be thankful, and entertain his presence with thee. For whereof (thinkest thou) hath it come, that so many years thou hast stood in the midst of so many temptations? that so long thou hast endured these spiritual wrestle, wherein thy conscience, and God who is greater than thy conscience, hath stood up thine accuser: hath it come of any strength in thee? None at all If the Lord 
Psal. 94. 17  had not holpen me, my soul had almost dwelled in silence. It is the Lord that k●…epeth 
Psal. 66. 9  our souls in life. The Lord who seemed our Adversary, was our secret helper; he shook us with temptations, and sustained us with his grace: Even the Lord who wounded us, did heal us. 
Hose. 6.  The Lord is the d●…liuerer of our soul out of all adversity. Otherwise it had been impossible for thee (O weak man) to have holden up thi●…e head in the least of these temptations; over which now through his Grace thou hast prevailed, and obtained the victory. Not unto us therefore, O Lord, not unto 
Psal.  us, but unto thy name let the glory be given.  
It is again here to be marked, that the Lord when he appeareth most familiarly to jacob, hec exercises him 
The Lord will not give his children immunity from troubles.  with a wearisome wrestling; the suddenty and novelty whereof (no doubt) at the first, did greatly terrific and disquiet him. The Lord then when he comes to jacob, doth not ●…ast him asleep into careless security, but he tosses and shakes him too and fro, and exercises him with fight, and struggling all the night long? whereof we may learn, that even when the Lord is ne●…rest, and most familiar with us, than oftentimes our temptations and wrestle will be greatest. So soon as jacob got the first blessing, therefore withal incontinent, he behoved to sustain the enmity of Esau, and was forced, for eschewing his cruelty to undergo banishment. And now when the Lord comes to bless him again, he first wakes and prepares him by tentation. This is the order of the Lords working: Blessed is the man, who endureth 
jam. 1. 12.  tentation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them who love him.  
It is not then true which sometime 
Spiritual wrestling a witness of gods familiar presence with us.  the weak Conscience doth conceive and apprehend, that spiritual exercises, wrestle, and fightings against temptations, are tokens of descrtion, of the Lords absence, and departure from us: by the contrary, they are sure witnesses of the Lords familiar presence with us, whether we fight with the spiritual weapons of our Warfare against carnal 
2 Cor.  men without us, or against our own infidelity, and rebellious affections, labouring to subdue them, and bring them captive: to Christ's obedience: or against any other of Satan's temptations, standing with the complete armour of God at all occasions to resist him. All these wrestle I say, are undoubted tokens of a spiritual life within us, and of the Lords presence with us in mercy, and forerunners of a further blessing; for as the carnal peace, and security of the wicked, ends in destruction, and their pride goeth before a fall: when they say 
Prover. 1 The. 5. 3  peace & safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction: like that which fell on the Philistines in the midst of their carnal rejoicing (the pillars of their house were not sure enough to sustain them) so the inward humiliation of God's children, is by a good token, a sure argument of approaching grace. But as to the wicked, with whom the 
The wicked being dead captives cannot fight.  Lord is not, they are no Wrestlers against Satan and sin, for they are dead in sin and trespasses, and have rendered themselves prisoners, and captives unto Satan, and are taken of him Captives 
2 Tim.  at his will: they live under a miserable peace, with the enemy of their Salvation. If he wound them, they mourn not, if he command them, they resist not. And such (alas) are many in this age, whose eyes it may please the Lord to open, that they may see that miserable state wherein they do stand; and once may be moved by his Spirit to sigh, under this heavy servitude and bondage and earnestly call unto God for deliverance▪   

CHAP. VII. Comfort for Christ's soldiers.  
But as for you whom GOD hath set at enmity with the Serpent, and entered to fight in that battle, which once was proclaimed in Paradise, and wherein all the soldiers of that blessed seed of the woman must fight by course unto the end of the world. Blessed are ye, for hereby ye may know that the Lord hath loosed the chains of your captivity Ye are no more the slaves & prisoners of sathan, but by grace warriors against him; ye stand on that side whereof the Captain is, that triumphant conqueror, the victorious Lion of the tribe of juda, even that God, Peace, 
〈◊〉 I. Rom.  who shall shortly trample Satan under the feet of his Saints. ●…aint not ye therefore because of your continual temptations. 
Wrestling a sure token of spiritual life.  Think not the Lord is from you because you are exercised with inward wrestle. Wrestling in this life is our greatest perfection, an undoubted testimony of another life in us, than the life of nature. None can strive against sathan and sin, but by the spirit of the Lord jesus: or who can hold, or retain the Lord till he bless him, but he who hath the Spirit of the Lord jesus: Nature will make no opposition to Nature, and Satan will not strive against himself: where striving and wrestling is, striving (I mean) for a blessing from God, and wrestling against sin, there Christ is, there the spirit of the Lord is, & there a new life is. By it thou art known to be the good soldier of jesus, to be the man for whom is prepared the Crown, For no 
Tim.  man is crowned except he strive. Let it be therefore no discouragement to thee that thou art kept under, wrestling with daily temptations, but rather let it be to thee a witness that God is with thee, as he was with jacob.  
Farther it is to be considered, that Moses saith, a Man wrestled with jacob: so he appeared to be, but as ye have heard the wrestler was the lord 
In all our afflictions we should go by the instrument and look to God as our party.  This yields a notable lesson for the children of God, that in all our wrestle, what ever appear unto us, or who ever seem our party, it is the Lord, with whom alway we have to do. This consideration upheld job that worthy warrior, in the midst of his 
job.  greatest afflictions: when the tempest of wind overthrew the house and destroyed his seven sons, and three daughters: when fire came down from heaven, and burned his seven thousand sheep, and his servants: when the Sabaeans destroyed his siue hundred yoke of Oxen, and five hundred she Asses: when the three bands of Chald●…ans took away his three thousand Camels: yet in all this he complains not of the iniquity of the Chaldaeans and Sabaeans: he murmurs not against the elements, the air, nor the fire: he speaks no word against any that were instruments of his trouble: he knew that they were all under the Lord's commandment, to come and go at his pleasure, he turns his eye toward the Lord, and takes him up for his party. The Lord hath given, the Lord hath taken, blessed be the name of the Lord. And so with this one weapon of godly consideration he keeps off at one time manifold buffets & blows of Satan, and is preserved unwounded by them: For in all this job sinned not with his mouth.  
Good were it for us, if in the whole 
Our impatience proceeds of this, that we look to the instrument more than to God.  course of our life, we could remember this: for so should we not be discouraged, & cast down (as commonly we are) by looking too much to the instruments of our trouble. Many things we bear the more impatiently, because we conceit they proceed from men, or other second causes, which we would receive much more willingly, if we could remember they come from God. Not so much as a Sparrow, nor a hair of our 
Mat. 6.  head falls to the ground, without the providence of our heavenly father: He that keeps our hearts will he not keep ourself? Si sic custodiuntur superflua 
August. hom. 14.  tua, in quanta securitate est anima tua? If thy hairs be kept, in what safety is thy soul? What ever cup of trouble men prepare for us, we shall not drink of it, unless the Lord appoint it, and temper it first with his own hand. Nabuchad-nezzar 
Dan.  boasted the three children with a fiery furnace, yet were they not afraid, & all because they considered that God above him overruled his intention. Shimei cursed David, and he 
Sam.  was not incensed with anger; because he considered that the Lord had sent him. And Nahomi with this comforted 
Ruth.  herself against the loss of her husband: It is the Lord (said she) who humbles me. All these do warn us, whom God hath appointed for greater conflicts, that it is a great feebleness arising of inconsideration to suffer our souls to be dimoved out of the state of patience, by the inordinate behaviour of any outward instrument of our trouble. Absit à servo Christi tali inquinamentum, 
Tertul. lib. de patien.  ut patientia maioribus praeparata in minoribus excidat. Let such a spot and foul blemish be far from the servants of Christ, that our patience which is prepared for greater conflicts should fail, and fall away in smaller temptations If when we run with footmen 
jer. 12. 5.  they weary us, how shall we match ourselves with horses? If when we wrestle with men, who are flesh and blood, we are so easily overthrown with every breath of their mouth, and wounded with their smallest injuries, that we faint and become impatient, how shall we wrestle against principalities and powers? 
Rom. 8.  or how shall we resist the fiery darts of the Devil? We have therefore for help of our weakness, to gather our thoughts and remember, that whosoever be the instrument of our trouble, it is the Lord, with whom we have to do, so shall we the more easily possess our souls in patience, and give glory to God.   

CHAP. VIII. The third Circumstance, the manner of the wrestling, corporal, spiritual, or mixed.  
IN the third room we promised to speak of the manner of this wrestling, whether it be corporal only, or spiritual only, or mixed. Now that it is mixed, and so partly corporal, and partly spiritual will appear, by comparing Moses and the Prophet Hosea together. That the wrestling was corporal it is clear, of the disjointing of Jacob's thigh, whereof Moses makes mention: and that it was also spiritual appears, partly of that which Moses saith, that jacob strove for the blessing, and partly of that which Hosca saith, 
Hos. 12. 4.  that he prevailed by wrestling and praying.  
These are the sorest kind of wrestle, when the Lord at one time exercises his children, both in body and mind, that his heavy hand of sickness, 
Sore wrestlings when God at one time humbles his children both in body and mind. Prou.  poverty, or some such like is upon their bodies, and therewithal heavy inward troubles upon their minds. This is indeed a very hard estate: for as Solomon saith, the spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear it? and yet with both those at one time hath the Lord exercised his dearest servants so hardly, that the vehemency of their trouble, hath forced them to pour out most lamentable complaints; My heart (saith David) 
Ps. 109. 22  is wounded within me. My spirit is 
Psa. 143. 4  in perplexity, and my soul is amazed. The Lord renews his plagues, and increaseth 
job. 10. 17 job. 9 8.  his wrath against me (saith job) So that changes and armies of sorrows are against me: the Lord suffers me not to take my breath, but fills me with bitterness. The Lord (saith Nahomi) hath given me much bitterness. I have fightings 
2 Cor. 7. 5  without, and terrors within, saith the Apostle. It is a common disease of the Children of God in their troubles, to think that their troubles are singular: I have therefore marked this, that none of them should think themselves marrowless, when the Lord deals with them after this manner; For no tentation hath overtaken you, but 
1 Cor. 10.  that which appertains to men.  
We have here in like manner to 
A rare tentation when Gods working seems to fight with his word and promise.  mark another kind of tentation, whereby God tries the faith of his children, which is, when his work seems directly to fight against his Word, so that in working with his children he appeareth to come against his promise. As for example, the Lord hath promised, that if I repent, he will forgive; if I mourn for my sins, he will comfort me; if I ask from him, he will give unto me, so says he in his word: Yet I find in his working with me, the contrary (will the troubled conscience of the Child of God say) I do repent from mine heart of my sins, and am sorrowful that ever I offended my God, but I cannot feel the Remission of them: I mourn, but the Comforter who should refresh my soul cometh not. I call and cry night & day, but the Lord heareth me not. Unto this estate I know that oftentimes the dearest of God's children are brought, as if the Lord had forgot to be mercifuli unto them, and shut up his tender mercies in displeasure, they can find no promised rest to their soul, nor peace to their troubled minds.   

CHAP. IX. How we should be have ourselves in this tentation, we are taught.  
THou therefore whose heart is set to seek the Lord, & in this perplexity wouldst know what to do and how to behave thyself, I can no better way resolve thee, then to send thee to look unto Abraham, jacob, job, and the rest of these, who have been exercised with the like temptations before thee. Mark therefore, and consider how the Lord commanded jacob to go back again unto Canaan, and promised to be with him; yet now in the journey (as it would seem) he comes against him. He bade him go forward and yet disjoints his thigh bone, & so unables him to go as he was wont. Notwithstanding jacob still cleaves fast to the promise of the 
1 By jacob.  Lord, being persuaded that the Lord could not fail him; and therefore contrary to his present sense and feeling, trusting still on the word of the Lord, for all the appearing contrariety of his working, he craves a blessing from him that wrestles with him.  
Again, will ye look unto Abraham 
2 By Abraham.  our father? the Lord made him a promise, that in Isaac, his seed should be blessed, and yet he commands him to slay him. A wonderful tentation, that the Lord commands him to slay that child, in whom he had promised the multiplication and blessing of his posterity: for here the promise of God & his commandment seems to fight together. Yet Abraham strengthened in the faith, as he received Isaac from the dead womb of Sara, doth not doubt but God was able to raise him from the dead again; and therefore resting on the Lords promise, he spares not to sacrifice Isaac, being fully assured that the Lords apparent contrary working, could no way be prejudicial to the verity of his word. O strong! O rare! O wonderful Faith! Therefore the Lord who giveth no vain styles to his servants, honoureth Abraham with this name, the father of the faithful. For by his example, our weakness is strengthened to give credit to the Lord, when he speaketh to us.  
And the same lesson of Faith, is in 
3 By jacob.  like manner taught unto us, by the example of patient job (for many schoolmasters and examples have we on whom the ends of the world are fallen.) No doubt he had laid up the promises of God in his heart, whereupon he dependeth: yet doth the Lord handle him sohardly, both in body and mind, as if he were determinate to keep no promise unto him. Yet job for all this distrusts not the truth of God's promise, but gripes them so surely, that in his greatest extremity he resolves, O Lord, albeit thou shouldest slay me, yet will I trust in thee. That is albeit Lord thou shouldst deal hardlier with me than thou hast done, yet will I never think but thou wilt be merciful to me according to thy promise: there is a heart knit to the Lord; there is a soul cleaning to God without separation, that thus concludes. O Lord, none of thy works shall make me to misbeleeve thy word: though thou cast me down to hell, my eye shall be upward towards thee, & my soul shall love thee, even when it appears thou sayst that thou hast no delight in me.  
And the like also may we see, in that 
4 By the woman of Canaan.  woman of Canaan, according to that promise, ask●… and it shall be given, call on me in thy trouble, and I shall hear thee, and deliver thee. She 〈◊〉, O Lord have mercy on me: but at the 〈◊〉 gets no answer. She crieth again, & again, but contrary to another promise, as it would appear; God gives to all men liberally and reproaches no man, not only is she refused, but reproached as a dog, and one not meet to eat the children's bread. But at the length leaning without wavering to the Lords promise, she receives a favourable answer, O woman, great is thy ●…aith.   

CHAP. X. Let us ever lean to the Word of God, how strange soever his work s●…eme unto us.  
OF all this then the lesson ariseth unto us, that when ere the Lord shall exercise us so hardly, as to our judgement Gods working with us seems to fight with his promise made unto us, so that suppose we pray, and we mourn, and we seek comfort, we can find none: yea the more we pray, the more our trouble increaseth; yet let us not despair, but learn at our brethren, who have fought the like battles before us, to rest assuredly on God's promise. For in the end his hardest working shall be found to tend unto the performance of his promise made us in Christ jesus: let the Lord walk on in his secret ways known to himself, and let us give to the Lord this glory. I know, O Lord that it cannot 
Ps. 119. 75 verse. 89.  〈◊〉 but well with them, who loves thee. I know O Lord that thy judgements are right, for thy word endureth for eu●…r in heaven, and thy truth is from generation to generation. Heaven & earth shall pass away, but one jot of the Word of God shall not pass 〈◊〉. O happy are they to whom the Lord hath made a promise of mercy! they shall sing in the end with Ezechiel: The Lord hath 
●…sa. 38. 15. Pst 119. 18 Psa. 89. 33  said it, and the Lord hath done it: he will 'stablish the promise he hath made to his servant, and he will not alter the word that he hath spoken with his lips. Wherefore, O thou that art afflicted, & humbled in spirit, disquieted within thyself, wait upon God, and thou shalt yet give him thanks.  
Now in the fourth room, we have to speak of the time, how long the 
4 The fourth circumstance how long endureth the wrestling.  wrestling continueth. Moses saith it lasted, to the breaking of the day. Here then is a new mercy to be marked; the Lord will never so exercise his children with wrestle, but in regard of their weakness, grants them some intermission, and a breathing time, lest they should faint: he will lay no more upon them, than they be able to bear, 
1 Chro. 10 13.  neither suffer his rods to lie longer upon their backs, then may serve for their weal. Al our afflictions are measured 
Our afflictions are measured in quantity, quality and time.  by the Lord, in quantity, quality, and continuance of time. For quantity, the Lord propines to each one of his Children, a c●…p of affliction convenient for their purgation: and as to quality, he tempers also our afflictions, that where of their own nature they are exceeding bitter, being the fruits of sin, worse to drink then the waters of Marah, until Moses changed them by prayer, and made them sweet. He altars them in like manner, by the virtue of the Cross of Christ, and his intercessions for us, the become so sweet and delectable, that we rejoice in t●…bulation. And as for time, he gives us but days of try all & affliction, hours of tentation, attending to his good pleasure, and wish●… dispensation. If we cast Shadra, Mesah, and Abednego into the fire, one like the son of God shall go with them, to wait upon them, and relieve them in convenient time. Yea, no goldsmith waits so diligently upon his gold to take it out of the fire in due time, as the Lord attends upon his children, that in due season he may draw them out of their troubles. jacob wrestles no longer than the dawning, and all our troubles have an appointed time of deliverance, Weeping may abide 
Psal.  in the evening, but joy cometh in the morning.  
And of this ariseth to us, a lesson 
This should teach us patience in trouble, for there is no deliverance till God give it.  of patience, that so long as it pleased the Lord to exercise us with any cross, so long should we be content to bear it. No minting to cast off the yoke, until it please the Lord to take it from our neck. Noah was weary of his abiding in the Ark a year and a day (for so long he remained) and no doubt when he saw the ground he was greatly desirous to come forth, but he will have no deliverance till the Lord who closed him in command him also to come out; and in very truth there can be no deliucrance but that which cometh from the Lord, as this one notable example among more makes manifest unto us. When the Angel commanded Lot to escape for his life to the mountain, ●…e requested the Angel for licence to ●…arry at Zoar. And so, where the Lo●…d pointed out the mountain for the place of his deliverance, he himself makes choice of another; but when he obtained that which he desired, durst he for all that abide in Zoar? no certainly, he could never live without fear, until he went forward to the mountain, whereunto the Angel at the first directed him. So that both the time, & the place & the manner of our deliverance must be referred to the Lord, and not elected by ourselves. Then we rest in quietness, when we rest on the will and mercy of God, not upon our own deceitful refuges of vanity.  
And here is discovered the foolishness 
How foolish are the wicked, who seek deliverance by other means.  of the wicked, who being impatient in trouble, have recourse with Achaziah to Beelzebub, to Satan, or his instruments, seeking by sorcery, charming, or some other such unlawful means to prevent the Lords deliverance. Alas, these blind wretches see not that which after this manner they seek to read themselves, they fall under the danger of an everlasting wrath. When Hananiah that false Prophet broke that yoke of timber, which the Lord put about the neck of 〈◊〉, to presignify the captivity of Babel, the Lord instead of it, put a yoke of iron about his neck, which Hananiah was not able to break. So shall it be with thee: O thou, who withdrawest thyself from thy Lord; thou who wilt cast off the yoke of God, and not tarry till the Lord deliver thee. Instead of a yoke of wood, the Lord shall fasten thy neck with a yoke of iron, that is, in stead of a light temporal affliction, whereof thou hast freed thyself for a time, by means unlawful, The Lord 
jer. 28. 13.  shall sting thee with Serpents, and Cockatrices, which thou shalt not be able to charm: he shall cast thee into that Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, and shall bind upon thee for ever that terrible wrath, which is a wrath to come, except in time thou repent.  
But leaving the wicked, let us learn 
We should pray to the Lord in trouble, but not prevent him.  at jacob, who with patience continues in the wrestling, as long as the Lord will wres●…le with him, so that as the Lord began it, so is he the first that breaketh it off. We may indeed with a good warrant, pray for deliverance out of trouble, saying with Christ our Lord; If it be thy will, Lord let this cup pass by me; but always so, that we submit our will to the Lords most holy will; Nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. And in the mean season, so long as it shall please the Lord to keep us under affliction, let us bewa●…e that we murmur not, neither limit the holy one of Israel, to prescribe unto him, either the time or manner of our▪ deliverance. 〈◊〉 to the Lord his own praise; He is the God that saveth us, and 
Psa. 16. 20  unto the Lord belongeth the issues of death: Wait thou patiently on the Lord: 
Psal. 27. 5.  Commit thy way to him, trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.   

CHAP. XI.  Verse. 25. And when he saw that he could not prevail. 
THe fifth thing we promised to 
5 The fifth circumstance the event of the wrestling.  speak of, is the event and issue of the wrestling; where we see that the wrestling is so dispensed by God, that in the end, the victory inclines unto jacob. So saith Moses here: The Lord saw that he could not prevail. This speech doth not import any superior strength in jacob, but an abundant mercy in God. The Lord cannot, is no other thing, but he will not: he is the God of heaven and earth; he that speaketh, and it cometh to pass▪ all th●… nations of the earth compared with him, are but as the drop of a bucket: if he 
Esay. 40.  had pleased to have taken from jacob his breath out of his nosthriles, he might easily have confounded him, and laid him dead unto the ground. But it pleases him by secret strength to make jacob victorious; yet not so, but that he carrieth away some mark of his weakness and infirmity: For the Lord disjoints his thigh bone, and maketh him to halt, and that partly for Jacob's humiliation, lest he should impute the victory unto his own strength, rather than the Lords mercy, and partly that it might be a memorial unto him all the days of his life, and provocation to thankfulness. As also the Lord gave him this mark in his body, as Theodoret thinketh, to assure him, that it was no fantasy, nor vain vision, which had appeared unto him.  
And in this is shadowed unto us, the manner of that victory, which the children 
In our spiritual battles we get no victory without a wound.  of God obtain in their wrestle, to wit, that it is such a victory as is not without a wound. A notable wrestler was David, yet got he sundry times the foil. A notable wrestler was Peter, and such a one for whom Christ prayed, that his faith should not fail, because he knew that Satan was to sift him: yet was he deadly wounded by a very weak instrument. A notable wrestler also was the Apostle Paul: many rare revelations received he of the Lord, much did he in his calling, to draw many to righteousness; he laboured more abundantly than all the rest of the Apostles: he founded powerfully that ●…umpet, which cast down the walls of spiritual jericho wheresoever he came: so that from jerusalem to Illyricum he made the Gospel of Christ to abound. Yet, lest he should be exalted out of measure, an Angel of Satan was sent to buffe●… him. Noah that preacher of righteousness to the original world, spotted with drunkenness. So Moses speaketh of him though Basill excuse his fact, that in respect he was the first planter of a vineyard, his drunkenness came rather of the lack of experience, that he knew not the strength of wine, then of his intemperance. Yet the Spirit of God marketh it in him as a blemish. No victory then to the Children of God in their battles in this life, without some wound. Who can say, he hath so fought against sin, that at no time he hath been overcome by sin? The best he that ever lived in the world (our blessed saviour excepted) hath had his brevia, le●…iaque peccata, quamuis pauca, quamuis par●…a, non tamen nulla: And those sins, as they were done by them, so are they written for us, not for our imitation, but for attention: not that we should make sport of their weakness, as Cham did of his father's nakedness, Qui lapsu alieno gaudet, gaudet Diaboli victoria. He that rejoiceth at another man's fall, rejoiceth at Satan's victory: but rather, Ut medicamenta nobis de alienis vulneribus faciamus, that so knowing our own weakness we may learn by their example to take heed to ourselves.   

CHAP. XII.  Verse 26. And he said: let me go. 
Having spoken of the wrestling 
Second part of the History containing the conference between jacob, and the Angel.  that was between the Lord and jacob, it now remains we speak of the conference, that upon the wrestling fell out between them.  
The Lord beginneth the conference, and he craves of jacob, that he would let him go. This may seem very strange, that the Lord this manner of way should speak unto his servant; he that loosed the coupling of Jacob's thigh, might he not have loosed the grasps of Jacob's hand? he that came to jacob without Jacob's knowledge, might he not have gone without Jacob's licence? He might indeed: yet doth he make intimation of his departure unto jacob, and why? only to stir him up the more earnestly to seek his blessing before he go.  
This is the Lords manner of dealing 
threatenings of spiritual 〈◊〉 are provocations of the Godly to draw near unto the Lord.  with his Children, that he makes the mints of his departure from them, to be means that provokes them to draw nearer unto him, so that spiritual desertions, are provocations, whereby God his Children are wakened more effectuously to desire the continuance of God's mercy with them. When lesus Christ accompanied his two Disciples 
Luke 24. 20.  unto Emaus, & communed with them by the way, when they drew near to the town, jesus made him (saith the Evangelist) as if he would have gone a little further, only to stir them, to seek his abiding with them In the doing of our Saviour, is figured unto us the manner of the Lords working with his children, who sometimes doth so behave himself, as if he were instantly to depart▪ and take his holy Spirit from them; which mints of spiritual desertion, because they are exceeding grievous to the godly, let us for our comfort consider, the Lord by them seeketh no other thing but to increase our faith, to kindle our love, to stir us up unto greater fervency in prayer, that we may with jacob constrain the Lord to tarry and bless us. And with the two Disciples may cry Lord abide with us, and forsake us not.  
For we are to understand that the 
The Lord will have us to pray for these same blessings that he hath concluded to give.  same blessings which God hath concluded to bestow upon his children, he will have us to ask them before that he give them: the Lord came at this time to jacob, of purpose to bless him, and yet he makes as if he would go away, and not bless him; not that he had changed his mind, but because he will have jacob to pray for that blessing of corroboration, which he had concluded to give him. And let this warn us in the least threatening of a spiritual desertion, to lay hold on the Lord by prayer, lest for fault of seeking, we close up the Lords hands, which are full of blessings, ready to be bestowed upon us.  
Again, we are to consider that the 
The Lord's presence is not joined without intermission in this life.  Lords presence in a like manner, cannot be continually kept in this life: neither from the beginning have any of the children of God enjoyed it at all times. Where for the better understanding of the lesson, and our farther comfort, 
Two sorts of the Lord his presence one secret, which we want never, another felt, which always we enjoy not.  we must distinguish between th●…se two kinds of the Lords presence; there is a presence of the Lord, which is felt and perceived; there is another which is secret, and not perceived, yet known by the effects. The secret presence of God, is continually with his children wherever they go, ruling, guiding, & sustaining them in all their troubles, according to his promise, when thou passest through the waters I will be with 
Esay. 43. 3.  thee, that they do not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the sire, thou shalt not be burnt. As to us we have our own vicissitudes of feeling, and not feeling, we are changeable but the Lord remaineth the same; whom he loves, he loveth to the end, he will never leave us, nor forsake us: but by his secret presence, he entertains life in our souls, when to our own judge meant, we are become altogether dead and senseless, as there is a substance in the Elm and Oak, even when they have cast their leaves. And th●…s, as I said, appeareth by the effects, that we have stood in many temptations, wherein we could feel no present grace upholding us.   

CHAP. XIII. What notable effects the felt presence of God bringeth with it.  
THe other sort is, when not only God is present with his children, but also make themselves sensibly perceive it by inward & glorious feelings: this presence when we get it, makes a sudden change of the whole man, it raises us from death to life, it maketh a comfortable light to shine where fearful darkness abounded, it makes our faith lively, our love fe●…ent, our zeal burning, and our prayer earnest. Then is our water turned to wine, our sighs are turned into songs, & our mourning into glorious rejoicing, because the Bridegroom is with us, and the Comforter that doth refresh our soul is come to visit us. This presence is as evidently felt of them to whom it is granted, as was that descending of the holy Ghost perceived of the Apostles, to whom he came.  
This presence sometime is granted 
This felt presence before trouble is as a preparative.  before trouble, as here unto jacob, and then it is a preparation of him that gets it to the battle, it embouldens, encourages and strengthens him in such sort, that he fears not in God's cause to encounter with whatsoever adversary. He triumphs with David, the Lord is 
Psal. 27. 1.  the light of my salvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my li●…e, of whom shall I be afraid? This presence makes jacob with his family go forward in the face of Esa●…, and of his armed men without fear, where before he was afraid at the rumour of his coming. This presence made Moses lightly regard the angry countenance of Pharaoh, because he had seen him, who was invisible. This presence made Paul go up with joy to jerusalem, where he knew he should be in chains for the name of jefus. This presence hath emboldened many faithful Martyrs, to offer their bodies more freely and willingly to the fire, for the testimony of jesus, then ever any worldling hath stepped into his bath to wash himself, or to his bed to rest him. Let Peter be prepared with this presence, and he will preach Christ boldly, in the face of a Counsel that condemned Christ: Let Peter be unprepared of this presence, and he will deny Christ at the voice of a s●…ple damsel.  
Sometime again, this prescence is 
And after trouble it is to God's children a restorative  granted to his Children, after their long continuance in some trouble, and then it is to them as the sneezings of that child, whom after swooning, Elisha reduced unto life: or as a glimpse of the bright shining Sun, to the tender fruits of the earth, which before hath been oppressed with blasting, and consuming tempests: it brings to the children of God a pacifying of all these distrustful perturbations, which did before disquiet them: yea, it so delights and ravishes them▪ that with the three Disciples on Mount Tabor, when they had seen a little glance of Christ's glory, they cry out, It is good for us to be 
Mat. 27. 4.  here. Yea, they wish, oh that my soul might for ever abide in this happy state and condition! But as I said before, to enjoy the Lord continually in this manner, is not given to any man upon earth, for a while he will be familiar with thee, as he was with jacob; but soon after he must go, and thou must learn to reverence this dispensation of his presence, and not to be dis couraged because for a while he is gone from thee; yea, albeit with Mary one sword (of many sorrows) should pierce through thy soul, yet with her also, magnify the Lord, and let thy spirit rejoice in God thy saviour, blessing him with heart & mouth, that he looked to the base estate of his servant. Account thyself happy that at any time the Lord shows thee his merciful face, being assured that he who hath given thee an earnest penny, will in his own good time, give thee the principal sum; and that the glimpse of mercy which thou hast gotten are pledges of a fill of mercy, which yet abides thee. For so David of that which he had felt concludeth, doubtless kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.   

CHAP. XIIII. The presence or absence of God is ever dispensed for the weal of his own Children.  
FOr the Morning appeareth. These words contain the reason why the Lord desires that jacob should let him go, because the Morning appeareth. This at the first seems a strange reason. Is it not a like to thee O Lord to abide with thy servants in the morning as in the evening? or is there O Lord with thee any such distinction of time? Surely none at all, for thou O Lord art 
Psa. 104. 2  covered with the light as with a garment, even the darkness with thee is light; yea, those bright Angels, that stand about thy throne, makes the midnight where they come, for shining light like the noontide of the day. But we must consider that this reason respecteth not the Lord, it respecteth jacob, and so the meaning is. It is for thy cause O my servant jacob, that I desire to go, for now the morning appeareth, and thou must go on in thy journey, thy servants & family will wait for thy coming, as being uncertain whether they shall remove or remain, till thou direct them, and therefore that I be no more to stay thee from them, let me go.  
And of this we may more evidently 
It is granted for our consolation, and taken away for our humiliation.  perceive, that which I said, how the going and coming of the Lord to and fro his children, is alway ordained and dispensed for their weal, when he cometh, when he goeth, all is for our weal. Ne timeas ô Sponsa nec existimes 
Bernard.  te contemni, si paulisper tibi sponsus subtrahit faciem suam: omnia ista tibi cooperantur in bonum, de accessu, & recessu lucraris. Be not afraid (saith Bernard) O spouse, neither think that thou art contemned, albeit for a short while the bridegroom withdraw his face, all that he doth works for the best unto thee: thou hast gain both of his coming to thee & of his going from thee. And this for the comfort of one exercised with spiritual desertion, doth he explain more clearly in the words which he immediately subjoins, tibi venit, & recedit, venit ad consolationem, recedit ad cautelam, ne magnitudo consolationis extollat te, ne si semper adesset, exilium deputares pro patria, & arrham pro prae●…ij summa, paulisper permittit nos gustare quam suavis sit, & antequam plane sentiamus se subtrahit, & ita quasi alis expansis te provocat ad volandum. He cometh (saith he) for thy consolation, and goes for thy warning and humiliation, lest the greatness of his comfort should puff thee up, and least if he were always present, thou shouldest esteem this place of thy banishment for thine own country, and should take this earnest for the principal sum, he lets thee taste of his sweetness for a short while and incontinent before thou feel it fully, he withdraws himself; and so, as it were, with his wings stretched out over thee, he provokes thee to mount up, and sly after him.  
This is the reason, why the Lord dispenses in such sort his presence, and absence unto his Children. If at no time he shows himself unto us, than would we be overcome of that heaviness under which we lie through manifold temptations: and if always he should be familiar with us, than would we take the earth for the heaven, and forget our father's house, which is above; therefore 
Spiritual desertions are provocations of us to follow the Lord.  sometime he withdraws his presence from us, that he may teach us, to become weary of this barren wilderness wherein we live absent from our Lord He ascends many times from us, that we may stand like these Disciples on the Mount of Olivet, not looking downward to the earth, but gazing, & looking upward towards our Lord who hath gone from us; he gives us a little taste of his graciousness, and then he goes, but goeth in such sort, that he cries after him, Come and see. Not of purpose to defraud thee of any joy that is in him, doth he go from thee: only that he may prepare thee to follow him to that place, wherein he will communicate to thee, the fullness of joy, and let thee see that glory, he had with his father from the beginning. He will not alway tarry from us, lest we despair, neither yet alway remain with us on earth, lest we presume. Sometime he will kiss us, with the kisses of his mouth, and as it were, with the Apostle, ravish us up to the third heavens: other times again, as it seems, he casts down his angry countenance upon us, he humbles us to the hell, and permits Satan also to buffet us lest we should be exalted out of measure. Always this comfort we have of the Lords working with us, that as here we see he comes to jacob, and goes from him for his weal: so whether he show himself familiar with us, or again for a while hide his face from us; in both the one and the other, he is working for our comfort and weal. Only let us possess our souls in patience; and give glory to God.   

CHAP. XV. How their inward exercises of conscience, works in the godly a divorcement of their souls from all creatures, and a nearer adherent to the Lord.  
WHo answered I will not let thee go. Perceive here, how the mint of the Lords departure works into jacob a more constant cleaving, and adhering to the Lord. This as I said before, is that notable fruit which all the Lords spiritual desertions worketh in his children; it augments in them a desire of mercy, and a more earnest carefulness to seek the Lord. And this also we see in our daily experience: for among all them, who profess the name of jesus Christ, ye shall find none more fervent in prayer, more continual in mourning and sighing for their sins, none that thirsteth more earnestly for mercy, than they, whom God hath humbled in their spirits, with threatenings of spiritual desertion. As here jacob is more wakened by this one word, Let me go, then by all the rest of the wrestling, so is there nothing goeth so near the heart of the godly, as doth the mint of the Lords departure from them; they are never so loving to him as at those times, when he seemeth to count least of them: if he look angrily upon them, the more pitifully look they unto him: if he threaten them, they threaten kindness upon him: the hardlier that he answers them the more importunately do they cry upon him. Then with David they water their couch with tears, and call upon God all the day long. Their 
Lam. 1. 14.  eyes cast out water continually, when the comforter that should refresh their souls, is away from them.  
In a word, these desertions work in God's children a divorcement of their souls from the delight of every creature, & a straighter adherence to himself: when he threatens to go from them, they follow him with these lamentable voices, turn again O Lord, and cause thy face to shine upon me, that I may be saved. O Lord take from me what thou wilt, take from me all the worldly comforts, that ever thou gavest me, only let me enjoy thyself; for whom have I in the heavens but thee? and I have desired none in the earth with thee; my flesh farles me and my heart also, Lord fail thou me never: when thou hidest thy face I am sore troubled, return therefore O Lord and be merciful to me, be thou the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever, for thy loving kindness is better than Life. These are the effects of sanctified trouble, while I have marked, that we may be comforted, & not discouraged, when we find that our outward or inward troubles produce into us a loa●… thing of earthly pleasure, and a more fervent love of our God.  
We have yet more narrowly to consider 
There is a striving with God acceptable to him, & namely, when we will take no refusal of that that God hath promised.  this answer that jacob gives to the Lord: I will not (saith he) let thee go, Is this a seemly answer for a servant to give unto his Lord? when the Lord says let me go, becomes it jacob to answer I will not let thee go? Is this good religion, in any thing to strive with the Lord? Yea indeed, there are some things wherein the Lord is very well content that thou strive with him; as namely, when the Lord hath promised any thing unto thee, and thou hast his word for thy warrant, to seek it in sort, that albeit the Lord say thee nay, yet thou wilt receive no refusal at his hands: this is a strife, which pleaseth the Lord, for in effect it is no other thing but a constant affirmation, that his truth is inviolable. After this manner, that woman of Canaan strove with him, she would take no denial of that which he had promised: and after this manner, here also jacob strives with him, he will not be denied of a blessing. And Moses also strove with the Lord, protesting he would not go forward one foot, unless the Lord went with him; because the Lord had so promised. But far be it from us to strive with the Lord, as the wicked do, grieving him daily with our murmurings and rebellions, still living in contrary terms with the lord Woe be to him, that striveth with his maker, do ye provoke the Lord unto anger? or are ye stronger than he? The end of this strife to them will be horrible confusion  
There is yet farther to be considered in these words of jacob, how he saith to the Lord, I will not let thee go; by what mean is this, that jacob is able to hold, and detain the Lord? The Prophet Hosea will resolve this: It was 
Nothing in the world so strong as the prayer of the godly, for they are the bands whereby the Lord is holden & detained.  (saith he) by mourning, and weeping that jacob prevailed, and held the Angel, whilst he got the blessing. There is nothing so strong in the world, as the prayers of the godly, they are the only bands, by which the Lord is holden, and detained: the Lord will not be restrained by all the powers of the earth, neither will he cease to do any work, that he is about to do, for the cries of all the men in the world: yet the prayers of his children are able to constrain him, to power down an undeserved blessing, and turn away a just deserved punishment. When the people of Israel had fallen from God by worshipping the golden Calf, the Lords anger was highly incensed, and kindled against them, which moved Moses to fall down on his face before the Lord, beseeching him to be appeased towards his people, for the glory of his name. This prayer did in such sort constrain the Lord in the midst of his anger, that he is compelled to say unto Moses, Let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, for I will consume them. This manner of speech used by the Lord, declares that the prayer of Moses did bind and hold in the wrath of God, that it broke not out upon this people. In like manner we read in the Gospel, that when jesus was passing by those two blind men, who cried upon him, Osanna, thou son of David have mercy upon us: albeit the multitude regarded not their crying, and the disciples also (as it seems) took little thought thereof, yet jesus was moved thereby to stand still. They could not come near for the multitude to lay hands on him, but their prayers reached unto him, & doth so take hold upon him, that by that place he could not go, until he had given them a comfortable answer, the prayer of a righteous man avatles 
jam.  much, if it be powered out in faith.   

CHAP. XVI. Prayers of the godly must be forcible and acceptable to God, seeing they come from his own Spirit.  
THis than is to the great comfort of the godly, that our prayers are effectual, and are (as I may call them) the Lords own bands, wherewith we are able to detain and hold him, till he bless us. And no marvel, seeing these prayers are not ours, but the intercession of Gods own spirit in us, powered out in the name of Christ, in whom he is ever well pleased. For as to us we know not what to pray as we ought, but the 
Rom. 8.  spirit itself makes request for us, with sighs which cannot be expressed. And therefore may we boldly think, that the Lord will not despise them. Spiritus est in quo clamamus Abba pater: sicut 
Bern in fest. Pent. Serm. 1.  in nobis interpellat pro nobis, ita in patre delicta, donat pro ipso patre, quod postulamus, idem ipse donat, qui dat ut postulemus. It is the spirit (saith Bernard) by whom we cry Abba father: as in us the spirit makes request for us: so with the Father he grants our requests, and forgives us our sins, that for which we pray even he giveth it unto us, who giveth us this Grace to pray. Let us therefore pray continually, and strengthen by these godly meditations our feeble hearts, and weak hands, that they faint not in prayer. Let us go and desire good things from the Lord, seeing we have the Lord bound to us by his promise. The Lord will fulfil the desire 
Psal.  of them who fear him. And again, 
Pro. 10. 24  That which the wicked fears shall come upon him, but God will grant the desire of the righteous. Thou who art made sure to obtain, if so be thou canst desire, art here made inexcusable: none wants mercy and grace, but he who desires it not.  
And yet take heed, that in thy prayer 
A warning for attention in prayer.  thou be not unreverent, remember, à quo, & quam magna petas: from whom and what great things thou cravest. 
Chrisost. de Canan homi. 15.  Great things from a great king, should be desired with reverence and affection: they can best speed at the Lords almes-dealing that fall down lowest with the Publican, not they who with the Pharisee stand up proudest upon their feet. Abraham, the father of the faithful, in his prayer, considering in himself, and looking to the majesty of God, humbly confesseth that he was but dust and ashes. Yea Adam in his best estate of his innocency, was bound to glorify God, with the like confession of the baseness of his original; and to let Adam alone, the heavens are not clean in his sight, yea he hath found folly in his Angels, they cover not only their feet, but their faces before the Lord: what then shalt thou do O man, who dwellest in lodgings of clay? a sinful creature by thine own apos●…asie, loaden with iniquity: how shouldest thou be humbled and bow down thy soul, in the presence of thy Maker, Redeemer, and thy judge? 
We should not desp●…e our own prayers, they being powered out without presumption, and why?   
Presumption in prayer thus being removed, I return to the comfort. Thou being thus humbled with an hatred of thine own sins, with fear and reverence of that divine majesty, trusting to his promise, go on with boldness to the throne of grace. Noli vilipendere orationem tuam, quoniam illo ad quem oras, non vilipendit: esteem not lightly thine own prayer, as though it were a small thing; seeing the Lord to whom thou pray est hath declared that he accounts so much of it; suppose it be weak, yet remember, etiam solis vagit●…bus 
Macar. hom. 31.  infans matrem commou●…t ad misericordiam: even the very cries of the infant that utters no distinct voice, moves the mother unto commiseration. And what comparison between the love of a mother toward her children, and the love of the Lord towards his? No father will give to his children that asketh, a stone instead of bread, nor a Serpent in stead of a fish: What kindness then (if we crave it) may we look for at the hands of our heavenly father? As the 
Cyp. lib. 1 epist. 1.  heavens are above the earth, so are my thoughts above yours. Our prayers (saith Cyprian) are arma coe●… s●…ia, quae stare nos faciunt & forti●…er perseverare, haec sunt munimenta spiritualia & tel●… divina, they are spiritual armour, whereby we stand and strongly persever to the end they are heavenly darts and defences.  
Oh that we understood the excellen●…e 
A commendation of prayer.  of this grace of prayer, that so we might the more delight in it! it is the hand of a christian, which is able to reach from earth to heaven, and take forth every manner of good gift out of the Lords treasure. It is one of those keys of the house of David, whereby we open the doors of the heavenly palace, & go in to take a view of that eternal building and glorious mansion, prepared for us in heaven. It is the messenger that with speed goeth from our souls, saluting no creature by the way, and entereth strait into the Mercy seat in heaven, reporting to the Lord all our desires, and returning back a favourable answer from him. Yea, it is unto us as that ●…iery chariot of Eliah, whereunto we mount up, and have our conversation with God in the heavens. O happy soul therefore which God hath endued with this most heavenly grace!  
Except thou bless me. It were for us 
Jacob's fervency, and zeal in prayer convinces our inconsideration and coldness.  a good thing, if we could learn from jacob this holy wilfulness, never to let the Lord alone till he bless us. But alas, here we are taken in our sin, we fall to our prayers without preparation, we power out a number of words without devotion, and so go away without a blessing. We send out our prayers like to incense, made indeed according to the Lords direction, but not kindled with fire from the Altar; that is, petitions lawful enough, and agreeable to God's word, but not powered out in fervency. And so no marvel that the Lord smell not in them a sweet sacrifice; for incense without fire hath no fragrant smell; and so having finished our cold prayers, we rise without examination, not once considering with what fruit we have prayed; and whether we have gotten a blessing from God or no.   

CHAP. XVII. jacob cannot end till God have blessed him.  
GOdly jacob will here teach us another lesson, that we should not let our gripes go, nor cease from crying, until the Lord have blessed us. Then hath jacob done, when as the Lord hath blessed him: but till he get the blessing, jacob in no wise will part with the Lord. Where, if thou despair, how shalt thou know in prayer when God blesseth thee? I answer: Except the Lord teach thee, I cannot tell 
How may we know when God blesseth us in praying to him.  thee: the spirit of God, when he comes down with a blessing, makes himself to be known. No man hath felt so sensible a shower of rain, descending on his body, as the child of God will feel, when the shower of grace descends on his soul, than the foundations of that earth (which is in man) are shaken; the stony heart melteth, the eye aboundeth in joyful tears, the tongue is loosed, that was bound before, the mind is filled with unaccustomable light, the whole soul with unspeakable comfort. Finally, such an alteration is made of his whole desires, for a change of his whole inward and outward disposion, as the child of God feels better than he is able to utter. Which if we obtain not in prayer (as many times it falls out) let us receive it as a check of our coldness, as a spur to further humiliation, that so with a new blessing we may fall to seek the Lord and his blessing.  
And here again we have to consider 
The quickness of faith  another lesson; for in this, that he seeks a blessing from him, who wounded him, we are to take up the nature of faith, which is of such quickness that no marvel the Ancient said, Fides Linceos habet oculos: for albeit the 
Bern. in Epiphan. serm. 1.  Lord would take on him the shape of an enemy, and show himself an angry judge to his children, yet will they still look for favour and kindness at his hand. It was the Lord who afflicted job with outward and inward troubles, of the which, nature & sense could gather no other conclusion but that God had forsaken him, and had become his en●…mie; yet faith above sense and nature leadeth him through all these misly clouds to look unto God, as unto his merciful father; and therefore res●…s he in that notable conclusion, whereof we have made mention before, Albeit the Lord stay me, yet will I trust in him.   

CHAP. XVIII. Faith through death espies life.  
THis fullness of faith doth also appe●…e manifestly in all the rest of God's children, especially in time of trouble, for what maketh them rejoice in afflictions, and to triumph when they are going through the valley of death, but the sight & certainty of a better? How cometh it, that in the same moment wherein God is taking their temporal life from them, they are seeking an eternal life from him? Out of doubt it cometh of their lively faith, which 
Faith in wrath can see mercy.  through wrath sees mercy, through the cloud of light & momentary afflictions, it beholdeth an infinite weight of glory.  
But this quickness of faith appears 
Faith offends not at the base form and shape, in which jesus Christ appeared, but through it sees him to be the king of glory.  most of all wonderfully in the up▪ taking of jesus Christ, for he appeared in the world disguised, A King in sh●…pe of a servant: He being the God of glory came covered with such contemptible coverings that the world misknew him. His miraculous conception without the help of man was obscured with the covering of Mary's espo●…sing unto joseph: his birth without all uncleanness, obscured with the covering of Mary's purification: his innocency in like manner obscured with the covering of circumcision: and so 〈◊〉 est novi solis fulgor, (saith B●…rnard▪) 
Ber ser. 4. in vigil●…. Dom.  and thus was the glory of this ●…ght shining sun which the world saw never before, obscured. Yet through all these, and many coverings, that Centurion, through faith esp●…ed him to be the son of God; and those three wise men who came from the East, by the 
Mat. 2. 11.  light of faith, through all these veils saw him to be a glorious King; and therefore also fell down and worshipped him. But these blind Bethleemites, amongst whom he was borne, having no more but the eyes of nature, wherewith to look upon him, could not discern him: albeit this was their glory, that out of them came that Governor, 
Mich.  who should feed his people, by this faith, Agnovit Simeon infantem tacentem, for 
August. serm. 20.  lack of it, occiderunt judaei mirabilia facientem. Simeon by faith acknowledged jesus, even in his infancy, when he had not yet spoken a word: but the jews for lack of faith, blinded with infidelity, flew him, after that he had wrought many Miracles. So then to return to our ground, it was a great faith in jacob that he sought a blessing from him, who wrestled against him. Nature will never learn us that lesson. Come, and let us return to the Lord, he hath spoiled, 
Hos. 5.  and he will heal us; he hath wounded and he will bind us up. Without faith, there can be no prayer to God, especially, at that time, when God layeth his heavy hand upon us: How shall they call to him, in whom they believe not? Where the fountain is dry, what water can there be in the strand? ergo ut oremus, credamus, & ut ipsa non deficiat ●…ides, qua credimus, oremus. Therefore that we may pray, let us believe, and that our faith, whereby we believe faint not, let us pray. And this for the fullness of faith.   

CHAP. XIX. The goldy in their prayers, above all things seek God's favour and blessing.  
Perceive yet farther out of these words, that jacob seeks nothing from God, but his blessing. The children of God, even then, when God is most familiar with them, seek nothing comparable to his blessing. Herein they are insatiable: on the earth they can never get enough of his blessings. jacob was blessed before of the Lord, and now again, he seeks a new blessing, and every time that he meets with the Lord, all that he desires is a blessing. It is far otherwise with miserable Worldlings: it is seldom, and far between that they come to the Lord, they seek some other thing than himself, or his blessing; some worldly benefit, or deliverance from temporal trouble is the sum of all their suit: So Cain forgetting to seek mercy for his sin, sought only protection to his body, Whosoever findeth me, shall slay me: and from time to time he got that he went out from the presence of the Lord. O miserable man, that left not behind him so much as a petition to God for mercy, & deliverance from that wrath, which his sin had brought upon him!   

CHAP. XX. Worldlings in their prayers dishonour God, and preiudges themselves.  
IN this doing wicked men do both dishonour the Lord, and prejudge themselves; they consider not the infinite goodness, and the all-sufficiency of the Lord; they measure him with their base and earthly minds, and therefore in stead of eternal they seek nothing but temporal and perishing things. It was a princely answer that Alexander gave his friend Perillus, to whom he had offered, fifty talents of silver, to help his daughter to marriage; which the other thinking too much, replied, that ten talents were sufficient. Yea, said Alexander, it were enough for thee to receive, but not for me to give. And to another in like case he gave the like answer: Ne quaere, quid t●… accipere, sed quid me dare, deceat. But much more may our all-sufficient God, that Monarch of the world indeed, who is rich unto all who calls upon him, give unto us a greater rebuke, that cannot enlarge our hearts, nor open our mouths wide, that he may fill them with his good things, contenting us to seek the earth, when the Lord offers us the heaven; seeking with worldlings, that our wheat and our wine 
Psal. 4.  may abound, and not with Godly David, that the light of the countenance of God, which brings joy to the heart, may be upon us. The Lord esteems this a very great indignity, and contempt done unto him: and therefore he complains on the jews, by his servant, the Prophet Hosea, They howl upon me in their beds for wine and oil, they cry like dogs for that which may fill their bellies; but sends not out the voice of my children, to cry unto me for mercy and grace.  
It is in like manner very prejudicial 
How foolish they are, who in prayer seek  to themselves, who do it: for they fast and weary their spirits in seeking many things, and in the mean time, are careless 
other things before they seek the Lord.  to seek one thing; the obtaining whereof might bring them unto all things: thus they consume themselves with vain labour. Qui rerum magis 
Bernard.  specie, quam authore dilectati, prius universa percurrere, & de singulis cupiunt expiriri, quam ad Christum curent universitatis principem pervenire. Who being delighted with the show of things, more than with the author of them, are desirous to know every thing by experience; but not careful to come unto Christ, who is that head & fountain, of whom all things are: where otherwise, if according to the command of our blessed Saviour men would first seek the kingdo●…e of God, than all other things should be cast unto them. This is the only compendious way, to satisfy our insatiable desires: Quicunque hic 
August. serm. 4.  varia, quaeris, ipse unus tibi erit omnia: whatsoever thou be, who here seeks sundry things, seek the Lord, and he shall be all things in all to thee.  
When the Lord offered to Solomon to give whatsoever he would ask, he 
The only way to get other things, is first of all to seek the Lord.  sought from the Lord a wise and understanding heart, which so pleased the Lord, that not only he gave him that which he asked, but also second and inferior gifts, as riches & honour, which he asked not, so great delight hath the Lord to hear us seek from him, those things which are greatest and excellent. Let us therefore ascribe unto the Lord glory and power, he is a great King: let us not dishonour him by seeking from him small and perishing things, the least of them is enough for us to receive. For we are not worthy of the least of his mercies: but not enough for the Lord to give: suppose the Lord would ●…ue us all the works of his hand into our possession, they shall be found but comfortless comforts in the end, unless we enjoy his favour towards us in jesus Christ.   

CHAP. XXI. Faith obtains every good thing that i●… craves.  Verse 27. Then he said. 
Upon this earnest desire of jacob, the Lord resolves, that he will bless him: we have a promise of God, Ask and it shall be given you, & we have also manifold confirmations of this promise. Zedekiah spoke it in a flattering manner to his Princes. Ye know that the King can deny you nothing, but it is most true in the Lord our God, such is his loving affection towards all 
jer. 38.  his subjects of the kingdom of grace, that in very deed he can deny nothing which they ask in faith. As to the wicked (saith S. james) they ask, & get not, because they ask not in faith, nor for the right end. It is written of Uitellius the Emperor that one of his friends being denied his petition, which was not reasonable, waxed angry, and said unto him, what avails to me thy friendship, seeing I cannot obtain that which I crave? who replies unto him, & what avails to me thy friendship, if for thee I must do that which is unlawful? If such equity hath been found in man, what shall we think of our God? with what face dare we seek that from God, which is unlawful to be given? But whatsoever we ask of the Lord in faith, we are sure to obtain it, or a better. So rare a jewel is faith, that 
Faith a rare ●…ewell and why?  he who hath it, hath all things to be his: God for his Father; jesus Christ for his Saviour; the holy Ghost for his Comforte●…; the Angels for his minist●…ing Spirits; this world for a sojourning place; all the good creatures therein for his Servants; and the heaven for his inheritance: therefore said Cyril, Lata 
Cyril. catech 17  mer●…atura est sides.  
Before the Lord bless him, he asks 
A new name is given to jacob.  jacob what his name was: he answered, My name is jacob: to whom the Lord says: Thou shalt no more be called jacob (only) but shalt be called Israel also. I give thee now a new name, and this blessing, that thou hast had power with God, so hereafter shalt thou prevail with men, fear not therefore the face of thy Brother Esau. He that gave thee strength in this wrestling, shall sustain thee also in all thy conflicts with men. Thus the Lord will have jacob use the present experience of God's mercy at this time, as a confirmation of him in all time to come.  
jacob then (as ye see) hath two 
jacob had two names and they both are from wrist ling.  names, and both of them he gets from wrestling. He wrestled once with his brother Esau in the womb of his mother, and from it he received the name jacob, because he held his brother by the heel. Now again he wrestleth with the Lord, and from it he receiveth this other name Israel, a prince of God. As it was with jacob, so it is with all the true Israelits of God; wrestling abides them, and in wrestling they must be exercised, sometimes with God, as Israel; sometime with man, as jacob with Esau, and Paul with beasts at Ephesus. No man is crowned before he strive: the husbandman must labour before he receive the fruit; and we by many tribulations must enter into the kingdom of God.  
Again, ye see that as the Lord 
With the new name God also giveth him new grace.  bestoweth upon jacob a new name, so therewithal he bestoweth upon him new graces, increase of faith, and spiritual strength to resist temptations. It is not the Lords manner of dealing to set out his servants, with vain glorious titles, which imports nothing; when he gives them a new name, he giveth also new graces answerable to the name; by his word he calls things to be, which were not, Soli Deo idem facere, quod 
Ber. hom. 4. super miss●…s est.  loqui, for unto God it is one to speak, and to do. And he gives names to things according as they are. Sometime he changeth a name from the better to the worse, as the place once called Bethel, the house of God, the Lord called it Bethaven, the house of vanity: and this the Lord doth not, but where a change is indeed from good unto evil. Sometime again he changeth the name from the worse to the better. Where it was said unto you, Ye are not 
Hos.  my people, it shall be said, ye are the sons of the living God: and this he doth not but where a change is indeed of the persons, who gets the name from evil unto good.  
And this is a rule, whereby we may 
By this rule we should try, if the new christian name be pertenent to us or no.  try ourselves, whether the new name that appertaineth to Christians, be ginen unto us of the Lord, or not; or if we have usurped it ourselves. If the Lord have changed thy name, as he did Jacob's name, let it appear in this, that he hath also changed thyself. Hath he given thee that grace, which the name imports? Hast thou received an ointment 
joh.  from that holy One? Hath he illuminated thy darkness? quickened thy dead heart? sanctified thy unclean affections? Then mayst thou be sure, that thou hast received thy name from God: but if yet we be such as remain in our natural estate, living in our old sins, under the new name of a Christian, as now the most profane men have gotten on the covering of a Christian name, & Esau doth put on him the apparel of jacob: thou that so dost, mayst be sure, the Lord never gave unto thee this new name, but thou hast violently usurped it unto thyself. It shall be no more available to thee then was the garment of good king jehosophat unto wicked Achab: yea, it shall augment so much the more the wrath of God upon thee, because that under an holy name thou hast lived 
It is horrible sacrilegde, to sin under the christian name.  an unholy life. Beltasar sinned against God by excess and intemperancy, but that he abused the holy vessels of the house of God, to serve him to profane drinking, was a double sin, a horrible sacrilege, yet not so horrible as thine. He abused dead Vessels, but thou profanest a living soul & body; they are not thine own, they were once made by the Lord, and bought again by the price of his blood, and so by all right are the Lords, by Baptism they were separate to the service of God, and his mark put upon them. Notwithstanding all this, thou darest sacrilegiously abuse them, and make them weapons of unrighteousness to the service of Satan. O miserable man! what fearful judgement mayst thou look for at the hands of God? The wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of man. Tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soul of every man that doth evil, every man shall receive according to that which he hath done in the body. Turks and Pagans shall not escape unpunished, but thou that abusest thy soul and body to the service of Satan, which by Baptism wert separate & consecrate to the Lord, committest a double sacrilege, and therefore must look for a double judgement except in time thou repent.   

CHAP. XXII. It is the curse of the wicked to pray and not prevail, but it is not so with the Godly.  
BEcause thou hast had power with God: As ●…acob sought a blessing, so at the length he ge●…teth it; for the Lord, at the last will fulfil the desires of them, who fear him. The desire of the child of God, is as a birth conceived in the soul of man, which shall not die, but come to perfection. Solomon promised to give his mother Bethsheba, whatsoever she would ask, and it were to the half of his kingdom; yet when she asked, that Abishag the Shunamite might be given to Adoniah his brother to wife, Solomon refused to grant. Thus men can promise much, and perform little: it is not so with the Lord our God. He hath bidden us pray, he hath promised to hear, and shall not also fail to perform, Nunquam oranti beneficia denegabit, qui orantes ut ne deficiant, sua pietate instigat. He will never deny his benefits to us when we pray, who provokes us to pray.  
But as to the wicked, the hope of the Hypocrite shall perish: their souls are full of desires, like so many strong voices, 
Miserable are the wicked, for they desire that, which they shall never obtain.  crying for that which they shall never obtain; they wait upon lying vanities; which shall never come to pass. Quid tam poenale, quam semper velle, quod nunquam erit, & semper nolle, quod nunquam non erit, in aeternum non obtinebit, quod vul●…, & in aeternum quod non vult sustinebit. What punishment more fearful can fall on a man, then that he should ever wish, that which never shall be, and always wish that were not, that shall be for ever: that which he will, he shall never obtain, and that which he will not, he shall for ever sustain: & yet this is the miserable estate of the wicked. Let us therefore take heed to our praedominate desires; for miserable are they, whose desires are on the world, more than on the Lord; and on vanishing trifles, more than upon his permanent mercies. For when the Lord hath filled their bellies with his earthly treasure, & given them enough, that they leave the rest behind to their children: what have they more to crave from the Lord? They have gotten their desire, they are not to look that ever they shall be partakers of the felicity of Gods chosen, their heart was never set upon it, they have received their consolation 
The wicked have received their consolation on earth.  on the earth, they have no more to look for. Wherefore our Saviour pronounceth a fearful woe upon them, and no marvel; for miserable indeed is their condition, their consolation dies before they die themselves; their comforts forsakes them, before they go out of the world: and like the Gowrd of 
jonas.  jonas withereth before their eyes: in their life they sat under the shadow of it, but in their death it is gone, and they find no comfort in it. Well knew David their misery, and therefore he prays, Deliver me O Lord from the men 
Psalm.  of the world, who have their portion in this life: that is, let me never be one of them. We have therefore to mark, where-away the benefits of our affections do carry us, for if we feel the Lords blessing, no doubt we shall find it; and if the desire of our hearts be above all things towards the Lord, such a desire I mean as useth the means that may bring us unto him; for otherwise wicked Baalam will desire Oh that I might die the death of the righteous! which he shall not obtain. But let us go the right way to mercy, protesting with godly David, O Lord I desire to do thy commandments, and then no doubt the Lord shall crown us with mercies and compassions at the last.  
Thou shalt prevail with men. I do now here by my word (will the Lord say) invest thee in this privilege, that no power of man shall be able to overcome 
No immunity from affliction promised unto us.  thee. Go on therefore with courage in thy journey which I have commanded thee, and fear not any thing, that man is able to do against thee. Where it is to be marked, that the Lord promiseth not of his servant any immunity from affliction: yea by the contrary, the Lord forewarns, that men will make opposition to him; for where no opposition is made by men, how can there be a privilege by jacob? It is needful we consider what it is that the Lord hath promised unto us, lest looking for that which he hath not promised us, we deceive ourselves. Many in the time of trouble make foul apostasy from Christ, and all because when they entered into the profession of Christian religion, they considered not they could not be his Disciples except 
Many not considering this, become apostates in the time of trouble.  they bore his Cross; but foolishly looked for some temporal ease, or worldly commodity in the following of Christ, which he never promised them. These are professors like to the Samaritans, who so long as the jewish religion flourished & was in honour, caused also to be built a temple on a high mountain of Samaria, named Garazin, 
Carol. Sigon. de repub. haeb.  that in this they might not be inferior to the jews. They boasted themselves to be the progeny of joseph, and worshippers of God also with them: but when they perceived that the jews were cruelly afflicted for worshipping God, by Antiochus Epiphanes, and fearing lest they should be also handled in the like manner, they changed their coat, affirming that they were not Isiaelites but Sidonians, and had built their temple, not unto God, but jupiter: thus a little wind separates the chaff and the corn, and a fierce trial distin guisheth the counterfeit and true professor.  
In like manner the ignorant jews, 
This made the jews stumble at Christ, because they looked▪ or a temporal kingdom.  because they understood not the promises made concerning the Messias, looked that Christ should have restored unto them their temporal Kingdom, peaceably and free: whereof, when they saw themselves disappointed, they were offended with him, and persecuted him to the death. It were therefore good for us that we should follow the counsel of our Saviour, & reckon with ourselves in time, in what state of life we enter, when we enter into the profession of Christianity, before 
Luk. 4. 18.  we build a Tower let us count the cost, whether we have sufficient to perform it, lest that when we have laid the foundation and not able to perform it, we fall not under this shame, to be mocked of men, but bring upon ourselves a more fearful wrath of God. For it had been better not to have known the way of righteousness, 
2 P●…. 2. 20  then after we have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto us, like dogs to the vomit, and like the sow that was washed to wallowing in the mire. If we could resolve in time, that they who will live godly in Christ, 
Tim.  must suffer persecution, and arm ourselves before hand thereunto, reckoning with ourselves that of the Lords indulgence, we are spared every day, wherein some notable cross is not laid upon us, then certainly should we account the less of trouble, when it comes unto us.  
We have here again to consider the connexion of these words, because thou hast had power with God, thou shalt prevail with men: and out of them ye may perceive, that the Lord will have this wrestling of Jacob's, wherein he was exercised, immediately by the Lord, to be a preparation unto him against other temptations, which were to come by men. Wherein is shadowed unto us, how the Lord doth first prepare his children by wrestling with himself, before he send them out to encounter with men, and so makes the inward exercises of their minds, preparations, whereby they are made ready the better to endure all outward troubles, that do come from men.   

CHAP. XXIII. The Lord by inward exercises of conscience, makes his children strong to endure outward troubles which come from men.  
THis made Moses that he was not afraid of the face of Pharaoh, because he had seen first the face of God, for he saw (saith the Apostle) him 
Heb. 11. Pro. 19 12  who was invisible. The King's wrath (saith Solomon) is as the roaring of a Lion: but when the Lord utters his wrath, than the heart and countenance of the greatest Monarch in the world, make him as high as Beltasar, shall fail him: he will never lose a good conscience for fear of the wrath of man, that knoweth the power of the wrath 
Esay.  of God: Fear not the man whose breath is in his nostrils: the most he can do, & that by permission, is, he is able to kill the body, but let us fear the Lord, who is able to cast both soul●… and body into hell fire. This sustained aged Policarpus, against all the threatenings of the Proconsul. Ignem minaris ad horam arsurum, 
Eus. lib. 4 cap. 16.  & paulo post extinguendum, ignoras vero ignem illum futuri judicij & aeterni 
They fear not much the wrath of man, who have been humbled with the sense of the wrath of God.  supplicij impijs reseruatum: Thou theatnest me (saith he) with a fire which will burn for an hour, and shortly after be quenched, but thou knowest not that fire of the judgement to come, reserved for the wicked, which will burn for ever. It is the holy fear of God which banisheth out of our hearts the profane fear of men, that we will not do evil to offend the Lord; no, not for all the pains that can follow us in this present life. And therefore the Lord in great mercy towards his children, doth sometimes exercise them with the sense of his wrath, and letteth them feel the sting of an accusing conscience, that so they may come out to the world, strong in the Lord against outward temptations, fully resolved rather to displease men then the Lord, rather to endure present punishments, than to cast themselves under danger of the wrath with is to come. And so are the children of God to reckon with themselves, that their inward wrestle are preparatives for outward troubles.   

CHAP. XXIIII. It is a sinful curiosity to seek to know that which God hath not taught us.  Verse. 29. And jacob asked, What is thy name? 
NOW jacob having received the blessing, proceeds in the conference, and desireth to know the name of him who blessed him. No doubt but he knew before that it was the Lord, otherwise he had not sought a blessing from him. It standeth not with the nature of faith, to pray to any in whom we 
Rom.  believe not. By this question he attaineth not to any new knowledge; for he who blessed him refuseth to tell his name; but jacob by calling the place Peniel, as afterwards follows plainly declares he knew it was the Lord. So then this ask importeth not that jacob did not know it was the Lord that had given him the blessing, only it declareth an earnest desire of jacob to have had a more familiar revelation of the Lord to him: which I think he did of a good mind and intention, such as Moses had when he desired to see the face of God. Yet ye see all our good intentions are not alway approved of the Lord. With his good intention there is joined a piece of curiosity, that he will have more knowledge of the majesty of God than the Lord thought expedient to communicate unto him; otherwise the Lord had not denied it to him.  
To seek a greater perfection of 
Especially not to search out the divine majesty, farther than it is reuea●… led to us in the word.  knowledge, where the Lord offers it, is very commendable, but to aspire to know that which God will not teach, and namely to search out that majesty farther than he pleaseth to reveal himself. is curiosity and presumption, worthy to be damned, He that searches: 
Prou. Basil. de martyr Maman.  Quantus sit Deus, & quae illius mensura, & qualis essentia, talia sciscitanti sunt periculosa ei qui rogatur complexa, & talium medicina est silentium. To ask the quantity & measure of God, or what is his essence, such questions are perilous to him that asketh, intricate to him that is asked at, and are best answered by silence. There be names whereby the Lord expresseth himself to us according to our capacity, but as to his proper name, it is himself, it cannot be comprehended. Why askest 
jud.  thou my name, which is wonderful? And from this curiosity jacob here by god's reproof is restrained. This sin with our nature we have drawn from our first father Adam, the knowledge wherewith God endued him contented him not, he aspired higher, and sought to be equal with God in the knowledge of good and evil. And that this poison from Adam is propagate to his posterity, doth daily appear among the common fruits of our corruption; for either we are careless to learn those things, whereof the Lord hath offered himself a teacher: or else we are curious searchers of those things, which the Lord hath kept secret and hidden from us.  
There are two points of knowledge 
2 Points of necessary knowledge  most excellent and needful for man; the first, to know God, and him whom he hath sent, for herein consists eternal life: the second is, to know ourselves, and 
Yet neglected by Adam's sins who desired rather to eat of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life.  the state of our own consciences. But such is the vanity of the mind of man, that with Adam had rather eat of the tree of knowledge, then of the tree of life, and delighteth to be well read in any book rather than in the book of his own Conscience. And ye may mark in the carnal professors of this age, that if at any time they begin to speak of Theology, then do they handle divine things in a devilish manner, altogether inexpert in the words of righteousness: and having no skill to speak the language of Canaan, either else they talk profanely upon that which God hath revealed, insisting most in points of doctrine least profitable for them, or then curiously they inquire for that which God hath concealed from them, not remembering that warning of Moses, secret things are for the Lord, but 
Dent.  things revealed are for us and our children.  
This curious demand of jacob, is 
This curiosity bridled, and reproved.  answered with a gentle refusal, Why askest thou my name? The Interrogator strives to send jacob within himself, that by a new trial taken of his speech within his own mind, he might see how unnecessary and unprofitable his Petition was. After this manner it is customable to the Lord to rebuke the frivolous curiosity of his own children, that we may learn to be sober; and not presume above that which is written. In 
Rom. Ciril Catechi. 6.  his quae de Deo dicuntur, maxima est scientia ignorantiam fateri; terram inhabitas, & terrae fines ignoras, quo modo conditorem terrae comprehendes? animam habes cuius facultates enumerare non vales, stellas vides, quas numerare non potes, numera prius illa, qu●… vides, & tunc illum, qui nonapparet, enarra. In those things which concern the divinity, it is a great knowledge to acknowledge our ignorance; thou dwellest in the earth, and knowest not the borders thereof, how then shalt thou comprehend him, who is maker of the earth? thou hast within thee a soul, the faculties whereof thou art not able to enumerate; thou seest the stars, and canst not tell the number of them: begin first, and reckon on those things which thou seest, and then, if thou canst, him that is not seen. Let us therefore restrain ourselves from such idle speculations; & if others spare not to prove us with the like of these rash & perilous questions, which I have condemned, then remember with Basil, Talium optima medicina est silentium.   

CHAP. XXV. The Lord sometimes refuseth to give that which his childs seeks, that he may give them other things more convenient for them.  
YEt it is to be marked, that albeit he refuse to tell jacob his name; yet he refuseth not to give jacob his blessing. Sometime the Lord granteth his children their desires, because he sees it is for their weal. Other times he refuseth them, and that also for their weal: but whether he say yea or no to their petitions, he works alway in mercy towards them. He granted flesh to the children of Israel, because they sought it, but therewithal his wrath fell upon them: of the which it is evident that sometime he granteth men their petitions, because he is angry with them. Others again he refuseth, because he is merciful to them, denying unto them that which they crave, but granting another thing, which is much more profitable for them; Multi 
Aug. de unit at. Eccl. cap. 19  Deo irato exaudiuntur, multis propitius Deus non tribuit, quod volunt, ut quod utile est tribuat: The Apostle Paul being buffered by the Angel of Satan, besought the Lord thri●…e, that he might be delivered from him, he received a refusal of that which he sought, and yet the Lord left him not 
Bernard.  destitute of comfort: Saepe multos Deus non exaudit ad voluntatem, ut exaudiat ad 
Act. 1.  salutem: In the first of the Acts, the Disciples ask a question of Christ: Wil●… thou at this time restore the kingd●…me to Israel? but what answer receive they? a plain refusal: It is not for you to know the times and seasons: yet he promiseth to them a better thing; But ye shall receive power of the holy Ghost.  
O happy exchange! let it be unto us O Lord, according to thy Word; deny us O Lord any thing thou wilt, 
And this is a happy exchange, whereunto we should 〈◊〉 agree.  but never deny us thy holy spirit, that it may lead us into all truth, so long as we remain here; and in the end may bring us unto the sight of thy joyful face. Let us give unto the Lord this glory, that he is our merciful father, not only when he granteth, but even when he refuseth some of those things which we desire. It may well stand, that 
Bodily sickness hath chased many to their soul's health.  being diseased, thou dost seek of the Lord bodily health, and seek it too with this restriction, if it please him; and yet thou obtain it not, the Lord thinking it good to keep thee under a sick body, to the end he may restore unto thee health of thy soul; for so may ye read in the Gospel, that many being moved by bodily diseases, who otherwise were not minded to come unto jesus Christ, hath found in him health both of body and soul. It may also fall out, that thou dost seek from the Lord temporal riches, and that conditionally, if it please him, for a benefit, that thou be not burdenous unto others, and yet the Lord thinks it 
Riches refused to some of God's children, for their greater good.  more expedient to refuse thee, least riches should be a snare unto thee; for unto many they are but speciosa vincula quibus alligantur, & à quibus possidentur, magis quam possident. Beautiful bands wherewith they are bound, which they 
Cyp lib. 2 Epist. 2.  possess not, but are possessed of them. Thus their posterity and riches becomes their ruin, so corrupt is our nature that the same gifts, which should draw our hearts after the Lord, are allurements to turn them from him: Facile enim cor humanum omnibus, quae frequentat, 
B●…r. super Mat. 19 Ecce nos reliquimus omnia.  adhaeret adeo, ut vix, aut nunquam sine amore valeant possideri: For the heart of man cleaveth very easily unto that, wherewith it is acquainted, so that hardly or never can we possess the things of this world, without immoderate love of them. And therefore the Lord in great mercy take them from us, that they do not take us from him. Let us therefore commit the success of our prayers to the Lord, let us not presume to limit the Holy One of Israel, being alway comforted with this, that if the Lord deny us that which we would have, he shall give us another thing which is more expedient for us.   

CHAP. XXVI. How jacob shows himself thankful to God for the benefits received in two things.  Verse 30. And jacob called the name of the place Peniel, etc. 
THe conference between the Lord and jacob being ended, Moses now makes mention of Jacob's thankfulness, which he declareth in two things: first he impones such a name to the place, as might stand for a perpetual memorial of God's familiar apparition unto him. And next he rendereth himself obedient, not regarding any danger, that might be before him, trusting unto the word of the Lord, he goeth with courage forward in his journey.  
First I say he impones a name to the place, and calleth it Peniel, the face of God, he giveth the reason, because I have seen the face of God, and my life is preserved. Seeing the Lord (will he say) hath shown me this mercy, that I have seen his face and am not confounded, I will never burn it in unthanfulnesse; 
Such thankfulness becomes the children of God.  and therefore that it may be remembered of the posterity, I call this place by the name Peniel. It becometh (saith the Psalmist) upright men to be thankful. Seeing all good 
Psal.  things come of God, it is good reason the praise of all should return unto him: As the waters that come secretly from the Sea through the veins of the 
Pro.  earth, return again in their troghs publicly unto it, so every good thing which the secret blessing of God hath conveyed unto us, by public praise should again return unto him. If we have gotten comfort from the LORD, we should give unto the Lord his glory. And it is the manner of the children of God, they cannot rest contented, when God hath refreshed them with his mercies, till the Lord get his 〈◊〉 praise. And hereof it cometh that they erect public monuments & memorials, or at the least send out public thanksgiving for these mercies, which God privately and secretly hath bestowed upon them.  
But as to the wicked, they swal owe up the benefits of God in unthankful 
The great vnthankfulness●… o●… the 〈◊〉  oblivion: if the Lord increase then wealth and prosperity, they sacrifice to their own net, as though their providence and wit had done it: and if he do preserve them from dangers, they impute their deliverance to their idol, they make their mouth to k●…sse their hand as if their own arm had saved them. Thus are they like unto that salt sea, whereinto jordan floweth, it swalloweth up all the water of jordan, but waxeth no greater, neither yet doth the salt and bitter waters thereof become sweeter, for all that the wicked receive from the LORD, their old scent remaineth in them, they are not the better, neither is their heart enlarged to praise him. They do take from the Lord without giving again, like barren and unprofitable ground, that devoureth seed and renders nothing: And therefore is near unto cursing, whose end is burning. Learn 
Hos. 6.  therefore O man to be thankful to thy God, every benefit that thou hast received, that increaseth not thy thankfulness, shall assuredly increase thy judgement. Qu●…m enim beneficia accepta 
Chris. de Sacerd. lib. 4.  meliorem non reddunt, is certè etiam gravius supplicium commeretur: He whom benefits received maketh not the better, doth assuredly thereby demerit heavier punishments.  
We are next to consider, how it is 
How it is that the sight of God terrifies man seeing he is the God of comfort  that jacob accounts it a great mercy, that he hath seen God, and yet his life preserved. Seeing the Lord is the God of comfort, how is it his presence should bring a terror unto men? it is his countenance that makes glad the heart: when he hides his face the creature is troubled; but when he sends forth his spirit, they are created, and the face of the earth is renewed. When thou didst hide thy 
Psal. 104. 29.  face (saith David) I was sore troubled. How is it then that jacob here should say that the sight of the face of God causeth death, and that his countenance should confound man? Adam in Paradise in the state of innocency was familiar with God, he saw and heard the Lord, & was comforted: from whence then cometh this change, that man cannot see the Lord and live? Surely the fault is not in the Lord, his countenance is the wellspring of life: he is 
The cause of this is not in the Lord but in our sins.  the father of light, and the God of all consolation. The fault is in us, in our sinful and perverted nature. Faulty & weak eyes cannot behold the light without pain, not for any evil which is in the light which is good and comfortable, but for the infirmity which is in themselves. And sinful men cannot see the Lord without fear, not for any fault in the Lord who is merciful and gracious, but for that perverse disposition, which sin hath wrought in ourselves. This made the Israelites to tremble, when 
Exod.  they heard him, and made that holy Prophet Esay cry out, woe is me, when 
Esay. 6.  he saw but a similitude, and representation of his Majesty. And who then may abide that Majesty in itself?  
These three pillars of the Church, 
Sin therefore is to be removed, if we would see the Lord with joy.  Peter, james, & john, fell down to the ground, astonished at a small manifestation of his glory: the brightness of his glorious face, shining like the Sun, confounded them: & how then should they bear the glory of his divinity? And in us it is this same sinful nature, which only hinders us from the sight & familiarity of our God. What then shall we do, but embrace the counsel of the Apostle S. john? Whosoever hath this 
1 joh. 3.  hope in himself (namely to see God) purgeth himself, even as God is pure. We must remove our sins, and draw the powers of our souls to some nearer conformity with the Lord, if so be we hope to dwell with him. For without peace and sanctification, none can see the 
Heb. 12.  Lord.  
But here again it is to be asked, how says jacob he saw the face of god; 
In what sense saith jacob, he saw the face of God.  seeing the Lord gave Moses this answer when he sought a sight of his face? No man can see me and live: and we know that john the Baptist saith, No man hath seen God at any time, but the son, who is come from the bosom of the Father he hath revealed him. How is it then I say, that jacob here saith, I have seen God face to face.  
I answer, that this is spoken in comparison of other visions and revelations made to jacob before: his meaning is no other but that he had now seen the Lord, by a more excellent and notable manner of apparition, than ever he had seen before. And where Moses is said to have seen the Lord face to face, this is only spoken in comparison of Moses with other Prophets, who had not so clear a revelation of the Majesty of God, as Moses had: this is evident out of the Lords own words. If there be a Prophet of the Lord among you, I will be known to him by a vision, and speak to him by a dream: my servant Moses is not so: who is faithful in all my house, to him will I speak mouth to mouth, not in dark words, and he shall see the similitude of the Lord. Yea, let no man think, because of these 
Never any man on the earth, saw the Lord as he is.  words, that any of the Fathers saw the Lord as he is; thou canst not see the Sun as it is. He that a far off looks to the sea, says truly that he hath seen the sea: but what is it that he sees, in respect of that which he seeth not? Yea we cannot see a mortal man as he is; and how then shall we see the Lord, as he is? If the Fathers had seen the Lord as he is, than all the fathers had seen him one manner of way; because God in himself, is one, simple, and undivided essence: but they saw him many manner of ways, in divers so●…mes, and apparitions. To jacob he appeared in a fiery bus●…; to the Israelites in a cloud; to Elias in a soft and calm air; to Esay in another manner of vision: all which do prove that he showed not himself, neither did they see him as he is, but only in such manner of manifestation, as the Lord thought most expedient for the time.  
But what speak I of the sight of 
Neither shall we see the Lord in the heaven as he is, and why?  GOD on the earth? we shall not see him as he is in the heavens. For even those holy Angles which stand about his Throne, are described unto us, covering their faces with their two wings, witnessing thereby, that there is a God, of a more infinite glory; then they are able to comprehend. And no marvel: for every Creature, Man or Angel, is finite: a vessel of limited and definite bounds. Now sure it is, that no finite thing can comprehend that which is infinite, that peace of God, promised unto us, passeth all understanding: and these things prepared for us, are such, as the heart of man cannot understand. What then shall we think of him who prepared them? Must not his glorious Majesty by infinite degrees surpass the reach of our understanding?   

CHAP. XXVII. What sight of God shall we have in the heavens?  
YEt I speak not this to take away that sight of God, which we shall have in the heavens. It must be true which the Apostle saith, We shall see him as he is, it being understood with these restrictions: First, the sight of God which we shall have in heaven, shall be perfect in respect of us; the Lord shall dwell in us fully, and replenish every power and faculty of soul and body, with his joyful presence. He shall fill my whole mind with ●…is light, no darkness shall be left in it: he shall quicken my whole heart, no more deadness shall be in it; and the whole affections shall be replenished with his peace and joy. Now the Lord 
1  dwells in us, but he fills us not. We are yet hungry and thirsty: We know but in part, but in the heavens we shall be filled perfectly with that presence, 
It shall be a perfect sight in respect of us.  wherein is the fullness of joy: the Lord shall then be all things, in all unto us.  
Now the greatest measure of the sense of mercy, is called by the holy spirit a tasting, taste and consider how gracious the Lord is: but there is promised unto us a full satisfaction; ye shall be satisfied: Inebriabor ab ubertate domus tuae, I call this sight perfect in respect of us, the Lord shall fill all that is in us, we shall desire no more, but we shall not be able to comprehend all that is in the Lord. Augustine expresseth this by a proper similitude: for he compares the godly in the heavens, to vessels cast into the sea, were they never so large they shall be filled full of water; and yet that which they contain is nothing, in comparison of that great abundance which is about them. So every godly man glorified in heaven, shall be fully filled with gods comfortable presence, so that he shall know no want, and yet shall he not be able to comprehend that infinite majesty, and peace, and joy, and glory of the incomprehensible God. Therefore said I, that in respect of us, we shall have in the heavens a perfect sight of God, that is, so far as we can be capable of him, Mensuram plenam, & superfluentem tunc dabit in sin●…s vestros. A good measure, priest and running over, saith our Saviour, shall be 
Luke.  then given into your bosoms.  
Secondly, that sight of God, that in 
2 It shall be an immediate sight.  heaven we shall enjoy, shall be immediate, and this is such a sight, as none can understand till we get it. Yet to make it as plain as we may, let us compare it with that which we have here in earth. The sight that now we have of God, is as through a glass or a vail, that is, by mediate revelations. Now we know him, by seeing him in his Creatures: we know him, by hearing him in his word: we know him also even in the earth, by spiritual meditation, that begetteth some secret sense of his mercy: yet all these are a walking by faith, not by sight, at the least, but a dark sight of God, and through coverings: but in the heaven we shall see him, not by halves, but by an immediate sight, which we shall then best understand (as I said) when we shall attain unto it. The Lord of his mercy purge and prepare us in time, and then hasten 
No sight of God in heaven except first we see him in earth. And hereunto there things are required.  that day wherein we shall see him.  
And yet because eternal life must be begun on the earth, and that it is not possible we can see God in the heaven, unless we have first seen him in the earth; let us take heed unto those three things whereby we may attain unto the sight of God. First remember that God without his own light cannot 
The light of his word.  beseen: the eye suppose it be an organ of sight, were it never so quick, seeth nothing in the dark; the Sun, without the Sun cannot be seen: far less can the Lord be seen without the lord In light (saith the Psalmist) shall we see light. If therefore we would begin 
Psal.  to see the Lord, let us walk in his light, making his word a lantern to our feet in all our ways, taking heed unto it, as unto a most sure word, and a light shining in darkness, therewithal 
Pet.  joining to the Lords prayer, Open my eyes, that I may see the wonders of thy law.  
Secondly, we must remember, that 
A similitude and conformity with God.  we cannot see God without some similitude and conformity with him. Therefore saith Christ. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God. Among all the members of the body none can see the Sun but the eye, because of some similitude that is between them. For as God hath set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the great world, the Sun and Moon in the sirmament, as instruments of light to serve it: so hath he placed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the little world (which is Man) two eyes in the highest part of his body, as organs of light to serve him. But the eye being any way troubled or offended, as we see by experience, ●…bhorres the light, wherein it otherwise delights: and after the same manner, the mind of man polluted with sin, neither can, nor dare look up to the Lord. Oculus cordis parturbatus, avertit se à luce justitiae, 
August. serm. 18.  nec audet eam contemplari. The eye of the heart being perturbed (saith Augustine) turneth itself away from the light of righteousness, and dares not behold it. And to the same effect he says in another place, Male viven 
August. serm. 10.  do videri à Deo non potes, videre Deum not potes, bene autem vivendo, & videris, & vides. If thou live an evil life, thou shalt be seen of God, but shall not see him: but if thou live a good life, thou art not only seen of him, but thou mayst also see him. So necessary is this conformity with God by sanctificati on, that without it we cannot see God  
Thirdly, to the sight of God, there 
3 Attention and consideration.  is requisite attention and consideration, a meek and quiet spirit, a heart established by grace, separate from other things, and fixed on the Lord, Oculus circūmact●…s non videt etiam, quae ante se sunt: A watering and reeling eye, sees not those things which are before it; and an unstable mind, tossed too and fro with restless cares and perturbations is not meet to see the the Lord. When the Lord appeared to Eliah, there went before him a mighty wind, an earthquake, and fire: but God was not in any one of them; he followed in a soft, and still voice, to teach us, that we must have meek, settled, and pacified spirits, if we look that God should be familiar with us: and we must set the eyes of our soul's stable and sixth on the Lord; attending on his shining mercies, like the eyes of servants on their masters, and while the Lord hath mercy upon us. These are the principal helps, whereby the sight of God is begun in earth, which will be perfected in heaven.   

CHAP. XXVIII. The other thing wherein jacob shows his thankfulness, is his obedience.  Verse. 31. And the Sun arose to him. 
THe other thing wherein jacob uttereth his thankfulness, is in the obedience he gives to the Lords calling, walking on in the journey, which God commanded him. Without this the other had been nothing: for except we obey & serve the Lord in our callings, doing that which is commanded us, wherein can we be thankful to him? and truly there is no better token that we have been refreshed by the countenance of God, who is the strength of his people, than this, if with boldness and spiritual courage, we follow him, where away he calls us, albeit we should find never so many impediments before us.  
But it is to be marked, Moses saith, 
jacob his wound makes him not give over the journey.  he halted as he went on in his journey. This is the marvelous working of the Lord no doubt, that jacob being hurt in the night, & his thigh-bone disjointed; yet walks upon it in the morn, and the hurt, which he received of the Lord, hinders him not, nor stays him from going forward in the journey, which was enjoined him by the Lord. We have showed you before, how the children of God in their wrestle do in such sort prevail, that they get no victory without a wound; who is able to say, that he hath in such sort fought against Satan and sin, but oftentimes he hath been buffeted by Satan, and 
And the wounds which the Godly receive in the spiritual combat make them stronger, and more circumspect.  wounded by sin. Yet such is the gracious dispensation of the Lord, that as Jacob's hurt made him not give over the journey, but rather confirms him to go forward with greater boldness, now halting on one thigh, then before when he went strait upon both: so the Lord doth so dispense the spiritual battles of his Children, that out of their manifold falls, buffets, and wounds, which they receive in this warfare, he works in them a greater hatred of sin, and love of righteousness; a greater attention and circumspection in all their ways, and a greater fervency and zeal to run out the race which is set before them, and to renew the battle against Satan and sin.  
And this we may see clearly in 
Example hereo●… in David & Peter.  David, who after his adultery & murder, being renewed by repentance, ●…iseth again with a greater hatred of sin, and more earnest desire of mercy, than ever he had before. And did not Peter's fall bring forth in like manner the like fruits in him, that he sheddeth tears now more abundantly, then at any time before? he now stands boldly to confess the Lord jesus before the Counsel, whom before he had denied before a D●…msell; and in all the rest of his life he shows himself an example of godly zeal, labouring to confirm his brethren by a good conversation, whom before he had offended by his stumbling and falling. Thus the Lord by some one sin, wherein he suffereth his children to have experience of their weakness, wakeneth them to a narrower inquisition of their sins; for a light pain in the head men run not to the Physician, nor to the water for a light spot in their garments: but if the defiling be great, than we do take occasion thereat to wash away even the smallest spot that is in them. So the godly, when oftentimes they pass over small sins without remorse, the Lord 
This cometh not of any goodness in us, but of the Lord his marvelous dispensation.  permits them to fall into greater, that so they may be moved to mourning, & hasten to an earnest reformation of all.  
Where we are not to think that this cometh of any goodness that is in us, or in sin which we have brought forth, but of the excellent wisdom and goodness of God: Deus etiam summus 
Aug. ad Boniface. lib. 3. cap. 7.  est medicus, qui benè novit uti enim malis, For God is that great Physician, who can use to good even those things which are evil. And it doth (saith the same Father) more advance the glory of God's goodness, etiam de malis bene facere, quam mala esse non sinere, even to draw good out of evil, rather than that he should suffer evil not to be. Thus the Lord our God maketh all things serve and work for the best to them that love him: so as even the wounds which we receive in spiritual wrestle may well work in us a greater humiliation but shall not confound us, so that we leave off the race and course to our heavenly Canaan. Wherein if we cannot alway run in the strength of the spirit with Eliah, yet let us by God's grace endeavour to halt forward with jacob, at least creep forward towards our heavenly Father, as his little babes & children, who are but yet learning to walk, proceeding alway from strength to strength, till we appear before the face of our GOD in Zion: whereunto the Lord that is the author and finisher of our Faith, the beginner & perfecter of our salvation, bring us of his great mercy in Christ jesus. To whom with the Father, & the holy Spirit, be all praise, honour and glory for ever and ever.  
Amen.   
FINIS.   

A CONDVIT of Comfort.  
Full of sweet Consolations for all those that desire the comfortable sweetness of jesus Christ.  
By WILLIAM COUPER Minister of God's word.  
LONDON:  
Printed for john Budge, and are to sold at his shop at the great South door of Paul's.  
1608.   

A CONDVIT of Comfort.  Rom. 8. 28. Also we know that all things work together for the best, to them that love God; even to them who are called according to his purpose. My help is in the name of the Lord. 
THis Chapter may be conveniently termed A compend of Christian consolation; for whereas many kinds of comforts, are dispersed throughout the holy Scriptures, for the strengthening of the man of God, some of every kind, are here gathered together in one, and like chosen flowers picked out of the word of God, are knit together in one bunch, & presented to thee who art a Christian. 
The sum and divition of this Chapter.   
There are two things only which trouble us in this life. The first, is the remanents of sin in our corrupt nature: this was such a matter of grief, to the holy Apostle, that it made him 
Rom. 7. 24  to cry ou●…; O miserable man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? So displeasant was it to him to l●…ue in that body, wherein he found the motions of sin rebeling against the law of God. And if the Apostle accounted this but then so weighty to him, alas, how should we complain? and 
Esa. 31. 15.  what cause have we with Ezechia, to walk weakly in the bitterness of our souls all our days, in whom the life and power of that sinning, is far less restrained? Yet lest we should be so cast down with the sense of sin, that we despair and perish, being swallowed 
2 Cor. 4. 9  up with grief: the Lord furnisheth us with many comforts against it, from the beginning of this Chapter, to the midst of the 17. Verse. The other thing which may discourage us, is the manifold troubles that follow us in following Christ.  
For the Church of God on earth, is as a Lily among Thorns, and our 
Cant. 2. 2.  Lord jesus, as an Apple tree among the trees of the forest: If we delight to sit under his shadow; and if his fruit be sweet in our mouth, we must be content to walk toward him through many sharp afflictions: therefore are we 
2 Tim. 2. 3  commanded, not only to suffer afflictions as the good soldiers of jesus Christ, but also to rejoice in tribulations: and if we cannot attain to that perfection, at least to count it exceeding 
Rom. 5. 3.  joy, when we ●…al into divers temptations: 
jam. 1. 2.  Yet because no chastisement is sweet for the present, it hath pleased 
Heb. 1. 2.  the Lord of his fatherly indulgence and pity towards our weakness, to season the cup of our bitter griefs, with 
Heb. 12.  his sweet comforts; which as he doth in many other parts of holy Scripture, so especially from the 17. verse of this Chapter, to the 30. wherein the Apostle abounds with consolation; showing himself a faithful Steward in the house of God, most careful to lead as it were, by the hand, the weary sons and daughters of the living God, into the wineceller; there to refresh and stay us with the Flagons of his wine, & to comfort 
Cant. 2. 4. Can. 5. 1.  us with his Apples; to strengthen us with his hid Manna; and to make us merry with that Milk and Honey, which our immortal Husband jesus Christ hath provided for us, to sustain us that we faint not through these manifold Tribulations, wherewith we are compassed in this barren wilderness.  
That this is the Apostles purpose, and order of proceeding in this Chapter, I think his conclusion makes it manifest, which you have from the 31. verse to the end; wherein he draws all that he had said, into a short sum, containing the glorious triumph of a Christian over all his enemies: the triumph is first set down generally in the 31 Verse, What shall we say then to these things: If God be with us, who can be against us? thereafter he parts this general in two: there is (would he say) but one of two that are against us, either sin or affliction: as to sin, he triumphs against it, Verse 33. and 34. Who will lay any thing to the charge of Gods Chosen? It is God that justifieth, who shall condemn? It is Christ who is dead, or rather who is risen again, who is also at the right hand of God, and makes request for us. As to affliction, he begins his triumph against it, Verse 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? his answer mounts up by a gradation: Will tribulation or anguish do it? Yea, will death itself do it? or that which is more; will Principalities and powers do it. 10. In all these things we more than conquerors, through him that loved us. Thanks therefore be unto our 
2 Cor 2. 14  God, who always makes us to triumph in our Lord jesus Christ.  
Now in this verse as jacob gave his sons his greatest blessing in the last room, so the Apostle giveth to christi ans his greatest comfort in the last room, whereof this is the sum●…: ou●… afflictions are so far from being p●…eiudiciall to our salvation, that by the contrary, through the Lords marvelous working, they tend to the advancement thereof, & he in largeth the comfort: Not only afflictions, but all other things work●… for the best together, to them that love the Lord. The parts of the Verse are two: the first contains the comfort: the second, a disc●…ption of the persons to whom the comfort appertaineth. Now I come to the 
Our troubles are many, but our comforts are more than our troubles.  words.  
Al●…o, that is beside all the comforts which I have given to you before, I give you yet this further: learning us, that albeit our troubles be many, yet our comforts are more. Many (saith 
Psal. 31. 19 1. Cor. 1. 13.  David) are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth them out of all. As if he would say, for every trouble, the Lord hath a several deliverance. Every temptation (saith the Apostle) hath the own issue. Every horn that ri●…eth against us to push us, hath attending upon it, an hammer to repress it, (saith the Prophet.) Esau mourned 
Zac. 1. 21.  upon his father Isaac: although he was profane, yet he cried pitifully, Hast thou but one blessing my Father? But we (with the holy Apostle) may bless●… our heavenly Father, who comforteth us so in all our tribulations; that as the sufferings of Christ a bound in us, so our consolations abound through 
2. Cor. 1. 5  Christ: not one, but manifold are his blessings, and the storehouse of his consolations, can never be emptied. The Lord our God hath not dealt niggardly nor sparingly with us, but a good measure of consolations, pressed down and running over, hath he given to us in our bosom, his name be 
Luk. 6. 38  praised therefore: and yet how little is all this that we now receive, in comparison of those inestimable joys of God, that he hath prepared for us; the like whereof the eye never saw, the care 
1. Cor. 2. 9  never heard of, and the heart cannot understand: Surely the greatest measure of comfort that we have in this life, is but the earnest penny of that principal, which shall be given to us hereafter. If the earnest be so great, what shall be the principal? If the first fruits of the heavenly Canaan be 
Psal. 17. 15 Psal. 16. 11  so delectable, how shall the full mass thereof abundantly content us, when we shall behold the face of our God in righteousness, and shall be satisfied with his Image; when we shall be filled with the fullness of joy, which is in his presence, and with those pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore.  

CHAP. II. The Privileges of a Christian, cannot be known of them who do not possess them.  
We know. If you ponder the Apostles words, you shall find, that by an Emphasis he restrains this knowledge to the Children of God, excluding Worldlings and Naturalists from it. The spiritual man discerneth all things: but he himself is judged of no man. A natural man cannot understand 
1 Cor. 2. 14. 15.  the things that are of God. The Gospel is Wisdom indeed; but Wisdom among them that are perfect. Every Article 
1 Cor. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 2. 6.  of our faith, and point of Christian Doctrine: every privilege of a Christian is a Mystery: therefore no marvel that the Gospel be foolishness to the natural man, who perisheth. And this doth draw us to consider that the excellent things of Christianity can be known of none, but of those that possesseth them. The value, or rather vanity of earthly jewels, hath been better known of some that never enjoyed them, then of them who possessed them: but the jewels of gods kingdom, such as Peace, Righteousness, joy in the holy Ghost, can be known of none but of the Christian only, who enjoys them. The new Name given to the Christian, who can know but he 
Reu. 2. 17.  that hath it? and none can know what is the sweetness of hid Manna, except he taste it: therefore saith the Psalmist, Taste and consider how gracious the Lord 
Psal. 34. 8.  is, telling you that the graciousness of the Lord cannot be considered by him who never di●… taste it. If you go to speak to a worldling of inward Peace, of spiritual joy, or of the Privileges of a Christian, you shall seem to him a Barbarian, or one that speaketh a strange language, which he understaneth not; or if he himself speak of them which he sees learnedly hearing or reading; yet shall he speak like a Bird, vtte●…ing voices which she understandeth not. As the bruit Beast knoweth not the excellency of man's life, and therefore delighteth itself with Hay and Provender seeking no better, because it knoweth no better: So the natural man knoweth not the excellency of a Christian, and therefore disdains 
Act. 26. 24  him, counting him a fool, a mad man, and the off-scum of the world: he taketh the dung of the earth in his 
1 Cor. 4. 13  arms for his inheritance, let him brook the portion of Esau, that the fatness of 
Gen 27. 39  the earth may be his dwelling place: let his wine and his wheat abound to him, 
Psal. 4. 7.  he cares for no more, he knows not what it is, to have his soul made glad with the countenance of God. This is your miserable condition, O ye wretched Worldlings, ye are cursed with the curse of the Serpent; ye creep, as it 
Gen. 3.  were on your bellies, and lick the dust of the earth all the days of your life; ye have not an eye to look up to 
Gal. 3. 1.  heaven, nor a heart to seek those things which are above: most fearful is your estate; we warn you of it, but it is the Lord who must deliver you from it.  
This resolute knowledge is the mother 
Resolute knowledge is the mother of patience.  of spiritual courage, constancy and patience: therefore the Apostle urgeth it in this place, that the Christian may be made thereby strong and patient in tribulation; and indeed what needs he fear in the evil day; yea, though the earth should be removed, 
Psal. 42.  and the Mountains fall into the midst of the sea: who knoweth that the Lord sitteth on his throne, having the 
Reu. 4.  whole world, as a glassy Sea before him, governing all the waltering, changes, and events of things therein, to the good of them that love him? Oh that we had profited so much in the school of Christ all our days, that without any doubting, or making any exception, we could believe this which here the Apostle layeth for a most sure ground of comfort, that so we might change all our thoughts and cares into one; namely, how to grow in the love of God, that in a good conscience we might say to the Lord with Peter, Lord thou knowest I love thee. And as the rest of our fears, griefs, and temptations, which many times do so compass us, that to our judgements we can see no outgate: cast all the burden 
Psal. 37.  of them upon the Lord, who careth for us; and hath given us this promise for a Praemunire: All comes for the best. The Soldier with courage entereth into the battle, under hope to obtain the victory: the Mariner with boldness committeth himself to the stormy Seas, under hope of vantage: and every man hazardeth in his calling; and yet are they all but uncertain ventures, and know not the end: But the 
1. Cor. 9 26.  Christian, runs not as uncertain; but as one sure to obtain the Crown: for he knows that the God of peace shall shortly 
Ro. 16. 20.  tread Satan under his feet.  
What then? shall he not with courage enter into that battle, wherein he is made sure ere ever he sight, that all the Warriors of jesus shall become more 
Ro. 8. 27. Exo. 14. 13  than Conquerors through him? If we will only stand still, we shall see the salvation of the Lord. Gedion and his three hundred, fought against the great Host of Midian without fear, because he 
jud. 7. 19  was sure of victory. David made haste and ran to encounter with Goliath, because 
1. Sam. 17. 48.  he was persuaded, the Lord would deliver him into his hands. The Israelites spared not to enter into the flood of lorden, because they saw the Ark●… of God before them, dividing the 
jos. 3. 16.  waters: And shall only the Christian stand astonished in his temptations, notwithstanding the word of God go before him to resolve him that whatsoever fall out shall work for the best unto him? The Lord increase us, & make us abound more and more in love of our God; for perfect love casteth ou●… fear. The Lord strengthen our Faith, that through these misty clouds of afflictions, which now compasseth us, we may see that comfortable end which the light of God hath discovered unto us.  
But we are to beware of the subtle sleights of Satan, who to the end, he may spoil us of this comfort in trouble 
judge not of Gods working before the end, for that doth greatly in pair our comfort.  endeavoureth by many means, either to quench this light of God in our minds; or else to darken and obscure it by the precipitation of our unbelieving hearts, carrying us headlong to judge of the works of God, by their beginnings; and to measure ourselves in trouble, by our present estate and condition, not suffering us to tarry while we see the end: whereof it comes to pass that our hearts being tossed to and fro with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, like trees of the Forest shaken with the wind: in our necessities, we hasten to be our own provisors: in our dangers, we will be our own deliverers: & every way we become the carvers of our own condition: we have so much the more to beware of this precipitation, because the dearest servants of God have fallen through it into fearful sins against the Lord their God, and breed great unquietness unto themselves. When David was in extreme 
Psa. 116.  anger in the wil●…ernesse of Maon, he said in his fear that all men were liars. O what a blasphemy! that even the promises of God, made to him by Samuel the Lord's Prophet, were but lies: and how many times thought he (in his other troubles) that God had forgot to be merciful, and had shut up his tender mercies in displeasure? But when he saw the end, than was he compelled to accuse himself, to give glory to God, and to say: I should have been dumb, and not opened my 
Psal. 77. 9 Psal. 39 9  mouth, because thou diddest it: I said it in my fear, but now I see, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his 
Psal. 116.  Saints. A●… this precipitation made David to stumble and fall, so will it carry us also to the like inconvenience too, except we beware of it: For if we should look to Lazarus in the dongue hill, 
Luk. 19 19  full of biles and sores, having no comfort, but from the dogs, and compare him with the Rich man clothed in purple, and faring daintily every day. What can we judge, but that Lazarus is the most miserable of the two? yet tarry while the Lord have ended his work, and Lazarus he conveyed to Abraham's bosom, and the rich glutton be gone to his place, then shall truth appear manifestly, All things work together for the best to them that love God. Let us learn therefore to measure the event of things, not by their present condition, but by the prediction of God's word. Let us cleave to his Promise, and wait on the Vision which 
Abac. 2. 3.  hath his own time appointed, it shall speak at the last, and shall not lie: though it tarry, let us wait for it, it shall surely come, and not stay. Let us go into the Sanctuary of God, and consider the end; there shall we find and learn, that there is 
Psa. 37. 37  no peace to the wicked, howsoever they flourish for a time? and that it can not be but well with them that fear the lord Mark the upright man, and behold the just; for the end of that man is peace: but the transgressors shall be destroyed together, and the end of the wicked shall be cut off: So both in the troubles of the Godly, and prosperity of the wicked, are we bound to suspend our judgement, till we see the end.   

CHAP. III. Many working instruments of contrary qualities and intentions in the world, yet agrees all in one end.  
ALl things work together. O what a sing●…lar 〈◊〉 hath the Christian, that not only Afflictions, but all things whatsoever works for the best: and not only so, but they work together for the best to him. Many working instruments is there in the world, their course is not one, they communicate no counsels, yea their intentions oftentimes are contrary, yet the Lord brings all their ways to this one end, To the good of them that love him. Where ever they be, in regard of place: what ever they be, in regard of persons: what ever their purposes be; howsoever disagreeing amongst themselves; yet such is the power and providence of that supreme Governor our heavenly Father, that All of them works together to the good of them that love him: and herein doth his power & wisdom appear more clearly, then in the tempering of this great universe, making Elements of so contrary qualities, to meet together, and agree in one pleasant harmony. For the illustration of this, let us mark but one example for all: jacob sends his son joseph 
Gen. 37.  to Dothan to visit his brethren; his brethren cast him into the pit, Reuben relieves him; the Merchants of Midian buy him, and sell him again to Potiphar, his Mistress accuses him, his master condemns him, the Butler (after long ingratitude) recommends him, and Pharaoh exalts him. O what instruments are here! and how many hands are about this one poor man of God? but how doth the Lord direct them all? yea, besides their own intention to further Joseph's advancement in Egypt, for his own good, and the good of his Church. But now to the particulars.  
There is nothing in the world, which 
All the works of God, are for the best to his children.  works not for our weal: All the works of God, all the stratagems of Satan, all the imaginations of man, are for the weal of God's Children, yea, out of the most poisonable things, as sin and death, doth the Lord draw healthful and medicinal preservatives to them that love him.  
All the ways of the Lord (saith David) are Mercy and Truth. Mark what he saith, and make not thou an exception, 
Psal. 25.  where God hath made none: All, none excepted. But be thou strengthened in Faith, and give glory to God, saying with the patient job, Albeit the Lord 
job. 13. 15  would slay me, yet will I trust in him.  
Sometimes the Lord walks in the way of anger, seeming angry with his Children, and to walk stubbornly against them, which hath moved them to pour out the like of these pitiful Lamentations. The arrows of the Almighty are upon me (saith job) the venom 
job. 6. 4.  whereof doth drink up my Spirit, and the terrors of God sight against me: Thou sets me up as a mark against thee, and makest me a burden to myself. Thy 
Ps 88 7. 15  indignation lieth upon me (saith David) Yea, from my youth I have suffered thy terrors, doubting of my life. For felicity, 
Esa. 38. 17  I have had bitter grief, (saith Ezechia) for the Lord, like a Lion, broke my bones, so that I chattered like a Swallow, and mourned like a Dove. I am troubled on every side (saith the Apostle) having 
2 Cor. 7. 5  fighing without and terrors within: And yet in all these, the Lord hath a secret way of mercy, wherein he walks and works for the comfort of his children; which albeit for the present we cannot 
job. 13. 24  perceive, and can see no other oftentimes, but that the Lord hath taken us for his enemies: yet in the end we shall be compelled to acknowledge it, and confess with David, O good was it for 
Psal. 119.  me, o Lord, that ever thou correctedst me: Therefore also, said the Apostle, The 
2 Th. 1. 10  Lord is marvelous in his Saints, and the Apostle crieth out, O the 〈◊〉 
Ro. 11. 35.  of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! His glory is great when he worketh by means; his glory is greater when he worketh without means: but his glory shineth most brightly when he worketh by contraries.  
It was a great work that he did open the eyes of the blind; but greater, that he did by application of spittle 
The Lord works by means, without means, & by contraries, and then is his glory greatest.  and clay: such means as are meeter to put out the eyes of the seeing man, then to restore the sight of a blind man. So he wrought in the first Creation, causing light to shine out of Darkness: So also in the work of Redemption: for by cursed death, he brought happy life: by the Cross, he obtained the Crown: and thorough shame he went to Glory: And this same order, the Lord keeps yet in the work of our second Creation, which is our regeneration; he casteth down, that he may raise up; he kills and he makes alive: he wounds, and he will bind up: he wounds and he will heal: he accuseth his Children of sins, that so they may get remission of their sins: he troubleth their consciences, that so he may pacify them: and in a word, the me●…nes which he useth in working, are contrary to the work itself, which he intends to perform towards his Children. He sent a fearful darkness on Abraham, but afterward communicated unto him a joyful light. he wrestled with jacob, and shook him too and fro; but in the end blessed him: he struck the Apostle Paul with blindness, and then opened his eyes, that he might know the Lord jesus: he frowns for a while upon his own, as joseph did upon his Brethren; but in 
Gen. 43.  the end with a loving affection shall he embrace them: he may seem angry at thy prayers, as he put back the petition of the woman of Cana●…n; but at 
Mat. 15. 22  length, will grant a favourable answer unto them: therefore let us now learn to possess our souls in patience: let the Lord work by any means it pleaseth him: It is enough that we know, All the ways of God (yea even when he dealeth most hardly with his children) are mercy and tends to the good of those that love him.   

CHAP. FOUR All Satan's stratagems, work for the best to the godly.  
ANd as to Satan's stratagems, it is also out of doubt that they work for the best, to them that love the Lord, not according to his purpose in deed, but because the Lord trappeth him in his own snare. If under the serpent's shape he deceived Adam, under the Serpent's name shall the Lord curse him, and all these weapons whereby he intends to destroy the work of God's grace in us, shall the Lord make forcible to destroy the workmanship of Satan in us, I mean that whole bastard generation of sinful affections, which Satan hath begotten upon our mutable nature, by a most unhappy and unlawful copulation: The experience of all the saints of God will prove this, that 
How Satan's temptations for sin, doth good to the christian.  Satan by his restless temptations doth destroy himself; which is most evident both in his temptations for sin, which tend to desperation, as also in his temptations to sin, which tend to presumption. E●…ery accusation of the conscience for bypassed sins, is a preservative to the child of God, to keep him from sin in time to come; he reasoning with himself after this manner: If my any mie doth so disquiet my mind with inward terrors, for these sins which foolishly I did by his enticement, why shall 
Shall I hear and trust the enemy of my soul, that hath deceived me so often? Rome 6. 2. 1  I hearken to him any more hereafter, and so increase the matter of my trouble? for what fruit have I of all the sins whereof I took pleasure, but terror and shame? And shall I look that this forbidden Tree, shall render any better fruit hereafter? O what a faithless traitor is Satan, he inti●…eth man unto sin, and when he hath done it, he is the first accuser and troubler of man for sin. When he works in us, he is a temptor: when we have finished his work, (which is fin) he is an accuser of us to the judge; and when he returneth, he returneth as a troubler and a tormentor of us for our sins. Stop thy ear therefore, O my soul, from the voice of this deceitful enchanter. His temptations again unto sin are so many provocations, spurring us forward to the throne or grace: for whilst we find his restless malice pursuing that sparkle of spiritual life, whereby the Lord hath quicned us; and our own weakness, and inability to resist him: then we are forced with Israel in Egypt, to sigh for 
1. Cor. 20. 12.  the thraldom; and to cry with josah, O Lord our God we wot not what to do! but our eyes are turned toward thee. And who feels not this? that the grace of fervent prayer (wherein otherwise we faint, our hands being more ready to fall down then the hands of Moses, except they be supported) is greatly weakened, and abridged in the children of God by the buffets of Satan: So they weakened the holy Apostle, and stirred him up to such fervency in prayer, that he besought the Lord thrice, 
1. Co. 12. 7  that is, many times, to deliver him from them, Yea, which is more) the Lord made them effectual means to beat down the power of natural pride in him, lest he should have been exalted out of measure, through the greatness of his revelations. A wonderful work, that the Father of pride, becometh against his will a represser of pride: and he who first powered this poison into the nature of Man, is made (contrary to his intent) an instrument to suppress it. Thus the Lord our God out-shooteth 
How affliction are profitable to a Christian.  Satan in his own bow: and with the sword of Goliath, cutteth off his own head: his holy name be praised therefore for ever.  
Now as concerning outward afflictions, it is true that as the Philistines could not understand Sampsons' Riddle, how sweet came out of the sour, and meat 
judg. 14. 14.  out of the eater: So can no Worldlings understand, that tribulation bringeth out 
Rom. 5. 3.  Patience: and that our light and momentary 
2 Cor. 4. 17  afflictions causeth unto us a far more excellent and eternal weight of glory: but the Children of God have learned by experience, that albeit no visitation be sweet for the present, yet afterwards it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness unto them who are thereby exercised: & that there is more solid joy in suffering rebuke with Christ, then in all 
Herald 11. 25.  the pleasure of sin, which endure but for a season. For as Moses, the mediator of 
Ex. 15. 15.  the old Testament, by his prayer made the bitter waters of Marah sweet, that the Israelites might drink of it; so jesus the mediator of the new Testament by his passion, hath mitigated to his Children, the bitterness of the Cross; and not only mixed it with joy, but made it most profitable. The forlorn 
Luk. 15. 12  Son concluded never to return home to his Father, till he was brought low by affliction. And many in the Gospel were forced by corporal diseases to run to jesus, where others enjoying bodily health, did nothing but disdain him. The earth which is not tilled and broken bears nothing but Thorns and briars: the Vines wax wild by time, except they be pruned and cut: so would our vain hearts overgrowe with wild affections, if the Lord by sanctified trouble did not continually manure them. Therefore said jeremy, It is good for a man to bear the yoke in 
Lam. 3. 27  〈◊〉 youth. And David confessed; It was 
Psal. 1. 19  good for him, that he was afflicted. Yea, (saith our Saviour) Every branch that 
joh. 15. 2.  bears fruit, my heavenly Father purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. No work can be made of Gold and Silver without fire: and stones are not meet for Palace work, except they be polished and squared by hammering: no more is it possible, that we can be vessels of Honour in the houses of our God, except first we be sinned and melted in the fire of Affliction: neither can we be as living s●…ones, to be placed in the wall of the heavenly jerusalem, except so long as we be here, the hand of God beat us from our proud lumps, by the hammer of Affliction. As standing waters putrefies and rot●…, so the wicked fears not God (saith the 
Psal. 55.  Psalmist) because they have no changes. And Moab keeps his scent (saith the 
jer. 44. 11.  Prophet) because he was not powered from Vessel to Vessel, but hath been at rest ever since his youth. And therefore, O Lord, rather than we should keep the old sent of our natural corruption, and live in careless security, without the fear of thy holy name, and so become sitfasts in our sins; no, rather O Lord change thou us from estate to estate; waken us with the presence of thy hand: purge us Lord with thy fire, and chastise us with thy rods: alway O Lord with a protestation, that thou stand to thy promise made to the Sons of David, I will visit them with my rods, if they sin against me: but my mercy will I never take from them.   

CHAP. V. How death also works for the best to Christians.  
THe same comfort have we also against death, that now in Christ jesus it is not a punishment of our sins, but a full accomplishment of the motificatian of sin, both in soul and body; for by it, all the Conduits of sin are stopped, the weapons of unrighteousness broken: and though our bodies seem to be consumed, yet are they but sown like grains of Wheat, into the field and husbandry of the Lord, which must die before they be quickened; but in the day of harvest, shall spring up again most glorious, and shall be restored by the same holy spirit, who now dwells in them: and as to our souls they are relieved our of this house of servitude, and that they may depart and turn to him from whom they came: therefore have I 
Death compared to the red sea, wherein the Egiptitians were drowned, and the Israelits went through to Canaan. Rom. 8.  compared death to the red sea, wherein Pharaoh & his Egyptians were drowned, and sanck like a stone to the bottom, but the Israelites of God, went through to their promised Canaan: So shall death be unto you, O miserable Infidels! whose eyes the God of this world hath so blinded, that no more than the blind Egyptians can you see the light of God, that shineth in Goshan, that is, his Church, although you be in it: to you I say, your death shall be a sea of God's vengeance, wherein ye shall be drowned, and shall sink with your sins, heavier than a Millstone about the neck of your soul, to press you down to the lowest Hells. But as to you, that are the Israelites of God, ye shall walk through the valley of death, and not need to be afraid, because the Lord is with you; His staff 
Psal. 13.  and his rod shall comfort you: Albeit the terrors of Hell, the horror of the Grave, the gultinesse of sin, stand about thee like mountains, threatening to overwhelm thee; yet shalt thou go safe through to the land of thine inheritance, where with Moses and Meriam, 
Exo. 15. 11  and all the Children of God, even the Congregation of the first borne, Thou shalt sing praises joyfully to the God of thy Salvation. And thus we see how that not only our present afflictions, but Satan, Sin, and Death are made to work for the best, to them that love the Lord.   

CHAP. VI How the plots and imaginations of men work for the best to the Christian.  
NOw in the last room concerning, the imaginations of men against us, we shall have cause to say of them in the end, as joseph said to his brethren, You did it unto me for evil but the Lord turned it unto good. The whole History of God's Book, is as a cloud of manifold witnesses, concurring altogether to confirm this truth: I content myself therefore for all, to bring one. When David was going forward in the battle against Israel, with Achish King of Gath, under whom he sojourned for a while, in the time of his banishment) the remnant Princes of the Philistines, commanded him to go back; and this they did for the worse to disgrace him, because they disinherited him: but the Lord turned it to him for the best: Consider David's estate now, and ye shall see him set betwixt too great extremities. If he had gone back of his own accord, the Philistines might have blamed him & handled him as an enemy: if he had come forward, he should have been guilty of the blood of Israel, and especially of Saul the Lords anointed; who was slain in that battle.  
In this strait the wit of man can find him no outgate, but the provident mercy of God delivers him in such sort, that no occasion of offence is given to Saul and his people, because David came not against them: neither yet could the Philistines condemn him, because he went back by their command. So notable a benefit did David receive even by that same deed, wherein his enemies thought they had done him a notable shame: and it should learn us in our straightest extremities whereunto men can drive us, to depend on the Lord, and ever then to hope for an outgate, when we see none. For such is thy providence O Lord, whereby in mercy thou watchest over those evils that are intended against them, that by thee they are turned into good to them.  
And here we have further to consider, 
If this comfort belong to every member, much more to the whole body and state of the Church.  that seeing this is the privilege of every one that loves the Lord; much more must it appertain to the whole Church of God. It is the portion of Abraham, being the father of the faithful, and one of God's children, I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee: and shall it not belong (think we) to all the congregation of the first borne? will not the Lord be a Wall of fire round about jerusalem, 
Zac. 2. 5.  and the glory in the midst of her? will he not keep her as the apple of his eye? 
Zac. 12. 2.  Shall not jerusalem be as a cup of poison, unto all her enemies, and a heavy stone? Yea surely all that lift up themselves shall be torn, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it, the weapons made against her shall not prosper, & every tongue that shall rise against her in judgement shall be condemned. This is the heritage of the Lords servants, & the portion of them who love him. For the Church is the 
Gen. 7. 18.  Ark of God, which may mount up higher as the waters increaseth, but cannot be overwhelmed: the bush which may burn but cannot be consumed: 
Exod. 3. 2.  the house built on a rock which 
Mat. 7. 15.  may be beaten with the wind and rain, but cannot be overthrown.  
The Lord who changeth times and 
Enemies of God's church look to their end.  seasons, who takes away Kings and sets up Kings, hath reproved Kings for his Church's sake: and he governeth all the kingdoms of the earth in such sort that their risings & fall, their changes and mutations are all dispensed for the good of his Church: for there is but one of two sentences, wherein all the judges of the world may judge of themselves, & see clearly their end. Either 
Ester. 4. 14  that which Mordecai said to Ester, who knows if for this thou art come to the Kingdom, that by thee deliverance might come to God's people? Or else that which Moses in God's name said to Pharaoh (the first oppressor of God's Church in his adolescency) I have set thee up to declare my power, because thou exaltest thyself against my people. How miserable then are they who when they are highest abuseth their power, to hold the people of God lowest.  
Have they not cause to fear least the Lord have set them up against him, as an object of his power and justice? if we will mark the course of the Lords proceeding ever since the beginning of the world, we shall find that as he order the state of earthly power, for the accomplishment of his will, concerning his Church; so evermore a blessing follows them, who are instruments of her good: and by the contrary, an inevitable curse follows them who are the instruments of her evil.  
When the Lord concluded to bring his Church from Canaan, to sojourn in Egypt, he sent such a famine in Canaan, as compelled them to forsake it: but made plenty in Egypt by the hand of joseph, whom the Lord sent before as a provider for his Church? and by whom Pharaoh was made so favourable to jacob, that he was allowed to dwell in Goshen: but when such time came that he would translate his Church from Egypt to Canaan, than he altered Pharaohs countenance; he raised up a new king which knew not joseph, and turned the Egyptians hearts away from Israel, so that they vexed Israel, and caused them to serve by cruelty: and all this the Lord did, to the end his people should become weary of Egypt, and enforced by violence to make forward to Canaan, whereas otherwise (as it well appears) if they had been dandled as in the beginning, they would have neglected the promised land, and contented themselves with Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt. Thus Pharaoh by his obstinacy brings on himself, his just deserved punishment; & the Lord works to his people their undeserved deliverance: and afterward, when the sins of his people drew to that ripeness, that they had caused their days to draw near, and were come to their term; the Lord stirred up the king of Babel, as the rod of his wrath, and 
Ezec. 22. 4  staff of his indignation, he sent him to the dissembling Nation, and gave him a charge against the people of his 
Esay. 10. 5.  wrath, to take the spoil and the pray, and to tread them under feet like mire in the streets; and than that the Lord might be avenged of the sins of Israel, he subdued all kingdoms round about them under the king of Babel, that no stop or impediment should be in their way to hold off the judgement from them: But yet again, when the Lord had accomplished all his works upon Mount Zion, and the appointed 
Esa 10. 12.  time of mercy was come, and the 70. years of Captivity was expired, than the Lord visited the proud heart of the 
The government of the whole earth altered for the Church's sake.  King of Ashur; and for his Church's sake, he altered again the government of the whole earth, translating the Empire to the Medes and Persians, that Cyrus the Lords anointed might perform to his people the promised deliverance.  
All which, should learn us in the greatest changes and alterations which can fall out in the world, to rest assured, that the Lord will work for the good of his Church, though the earth 
Psal. 42.  should be moved and the mountains fall into the midst of the Sea, yea, though the waters thereof rage and be troubled, yet there is a River whose streams shall make glad the City of our good God, in the midst of it, and therefore it shall not be moved; yea, they who should be as nursing fathers and Mothers to the Church of God, may forsake her and become her enemies: but assuredly they shall perish; and comfort and deliverance shall appear unto God's people out of another place. The Lord for a while may put the bridle of bondage in the Philistines hands to humble the Israelites 
Esay. 12. 1.  for their sins, but it shall be taken from them: and the day shall come, wherein we shall with joy draw water out of the Wells of salvation, and praise the Lord saying: Though thou wert angry with me, thy wrath is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Yea, Zion shall cry out and shout for joy, for great is the holy one of Israel in the midst of her: and therefore in our lowest humiliations, let us answer our Adversaries: rejoice not against me, oh mine enemy, though I fall, I shall rise: and when I shall sit in darkness, the Lord is a light unto me: I will bear the wrath of the Lord; because I have sinned against him, until 
Mich. 7. 8.  he shall plead my cause, and execute judgement for me, he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall see his righteousness: then he that is mine enemy, shall look upon it, and shame shall cover him who said to me, What is the Lord thy God?   

CHAP. VII. What is a Christians best.  
WHat is the Lord thy God? Now shall he be trodden under, as the mire in the street: yea so let all thine enemies perish O Lord! For the best. This best, is no other thing, but that precious salvation prepared to be shown us in the last time, reserved in the heavens for us, and whereunto we are reserved by the power of God through Faith; whereof we learn that our best estate is not yet wrought so as it is accomplished; it is only in the working, says the Apostle, and therefore we are not to 
1. Pet. 1. 5.  look for it in this life.  
There is a great difference between the godly and the wicked: the one enjoys their best in this life, the other looks for it, and are walking toward it: For if it should be demanded, when a wicked man is at his best? I would 
The wicked man is at his best, when he comes first into the world. job. 3. 12.  answer, his best is evil enough; but then a wicked man is at his best, when he comes first into the world; for than his sins are fewest, his judgement easiest. It had been good for him, that the knees had not prevented him, but that he had died in the birth: for as a River which is smallest at the beginning, increaseth as it proceeds by the accession of other waters into it, till at length it be swallowed up into the deep; so the wicked, the longer he liveth, waxeth ever worse and worse: deceiving, 
2 Tim. 3. 1  and being deceived (saith the Apostle,) proceeding from one evil to worse (saith jeremy,) till at length he 
jer. 9 3.  be swallowed up in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. And 
Reu. 19 20.  this the Apostle expresseth most significantly, when he compares the wicked man unto one gathering a treasure, wherein he heaps up wrath to himself, against the day of wrath; For even as the Worldling, who every day casteth in money into his treasure, in few years multiplies such a sum, the particulars whereof he himself is not able to keep in mind; but when he breaketh up his Box, than he findeth in it sundry sorts of Coin, whereof he had no remembrance: Even so is it and 
A warning for impenitent sinners.  worse, with thee, O impenitent man, who not only every day, but every hour and moment of the day, dost multiply thy transgressions, and defile thy conscience, hoarding up into some dead work or other: to what a reckoning thinkest thou, shall thy sins amount in the end though thou forget them as thou committest them? Yet the Apostle telleth thee, that thou hast laid them up in a treasure, and not only so, but with every sin, thou hast gathered a portion of wrath proportionable to thy sin, which thou shalt perfectly know in that day, wherein the Lord shall break up thy treasure, and open the book of thy conscience, and set thy sins in order before thee: then shall thine own 
Psa. 50. 18.  wickedness correct thee: and turning back, shall reprove thee: then shalt thou know and behold, that it is an evil thing 
jer. 2. 19  and a bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God: And shalt be astonished to see such a multitude of witnesses standing up against thee; then shalt thou perceive that these sins which thou hast cast behind thy back, the Lord hath set them in the light of his 
Psal. 90. 8.  countenance, and then woe shall be unto thee, for the Lord shall turn thine own ways upon thy head, when thou hast accomplished the measure of thine iniquity: the Lord shall give thee to drink of the cup which thou hast filled with thine own hand, and shall double his stripes upon thee, according to the multitude of thy transgressions.   

CHAP. VIII. The Christian is not at his best now: it is the working only.  
But as to the children of God, if you will ask, when they are at the best? I answer, praised be God, our worst is ended, our good is begun, our best is at hand: as our Saviour said to his Kinsmen, so may we say to the Worldlings; your time is alway, but my 
john. 6. 7.  time is not yet come. We are at the worst immediately before our conversion, for our whole life till then, was a walking with the Children of disobedience in the broad way that leads to damnation, and then were we at the worst, when we had proceeded furthest in the way of unrighteousness, for than were we furthest from God. Our best began in the day of our recalling, wherein the Lord by his word and holy spirit, called upon us, and made us turn our backs upon Satan, and our face toward the Lord, and so caused us part company with the Children of disobedience; among whom we had our conversation before: then we came home with the penitent forlorn, to our father's family; but they went forward in their sins to judgement: That was a day of division betwixt us and our sins: In that day (with Israel) we entered into the borders of Canaan, into Gilgall, & there were circumcised, and the shame of Egypt was taken 
jos. 5. 9  from us, even our sin, which is our shame indeed, and which we have borne from our mother's womb: the Lord grant that we may keep it for ever in thankful remembrance: and that we may count it a double shame to return again to the bondage of Egypt, to serve the Prince of darkness in Brick and Clay; that is, to have fellowship any more with the unfruitful works of darkness, but that like the redeemed of the Lord, we may walk 
Psal. 84. 7.  from strength to strength, till we appear before the face of our God in Zion.  
Always this difference of estates 
The difference of the godly & wicked concerning their best, should learn us comfort & patience.  of the godly and wicked should learn us patience: let us not seek that in the earth, which our gracious God in his most holy dispensation, hath reserved for us in the heaven: let us not be like the foolish jews, who loved the place of their banishment in Babel better than their home: for here we are not at our best, now our life is hid with 
1 john. 3.  the Lord, and we know not yet what we shall be, but we know when he shall appear, we shall be like him: the Lord shall carry us by his mercy and bring us 
Exo. 15. 13  in his strength to his holy habitation. He shall plant us in the mountain of his 
Esay. 35.  inheritance, even the place which he hath prepared, and Sanctuary which he hath established: then everlasting joy shall be upon our heads, and sorrow and mourning shall sly away from us for ever. And now till the Lord hath accomplished his work unto us, let us not faint, because the wicked flourish: neither 
Psal. 7.  think we have cleansed our hands in vain because they prosper, they are to be pitied rather than envy: let them eat and drink and be merry; sure it is, they will never see a merrier day then that they see presently: they have enjoyed their heaven in the earth: they have received their consolation in this life, and have gotten their portion 
Luke. 19  in this world. Oh what tongue can express their misery! And yet as Samuel 
How miserable are the wicked who have their heaven in the earth.  mourned for Saul, when God rejected him: and jeremy wept in secret for the pride of his people, that would not repent of their sins, how can we but take up a bitter lamentation for many of you, whom in this time of grace, we see to be strangers from grace? We wish from our hearts, ye were not like the kinsmen of Lot, who thought he was scorning, when he told them of a judgement to come; and therefore for no request would go with him out of Sodom, but tarried while the fire of the Lords indignation consumed them. But rather as Sara followed Abraham from Called to Canaan, so you would take us by the hand, and go forward with us from hell to heaven.  
But alas, The lusts of the flesh, holds you captive, your sins hath blinded you, and the Love of the world doth bewitch you; but all of them in the end, shall deceive you: For All the labour under the Sun, is but vanity and vexation 
Ec. 2. 17.  of spirit.  
When you have finished your task, you shall be less content than ye were at the beginning: you shall be as one wakened out of a dream, who in his sleep thought he was possessor of many things, but when he awaketh, behold he hath nothing, Like that rich man, who said in his security, Now my soul thou hast much good for many days: and even upon the next day was reducted to greater poverty than that despised Lazarus, that he had not so much as a drop of cold water to cool his tongue with: then shall you lament, we have wearied ourselves in the way of iniquity, and it did not profit us. Alas, how shall I learn you to be wise? The Lord when he created man, set him in a room above all his creatures; and now degenerate man, sets every creature in his heart above the Lord. O fearful ingratitude. Do you so reward the Lord, ye foolish people and unwise? There is nothing which you conceive to be good; but when you want it you are careful to seek it: when you have it, you are careful to keep it; only you are careless of the Lord jesus, though he be that incomparable jewel, that brings light in darkness, life in death, comfort in trouble, mercy against all judgement; you should set him as a signet, on your heart, as an ornament on your head; & put him on as a glorious attire, that gets you place to stand before God. But what pains do you take to seek him? what assurance have you, that ye are in him, or what mourning do you make, because ye are strangers from him? Can ye say that the tenth of your thoughts and words are employed upon him? Alas, how long will you wander after vanities, and follow lies? Will ye for ever forsake the fountain of living waters, and dig to your selves broken pits, that can hold no water? O consider this (in time) ye that 
Psa. 50. 22.  forsake the Lord, lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you.   

CHAP. IX. All things work to the worst, to the wicked.  
THe last lesson we observe in this part of the verse, is this: as All things work for the best, to them that love the Lord, so all things work for the worst to the wicked: there is nothing so clean, which they defile not, nothing so excellent which they abuse not. Make Saul a King, and Balaam a Prophet, and judas an Apostle, their preferments shall be their destruction. If they be in prosperity, they contemn God, and their prosperity becomes their ruin: if they be in adversity, they blaspheme him, and like raging waves of the sea cast out their own dirt to their shame. Yea, what speak I of these things, even their table 
Psal. 69. 22 2. Cor. 5.  shall be a snare to them: jesus Christ is a rock of offence to them, the Gospel the savour of death to them, and their prayer is turned into sin to them: And what more excellent things than these? as a foul stomach turneth most healthsome food into corruption, so their polluted Conscience turn judgement into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into Wormwood. And all this should provoke us to become good in our persons, or else there is nothing, were it never so good, can be profitable unto us.  
To them that love God. Here followeth 
The second part of the verse, is the persons to whom the former comfort belongeth.  the second part of the Verse, containing a description of the persons to whom this privilege appertaineth, together with a reason of the former comfort. Of force all things must work for the best (namely to salvation) to them that love God, because they are called (namely to salvation) according to God's purpose. The strength of this reason, stands in the necessity and immutability of the purpose of God, more stable than the decree of the Medes and Persians, for what he hath decreed cannot be revoked, annulled or hindered. It is that supreme cause of all, which order all inferior causes and incidents whatsoever, in such sort, that they must work to the advancement of that most high purpose of God. 
Our calling comes from God's purpose, and carries us to the determined glory.   
This reason is made clearer in the subsequent Verse, where the Apostle lets us see how the links of the golden Chain of our Salvation are knit together inseparably by the hand of God, that no power in heaven or earth can sunder them: whereof it comes, that he that is sure of one, is sure of all. And now let us take a short view of it, for confirming of the Apostles Reason. Election is the first, and it is the most ancient Charter of the right of God's Children, to their Father's inheritance. Calling is the second, and it is that gift of God, whereby we are known the sons of God, and our Election secret in itself, is made manifest to ourselves and others. justification is the third, and it is the grace of God, whereby we are enfeoffed in jesus Christ, in such sort, that we are made one with him, and partakers of all that is his. Glorification is the last, and it is that grace of GOD, whereby we shall be entered in the due time, full Heirs to our heavenly Father.  
No King on earth can produce so ancient a right to his crown, as the Christian, effectually called. No man on earth can be known his father's heir upon such sufficient warrant, as the Christian: for in his Regeneration, the Father communicates to him his Image, his Nature, and his Spirit, whereby he begins from feeling to call God his father: and in life and manners resembleth him. No Freeholder so surely enfeoffed in his Lands, having so many confirmations of his right as hath the justified Christian, who upon his gift, hath received the earnest, the Pledge, the Seal, and the Witness of the great King: and last of all, the Christian shall be entered to the full fruition of his inheritance, with such joy and triumph in the glorious assembly of the Saints, as the like was never seen in the world, no not in jerusalem that day when Solomon sat down in 
1 Kin 1. 14  his father's Throne; then their joy was so great, That the earth rang with the sound of them, but nothing comparable to this. And herein stands the excellency of a Christian, and certainty of his salvation.   

CHAP. X. How the Christian is made sure of his Election and Glorification.  
FOr this Chain of our Salvation, reacheth (as I may say) from eternity to eternity: the beginning of it (albeit before beginning) is our Election: the end of it (albeit without end) is our glorification: and these two ends of the Chain, the Lord keeps them sure & secret in his own hand: but the two middle links of the Chain, to wit Calling and justification, the Lord hath let them down from the Heaven to earth, that we should gripe and apprehend them: that being sure of the two middle Links, we might also be sure of the two ends; because the Lord hath knit them inseparably together. Then thou, who wouldst be comforted with the assurance of thy Salvation, take heed of this, making it known to thine own Conscience by a holy life, that God hath called thee, and justified thee: Gripe sure, as it were with one hand, the link of Calling, and with the other hand, the link of justification; then mayst thou know assuredly, Election before the world is thine; Glorification after this, shall also be thine. To make this yet more plain, we are to remember, this mortal life of ours, is a short interjected point of Time, betwixt two Eternity's (if so I may call it:) or like a stepping stone, betwixt two Gulfs, whereupon some in fear and trembling work out their Salvation; and so steps from God's eternal Election to endless glorification.  
Others again, in wantonness and careless security drinks in iniquity with greediness, and so steps from the 
By your disposition in this life, each man hath to consider of his everlasting weal or woe.  decree of Reprobation, that most justly they procure their everlasting condemnation: So that every man is to consider of his everlasting weal or woe, by his present disposition in this life. Oh that we had sanctified memories to remember this so long as we are here. If of weakness we fall, we may rise again: and if we have not learned well to repent in one day, we have leave of the Lords patience to learn it better another day, his name be praised therefore, who hath opened a door of mercy to sinners, and with long suffering waits for our repentance. But he who in the day of his transmigration steps the wrong step, will never get leave to amend it. Where the tree falls, it shall lie there; the wicked dies in their sins, and so steps downward to the deep pit and gulf, out of which there is no redemption. Let us therefore be well advised before we leap. Let us fasten our feet in the borders of that Canaan in time, which shallbe done, if we make our whole life a proceeding from Election to Glorification, and that through Calling and justification; which two, hath inseparably following them, the Sanctification and Renovation of the whole man.  
The Lord make us wise in time, that we may consider our course, and think of the end whereunto it leads us, for there is but one of two, as Moses protested to the Israelites, so do I unto you: I have laid this day, life and death before you: the Lord give you grace to make choice of the best.  
But now to return to the words of this description of the persons to whom this privilege appertaineth, we have these things. First, the Purpose of God: Secondly, his Calling according to his purpose: Thirdly, the evident token according to God's calling, which is the love of God. The purpose of God, concerning thy salvation, thou mayst know by thy calling: and if again thou wilt try thy calling, try it by the love of God, which thou finds in thee. And of these three, I will now speak briefly.   

CHAP. XI. What comfort we have in this, that our salvation is grounded on the Lords unchangeable purpose.  
ACcording to his purpose. Here you see then how the Apostle draweth our Calling from the purpose of God: and so when he will comfort us with the certainty of our salvation, he leads us out of ourselves, up to the Rock that is higher than we, he teacheth us to cast our Anchor within the vail, and to fasten our souls upon that unchangeable Purpose of God. It is most expedient for the Children of God, to mark this, because the manifold changes we find in ourselves, do oftentimes interrupt the peace of our minds, that the Lord our God hath in such sort dispensed our Salvation, that the ground thereof is laid in his own immutable Purpose, but the marks, tokens and pledges he placeth in them, after their Calling, for whom it was ordained. The tokens are changeable, as we ourselves in whom they are are changeable: but the ground holds fast, being laid in the unchangeable God, in whom can be no shadow of alteration: and this should comfort us against our daily vicissitudes, changes, defects, and temporal desertion; our faith may faint, our spiritual life may languish, our hope hoover, our hearts in praying fall down like the enfeebled hands of Moses, yet let us not despair, no change in us can alter the Lords unchangeable Purpose, he who hath begun the work in us, will also perfect it. Because I am 
Mal. 3. 6.  not changed (saith the Lord) therefore is it that ye, O Sons of jacob, are not consumed. 
Our salvation is neither in part nor in the whole, ascribed to our merits.   
This purpose of God is called otherways, The will of God, and the good pleasure of his will: and it doth learn us, to give to the Lord the praise which is due to him, namely the praise of the whole work of our salvation, should be ascribed to the good pleasure of his will only, and not to our foreseen merits: that poison of pride, which Satan powered in our first parents, whereby he provoked them to aspire, to be equal with God, doth yet appear in their posterity, the corrupt heart of man ever aiming at this, either in part or in whole, to have the praise of salvation ascribed to himself, and so would start up in the room of God, usurping that glory which belongeth to the Lord, and he will not give to another: then the which no Sacrilege more fearful can be committed against the Lord. O man! content thee with that which the Lord offers thee, and let that alone, which the Lord reserveth to himself, My peace (saith the Lord) I give unto you, but my glory I will not give to another. It is enough, that the salvation of the Lord is thine, but as for the glory of salvation, let it remain to the Lord, he is for this called the Father of Mercy, because mercy is bred in his own bosom: many causes without himself found he moving and procuring him to execute justice: but a cause moving him to show mercy, found he never, save only the good pleasure of his will. Therefore saith the Apostle, The Lord hath called us with an holy calling, not according to our works but according to his purpose and grace. Surely except the Lord had reserved mercy for us, we had been like Sodom and Gomorrha, but it hath pleased him in his mercy, of the same lump of clay, to make us Vessels of honour, whereof he hath made others vessels of dishonour; and who is able sufficiently to think of so great a benefit? Therefore let the redeemed of the Lord, cry out with a louder voice than David, O Lord what 
Psal. 8  are we, that thou hast been so mindful of us? Not unto us O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory: for thy loving kindness and for thy truth's sake, for our Salvation cometh of god that sitteth upon the throne, and of the Lamb: to thee therefore be praise and honour, and glory, for ever and ever.   

CHAP. XII. Two callings, outward, and inward.  
TO them that are called. The purpose of God, which is sufficient in itself, is made known and manifest to us by his Calling: for our Calling is a declaration of the decree of our Election, and as it were the secret voice of God, bringing from the Heavens to our souls, this comfortable message, That we are the sons of God. Now we must know that Gods Calling is twofold: one outward, which is common also to the wicked, & of it speaks our Saviour, Many are called, but f●…w are chosen: The other inward and effectual, proper only to the godly, whom the Lord is purposed to save. And this will learn us to consider of three sorts of men in the world, whereof some are not called at all, some called, but not chosen, some chosen, and therefore are called to be sanctified, justified, and Glorified. Ye that will take a right view of all mankind, shall find 
All the world stands in three Circles, & that none are happy, except they who are within the third.  them as it were standing in the three circles; they only being happy who are within the third. In the outmost Circle are all those on whom the Lord hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling; and here stands the greatest part of the world. In the middlemost Circle, which is much narrower, are all those which are partakers of Gods outward calling by the word & Sacraments, And in the third circle, which is of smallest compass in regard of the rest, stands those who beside the outward calling of God by his word, are called also inwardly and effectually by his holy Spirit. These are Christ's little flock, the few chosen, the communion of saints, the Lords third part, so to speak with Zacharic; 
Zach. 13. 9  the two parts shall be cut off and die, but The third will the Lord sine as silver and gold: of them will the Lord say, This is my people, and they shall say, The Lord is my God, It is a great step indeed, that we are brought from the uttermost Circle unto the second, but it is not sufficient to salvation, yea rather they who stand in the second Circle, hearing the voice of God call them to repentance, and yet harden their hearts, and will not follow the Lord, may look for a more fearful condemnation, than they who are in the utmost rank of all. Weighty are all those warnings of our Saviour: Sodom and Gomorah shall be in an easier estate in the day of judgement, than they to whom the Lord hath spoken by his word, but they would not receive it; and that double stripes are for him that knows his Master's will, and doth it not. Content not yourselves therefore with this, that you are brought within the compass of this visible Church, and made partakers of an outward Calling, that ye have been baptised in the name of jesus, and communicated at his holy table; for not every one that says Lord, Lord shall enter into his kingdom, except ye find also the Lords inward and effectual Calling, that the arm of his grace hath drawn you within the compass of this third circle, and so brought you to be of his own third part, and set you down among the generation of them that seek the face of God, and therefore forsakes their sins, that they may find him.   

CHAP. XIII. Of the inward Calling.  
THen we see this excellent privilege is restrained to them who are called inwardly, and therefore let us yet a little consider it. This inward Calling is the Communication of Christ's saving grace, whereby the mind is enlightened, the heart purified by faith, the affections sanctified, and the whole man reform. For as the Lord by his Gospel offers to his children righteousness and life, so by his holy spirit he gives them that justifying Faith, and openeth their hearts to receive that Grace which is preached and proclaimed to them in the Gospel, So then this work of our Calling, is altogether the Lords: It is his praise 
2 Cor. 4.  that he calls things which are not, and makes them to be: the Lord that commanded light to shine out of darkness, hath given to our minds the light of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Christ jesus: he it is that creates in us a new heart, and putteth 
Psal. 41.  a new spirit into our bowels, that we may walk in his statutes. The Lord promised that he would call many of the Gentiles to the spiritual jerusalem, 
Ez. 11. 19  to suck out the milk of the breasts of her consolation, and be delighted with the brightness of his glory: shall I 
Esa. 66.  cause others to be fruitful (saith the Lord) and remain barren myself? and this his gracious promise hath he most abundantly performed in our days; his name be praised therefore.  
As this work is only the Lords, 
This inward calling is the arm of God, choosing out in the world his own elect.  so he restrains it only to them who are his own. The outward Calling is extended to all; but the inward calling makes a particular separation of a few from the remnant: where it is wonderful to see the distinction which is made betwixt man and man in all ranks and estates, by this effectual calling of two Brethren, as jacob and Esau: of two Prophets, as Moses and Balaam: of two Kings, as David and Saul: of two Apostles, as Peter and judas: of two thieves, the one is taken, the other rejected, and thus the arm of the grace of God, goes through to every corner of the earth, according to his pleasure, culling out by his word, from among the remnant of the world, those who belong to his Election.  
This grace of God, it enters in a Land, and not into every City: it enters into a City, but not into every Family: yea it will enter into a Family, and ●…et not come to every person of the Family, or husband and wife, of Masters and Servants, of Parents and Children, of Brethren and Sisters, oftentimes the one is taken, the other is left: It came to jericho, and chose out 
Whereof it comes that the Gospel where it is preached makes a great difference betwixt man and man.  Zacheus. It came to Philipi, and weiled out Lydia and the jailor: It came to Nero his court, and not to himself; It entered into the family of Narcissus, and yet past by Narcissus himself; It is the work of God, and marvelous in our eyes. The Gospel is preached to many, but the blessing brought by the Gospel, lights only upon the children of grace: And hereof ariseth this daily distinction, which we see between man and man, all hear alike, but all have not Faith, all are not edified alike: Some forsake their sins, and follows the Lord, others forsaking the Lord, walks on in their sins. As the Lord governeth the rain, and makes it fall upon one City, and not upon another: so he dispenseth the dew of his grace, that he makes it drop down upon one heart, and not upon another. And of this I would wish that so many of you as yet are strangers from Grace, should learn to know your miserable state: What a fearful thing is this, that God hath converted so many in 
How the heart whereon grace descends not now in this time of grace is accursed.  the City wherein thou dwellest, yea perhaps many in the family wherein thou remainest, and yet his grace never lighted upon thee, but thou art left in thy old sins? Consider it rightly, I pray you. If the Lord should do to you as he did to Israel, in the days of Achab, causing it to rain for three years & a half on all the lands about you, but not upon your Land, would you not conceive in it a sensible curse of God upon you? O Hypocrite, thou that canst discern the face of the sky, and take up the tokens of God's anger in the creature, canst thou not discern the state of thine own soul, nor apprehend this for a sensible curse, that thirty or forty years, the showers of saving and renewing grace, hath descended upon the people round about thee, but never upon thyself? thou possessest thy old sins and keepest still a hard, a barren, and a fruitless heart. What shall I say to thee? to cut thee off from all hope of mercy, and so send thee to despair; I have not that in commission: the Lord hath his own time of calling, and can when he will, of Saul a persecutor, make Paul a Preacher. But one thing I can certify ●…hee of: so long as thou a●…t in that state mourn if thou wilt, thou hast much cause of mourning; for if this effectual calling by grace, go by thee in time to come, as it hath done in time began, it is an evident declaration, that thou art a man reserved to wrath, and not ordained to mercy.   

CHAP. XIIII. In the inward calling, the Lord begins at the illumination of the mind.  
NOw that this Calling flowing from Election, may be yet made sure to our Consciences for our greater comfort, let us mark the manner of the Lords proceeding into it and so gather up some tokens whereby we may discern it. As in the first creation, the Lord began at the light; so in the second Creation he begins at the illumination of the mind: For we can neither know the Lord to fear and love him, neither yet ourselves and our sins aright, till the Lord who commanded light to shine out of darkness, shine also into our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of GOD in the face of jesus Christ: and this light of God, discovers to us so many works of darkness, wherewith in ignorance we defiled our Consciences, that we begin to be ashamed of ourselves, in the sight of God; yea, our very flesh trembleth for fear of his judgements, and we cry out with job, Now my eye hath 
job. 42.  seen the Lord, therefore I abhor myself. And thus the Lord proceeds from the mind to the heart, working into 
He worketh motions of sorrow and contrition in the heart.  it such a contrition and godly sorrow, as causeth repentance unto salvation, whereby the heart that was senseless before, being dead in sin and trespasses, begins now to stir and move▪ as josiahs' heart melted at the reading of the Law: and the hearts of those penitent jews, which were pricked at the sharp Sermon of Peter, then feeling ourselves under death through sin, we begin to think us of the ways of life, and to ask with the jailor, What 
Act. 24. 25  shall we do that we may be saved? These motions, melt and prickings of the heart, wrought in the ●…lect by the operation of God's word, are the very plucks of the hand of God, translating thee out of Nature into Grace: yet must we not rest here, for Felix may tremble while Paul is preaching, and many for a while may receive this word with joy, and yet afterward fall away in the time of temptation. We must 
He worketh a respondence and answer ring of the heart to his calling and a following of the Lord.  therefore consider, if there be in the heart a respondence and answering unto the Lord, so oft as he calleth, do we present ourselves before him, ready to follow him saying with Abraham here I am Lord, and with Samuel (after he knew the Lords voice) Speak on Lord, thy Servant heareth thee. This answering and following of the Lord, are undoubted tokens of effectual Calling. So oft as the Lord calleth, the Christian answereth: When thou saidst Seek ye my face, my heart answered 
Psal. 27.  O Lord I will seek thy face. If the Lord command the Christian answereth, O Lord, quicken me according to thy loving 
Ps. 119. 18  kindness, that I may apply my heart to keep thy statutes always to the end. If the Lord promise mercy, the Christian answers, Establish O Lord thy promise 
Ps. 119. 39  to thy Servant, and let it be to me according to thy word, for I believe in thee, but Lord help my unbelief. And thus in the heart of one effectually called, there is a continual respondence to the voice of God, a waiting on the Lord, a walking with him, and a following of him where ever he go. If the Lord have called thee, sure it is thou wilt follow him, and no power of the Devil, of the world, or of the flesh shall hold thee back from him. When Eliah touched Elisha with his cloak, he left his Oxen, and came after him. When jesus called on Andrew and Peter, they left their nets, their ship and their Father, and followed him: when he called on Matthew, he left all his gainful trade of the receipt of custom, and followed him: when he called on Mary Magdal●…ne, she forsook her sinful life, and followed him. Here is the finest Touchstone to try an inward calling. If the Lord hath called thee, thou wilt follow him, but if yet thou be wandering after vanity, walking on in the course of thy sin, turning thy back and not thy face unto the Lord, deceive not thyself, pertalcer of this heavenly Calling (wherein stands the only comfort of a Christian) hast thou never been.   

CHAP. XV. The love of God a sure token of an inward calling, and of the commendation of love.  
THat Love of God. And last of all, to return to the words again, the whole effects of out inward Calling, the Apostle compriseth under one, to wit, The love of God, and that most properly, for Love compriseth all the rest under it. Love is the Cognisance of Christ's Disciples (says our Saviour.) It is the band of perfection (saith the Apostle) and accomplishment of the L●… Love speaks with the tongue of every Virtue, Pity bids thee help the indigent; justice bids thee give every man his own; Mercy bids forgive; Patience bids suffer: but the voice of Christian Love commands all these. Holy Love is the eldest Daughter of a justifying Faith, that is, the fi●…st affection that Faith procreateth and sanctifieth, and whereby she works in the sanctification of the rest. Love is the strongest and most imperious affection in the whole nature of man: all the rest of the affections gives place unto it, which we may see even in the man natural and unregenerate: Where Love is kindled, Fear is banished, Covetousness coucheth, Ambition is silent. A Coward inflamed with Love becomes valiant; and a covetous man is oft times ●…y Love made to be more prodigal; yea, the proud and ambitious man, who otherwise gives place to 〈◊〉 man, for obtaining that which he 〈◊〉, cares not to prostrate his honour 〈◊〉 the dust. If carnal Love be so forci●…, what shall we say of the spiritual Love? How much more doth it draw 〈◊〉 whole powers of soul and body 〈◊〉 the Lord? neither is it possible to 〈◊〉 otherways, for every thing returns to his own original, as the waters go 〈◊〉 to the deep from whence 〈◊〉 came; and fire tends upward to his own place and Region: even so holy Love, being a spark of the heavenly fire, kindled in our hearts by the holy Ghost, doth continually inflame them towards the Lord, from whom it came, and suffers us never to rest while we enjoy him: then we begin to live, when we begin to love. As no Creature can live out of his own Element, so the Soul is but dead in sin, which is destitute of the love of God. No fear to offend him, no care to please him, no obedience to his Commandments, can be given by the heart that loves him not. It were tedious to speak of all the properties of Love, we make choice of a few, as chief trials of our love.   

CHAP. XVI. First trial of love.  
THe first property of Love, is a burning desire to obtain that which is beloved, as a Woman that loveth her Husband unfeignedly, cannot be content with any Love token she receiveth from him in his absence, but longeth more and more till she receive himself: So the soul which is wounded with the Love of jesus her immortal husband, hath a continual desire to be with him. I grant every token sent from him, brings comfort, but no contentment till she enjoys him: whereof comes these and such like 
Psal. 42. 1.  complaints. As the Hart brays for the rivers of water, so panteth my soul 〈◊〉 thee, O my God: O wh●…n 〈◊〉 I come & appear before the presence of my God? my soul desireth after the Lord, as the 
Psal. 143. Phil. 1. Reu. 22.  thirsty land, for I would be dissolved & be with the Lord: therefore come, even so come Lord jesus. But alas, here are we taken in our sins: Thou sayest thou lovest him, but how is it then thou longest not to see him, neither desi●…est to be with him, yea a small appearance of the day of death, wherein we should go to him, or mention of the day of judgement, wherein he shall come to us, doth terrify and affright thee. Thou that contents thee with the gifts of God, and thinkest not long for himself, thou art but like an adulterous woman, who if she posses●…e the goods of her husband, regards not, albeit she never see himself. The jews are blamed, because they called on th●… Lord rather for oil and wine, then for himself. The Gentiles are convinced for worshipping the creature, rather than the creator, but more justly shall the bastard Christian be condemned for loving the gifts of God, more than the giver. Let us therefore beware of this fearful ingratitude. We may indeed rejoice in all the gifts the Lord hath given us, and they should thankfully be received: but, always with a protestation, that nothing given unto me here, be allowed unto me for my portion, and inheritance; and that no contentment ever comes to our hearts, till we obtain the full fruition of our loving husband Christ jesus.  
If the Love of men compelled the Apostle to say to the Corinthians, it is not yours, but you I seek, how much more should the Love of GOD compel us to say to our Lord, It is not thy gift, but thyself O Lord I long for: thou art the portion of my soul: If thou would●…t give me all the works of thine hands, yet shall I never have comfort nor contentment, except thou give me thyself: therefore O thou whom 
Cant. 2. 6.  my soul loveth, show me where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon, for why should I be as she that turns aside to the flocks of thy companions? Blessed is he that hungers and thirsteth for thy righteousness, for he shall behold the face of his God, and be filled with his Image; for in his presence is the fullness of joy, and at his right hand, there are pleasures for evermore.   

CHAP. XVII. Second trial of love.  
THe second trial of holy Love, is Obedience, and a care to serve and honour the Lord in all estates and callings. Preachers must be tried by this rule, Peter lovest thou me? feed my flock. Governors and counsellors in your callings, must be tried by this: Can ye say with the godly governor David, I love the Lord? then will ye 
Psal. 119.  also say with him, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits. How shall I show to the Lord my Love? and what shall I do in my time, for the advancement of his glory? If you love the Lord then be nursing Fathers to his Church; be faithful advancers of his kingdom, wise provisours to remove the stumbling blocks that hinder the course of his Gospel: If ye love the Lord. Stand up with David and say, Do I not hate them, O Lord that hate thee? and do I not earnestly contend with them that rise up against thee? Surely I hate them with unfeigned hatred, as if they were my utter enemies. I●… ye honour the Lord as David did, the Lord shall bless you as he did David. David swore unto the Lord, that he would not rest, till he found out a place for the Lord, even an habitation for the mighty God of jacob. And the Lord swears again to David that of the fruit of his body he would set upon his Throne to reign after him. But if otherways there be nothing in you, but a care to 'stablish yourselves and your houses, with the neglect of the glory God; then remember the curse of Shebna, and not the blessing of Eliachim, 
Esay. 22.  shall be upon you: you shall not be fastened as a nail in a sure place, but shall 
Psal. 140.  be rolled and turned away like a Ball: The Lord shall drive thee from thy station, and out of thy dwelling place shall he destroy thee; for the wicked shall not have their desire; his thoughts shall not be performed, neither shall he be established on the earth, but evil shall hunt him to destruction: the Lord shall take thee, and pluck thee out of thy Tabernacle, and root thee out of the land of the living: and generally all of you in your callings, remember the value of your Christian 
Psal. 52. 4  love, must be tried by the same touchstone; not by your words, but by your deeds. If any love me (saith Christ) 〈◊〉 him keep my commandments. But here also the hypocrisy of this age is clearly discovered: In word they pretend the love of God, but indeed, they grieve him with their transgressions: as the jews, they called him king, and bowed their knees before him, but sp●…t in his face, and buffeted him: So the bastard Christians of this age, call Christ their Lord, and bow their knee before him, yet they c●…ucisie him, and trample his blood of the Covenant under their feet: they kiss him and betrai●… him with judas. It is but a Sceptre of Re●…d they yield and grant to him, for they give him no command●…ment over their affections: wherefore great is the controversy which the Lord hath this day with the men of this generation.   

CHAP. XVIII. The last trial of love.  
THe last trial of Love, whereof I will speak at this time (leaving many other) is Bountifulness. Love (saith the Apostle) is Bountiful. Experience proves this: every Lover is a bountiful ●…ower on them whom he loves. Ye love your backs and spare not to clothe them, yea with excessive apparel: ye love your bellies, and therefore are bountiful daily to them in feeding them: ye love your Children, and therefore lets them want nothing that is needful for them: yea, ye love your beasts, and ye bestow large lie on them; only you say, you love the Lord, but wherein are you bountiful toward him? It is true, that in nothing can a man be profitable to the Almighty, saith job. But are there no works which should so shine before men, that by them our heavenly Father may be glorified? Though works can be no merits, yet are they your witnesses of your Love towards the Lord: Though your goodness extend to the Lord, yet where is your delight that should be in his Saints, and excellent ones upon earth? Where is your compassion and love toward the brethren? Are not the men of this age like the Figtree, that have fair leaves, but not so much as one Fig to give jesus in his hunger, having the show of Godliness, 
2 Tim. 3. 5  but hath denied the power thereof, rendering words enough, but not any fruits at all to adorn the glorious gospel of our Lord jesus. And so (if we might proceed) every trial of Love should discover the hypocrisy and bastard Christianity of the most part of professors of this age. But being forced at this time, to conclude, I turn me toward you (whom I know have set your hearts to seek the Lord) that I may leave my last blessing behind me unto you, being no more purposed ●…o speak to you, from this place: to you, and to every one of you who can say with Peter, in a sincere Conscience Lord thou knowest I love thee: to you here, in the name of God, I ratify this privilege; All things shall work together for the best unto you. Faint not therefore I beseech you, in the course of Godliness▪ but be strong in the grace of our Lord jesus Christ, stand fast in the power of his might, praying to the Lord continually, that he would 'stablish that which he hath wrought in you, and bring it forward to perfection.  
And now I commend you to that Grace of God, which is able to build you farther, and to gi●…e you inheritance among them that are Sanctified in Christ jesus: to whom, with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour, praise and glory, for ever.  
Amen.   
FINIS.   

A PREPARATIVE for the new Passeover.  
Very profitable to be perused and read of all those who are called to the holy Table of our Lord.  
By WILLIAM COUPER Minister of God's word.  
Proverbs. Chap. 9 Verse 5. Come, eat of my meat, and drink of the wine that I have drawn.  
8 My fruit is better than Gold, even then fine gold, and my revenues better than fine silver.  
LONDON:  
Printed for john Budge, and are to sold at his shop at the great South door of Paul's. 1608.   

To the right worshipful Sir David Murray, special Gentleman of the Prince his Bedchamber, multiplication of mercy, grace, and peace.  
RIght Worshipful, albeit no distance of place can disjoint them in affection, whom God hath conjoined by the band of one spirit: yet is it no small stop of that Christian conference, whereby either of them might happily edify, and be edified of others. I have therefore taken me to the next remedy, since I cannot reach towards you with my tongue, I have endeavoured by writing to bestow upon you some Spiritual Gift, 
Rom. 1.  according to my line or measure, for recompense of that Comfort, which I have reaped of that Grace of God which is in you.  
I know these colder parts of the I'll, wherein we soiourue, do not usually render such ripe fruits as those on which the Sun beats more hotly; yet are they also profitable in their kind for nourishment, specially of such▪ who from their youth have been accustomed to feed upon them. Neither hath the Lord our God debarred us from Communion of that which is the greatest glory of the I'll: the Sun of righteousness hath shined upon us also. The Lord hath made our 
Es. 42. 16.  darkness to be light, and lead us who were blind a way we knew not. The Lord hath set his Standard amongst us. 
Esa. 49. 22.  He hath not only said to the South, keep not back, but he hath also commanded the North to give and to bring 
Esay. 43. 6.  unto him his Sons from far, and his Daughters from the ends of the Earth. As the going forth of the Sun, is from 
Psal. 19 6.  the one end of Heaven to the other, rising in the East, and running on like a mighty man, his race towards the West; so hath the Law gone forth of Zion, and the Word of the Lord from jerusalem: the light of the Gospel through many nations 
Esa. 2. 3.  hath come from them of the East, toward us in the West, where now it stands more marvelously, than the Sun stood in Gibeon in the days of joshua, 
Iosh 10. 12  till the fullness of the Gentiles in these 
Ro. 11. 25.  parts, the remnants of japhets' house be brought into the Tents of Sem. How long it will so continue the Lord knoweth.  
Now the shadows of the evening are stretched over them of the East: the Sun is gone down over their Prophets. Darkness 
Mich. 3. 6.  is unto them in stead of Divination. If our unthankfulness provoke the Lord to withdraw it from us, woe in like manner shall be to this Land, when God 
Hos. 9 12.  departs from it. There was never people before us had any more but their day of Grace, some longer, some shorter, but as they had a Morning, so hath an Evening also overtaken them. While therefore 
joh. 12. 35  we have the light, let us walk in the Light: Blessed shall we be, if 
Luk 19 42  we know those things, which belong to our peace: for in our days, that promise which the Lord made two thousand and six hundred years ago, is abundantly performed: that he would give 
Psal. 2.  the ends of the earth to his Son for a possession: Happy are they among us, who shall be found of that number, sought out by the Candle of the Gospel, as pieces 
Luke. 15. 8  of lost Money, and like wandering Sheep taken out of the mouth of the Lion, and given in a Gift to Christ, that he may save them: these are the Redeemed of the Lord, let them praise the Lord; and among them come ye in also, and give glory to God: take in your heart and mouth with David that Song of thanksgiving: The Lots are fallen unto me 
Psal. 16. 6  in pleasant places: and I have a fair Heritage.  
It is written of Theodosius, that he thanked God more, for that he was a Christian, then for that he was an Emperor; because the Glory he had by the one would vanish, but the benefits he enjoyed by the other he knew, were to continue for ever: and though it may b●…e most justly great matter of your joy, that by the fatherly care of our Gracious Sovereign, ye have been placed a Domestic Attendant on his majesties most Princely Son, even from his very Cradle (wherein hitherto you have been praised for Fidelity, and I hope shall be so to the end) yet let this be your great●…st Glory, that the Lord hath made you partaker of that blessing which cometh by the Gospel, and given you the earnest of that Inheritance prepared for them, who are sanctified by Faith in Christ jesus. For increase whereof in you, as I daily send up my weak Prayers unto the Lord, so shall I be abundantly contented 
Act. 20. 32  to know that these small fruits of my h●…sbandry, which have grown this last Sum mer in the pleasant valley of Perth, not far from your native soil, may be any way profitable to confirm and establish that which GOD hath wrought in you. 〈◊〉 them therefore (right Worshipful) come towards you, as those fruits which jacob sent to joseph from Canaan Southward, 
Gen 43. 11  to more plentiful Egypt; though not as supplements of your need, yet as Testimonies of that love which I bear toward you in the Lord, to whose mercy I commend you for ever in jesus Christ.  
Your W. in the Lord jesus, M. William Cowper, Minister of Christ his evangel at Perth.   

A PREPARATIVE for the new Passeover.  

CHAP. I. Of the fervent desire Christians have to be united with Christ. How Inexcusable they are who neglect this holy sacrament. The great danger in coming unprepared. The parts of the precept: First that we try: Secondly that we eat: the last handled first.  
AS the soul of a Christian longeth for nothing more than to be fully united with the Lord jesus; so doth he greatly account of every mean, whereby this union is advanced. The Apostle S. Paul was so inflamed with the love of Christ that in comparison of him, he este●…med all other things to be but dung, and every thing an advantage that might serve to conjoin him wi●…h Christ: for albeit the nature of man abhorreth nothing more than death (yea even the soul of the godly desires not to lay aside the body, if it might stand with the Lords dispensation, which the Apostle is not ashamed to protest of himself: We would not (saith 
2. Cor. 5. 4  he) be unclothed, but would be clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.) Yet did the love of Christ so far overcome him, that he was content through the valley of death to follow his Lo●…d, yea most desirous to be 
Phil. 1. 23.  dissolved by death, in so much as he knew it to be a mean to conjoin him nearer unto Christ.  
And herein he stands up to witness unto us, that unless we have a most fervent desire to participate of this holy Sacrament, which the Lord hath instituted to seal up and increase our spiritual Communion with him; we are manifestly convinced to be such, as in whom their is no love of the Lord jesus: If we will not go with him to 
They will not ●…uffer with him on mount Caluarie; who refuse to banquet with him in his parlour.  eat and drink in his Parlour at jerusalem, it is not likely that we will follow him out of the City, bearing his reproach to be crucified with him on mount Caluarie. The Apostle is desirous to go through death that he might come to Christ: and it was the notable word of that ancient Ignatius, the scholar of Christ's best beloved Disciple Saint john. Nihil visibilium 
Euseb. li. 3. Cap. 36.  moror, nihil invisibilium modo Christum acquiram. I stand (said he) upon nothing visible, nor invisible, I care not what torments come upon me, so that I enjoy Christ jesus: and will not we then (casting away all impediments) come joyfully forward to this holy Table, wherein our blessed Saviour communicates himself unto us, and whereunto this day so lovingly he invites us? Now he stands at the door, and he knocks, offering to come in & 
Reu. 3. 20.  sup with them who will open unto him. Now the master shall say to his Disciples: Take re and eat, this is my body. 
Ma. 26. 16  Now says the bridegroom to his friends, Eat O my friends, and make 
Cant. 5. 1.  you merry my welb●…loued. Now doth the Angel intimate that proclamation, which hereafter will be resounded with greater joy from heaven: Let us be glad 
Reu. 19 7.  and rejoice, for the marriage of the Lamb is come. And now the Saviour calls upon sinners with outstretched arms: Come to me all ye who are weary 
Mat. 11. 28.  and laden, and I will refresh you.  
Those diseased creatures who lay at the pool of Bethesda, waited diligently on the occasion, when they should step down into the water: for he that first stepped in, after the Angel had troubled the water, was made whole, whatsoever his disease was: Praised be God, though we have not now those waters of Siloam, wherein with that 
john. 5. 8.  blind man we may cure our bodily diseases; we have the waters of that 
john. 9 7.  Shiloh, of the which whosoever drinks shall not thirst any more: these are the waters of life, that are able to cure 
Gene. 49. 10. joh. 1. 14. At Siloam pool, only he was healed who first stepped down, not so at Shiloh his Table.  all our spiritual infirmities, the benefit is not restrained to one that first sits down at his Table, but is extended to all those who make themselves ready to come unto him. Let us not therefore neglect so fair an occasion of grace, but let us up & arise, let the Bride make herself ready, and go forth to meet the Bridegroom. Let us begin in this wilderness to eat the fruits of our promised Canaan, which is above: Let us open to the King of glory that knocks: let us go to our saviour that cries come, and joyfully communicate with our Lord, who commands Take and eat, this is my body. For here is given the greatest gift, and that in the most excellent manner, that God hath to give on earth unto the sons of men: for here he giveth it, as it were with both his hands, that is, not only by his word, but also by his Sacrament, only take heed to this warning, let a man try himself and so let him eat.  
There is danger in hearing of the word, and therefore our Saviour forewarns us: Take heed how you hear. There is danger also in communicating: in the preceding verse the Apostle forewarned us of it; He that eats of this 
Luk. 8. 18.  bread, and drinks of this cup of the Lord unworthily, is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. In the subsequent verse he forewarns us also of the danger. He that eats and drinks unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation. And in this interjected verse, which now by the grace of God we have to handle, he showeth us the way how to eschew them both, and therefore let us hearken the more attentively unto it.  
This precept hath two parts: in the first we are commanded to try before we eat; in the second we are commanded to eat af●…er trial. Before we communicate; he requires trial; and after trial he commands to communicate: and so he encounters with two sorts of men, whereof the one eats of this bread and tries not; and these fail against the first: the other tries themselves, but eats not of this bread, and these fail against the second; both of them are here corrected by the Apostles precept. In handling whereof, we begin first at the last part, that such as are resolved to bide away, if it please God, may be made willing to come: and then by God his grace, we shall return to the first, that such as are willing to come, may be instructed how they should communicate.  
And so let him eat. It is not then as 
We are bound by God's command to eat at this table.  ye may perceive, left free unto men to communicate or abstain from the Communion, as they please; but we are bound by a commandment to eat and drink at this Table. Do this (said our Saviour) in remembrance of me. Our first father Adam failed in eating of that tree of knowledge of good and evil, whereof God forbade him to eat; but many of his sons fails in refusing to eat of that tree of life, whereof God commands them to eat. In their words they condemn the fact of their fathers, because they were Sicut omnium parents, ita omnium peremptores, & 
Bernard.  prius peremptores quam parents: perishers of their posterity ●…re ever they were parents; and in their deed they are daily imitators of their folly. It was a punishment unto Adam to be debarred from the tree of life, and it is but a pastime to many of his foolish posterity to debar themselves from it. 
The Apostatate man will eat where God forbids him. & will not eat where God commands him   
Thus stands the corrupt nature of man still in contrary terms with the Lord, And the children fulfilles the measure of their father's iniquity: where God forbids man to eat, there will he eat, and where the Lord commands him to eat, there will he not eat. The Serpent spoke from the earth: albeit ye eat of that tree (which God hath forbidden) ye shall not die, and man harkened unto it. The Lord jesus speaks from heaven, come and eat of 
Mat. 24. 12 Because the seducer is believed & not the Saviour.  the tree of life, and ye shall live; but man will not hear him. O silly and fearful Rebellion, the Seducer is believed, and the Saviour is not believed. This day wisdom hath prepared his Table, he calls upon you all: Come and eat of my meat, and drink of the 
Prou. 9 5.  wine that I have drawn: he that find 
Pro. 8. 34.  eth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favour of the Lord; but he that sinneth against me hurteth his own soul, and all that hate me love death. Thus are we lovingly called, and fairly forewarned, and all those are made inexcusable that will none of his counsel, they will not eat of this bread, but shall eat of a worse: For they shall eat of the 
Pro. 1. 30. 31  fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices, their paths shall tend unto death, because they refuse to lay hold on the tree of life.   

CHAP. II. Ignorance the mother of all recusancy to communicate. The Reasons of divers refusals condemned. Better excuses rejected by Christ in the Gospel than these. They consent not to the Marriage of the Lamb, who refuse the smallest token of his love.  
WHat ever be the pretended excuse of these recusants, ignorance is the mother of their sin, and therefore may I say that unto them, which the Lord jesus said unto that Samaritan woman: If thou knew the Gift of 
joh. 4. 10.  God, and who it is that says to thee, give me drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee the water of life. This sweet gradation of our Saviour his words: If thou knew, thou wouldst ask, if thou asked I would give, evidently points out the sin of these men to be (as I have said) the Daughter of Ignorance; whereas out of doubt, if they knew the gift that is given them here by God, they would answer with those jews, Lord evermore 
joh. 6. 34.  give us this bread, and with that Samaritan woman, when she was better informed, Lord evermore give me 
joh. 4. 15.  of that water to drink that I thirst no more.  
But that we may deal particularly 
Some resuie to come municate because they know not they excellency of this Sacrament.  with such as refuse, we are to know that albeit this their rebellion proceeds of ignorance, yet they who refuse, are of sundry ranks, some knows not the utility and excellency of this Sacrament: these think they may be Christian's good enough, although no Communicants: they look to this Table with natural eyes, they judge of it by things which they see, and so despise it, because after their reckoning, they have better replenished tables at home. These are like Naaman the Syrian, 
These are foolish like Naanam the Syrian 2 King. 5. 10. 12.  who came to Elisha to be cured of his leprosy; he was commanded to go and wash himself seven times in jordan, which at the first he disdained to do: are not (said he) Aabanah and Pharpar ●…iuers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? he contemned the means commanded by the Prophet; he went away in displeasure, and his leprosy went with him; but afterward, when he reverently used the means prescribed unto him, he was made clean of his leprosy. Wherein we are taught, not to despise the ordinance of God, although it seem never so base unto natural judgement: It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them who believe, 
1 Cor. 1. 21.  and he hath in like manner appointed this Sacrament for communication of his Christ to them who are his.  
Let a man therefore be content to take salvation out of the hand of God, by such means as he in his wisdom hath concluded to give it: No worldling will refuse treasure of gold, although it were given him in a Box of Wood; nor precious Pearls presented to him in a purse of Leather: and we see that noble personages disdain not take infeftments of stately buildings, and fair inheritances, by acceptation of a contemptible little piece of earth and stone: and shall a Christian refuse so excellent a gift, because it is given by so small a mean? far be it from us, that we should examine the ordinance of God, but rather that we prepare ourselves in faith and fear to obey it: let us not look to the means, but to the blessing by Gods promise annexed to the means; to the gift more than to the manner of giving. In this banquet we must learn to exercise our faith, not to satisfy our senses, it is no banquet for our body: if so the Lord had intended it, he could have furnished his Table with the delicatest things, and made thee a banquet far exceeding that which Ahasuerus made to the 
Est. 1. 3.  Princes and governors of his provinces: For all the Fowls of the ayr●… and 
Psa. 50. 10  beasts that feed on mountains and fields are his. He may command as his own all the creatures of his three store houses, the Air, the Earth, and the Sea, but here the less we see, the more we 
The less we see in this Table the more we are bound to believe.  are bound to believe. Say with unbelecuing Naaman, what better is this Bread and Wine then other Bread and Wine? such blasphemies sometime hath fallen out of the mouths of ignorants, whose darkness we shall (God willing) discover by the light of God's word he●…reafter: for the present, my conclusion to the Recusant is, that if as thou pretend, thou be a lover of Christ; then wilt thou esteem every new token of his love, a new benefit unto thee, and what ever he puts in thine hand as a pledge of himself, in that respect it shall be dearer unto thee, than all the world beside.  
Others again there are, who knows both the v●…ilitie, and excellency of this holy Sacrament, and yet refuse to communicate (but as they think) with a reason, pretending that it is not contempt but reverence of the Sacrament, which makes them to abstain. To whom I answer, that there is no excuse in the world can warrant a man to bide back from Christ jesus, when he calls upon him: for what art thou able to allege? want of preparation? the 
1 If it be want of preparation, the fault is their own.  fault is thine own: for since the marriage of the Lamb is come, and thou art warned thereunto, why dost thou not make thyself ready, and remove the impediments? And yet if thou all leadge that common excuse of the ignorant multitude, that thou art at variance 
2 If it be variance with their neighbour they excuse one sin, by another.  with thy neighbour, by reason of some injuries done to thee, not as yet repaid by him▪ nor to be borne withal and digested by thee▪ what dost thou, but by a singular subtlety of Satan, excuse one sin by another? as if one would teach thee to wash away the spots of thy face with puddle water, were not that in stead of cleansing, to make thyself more unclean? and thou while as thou wilt justify thy contempt of God his calling, by alleging thy unsanctified affection and heart that cannot forgive, dost no other thing, but make thyself guilty of a double rebellion, as one that will not discharge thy Christian duty neither to God nor man.  
Consider I pray thee, the excuses pretended by those who were bidden to the Marriage of the great king, and compare them with thine: one of them said, I have bought a Farm and will go 
Mat. 22. 4.  see it: Another said, I have bought five yoke of Oxen, and must go prove them: And the third said, I have married a Wife and may not come. The worst of their excuses is better than thine, and yet were they all repelled: the use of husbandry and merchandise and the duty that a man oweth unto his wife, are sometime lawful, albeit not to be preferred before that duty we owe unto jesus Christ: but that thou shouldst 
They who excuse their recusancy because of variance are further convinced  live at variance with thy neighbour, & carry within thee a heart that cannot forgive, is never lawful. If that which sometime is lawful cannot excuse thy delaying to come unto Christ when he calls upon thee, what mockery of God is it to allege that which never is lawful?  
And here also beside the offence done against thy God, consider what prejudice thou dost unto thyself; what folly is this, that because thy neighbour hath sinned against thee, thou wilt also sin against thine own soul? I suppose as thou hast said, he hath wounded thee and hurt thee in thy body, goods or name, is that a reason why thou shouldest contemn the calling of Christ, who offers to cure thy wounds, and heal all the infirmities of thy soul, yea, to pacify all those passions and perturbations of mind, wherewith thy impatience disquiets thee? he forewarned his own, that in the world, they 
joh. 16. 33  should find trouble, but in him they should have peace: If thou find (as he forespoke) trouble in the world, why wilt thou not go and seek that peace in him, which he hath promised? As to thy right, I require not thou shouldest lose it; neither yet forbid I, that by ordinary means thou shouldest seek a redress of those wrongs which against order are done unto thee: for the law is the stay of confusion, and the Sinew of the Commonwealth; without which no fellowship can be entertained amongst men: and God hath appointed the Magistrate, that unto good men he should be like the rain to fields new 
Psal. 7. 26.  mown, under whom, they may flourish; but should be to the wicked like that Westerly wind which drove those Locusts 
Ex. 10. 13.  into the red Sea, that troubled the Land: but as for grudge, rancour, hatred, malice, and such like, what have they to do in the heart of the child of God? Since we are commanded to forgive on another, even as god for Christ's sake forgave us: and plainly foretold, that if we do not forgive men their trespasses, 
Mat. 6. 15.  no more will our Father forgive us our trespasses. A fearful recompense that we should possess our own sins, because we will not forgive the sins of others: Certainly thou that dost so, givest out a hard sentence against thyself: for in stead of mercy thou criest for judgement, as oft as thou prayest, forgive me my sins, as I forgive them that have sinned against me: for that is, Lord forgive me not at all.  
It was a horrible sin of the jews 
They who do so, prefer Barrabas before Christ.  that they preferred Barrabas a wicked malefactor to the Lord; but I pray thee consider, how near thy sin draws to theirs, if thou judge rightly of it: for when thou refusest to come to this holy table, unless thou have amends of such wrongs as are done unto thee, thou sayst in effect, rather than I'll renounce my will, I will renounce my part of Christ, and communion with him; for 
Renouncing their communion with Christ, before they renounce their own wicked will.  here is the very question: whether wilt thou forsake thy communion with Christ, or thine own corrupted will? say not now to me these are hard speeches, God forbid that every one who is no partaker of this sacrament, should in so doing, forfeit his part of communion with Christ. I grant indeed they are hard speeches, but true speeches, and no harder than thy sin deserveth: for I pray thee, to what end did our Saviour institute this Sacrament? was it not that in it he might communicate himself to thee? how canst thou then excuse thyself, & say thou hast ●…ot rejected him, seeing thou rejects the means whereby he is given to thee? When Eliezer the servant of Abraham sought Rebecca in marriage unto Isaac, what 
Goe 24. 53.  way did she testify her consent? surely not only by word, but by acceptation of those jewels of silver and gold, which he gave her as love tokens in the name of Isaac. Now we are sent forth to you as the Ambassadors of the living God 
2 Cor. 5. 20  to win you in marriage unto his son and to prepare you, that ye may be presented a chaste spouse unto him: and we are commanded to minister unto you this holy Sacrament as a pledge of his love towards you. If ye agree to the marriage, and be content to forsake your father's house, and go with us to the house of Abraham: then testify your consent by receiving these holy tokens of his love, which in his name we exhibit unto you: but if ye will not, then shall we stand up as witnesses against you, that we have called you, and ye refused to come.  
O man! what wilt thou do for thy 
They love not Christ who wilfully refuse to communicate.  Christ, that wilt not come and banquet with him at his Table? how canst thou say thou lovest him, when so small an impediment keeps thee back, from going unto him? hast thou not cause to hang down thy head for shame, when thou art convinced to have less love to thy Saviour then Esau had to Jacob's 
Goe 25. 30  pottage; for love of them he sold his birth right, which he should have kept: but thou for love of Christ, wilt not forsake thy corrupt will, which thou art bound to abandon. Abraham for the love of God, was content with his own 
Goe 22. 20  hands to slay his only lawful Son; and thou for the love of God, wilt not slay thy unlawful bastard affections, nor do the holy will of God, except thy wicked will be first fulfilled. This evidently proves that thou hast not Abraham 
1 joh. 3.  for thy father, but art of the race of wicked Cain, that hated his Brother unto the death. Assuredly except thou repent, that merciless judgement bides thee presignified in that merciless servant, who having gotten mercy from his King, could show none to his Companion: Oughtest not thou to have had pity on thy fellow, a●… I had pity on thee? Thy former sins shall be imputed unto thee, and thou shalt be delivered to the jailor, till thou pay all that is due unto thy Lord, which thou shalt never be able to do.  
But that the pitiful ignorance of both these sorts of Recusants may the better appear, and farther light may arise to such as are willing to communicate; we are to consider what a banquet this is, and what are the delicates, unto the participation whereof we are here called The Apostle saith not, let a man eat bread and drink wine, but let him eat of this bread and drink of this Cup. The particle (This) tells us it is no common Bread and Wine: no surely, the comfort is great, that we are commanded to eat of that Bread, whereof our Saviour saith: This is my body, and to drink of that Cup which he calls his Blood of the New Testament shed for the remission of the sins of many. He that eats of my bread and drinks of my Cup unworthily, becomes guilty of the abuse of God's Creatures: but he that eats of this Bread, and drinks of this Cup unworthily, becomes guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and eats his own damnation, because he discerneth not the Lords body.  
And therefore that we fall not into 
In this Sacrament are things of sundry kinds which must be distinguished  this fearful sin, we are to know that this Sacrament is not a simple thing, but a compound, wherein are things of sundry kinds which must be distinguished, and so the word of discerning imports that secret. There are here things of sundry sorts, we must discern every thing in the own kind: so our Saviour taught us, and after him his Apostles? and this truth the ancient Fathers have delivered unto us, Eucharistia (said Irenaeus) ex duabus rebus 
Iren. li. 4. cont. Val. Cap. 43.  constat, terrena & coelesti. The Eucharist consists of two kind of things, the one earthly, the other heavenly; And Augustine, calleth it visibile signum, invisibilis graciae: the visible sign of invisible grace. And Macarius calleth 
Macar. hom.  this Bread and Wine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Examplaria figurae, seu Typi carnis & sanguinis Christi. Resemblances, figures and Types of the Body and Blood of Christ jesus. Now it is sure, that a Type, pattern, or figure must ever be distinguished from that, whereof it is a figure. This Sacrament then being a compound thing must be considered, not as a simple, but as a compound thing: If it be asked whether a man be earthly or heavenly, because he is a compound creature? It must be answered by a distinction. If it be asked how a Christian, being on the earth, the Apostle saith that he hath his Conversation in the Heavens? it must be answered by a distinction: and if also it be asked whether this Sacrament be an earthly or an heavenly thing, how the sign is given, and how the thing signified: how Christ jesus is in heaven, and yet present in the Sacrament? All these I say must be answered by distinction: Sursum est Dominus 
Aug. in 10. cap. 7 Tract. 29  (said Augustine) sed etiam hic est veritas Dominus: corpus enim Domini in quo resurrexit uno loco esse potest, veritas eius ubique diffula est. Our Lord is above in heaven, yet here also is our Lord, as he is the truth; for the body of our Lord, in which he arose from death, can be but in one place, but his truth is diffused into every place. And again, Ibat per id quod homo erat, & manebat per id quod Deus: ibat per id quod uno loco erat, & manebat per id quod ubique erat: He went hence by that which was man, he stayed by that which was God: he went away by that which was but in one place, he stayed by that which was in all places. And again: Ascendit super omnes coelos corpore non recessit maiestate: He ascended above all the heavens in his body, but he departed not hence in his Majesty. And Cyrill in 
Ciril. ca tech. 14.  like manner: Non enim quia nunc non adest in carne ex eo putes, quod spiritu medio hic non adsit: Think not that with his spirit he is not here amongst us, because he is not now amongst us with his body. Thus ye see we must use a distinction. 
Yet are they so to be distinguished that we destroy not their union.   
And yet albeit we are forced here to acknowledge the sundry natures of things compound, and consider them in their own kinds: we must for all that take heed to the wonderful union, and Sacramental conjunction that is between them, which is so straight, that unto the receiver, they are inseparable, for the which also the earthly thing receives the name of the heavenly. And this must also be considered, lest on the other hand separating those things which God hath conjoined, we make this Bread and this Wine but naked and bare signs, and so justly incur that blame, which our adversaries unjustly would lay upon us: and in like manner this punishment which here the Lord threatens against them who are evil discerners.   

CHAP. III. Three rules to be observed in the right discerning the Lords body. First, that every thing in this sacrament be taken in his own kind. Who fails in this and how. Secondly that this sacrament be used according to Christ's institution. How the Papists fail in this. Thirdly, that this sacrament be used to right ends, and those ends set down. The conclusion of the first part of the precept.  
WE are therefore to consider, that for the right discerning of the Lord body, these three rules are to be observed: first, that in this sacrament we take up every thing in the own nature, and kind. Next that we use every one of them in the manner appointed by Christ, and with that reverence that is due unto them. And thirdly, that this Sacrament be celebrated unto the right ends, for which our Saviour appointed it.  
Against the first, fails both Papists and bastard professors: Papists are evil discerners, because they take the sign for the thing signified; the earthly thing for the heavenly: The men of Lystra were evil discerners, when they took Paul and Barnabas for jupiter and Mercurius, Gods in 
Act. 4. 12.  their account; and therefore would have worshipped them as Gods: but (in this light) far blinder are they, who will adore a creature instead of the creator, and that with the same kind of worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by their own confession is due to God only. They allege for their error the word 
Papists are evil discerners and why.  of truth: jesus Christ speaking (say they) of the bread, called it his body; we say in like manner, that this bread is Christ's body, but sacramentally: b●…t deny that the bread is transubstantiate into the very natural body of Christ, as they against the principles of faith and nature, falsely affirm. It is strange to see what backward perverse handlers of holy scripture, these men be: where they should stick to the letter, they enforce an allegory to serve their purpose. What plainer History then that which Moses hath: God made two great lights: the greater to 
Gen. 1. 16.  rule the day, the lesser to rule the night: yet is this place violently wrested when out of it they will gather, that the Papal dignity, which as they say) God hath appointed to rule over the spirituality, is g●…eater than the regal; and that the Pope by as many degrees excelleth the Emperor, as the Sun excels the Moon. And again, where the Spirit of God useth a figure, there they stick to the Letter, These words according to the Letter: Mandant flagitium, command an impiety: And therefore by Augustine's rule, should 
Aug. de d●…ct. chri stiana. lib 3, cap. 16  be esteemed figurative: Si praeceptiva locutio est, aut flagitium, aut facinus vetans, aut utilitatem & beneficentiam iubens, non est figurata locutio: si autem flagitium vel facinus videtur jubere, aut utilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare, figurata locutio est (nisi manducaveritis (inquit Christus) carnem ●…ilij hominis facinus jubere videtur) figura est ergo praecipiens passioni domini esse communicandum & suaviter & utiliter recondendum in memoria, quod pro nobis caro eius crucifixa sit. If a speech of precept, either fo●…bid some sin, or heinous deed, or else command a profitable or a good deed than it is no figurative speech; but if it seem to command a sin or heinous deed, or forbid a profitable and honest action, than it is a figurative speech: unless thou ●…ate of the flesh of the son of Man (saith Christ) here he seems to command a heinous action, and therefore it is a figure commanding us to communicate with Christ's passion, and sweetly and profitably to lay this up in our memory, that his flesh was crucified for us. And after this manner also the perpetual phrase of the holy spirit doth teach us to interpret them, when he calls circumcision, the covenant; the Lamb, the Passeoue●…; Baptism, the Laver of regene●…ation; the Wine, the cup of the new Testament; In all these they are forced to acknowledge a figure: Only here, This is my body, they will add here to the letter. The learned and godly fathers, have with us also acknowledged this for a Sacramental speech: so Tertul. Expounds, Hoc est corpus meum, 
Tert. li. 4 con. Mar  id est, ●…igura corporis mei: This is my body, that is, the figure of my body. And again: Dominus pane corpus 
Aug. in Psal. 3.  suum repraesentat: God represents or resembles his body by bread. And Augustine said in like manner: Non dubitavit dicere hoc est corpus meum, cum signum daret corporis sui. He doubted not to say, This is my body, when he gave only a sign of his body. And again, judam adhibuit ad conuivium, in quo corporis & sanguinis sui figuram commend●…uit discipulis. Christ admitted judas to his supper, in which he commended to his disciples the figure of his body and blood. As jesus Christ is called a stone, and called bread: so is this bread called 
Ber. in ●…ss. Mariae. Ser. 〈◊〉  his body, and that says Bernard is per significationem non proprietatem, by signification, not that properly it is so.  
And as for carnal professors, they are also evil discerne●…s, because they esteem less of this Bread and Wine than they ought, putting no difference between it and common bread and wine, whereas it is not so indeed; for in all the world there is not the like of This bread and this wine, except in the like action: it is changed by the ordinance of Christ, and virtue of his institution: not changed in the substance, but in the use and end: Panis (enim) 
Iren. cont Ualent. lib. 4. cap. 34.  terrenus percipiens vocationem Dei, iam non communis panis est, sed Eucharistia: for that earthly receiving God's appointment, is now no common bread, but the Eucharist. The Lord who calleth things that are not, and maketh 
How the Bread and Wine are changed.  them to be, doth here appoint this bread and this wine to a far more excellent use, then that whereunto they serve by nature. As wax stamped with the seal of a King, in substance differs not from other wax; and yet for value is much more excellent, and may not be unreverently handled, with out contempt of the king; so this bread though in substance it differ not from other bread, yet concerning the use it is separate, and much more precious than any other Bread in the world: being now appointed by God to be a sign and a seal, & an exhibiting instrument of Christ his body, and therefore cannot be profaned, nor abused without contempt of Christ I●…sus.  
Against the second condition required 
2 Rule.  in the right discerning of the Lords body, Papists fail in like manner, because they pervert Christ's institution, and use not this sacrament as he commanded: for, seeing our Saviour is the ordainer of this Sacrament (says Cyprian) ●…tique id nos facere oportet quod 
Cyp. lib. 〈◊〉 Epist. 3.  Christus fecit, et quod faciendum mandavit. Of truth, we ought to do tha●… which Christ did, and which he commanded us to do. And Ambrose writing upon this same place, saith plainly: Indignum est domino, misterium hoc aliter celebrare, quam ab eo traditum est. I●… is an indignity to our Lord, to celebrate this mystery otherwise then he delivered it. Christ ordained it a sacrament 
Papists fail against this rule, because they perue●…t Christ's institution  for the communication of himself to the faithful at the Table; they have turned it into a sacrifice for the oblation of Christ to his Father on an altar. jesus broke the bread and gave it: but they, if they break the bread, they give it not, and if they give it, they break it not. In their daily Mass, the Priest bre●…kes the bread, he abuses the words of Christ secretly whispering them, accipite, comedite: he bids others take & eat, but gives them nothing, & when he gives, he stops it whole in the mouths of the people and breaks it not. Thus most sacrilegiously they alter our saviour his sacred institution, as though of purpose they had concluded to be contrary to him. Besides this, they withdraw f●…om the people the use of the cup, and so mutilate the holy sacrament: 
Sacrilegiously they abstract the use of the cup from the people.  a horrible sacrilege in like manner, yet ratified by the decree of that heretical Council of Trent. Si quis dixeret ex dei praecepto: vel de necessitate salutis esse, omnes et singulos Christi fideles, 
Consil. Trent.  utramque speciem Eucharistae, sumere debere Anathema sit. If any man avouch that it is by God's commandment, or upon neces●…itie of our Salvation, that all Christ's faithful people should receive the ●…ucharist under both kinds, let him be accursed: To whom it contents us at this time to oppose the decree of their own Pope: Gelasius: Comperimus, quod quidam 
De conse. dist. 2 cap Comperimus.  sumpta tantummodo corporis sacri portione, a chalice sacraticruoris abstineant: qui proculdubio, quoniam nescio qua superstitione docentur, astricti aut integra samenta percipiant, aut ab integris, arceantur; quod divisio unius eiusdemque misterij sine grandi non sit sacrilegio. We understand, that certain receiving only the portion of Christ's body, abstain from the cup of his sacred blood: which men (because undoubtedly they are trained up in some kind of superstition) let them be enforced either to receive the whole sacrament, or to be restrained from the whole, because this dividing of one and the same mystery, cannot be without great Sacrilege. In this 〈◊〉 ●…mong themselves, which way I pray you sh●…ll the poor people tu●…ne the●…? The council curses all them, who ●…ffirme this Sacrament should be 〈◊〉 with bread and wine. The Pope sa●…es plainly it is supe●…stition, and sacrilege, to give the one without the other, and commands that either we abstain from both, or retain both together. If ye follow the counsel, the Pope shall condemn you; if you follow the Pope, the Council shall accurse you: but, curse as th●…y 〈◊〉, the Lord shall bless them, who in faith communicate at his holy Table according to his institution; and the curse of God shall not fail to cleave unto them, surer than the leprosy of Naaman to Gehesi, yea their part shall be taken out of the book of life, who dare presume 
Reu. 22. 19  to change the ordinance of God. The Apostle hath delivered unto us, that which he received from the Lord, how not only he took the bread, blessed it, and broke it, and gave it: but that in like manner he took the cup, and gave also to his Dis●…iples: What boldness is it then to take f●…om the people that which Christ by his Apostles hath delivered unto them? and thus while they boast of antiquity, they are found fathers of novelty.  
And against the third, they fail 
3 Rule.  who use not this Sacrament to the right ends; which a●…e especially two. The first is the commemoration of Christ's 
The first end of this sacrament is a thankful commemoration of Christ's death.  death and p●…ssion, with thanksgiving: for the which also the G●…ecians called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The second is the communication, of Christ to them who are his; And for this the Apostle calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. The first I take out of our Saviour his words, do this in remembrance of me. And from the Apostle: So oft as ye eat of this bread, and drink of this cup show forth the Lords death till his coming again. And in very deed, this holy Sacrament being used according to Christ's institution, is a lively representation of Christ crucified; while as the signs of his blessed body and blood, being sundered one of them from the other, the one is broken, the other poured out, remembering us how his blessed body was broken with the Crown of thorns, the Scourge, the Nails, & the spear: and his blood shed for the remission of our sins; which should work in us, so oft as we behold it, an inward contrition, and godly sorrow for our sins, wherewith we pierced and wounded our blessed Saviour unto the death. And indeed, if we be of the number of those upon whom God hath powered out the spirit of grace and compassion, so often as we look upon him, whom we have pierced as (here in this Sacrament we may see him crucified 
Zach. 12. 10.  before our eyes) as often shall we ●…ament for this, as one mourneth for his only Son, or is sorrowful for his first borne: but of this we shall speak God willing hereafter.  
Now here is also discovered the vanity of that error of concomitance, wherewith the adversaries would excuse 
Error of concomitance disproved.  their dis●…embring of this holy Sacrament: for (say they) by concomitance where the body of Christ is, there is his blood, and therefore the bread which is his body being given: there is no need to give the cup. But as the Lord asked the King of Tyrus in derision, Art thou wiser than Daniel? So 
Ezec. 28. 3  may we ask of them, are ye wiser than Christ? will ye amend his institution? This assertion takes away one 
Concomitance destroys the first end of this Sacrament.  of the principal ends of this Sacrament, to wit, the Commemoration of Christ's death and passion: for to have the blood within the body, is no declaration of a crucified man; nor a showing forth of the Lords death: whereas our blessed Saviour ordained them, to be exhibited and received sundry, that it might not only be preached to our ears, but represented also to our eyes, how his blessed body and blood were sundered for our sins.  
The second end for which this Sacrament was ordained, is, that it might be a means of the communication of 
The second end of this Sacrament is the come munication of Christ to them who are his.  Christ to all them who are his, for the sealing up of our spiritual union with him, ideo enim sacramentum illud hominibus datur, ut Caput in terris corpori coadunetur. And this (as I said) I take out of the word of the Apostle, This bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ? And in this respect, this holy bread and wine, are not only signs representing Christ crucified; nor seals confirming our faith in him, but also effectual instruments of exhibition, whereby the holy spirit makes an inward application of Christ crucified to all that are his.  
And herein stands our greatest comfort, 
In this sacrament Christ is truly exhibit and given.  for if we had no more to do in the celebration of this holy sacrament, but to remember Christ's death and passion: then certainly looking to it only were sufficient to put us in remembrance thereof, but when we hear and see, that this bread which is his body, it given us, and we are commanded to take and eat it, what shall we think, but that we are called to this high mercy, as to be partakers of Christ and all the benefits that flow from his death. The Lord doth neither deceive us with words, to bid us take when he gives nothing: neither, calleth he us only to a communion of naked bread and wine, far be it from us to think so basely of this holy Sacrament. Certainly, he that with any measure of light and grace, will ponder these words of our Saviour, Take and eat this is my body: Shall perceive that there is here a real and effectual exhibition made of the Lord jesus, to the penitent and believing receiver.  
And yet let no man think, that albeit 
Yet Christ is not received of every one who receiveth the bread. For there is a great difference between communication and acceptation.  the breaking and giving of the bread be the communication of Christ's body, that therefore the bread is transstubstantiate into his body, or that every one receives the body of Christ, who receives the bread: for there is great difference between communication and acceptation on the part of God. In this Sacrament, there is indeed a communication and exhibition of Christ, but on the part of the unbelieving receiver it fails for fault of acceptation; because they have no saith whereby to receive him, nor a purified heart wherein to lodge him. It is therefore a vile error also of the Papists, who affi●…me that the wicked in this Sacrament eat Christ, but to their damnation: It is contrary to the Word of God & reformed antiquity: For whosoever (saith Christ) eateth my 
The wicked care not Christ in the sacrament joh. 6. 54. Aug. in joan. cap. 6. Tract. 26.  flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Sacramentum quibusdam ad vitam, quibusdam ad exitium, res vero ipsa cuius est sacramentum, omni homini ad vitam, nulli ad exitium. 〈◊〉, Qui non manet in Christo, & in quo non manet Christus, proculdubio non manducat spiritualiter earnem, nec bibit sanguinem eius, licet visibiliter premat dentibus Sacramentum sanguinis et corporis eius. The wicked who believe not, may with judas eat: Panera Domini, non panem Dominum. The bread of the Lord, but not the bread which the Lord himself is to his worthy receiver.  
Of all this, than it is evident, that 
They refuse a great gift w●…o refuse to communicate.  this banquet is most heavenly, and excellent, wherein as there is no less offered than Christ jesus, so no less is refused by them, who refuse to communicate: they proclaim by their deed (if they continue in it) that they have No po●…tion in David, neither inheritance 
2 Sam. 20. 1.  in the Son of Ishai.  
But now we leave them, and return to speak as we promised of that trial, which they who mind to communicate, are to take of themselves.   

CHAP. FOUR The second part of the precept commands trial before we communicate. The Lord will not that this table be a snare to us, as was Absalon to Ammon. Banquetters at this table should be holy persons.  
LEt a man therefore try himself. This Particle (therefore) is relative to that which went before: since there is a danger (will he say) and many eats and drinks unworthily: therefore take ye heed how ye come: he saith not simply, let a man eat, but let a man try himself, and so let him eat. This warning then of the Apostle, stands in the entry of this holy action, like that Cherubin armed with a sword in the 
Gen. 3. 24  entry of Paradise: yet not to hold out the Sons of Adam, but only to terrify us, that we presume not to draw near without sanctification. And herein doth our Lord jesus discover his wonderful love towards us; who before he invite us to eat and drink at his table, doth first of all instruct us how we should do it▪ Absalon called his younger Brother Ammon to a banquet, only of purpose to slay him, he prepared delicate meat and drink aboundant'y for him, but concealed the danger. It is not so with our elder brother, he calls us here to a banquet no●… of purpose to slay us, but to save us; 〈◊〉 is no way willing, we should make th●…s Table a snare to trap ourselves to damnation▪ which he hath ordained a●… a mean of our Salvation: and therefore before hand forewarns us of the danger, that we may eschew it.  
It is pity to see how the great multitude run to this holy Sacrament without trial & examination of themselves, and all because they hear of a bread of life, which here is exhibited to the Communicants at this holy Table: it is very true, that great things are exhibited here indeed, but thou shouldest first of all inquire of thyself, who art thou? what interest thou hast in this Communion? and whether or no thou be one of those to whom these holy things do appertain? for if thou in thy person be a profane & unsanctified creature, thy touching of these holy things may defile them, and 
Hag. 2. 14.  make thee guilty of the contempt of them, but shall not benefit thee; yea a greater curse than that which Elisha 
●…. kin. 7. 2.  pronounced on the unbelieving Samaritan Prince, shall light upon thee: thou shalt see the Table of the Lord, and hear of the plenty of the bread of life therein communicate, but shall not eat of it: Let a man therefore try himself, & so let him eat of this bread and drink of this cup.  
For as this Sacrament is a holy and excellent thing, so should they who celebrate it, be holy, and separate persons. It should not be received with common hands, that is, with earthly hearts, and unsanctified affections. The pharisees would not eat their common 
Lu. 11. 38.  meat with unwashed hands, and that was but superstition, but here to wash before we eat, both our hands and our head with Peter, yea, to wash as jeremy 
john. 13. 9 jerem. 4. 14.  exhorts us, Our hearts from our wickedness, is devotion, and good Religion both commended and commanded by the word of God: Otherwise fearful is that warning of our Saviour. If I wash thee not, thou shalt have no part with me. To the unclean all things are unclean, for even their consciences are defiled.   

CHAP. V. unreverent handling of holy things hath never been left unpunished. The Lord will not show his presence without preparation. The excellency of this Sacrament, and an exhortation to come unto it with reverence.  
THe Lord hath never suffered unpunished the unreverent looking to, or handling of the holy signs of his 
1. Sam. 6.  presence. Them of Bethshemesh looked unreverently into the Ark, & the Lord 
1. Sam. 21.  slew fifty thousand of them. Uzza touched unreverently the Ark, and the Lord in like manner struck him instantly to death; Abimelech would not give to David the hallowed bread of proposition, but conditionally, that the young men, who were with him were sanctified. No uncircumcised man might eat of the paschal Lamb, under pain of death, and such as were 
Ex. 12. 48.  circumcised, being unclean, behoved to abstain till they were cleansed, according to the law; yea, such of them, as were clean did not eat without four days preparation, for the Lord commanded 
Exo. 12. 6.  them, to take the Lamb the tenth day, and not to slay it till the fourteenth day at night, that all the space between, they might the better prepare themselves to that holy action. Neither will the Lord any other way be familiar with us, except we be sanctified. Before the Lord came down on Mount Sinai to give his law to Israel, he appointed them three days of preparation, wherein to sanctify themselves. 
Exo. 19 9  The Lord appeared to Moses in the fiery bush, but revealed not his will unto him, till he put off his shoes: I will be sanctified (saith the Lord) in all that draw near unto me. The Lord will not take a wicked man by the hand, nor have fellowship with the 
Exod. 3. 5.  Throne of iniquity? his eye is so pure, that he can behold no iniquity, unless 
Abac. 1. 13  we put off our worldly thoughts and sinful affections, whereby we have troad in the unclean ways of sin: it is not possible that the Lord can be fa miliar with us.  
All these stand up as examples, warning us to draw near to this holy action in assurance of Faith, sprinkled in our hearts, from an evil Conscience: Here is a Sacrament more excellent than the Passeover; here is bread more holy than that showbread; here are the tokens of God's presence, more glorious than the Ark; here the Lord cometh down, and salvation under his wings▪ not to sound by Angels the precepts of his Law on Sinai, but to scale up by his Spirit the promises of his Gospel to the inhabitants of Zion; shall we then presume to come to this holy Table without sanctification? Or if we will, may we not look assuredly 
1 Cor. 11.  for judgement? The Corinthians were stricken with death and sundry diseases, because they discerned not the Lord's body, & that which is most fearful of all, he that came to the marriage, waiting his wedding garment, was he not taken 
Mat 22. 13  from the banquet Table, and cast into the place of utter darkness? and shall we look to escape the like judgement, if we fall into the like contempt of God?  
Prepare thyself, oh Israel, to meet thy God: let us search and try our ways: let us lift up our hands with our hearts unto God in the heavens. If we be this day come to the Lord with our 
Lam. 3. 14 1 Sam. 7. 4  heart, let us put away our strange Gods, (which are our sins) from among us: let us with Joseph's Brethren, make ready 
Gen. 33.  our presents, sith we have no better thing than our heart: let us sacrifice our hearts to the Lord, and that in the best estate that possible we can get it; for the Lord our God is a great king. Cursed is he that hath a male in his stock, 
Mal. 1. 14.  and voweth and sacrificeth a corrupt thing to the Lord. Beware therefore we offer not that which is lame and torn to the Lord, a divided heart, a halting heart between two; an unpenitent heart, is neither a meet Sacrifice to offer unto the Lord, nor a meet vessel wherein to receive that holy thing, which here the Lords offers unto thee.   

CHAP. VI Not to put new wine into old vessels. Comfort for the tender conscience cast down with the sight of sin after trial: two sorts of trials: the one of things perfect, the other of things unperfect. Daily trial most necessary.  
THe Apostle saith, that the breaking 
1 Cor. 10. 16  of this bread is the Communion of the body of jesus; Sith Christ is that holy thing which here is communicated, take heed how we make ready the heart, wherein to receive him. joseph of Aramathia, and the rest of 
joh. 19 40  those Godly ones, who took down jesus from the Cross, wrapped his dead body in pure and fine linen; what shall we then do, with the living body of jesus? shall not we receive it into pure, sine, and well prepared hearts? No man (says our Saviour) puts new wine into old Vessels, 
Mat. 9 17.  far less will any man put the ordinary food of his body into unclean, unseasoned, and unsavoury Vessels; but least of all should men presume with unholy hearts and hands, to meddle with things sacred & heavenly: here is new wine indeed, let us not put it into old vessels: here is heavenvly manna, let us not receive 
2 Cor. 5. 17.  it with earthly hearts: Every man that is in Christ should become a new Creature: 
Reu. 19 9  If we be these blessed ones, who are called to the participation of the Lamb's supper, then shall it be granted to us, to be arrayed with pure fine linen and shining; which is the righteousness of the Saints. The Lord vouchsafe this grace upon us, that sith he hath made us partakers of the heavenly vocation; and called us to the marriage of his Son, that we receive not so excellent a grace in vain, but it may be unto us his servants, according to his word.  
And now before we enter to speak of this trial, lest the tender Consciences of the Godly, by reason of that which I have spoken should be discouraged, and cast down with the sense of their own unworthiness, which at all times is great in their eyes, but greatest when by trial they look most narrowly unto themselves: We have therefore to consider that there be two sorts of trials: One whereby a thing perfect is tried in such sort, that it is not made better, but sound to be that which it is, and with this kind of trial, man is said to try the Lord and his Word, so speaks the Lord by Malachi: 
Mal. 3.  prove me and try me now, if I will not pour you out a blessing without measure. By this trial, if a man fall to try the Lord, he shall find him such as he is, true, constant and faithful, to perform that which he hath spoken; or if again man will enter, and try the word of the Lord, he shall find that 
Psal. 19 7.  the law of the Lord is perfect, no dross in it, but like silver fined seven times 
Psal. 12.  in the fire. There is again another trial, whereby things imperfect are so tried that they are made better, and at the length perfected: and hereby God tries man, for so he speaks by the same Malachi, The Lord will 
Mala. 3. 3.  fine the sons of Levi, and purify them as gold & silver, that they bring offerings to him in righteousness: And with this 
The trial here commanded, is a searching out of our imperfections.  trial also man tries himself, searching out his iniquities that he may forsake them: and this trial tends indeed to a perfection at the last, but stands rather, in a sinding out, and forsaking of our imperfections, then in any present perfection. And of this t●…yall the Apostle means here: so that this precept doth command us to search out our iniquities, & to depart from them; but doth no way import that we should not communicate at this Table, because that new trial discovers to us new transgressions; for we come not here as men without sin, but as poor and miserable sinners, seeking the Saviour of the world, knowing that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners 
Luk. 5. 32.  to repentance.  
Thou then, who after examination, shalt find thyself a miserable and yet a penitent sinner; say not with Peter Lord depart from me, for I am a 
Luke. 5. 8.  sinful man: but so much the rather go to him and cry with David, have 
Psal. 51. 1.  mercy on me O God, and according to the multitude of thy compassions, put away mine iniquities: for it is a true saying: Christ came into the world to save sinners. 
1. Tim. 1. 15  Stay not thou therefore back from him, because thou art sinful, only try if thou be weary of thy sins, for we are sure, that a sin discovered by trial, and cast out by repentance, will never condemn us: Wash you (saith the Lord) make you clean, take away the 
Esai. 1. 16  evil of your works from before my eyes: and then though your sins were as crimson, they shall be made white as snow, though they were red like Scarlet, they shall be as Wool. Omne quod ipse mihi non 
Ber. in cant Ser. 23.  imputare decreverit, Sic est quasi non fuerit; every sin saith the ancient, which God hath concluded not to impute unto me, is as if it had never been: If therefore in thy conscience thou feel thy sins an heavy burden unto thee, under the which thou sighest & gronest, and whereof thou earnestly desirest to be relieved, crying with that holy Apostle: O miserable man that I am, who 
Rom. 7.  shall deliver me from this body of sin? then go thou to the Lord jesus, for surely thou art one of those, whom he is seeking, he came into the world to sane thee and the like of thee, lay thy burden upon the back of Christ, and he shall bear it, and take thou up his yoke which is easy, and his burden which is light: So shalt thou find rest to thy soul. 
Mat. 11. 29  O happy exchange, when we are taken from the servitude of sin, and entered into the service of Christ, when the burden of sin that presseth us down is taken from our backs, and the sweet yoke of Christ that lifteth us up, is laid upon us: for albeit it be called a burden, yet is it such a burden as easeth us, and maketh us lighter, like the wings of a Bird: Quidenim levius co onere, 
Ber. Epi. 72.  quod non solum onerat, sed portat omnem cui portandum imponitur.  
Where for our farther comfort, let us consider what manner of Guests these were, whom the great King commanded to bring into his banqueting 
Banquetters there were the poor, the maimed, the blind.  house, even the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind. Take heed unto this O thou that art disquieted in mind, & wounded in spirit with the sense of thy infirmities; the Lord is gracious & 
Math. 22. Math. 12. 20. Esay. 42. 3.  ready to show mercy: He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking Flax, he will not despise thee, because thou art weak, but bids thee come to him, that he may heal all thy infirmities, Art thou then poor and destitute of spiritual grace in thy ceiling? turn thee to Christ, who being rich became poor for thy sake, that 
2. Cor. 8. 9 Luk. 5. 31.  thou in him mights be made rich. Art thou weak and diseased? remember they who are whole need no Physician but the sick, and that it is the glory of this excellent Physician to cure diseases, otherwise incurable: quid enim tam mortem quod Christi morte non saenetur. Art thou lame, and complainest that thou canst not with Danid run the way of the commandments of God: yet endeavour to halt forward with jacob unto Canaan, and to creep to the Lord jesus, as one of his little Babes, praying unto him, O Lord that raisest up the crooked, I beseech thee 
Ps. 146. 8.  to order my goings aright, and to stay my steps in thy paths, that I slide not any more, as I have done. And thou who laments thy blindness, and the weak measure of thy knowledge now in this time of light (alas) as we have all more than cause to complain, that by our own default, the eyes of our understandings are not lightened, and we have so little insight into the riches of that glorious inheritance and rich mercies, manifested to us by the Gospel, in comparison 
1. Pet. 1. 12.  of that we might have had. If with the Angels we had been desirous to behold them, surely in regard of time, we should have been teachers, yea the 
Heb. 5. 12. Zach. 12.  meanest inhabitant of Icrusalem should have been as David, and David as the Angel of God. But we are become such, as have need that the principles of God should be taught again unto us, yet must we not despair, but go to jesus, who giveth sight to the blind, and pray to him: Lord open our eyes 
Psal. 146. Psal. 119.  that we may see the wonders of thy Law. Let us go to this Table, stand and cry with these two blind men: jesus the Son of David have mercy on me, O Lord enlighten mine eyes that I sleep not 
Psal. 13.  in death. Comfortable then is that mes sage sent by the Lord jesus to the Church of Laodicea, I know that thou 
Reu. 3. 18.  art miserable and poor, and blind, and naked, Yet I counsel thee come to me: I have the fine gold that will make thee rich; I have the white raiment to cover thy filthy nakedness: I have the eyesalve, that will open thy eyes. Let us not therefore hearken to the voice of our infidelity against so clear testimonies of the Word of God; neither so look on our miseries, that we turn our backs upon God's mercies, but rather let our miseries 
Eph. 3. 20  chase us to him, who of his abundant mercy, is able to fulfil all our necessities, above all that we can ask or think.  
But now to return, and speak of 
This trial is not that daily and ordinary trial required in all our actions  the trial here required: we must consider that as this action is not a daily action, so it requires a trial above our daily trial: as to our daily and ordinary trial, in it we are bound to examine all our actions in the Court of Conscience, that we may call ourselves to account: Not concealing the iniquity of our bosom, as Adam did, but judging ourselves that we may not be judged of the Lord. And this trial without a daily loss cannot be neglected; for since we are subject to so many changes, that even the just man falleth seven times in the day, and no man knoweth the errors of his life; we have great 
Psal. ●…9. 12  need by daily consideration, to view the state of our consciences, & to look into the course of our life▪ whether or not it be such as will lead us unto that end, whereat we would be. Such profit found godly David by the examination of his ways, that he praised the Lord, Who gave him counsel, and 
Psal. 16. 7.  made his reins to teach him in the night. And he acknowledgeth it a special means whereby many times he was reduced into the way of life, when he had wandered from it. I have considered 
Psal. 119. 59  (saith he) my ways, and turned my feet unto thy Testimonies. As David learned this from God, so doth he recommend it unto us, that morning and evening we should examine ourselves, as a most profitable means to nourish that holy fear in us, whereby we keep out sin, when we are tempted to it; or cast out sin, when we have once conceived it: for this holy fear is Innocentiae 
Cyp. lib▪ 2 Epist. 2 Psal. 4. 4.  custos: Tremble therefore (saith he) and sin not, examine your hearts upon your beds and be ye still: Again, he protests that every day he was punished, and chastised every morning: that he daily cleansed his heart, and washed his hands in innocency. Every day of our life we contract some new 
Psal. 73. 13  debt of sin, and wisdom craves, that every day we should seek a discharge thereof. As we cannot live without daily food, far less can we live without daily mercy; and therefore our Saviour who in the one Petition taught us to pray, give us this day our daily bread; in the next he taught us also to pray, and forgive us our sins, that no day should go by us, without examination of ourselves, and crying of God mercy for our sins.  
But here cometh to be lamented 
Miserable is their estate, who live without daily trial.  the senseless slupiditie of this generation: in all their affairs, they use consideration, & bring to account and recl●…oning their whole business with men; but as touching their conversation towards God, and the state of their consciences, and whether or no they be translated from Nature into Grace, there are they so carried away by presumption, that they leave no place to the examination of themselves▪ but proclaim peace to themselves, though there be no peace; blessing themselves in their hearts, albeit God (in their hearing) pronounce them and their actions accursed in his Word. They 
They are like Achitophel, who put his house in order, but not his soul. 2 Sam. 7. 1 23  are wise like Achitophel: he put his house in order, but not his soul in order; wise in things perishing concerning this life, there they over see nothing, wise enough in their generation; but fools concerning things pertaining to life eternal; for they suffer a daily debt to run on upon their souls, which at length shall overcharge them. A count that is long overpassed, in the end becomes difficult to be finished, and he who long hath lived in darkness, if ye bring him to the light, cannot hold up his eyes to look upon it, but is forced to cast them down toward the ground: even so shall it be with him, who suffers his debt of sin to multiply, and the reckoning of his transgressions to run on; in the end, His own wickedness shall reprove him, The 
jere. 2. 19  Lord shall draw him out of his lurking holes, and bring him out of the dark chambers of his imagination: and as now, his secret sins are set in the light of God's Countenance, so then shall the 
Psal. 90. 8. Psa. 50. 21  Lord set them in order before him that did them. He shall manifest his inward thoughts to the light, and present him naked unto judgement: and then, with what confusion and astonishment, with what trembling and blackness of face, shall he that was prodigal of the time of grace, living in his sins a contemner of God, come forward unto judgement? And this to awake us to the daily trial and ordinary examination of our hearts.  
As to this action, it is not ordinary, 
But a singular & extraordinary trial, is required before communion.  and therefore requires a singular and extraordinary trial, far above that which every day we are to take of ourselves: for if (as I said) the jews had assigned to them the space of four days for preparation, before they eat their Passeover, what shall we do that have to celebrate a more excellent mystery? they searched diligently every corner of their house, to see that no leaven were in it; but more diligently should we search every corner of our hearts, that no known leaven of wickedness & maliciousness be left in it, which we have not purged and cast out by repentance: Then shall we find that every new sight of ourselves 
Every new sight of ourselves discovers new corruption.  shall discover a new corruption; for the heart of man is a great deep, and deceitful above all things; many Chambers of corruption are in it. If we have entered into one, and seen the abominations which are there, think not for that we have entered in all. No doubt the Prophet Esay knew before that he was a sinful man, but a new vision of the Majesty of God brought him to a deeper insight of his own uncleanness, and made him to cry out, woe is me, for I am undone: Because I am a 
Esay. 6. 5.  man of polluted lips, and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts: I have seen (saith job) The Lord, therefore 
job. 42. 6.  do I now abhor myself. And this I speak, that none of us think a new trial unnecessary, but that even ye, who through grace have been accustomed every morning to chastise yourselves, and every evening to examine your hearts in your beds, may be warned: to you also belongeth this precept, Let a man try himself, and so let him eat.   

CHAP. VII. What a laborious work is enjoined a man when he is commanded to try himself. Two things necessary for this trial: First, the Spirit of God: Secondly, the Word of God. Many try themselves by wrong Rules, and are so deceived.  
WHich shall appear more evidently, if thou ponder this preprecept, Try thyself: it is a restless and laborious work, that here is enjoined to thee, thou art set to a task which may hold thee exercised all the days of thy life. The Lord by this precept will have every thing that is in man, brought under examination; Man as he is the workmanship of God, is every way so marvelous, that no marvel the Philosophers called him a little world: Augustine in his Estimation, accounted man a greater miracle than all the miracles that ever were wrought among men: but as he is perverted by sin, and become the workmanship of Satan, he is so fraughted 
jam. 3. 6.  with iniquity, that Saint james calls one member of his body, a world of wickedness, and if in the tongue only, which is but a small member of the body there is so much wickedness, that the Spirit of God, who giveth names to things as they are, calleth it a world of wickedness, what shall we think of the rest? what bottomless depth of iniquity must there be in the fountain, when there is so much in the stream? and therefore I say he had need to be full of eyes within and without, that will practise this precept of the Apostle, Let a man try himself.  
For if ye shall begin to take a view 
Man being well tried shall appear a new found world of wiekednes.  of your mind, and consider how far it is enlightened, and what natural darkness yet remaineth in it, how many bands of strange cogitations at several times sojourn in it? some flowing from the love of the World, and her 
Four bands of cogitations which oppress the mind.  deceitful pleasures, intending to steal our hearts after them: some from the root of concupiscence, and her inordinate Lusts, that oftentimes violently oppress us: and some from the root of bitterness, raising wonderful commotions and perturbations within us, reeling too and fro by courses, in our swelling and restless minds, raging like waves of the Sea, carried with furious winds, besides infinite armies of other vain and idle cogitations, whereof we cannot tell from whence they come, nor whether they go: and if from the mind they proceed to the heart, which is the seat of the affections: & take a particular view of them, how our love and our hatred, our fear and our confidence, our joy and our grief, our care and our contentment are renewed, and framed according to that word, which is the rule of righteousness. And if again, ye go to try the affections, and see how the members of your bodies are employed as 
Rom. 6.  weapons of righteousness in the service of God, if ye have made a Covenant 
job. 31. 1.  with your eyes or not, that they regard not vanity, or if negligently ye let them stand open as windows, at the which death enters every moment into your souls; and if ye have learned to take heed to your lips, that ye sin not 
Psal. 39 1.  with your tongue; if ye shall also take a time to consider the ignorances of your youth, and sins of your old age: if I say, ye look unto all these which yet are few in regard of many more we have to look unto, what shall appear, but a new found world of wickedness dicovered unto thee? which most justly may make thee ashamed, and compel 
Psal. 19 12  thee to cry out with David, O Lord who knoweth the errors of his life, Lord cleanse me from my secret sins, and keep me from presumptuous sins, that so I may be made clean from much wickedness: yea, thou shalt wish with jeremy, O that my head were full of water, 
jere. 9 1.  and mine eyes fountains of tears, that all the whole day long I might with Ezekiah 
Es. 38. 15.  recount my sins, in the bitterness of my heart; and all the night cause my bed 
Psal. 6.  to swim, and water my couch with tears, for the manifold transgressions, wherewith I have offended the Lord my God.  
And now because this trial of ourselves is so necessary, let us here remember that there are two things without which we cannot profit in this work of trial. The one is the Spirit of God: the other the Word of God. As to the first, man by nature is so blinded with self Love, that he accounts his own deformity, beauty, and his bondage liberty: what viler bondage than the Servitude of sin? O quam multos Dominos habet, qui unum non habet (said Ambrose) and yet man unregenerate counteth it his liberty to live uncontrolled in the service of his lusts, to do what he will: what liberty again so excellent as to be the freeman of God; servire Deo est regnare: and yet foolish man, accounts the obedience of God's Law (which is the law of liberty) a servitude, and the Commandments of God he esteems as bonds, wherewith he will not be bound, walking the footsteps of other Rebels before him: he cries out Let us 
Psal. 2. 3.  break their bonds, and cast their cords from us. It was not the disease of the Laodiceans only to account themselves 
Revel. 3.  happy, when indeed they were miserable; it is the natural disease of all the Sons of Adam, for every man's way seemeth good in his own eyes. 
Pro. 16. 2.  A pitiful blindness that death should reign over man, and man not feel it; that strange Lords who can claim no right unto him, should tyrannize over him, and he not endeavour to withstand it; and that Satan should lead him away in Captivity, bound with chains, even the cords of sin, blinder than Zedekiah, having his eyes pulled out, and man should not lament for it, But where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty and freedom, there is a knowledge and detestation of sin, and a sighing to God for deliverance from the Bondage. The Prophet Ezechiel could not see the abominable 
Ezec. 8. 9  idolatries of the house of Israel, till the Lord taught him to dig through the wall: but we shall be far less able to see the vile abominations that are in our own hearts, until the spirit of the Lord dig through & demolish that thick and hard wall of induration, that naturally hideth us from the sight of our sins, and keepeth us in blindness under Satan's bondage.  
The other thing whereby we are to proceed in this trial, is the word of God; for every thing that is imperfect, must be tried by another not by itself: gold is tried by the fire & touch stone, the weight of a thing is tried by the balance, and the spots of the face are tried by the glass. Thus every imperfect 
Every imperfect thing must be tried by an other than itself.  thing that is tried, is tried by another not by itself. As to the law of God, it is a most perfect rule, by which God will have men and their actions tried; but it is to be tried by no other than itself. If any man will try scripture, he must with the Nobles of Beraea, 
Act. 17. 11  try it by the scripture, so then the word serveth unto us as a touchstone for our trial, as a glass for discovery of our spots, & as the balance of the sanctuary, wherein we must be weighed, in 
Rom. 16.  the last day the secrets of all hearts will be judged by the Gospel, and therefore it were good that in time we did judge ourselves by it; some try themselves by it, some t●…ye themselves by themselves, supposing they are such indeed, as they have conceived themselves to be: some again measure themselves by others, specially with such as in their opinion are behind them, not with such as in light and grace do far excel them, like that Pharisee, who when 
Luk. 18. 11.  he came to examine himself before God, thought he was good enough, because he was not like the Publican, wherein he was also miserably deceived, for suppose he spoke the truth yet spoke it ignorantly, as Caiaphas said, that one behoved to die for the people: he was not like the Publican indeed, the Publican was much better than he, for he came to the temple, humble, and penitent, and went home to his house justified, whereas the Pharisee puffed up with a conceit of his own righteousness, and justifying himself, went away out of the Temple more guilty than he came. In the trial therefore of thyself make not thy neighbour's disposition thy rule, lest thou in like manner be deceived.  
And yet if thou wouldst profit by 
How we may profit by comparing ourselves with others.  the example of others, remember it is a great folly to think that thou art religious enough, because in religion some are behind thee, and not rather to be displeased with thy wants, when thou seest so many before thee enriched above thee in all spiritual grace, and have profited more than thou in the mortification of their sinful lusts: having out run thee further in the way of God's commandments, then that other 
joh. 20.  Disciple overran Peter unto Christ's Sepulchre, to learn his resurrection. It is pity that the Sons of men in worldly things can look to those who are above them, thinking they have little, because they have not so much as others, yet in spiritual things, they should look to others, that are inferior to them, and so easily stand content with the little beginning of religion they have, because there be many, who in their judgement have not so much; whereas certainly if we could try ourselves by the right rule, we should find that as yet we are far from that which we should be, and therefore have more need than that holy Apostle, To forget that which is behind, & endeavour ourselves to that 
Phil. 3. 4.  which is before: following hard toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ jesus.  
We have therefore here yet farther 
It is not enough that pastors & Elders try us, we must try ourselves.  to observe, that seeing the Apostle commands us to try ourselves, we think it not enough that others try us, and give us their approbation; we must also try ourselves. The Pastors may try thy knowledge, and think it good enough, thy superiors may try thy conversation, and find it unreprovable of 
1. Cor. 2. 11  man: But thou must try thy own conscience, for no man knows the things of 
Ecclesi. 37 14.  a man save the spirit of man; the mind of a man will show him more sometime then seven watchmen that are in a tower. When this sacrament was first instituted, there were twelve who communicated with the Lord jesus, and one of them was a Devil, and a traitorous hypocrite: the remnant knew him not, & therefore could not reprove him, but that made not judas the better man; yet the fault which man could not find out, the Lord discovered it: one of you (said he) will betray me. Think it not therefore enough albeit unchallenged of man, thou mayest sit down at the Lords table. Remember the king will come, & take a view of the Guests, even he who is the God of the Spirits of all flesh, and to whom the secrets of 
Other men cannot know whether thou come to the Table as a john or as a judas.  the heart are manifest. josaphat's garment cannot hide Achab from him, he is not blind like Isaac, that he should be deceived to take one for another; therefore try thou thyself, how thou comest to this holy table, whether as john loving jesus, and beloved of him, or as judas betraying Christ, and accursed of him: for as Christ foretold them, that one of them was a Devil, so the Apostle hath foretold us, that many will eat and drink ununworthily at this holy table; who they are, we know not, yet are they known to the Lord; let every one of us strive to purge one, every man try himself, and wash his heart from his wickedness, 
Let every man therefore ask for himself: is it I Lord.  and so shall we be all clean; let every man ask for himself with the Disciples, is it I Lord? am I one of them that comes to betray thee? to crucify thee again, & to tread the blood of the new Testament under my feet? let us never rest till we have gotten the Lords certificate in our consciences, and that after due trial of ourselves, we come not as Hypocrites, unpenitent and unbelieving Atheists, but as diseased and poor sinners, to seek the Lord jesus, the Saviour of the world: for if we do so, then shall we get that answer which the Angel gave to the two Maries, fear not ye, because ye seek jesus, who was crucified: we shall eat at this Table and be satisfied, & shall go away, not without fear indeed, but having our fear tempered with great joy, because we found the Lord. 
We should try ourselves, and not other men.   
And lastly, let us take heed that the Apostle commandeth us to try ourselves, and not to try other men. It is a corrupt custom of men at those times of holy communion, to sift the conversation of their neighbours and brethren, more narrowly than ever Laban searched the stuff of jacob, to see if he could find any thing wherewith to charge him; and this they do not of a heart to forgive, which were commendable, but of purpose to seek the uttermost recompense and satisfaction for smallest offences done against them, 
This reproves them who before communion try ●…aults done to them, more than sins done by them.  and so where they should cast open the door of their hearts, to the King of glory, and prepare in the desert a path for our God, by making low that which is high within them, & making strait that which is rough, by the contrary they stop all the passages and ways of God his access unto them: for now their affections are exalted so high by 
Esay. 40. 3.  pride against God, that they despise the counsel of his word: crooked were they before, but more crooked now; they lived without love before, and dissembled it, but now are not ashamed, when God calleth them to the table of love, plainly to profess with rough and fierce speeches, the hatred of their hearts, they put off that which the Apostle commands them to put on as the elect of God, namely tender mercy, humbleness of mind, meekness and long suffering: they insist to search out the sins done against them by men, and overpass the sins by themselves done against God; Lovers of themselves more than lovers of God.  
I grant indeed it is a point of Christian duty to admonish our brethren of their sins, if it be done in Love: for so we are commanded, Thou shalt 
Leu 19 17  not hate thy brother in thy heart, but shalt reprove him. It is hatred and not Love, for the father to spare correction, or the brother to spare admonition to his brother in his sins. I confess in like manner that he who hath offended is bound to reconcile himself unto thee, before he offer his Sacrifice to the Lord; but in case that he neglect to do it, yet standest thou bound and obliged to forgive him, and to take heed that thou despise not so great a Salvation offered by the Lord: because an other dischargeth not that brotherly duty, which he ought unto thee. As another man's faith will not justify thee, so another man's sin will not condemn thee; And therefore mourning for that which we cannot amend in others, let us chiefly attend to ourselves, as we are here commanded.   

CHAP. VIII. The points of preparation are two: First, that we lay aside our old sins: Secondly, that we put on the new Christian disposition, consisting in three things. First, that towards God we be holy and heavenly minded. Secondly, that towards our neighbours we be loving: Thirdly, that we be sober and little in our own eyes. The comfortable fruit arising to us at this holy Table.  
But now leaving to speak any more of this trial in general, we enter to speak of the particular points of this trial. The whole trial and examination required in those who are to be banquetters at this holy Table, I reduce to these two: the first is, that we try ourselves whether or not with joshua, we have cast away our filthy 
Zach. 3.  garments, that is, if we have cast off the old man, which is corrupt through deceivable lusts. And next, if we have 
Eph. 4.  put on our marriage garment, that is, put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. First of all therefore we must take pains to remove the impediments that may hinder our Union with Christ, that we come not to this Table (as judas d●…d) with our old sins, having that lodged in our hearts, which we dare not present unto God: for seeing no man will sit down at the Table of his enemy, what great presumption is it in us to sit down at the Lords Table, as long as our sin, which is the cause of enmity is not removed: There 
2 Cor. 6. 14 Ro. 13. 12.  can be no communion between light and darkness. Let us therefore be changed from that which we are, let us cast away the works of darkness, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, if so be we desire to be united with the Lord: he is the holy One of Israel, God blessed for ever, in whom there can be no shadow of alteration, so that of necessity 
jam. 1. 17.  the change must be upon our part. It is written of the Lioness, that 
Otherwise no communion with the Lord.  having had con mixtion with the Leopard, she washes herself in water before she company again with the Lion, that so he should not by sent 
Basil Hexam. hom. 7.  d●…scerne her adultery. And Basile in his Hexameron writes, that the Vipe●… a most pernicio●…s kind of Serpent before his copulation with that Sea-fish called Mu●…aena, doth fi●…st vomit and cast out his venomous poison: thus the Beasts in their kind (so far as they can) do reverence one to another, to teach man, that he is wo●…se then a Beast indeed, except he cast off the filthy sl●…e of his old sins, that he may be joined with the Lord, for by nature we ar●… more adulterous than the Lioness (for what is the vanity after which we have not gone a whoring) more venomous also we are then the Viper, full of hatred, malice, envy, debate, and therefore have need to vomit out our iniquities by repentance, and to wash ourselves in that fountain opened to the house of David. Before that Ester was presented to Ahasuerus, 
Est. 2. 12.  she was purified by the space of twelve months, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours: shall such reverence be done to mortal flesh, whose carcase was shortly to be made a prey to the worms, and shall we carry no reverence to our immortal husband the Lord jesus? shall we take no pains to 
2, Cor. 12. 2.  purify our heart, that we may be presented as a chaste spouse unto him? 
Without Divorcement from our old sins, no marriage with the Lamb.   
Let us not deceive ourselves, except we forsake our father's house and our own people, that is, except we be divorced from our old sins, wherein we were borne and brought up: it is not possible that the king shall have pleasure in our beauty. Let us call our deeds to 
Psal. 4. 5.  examination before the tribunal of our conscience: let us cast out the Cananits and not pity them, that the peace of God may dwell with us: let us deliver Barrabas to be crucified, that Christ jesus may live in us; why shall these Serpents (I mean our crooked affections) be nourished any longer in our bosom, which live upon our blood, and cannot live except we die? Oh that we could make this day a day of new division between us and our old sins.  
Neither must we here think it 
Not a general confession, but a particular inquisition should be made of our sins  enough to fight against our sins, but we must every one of ourselves make a particular inquisition of these domestic sins, and predominate evil affections, that hath most of all oppressed us: for there is none of us all but we have in us our own Idol, whereunto many times we do service, to the great offence of God. And albeit, this narrow trial of our sins shall discover to us a wonderful disco●…dance between our nature and the most holy law of the Lord, yet let us not be discouraged, considering that we are best in the eyes of God, when we are worst in our own eyes, and most acceptable 
2. King 21. 29.  to him, when we are most displeased with ourselves. The Lord was moved even with Achab his temporal humiliation: seest thou not (said he to Eliah) how Achab is humbled before me: because he submitteth himself before me, I will not bring that evil which thou hast spoken in his days: and will not then the Lord much more be moved with the true humiliation of his own Servants? No doubt, if we 
1. Pet. 4.  cast down ourselves before the Lord he shall lift us up, if we humble ourselves, he shall exalt us. If we judge our 
1. Cor. 11. 31 Psal. 34. 18  selves, we shall not be judged of the Lord: for the Lord is near to them that are contrite, & will save such as are afflicted in spirit. But if we come before the Lord in the presumption of our minds and not touched with the sense of our sins, then shall he execute that 
jere. 2. 35. Esay. 2. 12.  fearful threatening upon us, I will enter into judgement with thee, because thou sayest I have not sinned: though thou wert high, & exalted like the Cedars of Lebanon, and the Oaks of Bashan, proud and haughty in thy conceit, the Lord shall abase thee, and bring thee low, for he is the Lord that resisteth 
1. Pet. 5. 5.  the proud, & giveth grace to the humble.  
The other point of our trial and preparation, stands in putting on that threefold Christian disposition; that towards our God we be holy and heavenly minded; towards our neighbour loving, righteous and merciful; and as concerning ourselves, that we be sober and lowly, for so the grace of God, which hath appeared, teacheth us that we should deny ungodliness and 
Tit. 2. 11.  worldly lusts, and should live godly, righteously, and soberly in this present world. This is our wedding garment, even that pure, fine, and shining linen, which is 
Reu. 19 8.  the righteousness of the Saints. A Garment not party coloured like Joseph's, 
Goe 37. 23.  but compact of many virtues & graces of Christ jesus. These be his badges and Cognisances, whereby we are 
Col. 3. 12.  known to be his: the putting on of these, is the putting on of Christ; for his grace translateth us out of nature, and transformeth us into his image by his own spirit.  
And first as concerning our disposition towards God, it should not only be holy (as I have said) but also heavenly: for since we call him our Father which is in heaven, we must see what heavenly disposition we have to go after him: and whether we be weary of our absence from the Lord, like David weary of his dwelling in 
Psal. 120. Phil. 1. 23  the Tents of Keder, and desire with the Apostle to remove out of the body, that we may dwell with the Lord: for here is not the place of our rest. The best of our life upon earth (except it be the little taste of that hid Manna, wherewith the Lord now and then comforteth our souls in this barren Wilderness) it is but like the life of that forlorn Son, who having banished himself from his father's house, was driven to fill his belly with the husks, that was given to the Swine, & oftentimes could not get them. We have experience enough of the vanity of worldly comforts, wherein there is no contentment; would to God we could also learn with that prodigal Son to be think ourselves, and conclude to make home again to our father's house, in whose face is the fullness of 
Psal. 16. 11  joy: surely the least of them that dwell in our Father's house have bread enough, they are filled with the fatness of his house, and receive drink out of the rivers of his pleasures: what pleasure then should it be to us to live here in this strange Land, where our souls are almost dead for hunger?  
There is no greater thankfulness that man can show to the Lord, then to declare in his affection, that he cannot live without the Lord, nor rest content, so long as he is absent from him. The Lord in the work of creation 
Gen. 1.  never rested till he had made man, and man can do no less of duty then passing by all God's Creatures, to resolve with himself; I will never rest till I enjoy the Lord. The Soul of man should be like that Dove of Noah, which being sent forth from the ark, found no rest to the sole of her foot, until she returned again to him that sent her: and indeed without the Lord where can we rest? Go thy way with 
Our souls cannot rest but in him.  Solomon and prove all the goodness of the children of men, which they enjoy under the Sun, thou shalt find 
Eccl. 2. 3.  it is but vanity and vexation of Spirit, whatsoever man clea●…eth to, beside jehovah the true subsisting Lord, it is but a lying vanity, which hath not in it that substance and certainty, which man imagineth, yea man (without God) 
Psal. 39 5.  in his best estate is altogether vanity, and his wisest actions are but a disquieting of himself in vain. It is a godly saving of Augustine, which the word of God and experience taught him; F●…isli nos Domine ad t●…, & semper inquietum 
August.  est cor nostrum, don●… requi●…at in te; thou madest us O Lord unto thyself, and our heart is ever unquiet till it rest in thee. The wicked who are strangers from the womb, pretend in their countenance what they will, yet even in laughter their heart is sad, for 
Pro. 14. 13 Esa. 48. 22  there is no joy nor peace to the wicked, (saith my God) their heart is moved as the Trees of t●…e Forrest shaken with the 
Esay 7. 2.  Wind. As the point of the Mariners compass, so long as it is not direct to the North, trembles continually; so the spirit of the wicked (not set upon the Lord) is never quiet, but tossed too and fro with restless perturbations, which in a part presently he feels, but shall better perceive it, when he goeth out of the body. For tribulation and 
Rom. 2.  anguish shall be on the soul of every man that doth wickedly: this is the portion of them that forsake God, and wander after vanity. It is good therefore for us to draw near unto God, saying with David, whom have I in the heaven but 
Psal. 73.  thee? and I have desired none in the earth with the. The Lord work this heavenly disposition in us.  
And now to help forward ou●… 
Two things profitable to help us to this heavenly disposition.  earthly minds unto it, we have to consider both the time & space, when and where our Saviour did institute this sacrament. The place is recorded by Saint Luke, to have been an upper Parlour: the consideration of the place (saith Nazianzin) doth some way warn us that we should celebrate 
1 Consideration of the place wherein this Sacrament was first instituted.  this holy sacrament with high & heavenly affections. When God gave the law, he came down from heaven to the top of Sinai, and Moses went up from the plain to it, and so (saith he) had familiar conversation with the Lord: and here as the Lord cometh down as low as he can in this Sacrament for our capacity, it becometh us to mount up as high as pos●…ible we can in our affections, if so be we be desirous to meet the Lord, otherwise if the Lord shall abide in his glory, and inaccessible light, and if man shall lie still in the dark dungeon of this base and earthly mind, what familiar meeting can there be, betweenne God and man? And as to the time, Saint john witn●…sseth 
2 Consideration of the time.  that our Saviour ordained this sacrament when he was to go out of the world to his father; wherein said Augustine: 
August. in joan.  Spes membris in Capite data, quod essent in illo transeunte sine dubio secutura. Yea, not only should it nourish our hope, that where he is there once we shall be, but should waken our affection and desire to go after him: we should eat and drink at this holy table, not as if we were here to remain, but should celebrate this supper like a passover, standing as 
The time warneth us to celebrate this supper like a Pasteover.  pilgrims and our loins gi●…ded up, having our staves in our hands ready to follow our Lord, who is gone into heaven before us: and every day of our communion should be a new departing of our hearts out of this world, unto our heavenly Father; yea, we should receive this meat from the Lord, with that wa●…ning which the Angel gave to Eliah in the wilderness: 
1. Kin. 19 7.  up and ●…ate, for thou hast yet a great journey to go. This bread is given us, that in the strength thereof, we may walk forward the way, which is before us, not that we should lie down and rest us in this wilderness, as if we had now attained to the end of our journey. The Angel wakened Eliah twice sleeping under the juniper, twice he touched him, and twice he bade him, up eat and walk; at length he rose and walked in the strength of that bread forty days: But alas, our security is greater than his, many a time hath the Lord warned us of the journey that is before us: many a time hath he proposed heavenly food unto us, and now against this day the Lord reneweth his mercy towards us. The Lord waken us, and grant at the length, that we may rise and walk, following the Lord, till we appear before the face of our God in Zion.  
But of all other means, the most 
But most of all the meditation of the love of God is profitable to work in us this heavenly disposition.  forcible to ravish our hearts after the Lord, is a deep meditation of the love of God towards us. The Apostle protesteth it is a love that passeth knowledge; the height & breadth, the length and depth whereof, none is able to comprehend; he that at one time cried out; Come and I will tell you what God 
Eph. 3. 18. Psa. 66. 16 Psal. 139.  hath done to my soul, is compelled another time to confess: O Lord my God, thou hast made thy wonderful works so many, that none can count in order to thee the thoughts towards us, I would declare and speak of them, but they are more than I am able to express. And yet although we be less able than the Elephant at one draft to drink 
job. 30. 18  up the River of jordaine, let us be content with the wearied Passenger, willingly to take in so much as may refresh us; we cannot measure the waters of the Sea in our fist, nor number the stars of heaven; and how then shall we number his mercies which are above all his works? shall we 
Psa. 145. 9  therefore not look to them, nor behold that glory of God which shineth in them: Though we cannot comprehend 
It is not a light meditation of this love, that will raise up our hearts.  his incomprehensible love (yea blessed are we if it shall comprehend us) let us notwithstanding earnestly and fervently meditate upon it, not by starts and vanishing motions: for as a Candle doth not at the first receive light from the fire, were it never so blown, but if for a time it be holden constantly to the fire, it is at the length enlightened: so it is not vanishing meditations that will warm our hearts with the Love of God; but if we shall continue without wearying to exercise our thoughts upon this great love that the Lord hath borne towards us; it shall happily fall out at length, that the powers of our Soul shall be inflamed with his love, and we shall find the savour of death in every thing that smelleth not of his love.  
No greater Love than this (sayeth 
Never such a love showed as jesus hath showed unto us.  our Saviour) can be showed among men, then that a man should bestow his life for his friends: but that which man is not able to show, our Lord jesus God and man hath showed to his children 
joh. 15. 13  his good will: for the Love he bore to us, he gave himself in a sacrifice for our sins on the Cross, even when we were his enemies, and hath here in this Sacrament given himself a food and nourishment unto us: for so that disciple beloved of him doth testify; When jesus knew that his hour 
john. 13. 1  was come, that he should go out of the world unto his Father, forasmuch as he loved his own, unto the end he loved them: therefore did he institute this Sacrament, that therein he might communicate himself to them. O wonderful 
Stronger than the love of jonathan to David.  love, stronger than the love of jonathan to David! When jonathan and David, were forced to part company because of Saul's Tyranny, jonathan 
1 Sam. 20.  gave David his Garment, his Girdle, and his Armour: he had no better, and could give no better, and so with many tears and mutual embracings departed from him: but our blessed Saviour before he removed his corporal presence from us, gave his life to redeem our life from the death: he sent out bloody sweat abundantly, as the witnesses of his burning love towards us, he powered out an everlasting 
john. 17.  prayer to his father for us, he hath left behind him, in his last will, his peace for our portion: he hath given us his spirit for a Comforter, his Word for a warner, and this Sacrament for a spiritual food, until his second coming again. No marvel his spouse in 
Cant. 5. 9  the Canticles praised his love to be far 
Or the love of a mother to her Children.  above the love of women: for though in some of them the natural strength of affection be so great, that it makes them endure the painful bearing and bringing up of their children with the milk of their breasts, yet what is that comparable to this? nothing indeed. Such a Love as here our Saviour hath discovered towards us, is not to be found again in the world: for whereas mothers (saith chrysostom) either 
Chrisost. serm. de corpore Christi.  commit their Children to Nurses, or else brings them up upon the milk of their own breasts: jesus Christ feeds us not with the milk of another, but with his own flesh and his own blood. Necessity sometime hath compelled the Mother to eat her own Children, but we never read that compassion hath moved the mother to give her own flesh to preserve her Children, that they should not die in famine. But our Lord jesus is that kind Pelican, that sendeth out his own blood to nourish his young; and all this hath our Lord jesus done, not grudgingly but willingly, provoked hereunto by that fervent Love he bore to the glory of God his father, and to our salvation.  
Which shall yet appear more evidently 
A proof of Christ's wonderful love towards us.  out of his own comfortable saying to his Disciples, I have greatly desired to eat this Passeover with you. O word full of consolation▪ sundry 
Luke. 22.  Passovers had he eaten before with them, but he protesteth this was his desired Passeover: See ye not here his unquenchable Love? he knew it was the last he was to eat upon the earth; he knew he was to drink no more with them of the fruit of the Vine, till it was fulfilled in his Father's kingdom: he knew that the same night they would ●…ay him, and that after Supper a bitter Cup of Passion was abiding for him, yet his love overcame all these impediments, and made him think long to eat of this Passeover: And which is much more, before ever he gave himself to be crucified for us on the Cross, he provided this Sacrament, as a means of the communication of himself unto us, thereby assuring us that his subsequent passion should not defraud us, but rather afford unto us, and make ready for us, that righteousness and life by Christ purchased on the Cross, and communicate in his holy Table to them who are his. In the one he was prepared, and made ready as the only food of our souls to eternal life; in the other he is applied, Communicated and given unto us; both of these necessarily behoved to be done for the work of our Salvation. Sicut enim ad potandum 
Cyp. lib. 2 Epist. 3.  vinum venire nemo potest, nisi botrus calcetur ante, & prematur: sic nos sanguinem Christi bibere non potuimus, nisi Christus prius fuisset calcatus & pressus. It was a great Love which made our Saviour content that his blood should be shed out on the Cross, and so should be made both a ransom, and a convenient food for us, for the 
Ber. in Epiph. ser. 1  father sent him, Quasi saccum plenum misericordia, in passione conscindendum ut effundatur quod in eo latet pretium nostrum. So is this also a new declaration of his love, that before his body was broken and his blood was shed, he first ordained the means whereby it should be communicated unto us.  
These and many more spiritual 
What a notable comfort we have here, that this banquet begun in earth, shall be fulfilled in heaven.  meditations, should be unto us as the breathe of the mouth of God, to kindle in our souls that little spark of the love of God, which alas, for fault of entertainment, is almost over gone and extinguished with the ashes of our corruption: for seeing our Saviour longed to eat with us, shall not we long to eat with him? he greatly desired to give himself to us in this table, and for us on the cross; & shall not we earnestly desire to receive him? he knew it was the last he should eat upon earth, & that after it, heavy sufferings abode him: we know that our banqueting here, is the banquet that shall be accomplished in heaven, it is begun here, it shall not end here. Comfortable is that word of our Saviour: it shall be 
Luk. 22. 16  fulfilled in my kingdom; and will not we then joyfully begin this banquet? shall we be so foolish as to wait upon lying vanities, and forsake our own mercies? shall we turn our back upon the fountain 
jona. 2. 8. jere. 2. 13.  of living waters, and dig to ourselves Cisterns that can hold no water? certainly our darkness is grosser than the darkness of Egypt, and our hearts harder than the Adamant, except this burning love of the Lord jesus ravish upward our hearts after him. The 
Can. 5. 8.  spouse in the Canticles professeth she was sick of the love of her glorious husband the Lord jesus, but alas we are not touched with the like love, we feel not the smell of his ointments, & 
Can. 1.  therefore with the rest of the Virgins we run not after him. Eliah touched 
1. Kin. 19 19  Elisha with his Mantle, and therewithal the Lord joined his inward calling, and suddenly Elisha left his plough of Oxen, and of a husbandman became Prophet. Now the Lord calls upon us by his word and Sacrament, let us also 
Rom. 5.  pray, that the Lord would shed abroad in our hearts by his holy spirit, the sense of that love of God; then should we neglecting all things run after the Lord, seeking only to enjoy him. 
Worldlings, who tarry from Christ, if they were touched with the sense of this love, would forsake all & follow him.   
The men of this world marvel to behold the sudden change of life, which is made in the children of God by his effectual calling; they marvel to see them running so fervently after Christ, seeking him by continuance in prayer, by hearing of his word, by participation of his Sacrament, and that with such an insatiable desire, that in this life they can never be satisfied with hearing, reading, praying, and communicating: but if the Lord should in like manner touch their hearts, and let them feel the power of an inward calling then would they marvel no more, far less disdain, yea, they would make haste, and join themselves to the company of the godly: And Saul also 
1. Sam. 19 13  should become amongst the Prophets. The woman, who had lived before a licentious 
Women would be changed like Mary Magdalen  life, would now change it with Mary Magdalene: she had been a great sinner in the City, but became an example of Repentance to all the 
Luke. 7.  sinners in the City: she prostrates no more her body to her carnal Lovers, but falls down at the feet of Christ, to crave his mercy; in stead of her wanton looks, her eyes pour out tears, and her beautiful hair, which before she set out as a proclaimer of her Lust, now she pulleth down to wash the feet of Christ. Thus all the former means of her sin, she maketh new witnesses of her repentance; the man in like manner, who had sat all his days with Matthew at the receipt 
And sinful men should be changed like Matthew the Publican.  of Custom, that is, who had lived in the sinful trade of unlawful gain, would now in like manner forsake it: but where the Lord by effectual calling works not in the heart an earnest love of God; no marvel they lie still in the grave of their sins, and rise not to walk after the Lord. We are therefore so much the more to use all the ordinary means, which may entertain in us that little spark of the Love of God, till it grow up unto a great flame, for the farther union and conjunction of our Souls with jesus Christ: and this for our disposition towards God.  
As concerning our Christian disposition to our neighbour, it is usual to the spirit of God, to comprise it under love. Our Saviour saith, that love is the Cognisance of his Disciples, and the Apostle calleth it the band of perfection, and fulfilling of the Law; and no marvel, for Love speaketh with the tongue of every Virtue. All the sundry precepts we are commanded to do unto our neighbour, are summarily comprehended under this one, Love one another. As this Sacrament sealeth up the Communion of the members with the head, so it seals up the communion of the members among themselves: for this bread whereof we eat, is of many grains of wheat made up into one bread; and the wine is the juice of many berries, collected and united into one, to teach us that all the Communicants at this holy Table, how many soever they be, aught to agree together in one, like members of one body, as having one Father, one Faith, one Baptism, one Inheritance; as Brethren quickened all by one and the self same spirit, (which is not to be found again in all the world, except in this excellent brotherhood) 
Without Love we cannot be of the communion of Saints.  as we cannot be joined to the head without faith, so can we not be knit to the members without love. Stones and timber cannot make up a building till they be joined, and sundry pieces of metal cannot be melted in one work without fire; no more can Christians be united in one mystical body without Love, and therefore our Saviour at the celebration of this Sacrament recommended Love to his Disciples, 
joh. 13. 34  by a new Commandment, which he so called, because it should never wax old: yea, so much doth he account of it, that he will accept no service we owe to himself, without that duty of love we owe to our brethren. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave thy offering, go thy way, and first be reconciled to thy brother, then come and offer thy gift. Of this it is evident, that without Love to our brethren, we can do no acceptable service to the Lord. 
Of the effects by which our love should be tried.   
In this therefore, let us try and examine ourselves, what compassion find we in our hearts toward our brethren: what willingness to do them the good we can, what love to bear one another's burden: what readiness to forgive when we are offended: what humbleness of mind to ask them forgiveness against whom we have 
Gal. 6. 10.  sinned, practising these precepts: While ye have time do good to all men. And again forbear one another, forgive one 
Eph. 4.  another, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you. The Majesty of God (suppose first offended) did first seek man 
Readiness to forgive rare to be found.  to be reconciled with him; and shall man that hath offended think evil to seek his Brother to be reconciled with him? but alas are these fruits of Godliness now to be found amongst men? if thou seek them thou shalt 
Mich. 7. 1  find them, as the Summer gatherings, or as the grapes of a Uintage cut down; though thy soul desire to eat the fruit thereof, thou shalt not find it: 
Psal. 12.  for the good man is perished out of the earth, such as are Christians by 
Christians live now like jews and Samaritans of old.  name, they live like jews, and the Samaritans of whom it is written that they might not converse together: to forbear and forgive one another, to them are precepts of an uncouth language, which they understand not: as a sparkle of fire easily kindles a heap of powder, so a small offence removeth all their affections: they are not slow unto wrath like the Lord, and far less like him in readiness to forgive. As men (saith Lactantius) are mortal, so 
As men are mortal so should their anger be.  should their anger be mortal: our Saviour saith, the Sun should not go down upon our wrath: the Apostle commands us to be Children concerning anger and maliciousness, who as they do not deeply co●…eiue it, so they do not long retain it, but are shortly familiar with them, with whom they were a little before offended: but as it was doubted of Sylla, Sylla ne prior, an Sylla iracundia sit extincta, so is it out of all doubt, that in many vipers of this age, anger dieth not, till they die themselves.  
And as for doing of good to their 
Readiness to do good to others is as rare.  neighbours and brethren, they live in the world like monsters, or like those Giants, The sons of Anack: they alone will be Lords of the earth, as if the world were made for them only, or they at the least were borne for themselves. Churlish like Nabal, shall I take (said he) my bread and my flesh, and give unto David? all that they have 
Professors lives like the sons of Anack, churlish Naball, or the rich glutton.  they account so to be theirs, as if they had not received it, or were not the Lords stewards, bound to distribute to the necessities of his Saints; the rich gluttons, they use it as a morsel for their own mouth: Now my soul thou hast enough for many days, let Lazarus find as he may: they think with Cain, they are no keepers of their Brethren; That which dieth let it die. These and 
Zac. 11. 9  many more are the common and seen corruptions of this age: wherein we are to examine ourselves, how far the renewing grace of the Lord hath made us to depart from them, and what holy love we have put on: For he that 
1. joh. 4. 8.  loveth not, knoweth not God, because God is love; and he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? hereby we know that we are translated from death to life, because we love the Brethren. And thus much we are content to have touched of our disposition toward our neighbour.  
Now last of all concerning our disposition in ourselves, let us be sober, esteeming basely of ourselves, highly of the Lords mercy, hungering and thirsting for his salvation, and in very deed the more we shall consider how God hath magnified his holy name by his marvelous mercies towards us, the more shall we be compelled to cast down ourselves before him in all humility and submission of our spirits. When David promised to Mephiboseth 
2. Sam. 9  that he would show him kindness for jonathan his father's sake; Mephiboseth humbled himself to the ground and said, what is thy servant that thou shouldest look to such a dog as I am? but here the Lord our God, not only promiseth unto us kindness for his Son Christ jesus sake, but presently performs it, and investeth us again with our Father's inheritance, which we forfeited in Adam: and where we were of our own nature, but dead dogs, unclean creatures, dead in sin and trespasses; Now behold what love 
Ephe. 2. 1. joh. 3. 1.  the Father hath shown us: He hath made us partakers of this heavenly vocation, as to be hi●… sons and his heirs; and shall not we then in our very hearts be humbled before him, acknowledge our great unworthiness and his excellent mercies. Let us confess with Godly jacob, I am not worthy (O Lord) of the least of all thy 
Like jacob & the Centurion the woman of Canaan and Elizabeth.  mercies, and let every one of us say with the Centurion, I am not worthy Lord, that thou shouldest enter within my roof. Let us with the woman of Canaan, acknowledge our own room, if the Lord should give us but the benefit of whelps & dogs, that is, should suffer us to go under our masters Table, and eat of the crumbs that fall from it, yet were it more than any way we have deserved, and how then are we bound to have our hearts and our mouths filled continually with the praises of our God, who hath bestowed upon us his greatest mercies, when we were not worthy of the least; and hath set us down as Sons and Daughters and Heirs at the Table of his children, that were not worthy as dogs and whelps to creep under it? have we not cause to cry out with David, O Lord what is man that this manner of way thou art mindful of him? 
Psal. 8. Luke. 1.  Elizabeth marveled that Mary came to visit her, and in the humility of her heart cried out: Whence cometh this 
Our humiliation necessarily required. for effecting our union with God.  that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? but we have more cause to marvel at the marvelous mercies of the Lord, for what are we that the fairest among the Children of men should be delighted with our love, and our Lord should come to visit the base estate of his Servants, & communicate himself, his light, his life, and his grace unto us? Let no man think that I have multiplied these places of scripture without a cause. The beginning of the division between us and the Lord, slowed from the pride of our nature; & unless we humble ourselves, and be content in our mind to sit lower than dust and ashes, by reason of our sin it is not possible we can be united with the Lord, This is the council that in few words, Michah giveth unto us, 
Mich. 6. 8.  He hath showed thee O man what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee; surely to do justly, and to love mercy, & to humble thyself to walk with thy God. The Lord is indeed a most high God, yet he is nearest unto them, and they go soonest up unto him, who are least in their own eyes, and tremble at his words. 
With this humiliation, we should have also an hungering for the Lord's salvation.   
And beside this inward humiliation arising of the sense of our own unworthiness, let us come with a hunger & thirst of the Lord his righteousness & salvation: For he will satisfy the hungry, but the full he sendeth away empty: only they that have the spiritual appetite, hunger & thirst, are meet to be communicants 
Luk. 1. 53.  at this holy table. As that oil multiplied by Elisha, ceased not so long as the widow had any vessel wherein to receive it: so shall never that oil of grace decay, but be multiplied and increased unto all that with open and enlarged hearts are ready to receive it. Thou therefore, who art more ready to faint for spiritual hunger than was jonathan, come hither, put out the hand of faith, eat of this honey & make thee full; and thou that 
For the Lord filleth the hungry & strengthens them who are ready to faint.  art sick (with the Spouse in the Canticles) for the love of jesus, come hither and the Lord shall stay thee with the flagons of his wine. Art thou almost dead like that Egyptian, the Servant of an Amalekite, whom David found in the fields, take and eat of this bread, and thy Spirit shall return again unto thee? But alas, where is this spiritual appetite to be found amongst us? the deadness of our heart is lamentable, we see not our wants; we see not his beauty; we smell not his ointments; we taste little of his goodness, and therefore we make not haste to run after him. David mourned over the 
2. Sam. 3 33.  dead body of Abner, but alas (if we could) we have much more cause to mou●…ne over our dead souls. Oh that there were in us that holy desire which David protesteth to have been in him: My soul fainteth for the salvation 
Psal. 42.  of God: As the Hart brayeth for the rivers of waters, and thirsty ground desireth rain, so my soul panteth after the living God. Blessed are they who hunger 
Math. 5.  and thirst for his righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  
These only are the guests and banquetters that shall eat of the delicates which here he hath prepared, and whose soul shall be delighted with his fatness. These shall go from this Table, as Moses came down from Mount Sinai, & his countenance changed. They shall arise with Eliah, and walk on in the strength of this bread all the whole days of their pilgrimage. They shall go on in their way with Samson, eating of the honey which they have found. They shall depart from this Table, as the two mary's did from 
Luk. 18. 4.  the Sepulchre with great joy. These shall go home to their own houses, justified with the Publican, rejoicing because they have found a treasure, and hath felt the sweetness of this Manna: they shall not be able to conceal this great joy from Israel, but shall be forced 
2. King. 7.  to tell every Nathaniel whom they meet: We have found the Messiah. And 
john. 1.  in all time to come their soul shall cleave to the Lord without separation, 
1. Cor. 7. 35.  more straightly than the men of judah and jerusalem cleaved unto David their 
2. Sam. 5.  King. They shall say to the Lord, as Elizeus said to Eliah; As the Lord liveth, 
2. King. 2. 2.  and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee, and with Peter, whither O Lord, shall 
john. 6. 68  I go from thee, seeing thou hast the words of eternal life? The Lord work this spiritual disposition in us for jesus Christ's sake, to whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all honour, praise and glory for ever.   
FINIS.   

A Table wherein all the Chapters of the three forenamed Books are particularly set down.  

1. Jacob's wrestling with God.  
A Privilege of the Godly, that say God is with them, none can be against them to hurt them. Chap. 1  
Gods fatherly compassion appears in that he handles us most tenderly when we are weakest. Chap. 2  
The cause moving the Lord to appear to jacob at this time. Chap. 3  
The first circumstance, the time of the wrestling. Chap. 4  
The second circumstance, the persons between whom the wrestling is. Cha. 5  
Consolations for the Godly afflicted. Chap. 6  
Comfort for Christ's soldiers. Chap. 7  
The third circumstance, the manner of the wrestling, corporal, spiritual, or mixed. Chap. 8  
How we should behave ourselves in this tentation, we are taught. Chap. 9  
Let us ever lean to the word of God, how strange soever his work seem unto us. Chap. 10  
Verse. 25. And when he saw that he could not prevail. Chap. 11  
Vers. 26. And he said, let me go. Chap. 12  
What notable effects the felt presence of God bringeth with it. Chap. 13  
The presence or absence of God, is ever dispensed for the weal of his own Children. Chap. 14  
How their inward exercises of conscience, works in the godly a divorcement of their souls from all Creatures, and a nearer adherent to the Lord. Cha. 15  
Prayers of the Godly must be forcible & acceptable to God, seeing they come from his own Spirit. Chap. 16  
jacob cannot end till God have blessed him. Chap. 17  
Faith through death espies life. Chap. 18  
The Godly in their prayers, above all things seek God's favour and blessing. Chap. 19  
Worldlings in their Prayers dishonour God, and preiudges themselves. Chap. 20  
Faith obtains every good thing that it craves. Chap. 21  
Verse. 27. Then he said.  
It is the curse of the wicked to pray and not prevail, but it is not so with the Godly. Chap. 22  
The Lord by inward exercises of conscience makes his children strong to endure outward troubles which come from men. Chap. 23  
It is a sinful curiosity to seek to know that which God hath not taught us. Chap. 24  
Verse. 29. And jacob asked, What is thy name?  
The Lord sometimes refuseth to give that which his children seeks, that he may give them other things more convenient for them. Chap. 25  
How jacob shows himself thankful to God for the benefits received in two things. Chap. 26  
Verse 30. And jacob called the name of the place Peniell, etc.  
What sight of God shall we have in the heavens? Chap. 27  
The other thing wherein jacob shows his thankfulness, is his obedience. Chap. 28  
Verse 31. And the Sun arose to him.   

The Table of the second Book, entitled, A Conduit of Comfort.  


Rom. 8. 28.  
ALso we know that all things work together for the best, to them that love God; even to them who are called according to his purpose. Chap. 1  
The Privileges of a Christian, cannot be known of them who do not possess them. Chap. 2  
Many working Instruments of contrary qualities and intentions in the world, yet agrees all in one end. Chap. 3  
All Satan's stratagems, work for the best to the Godly. Chap. 4  
How Death also works for the best to Christians. Chap. 5.  
How the plots and imaginations of men work for the best to the christian. Chap. 6  
What is a Christians best. Chap. 7  
The Christian is not at his best now: it is the working only. Chap. 8  
All things work to the worst, to the wicked. Chap. 9  
How the Christian is made sure of his Election and Glorification. Chap. 10  
What comfort we have in this, that our salvation is grounded on the Lords unchangeable purpose. Chap. 11  
Two callings: outward, and inward. Chap. 12  
Of the inward calling. Chap. 13  
In the inward calling, the Lord begins at the illumination of the mind. Chap. 14  
The love of God a sure token of an inward calling, and of the commendation of love. Chap. 15  
The first trial of love. Chap. 16  
The second trial of love. Chap. 17  
The last trial of love. Chap. 18     

The Table of the third Book, entitled, A Preparative for the new Passcover.  
OF the servant desire Christians have to be united with Christ. How inexcusable they are who neglect this holy sacrament. The great danger in coming unprepared. The parts of the precept: first, that we try: secondly, that we eat: the last handled first. Chap. 1  
Ignorance the mother of all recusancy to communicate. The Reasons of divers Resusals condemned. Better Excuses rejected by Christ in the Gospel than these. They consent not to the Marriage of the Lamb, who refuse the smallest token of his love. Chap. 2  
Three Rules to be observed in the right discerning the Lords body. First, that every thing in this Sacrament be taken in his own kind. Who fails in this and how. Secondly, that this Sacrament be used according to Christ's institution. How the Papists fail in this. Thirdly, that this Sacrament be used to right ends, and those ends set down. The conclusion of the first part of the precept. Chap. 3  
The second part of the precept commands trial before we Communicate. The Lord will not that this Table be a snare to us, as was Absalon to Ammon. Banquetters at this Table should be holy persons. Chap. 4  
Unreverent handling of holy things hath never been left unpunished. The Lord will not show his presence without preparation. The excellency of this Sacrament, and an exhortation to come unto it with reverence. Chap. 5  
Not to put new wine into old Uessels. Comfort for the tender conscience cast down with the sight of sin after trial: two sorts of trials: the one of things perfect, the other of things unperfect. Daily trial most necessary. Chap. 6  
What a laborious work is enjoined a man when he is commanded to try himself. Two things necessary for this trial: First, the Spirit of God: Secondly, the Word of God. Many try themselves by wrong Rules, and are so deceived. Chap 7  
The points of preparation are two: First, that we lay aside our old sins: Secondly, that we put on the new Christian disposition, consisting in three things. First, that towards God we be holy and heavenly minded. Secondly, that towards our neighbours we be loving: Thirdly, that we be sober and little in our own eyes. The comfortable fruit arising to us at this holy Table. Chap. 8   
FINIS.   

Psal. 36. 7. How excellent is thy mercy O LORD? therefore the children of men trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be satisfied with the fatness of thine house, and thou shalt give them drink out of the rivers of thy pleasures.  
Psal. 65. 4. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to come to thee, he shall dwell in thy courts, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thine house.  
Revel. 1. 5. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood, and made us Kings and Priests unto God, even his Father, to him be Glory, and Dominion for evermore. Amen.  
FINIS.