that as God hath provided (and that, with great variety) Food and nourishment for the prefervation of the Natural life of our Bodies: So he hath, for the prefervation of the Spiritual life of our Soul; and that fuitable to the degree that our Souls have attained unto. Heb, 5.13, 14, Milk for Babes, Meat for ftrong Men. Food that endures to Eternal life, Joh. 6. 27. Such Food as is a Feaft, whereupon the Soul may feed, and fare delicioufly every day, Ifa. 25. 6, —a Feaft of fat things, a Feast of Wine on the Lees, &c. This is a matter we are much concerned in. That we know both our Priviledge, and our Duty herein, fomething must be faid to each of these four Particu

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1. What that Food is, which God hath provided, for the health, and profperity of our Souls.

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2. What those Means are, whereby that Food is conveyed unto us. 3. Something, by way argument, to quicken our Spiritual Appetite after it. 4. Something by way of Direction, how to feed upon it, fo as to receive that nourifhment from it, which our Souls ftand in need of

1. For the first of these. That Food which God hath provided for us, is Jefus Christ himfelf; but Jefus Chrift especially as Grucified. (1.) This

(1.) This Food is Jefus Christ himself. For the proof of this, confider, that Jefus Chrift is faid to be The tree of life, Revel. 2. 7. And the Hidden Manna, verf.17. Both which were Types of Chrift.

(1.) He is faid to be The tree of life, in allufion to that tree, Gen. 2. which was called the Tree of Life, not for any Natural, or Phyfical excellency in it, to preferve life, more then other Trees, but only as it was a Seal of the Covenant of works; a conditional Seal of that Eternity of Life, which 4dam might with all fullness of confidence have expected, if he had perfevered in faithfulness to what was required of him. But it is upon another account, that Jefus Chrift is called, The Tree of life, because he hath life in himself, and quickeneth whom he will, Fob. 5. 26. And with the Food that he af fords, nourisheth, and preferveth that life (where he hath quickened it) unto Eternal life, fo that it never runs into death. Revel. 22. He is faid to be a Tree of Life, on both fides of the River of the Water of Life. But one Tree, yet reacheth to both fides of the River; fo that all, from what quarter foever they come, may receive Food, and nourishment from him. And though but one Tree, yet it bare twelve kinds of Fruit, which fetteth forth the variety of Spiritual priviledges, and graces, which Jefus Chrift hath

hath to give forth for the profperity of the Soul, according to all its concernments. Thus as he is the Tree of Life, he is for the Food of our Souls.

(2.) He is fo, as he is faid to be, The bidden Manna, Rev. 2. 17. Manna, ye know, was their Bread in the Wilderness fourty years together. It is faid, Pfal. 78.25. to be Angels Food, whether for the excellency of it, that it was for them to have fed upon, if they had food in any need of it: Or whether it was prevared for them, by the miniftry of Angels This need not be difputed. This is certain, it was a Type of Chrift, who faith of himself, That he was the living Bread that came down from Heaven: And he is faid to be, The hidden Manna; poffibly alluding to that Pot of Manna, which was hidden in the Ark of the Testimony, pointing at Chrift,as hidden Food,altogether unknown to the unbelieving World, who never had fo much as a real tafte of the unfearchable riches of his grace, of the efficacy of his Death, or the power of his Resurrection. But as it was in reference to Manna: All those that in the exercife of Faith did eat of it, under that confideration, as a Type of Chrift, it was fpiritual meat to them. So the water out of the Rock, to all those that Lin the fame manner, under the fame confideration, did drink of it, was fpiritual drink,

1 Cor. 10. 3;4. Even fo is Jefus Chrift, at this day,and will be to the end of the World; his flesh will be meat indeed, and his blood will be drink indeed, to all those that feed upon him by faith. And this leads me to the fecond Particular.

(2.) That Jefus Chrift is this Food, which is appointed for the nourishment of the Soul, as he is a Crucified Saviour. Even as we read of the Manna, Numb. 11. 8. that it was prepared to be eaten, by being firft ground in the Mill, or beaten in a Mortar, and fo baked in a Pan. And lohe Rock was fmitten with the Rod of Mofes, before the water gufhed out, fo it was, at firft, by God's appointment, Exod. 17. 6. And the Pafchal Lamb was roasted at the fire, before it was eaten. Even fo Jefus Chrift was wounded for our tranfgreffions, fmitten of God unto death, that fo he might be fpiritual Food for Souls, according to the Father's appointment. This was the ground of Paul's refolution, He determined, to know nothing, (2. e. to make known unto them nothing, comparatively) but Jefus Chrift, and him Crucified. And indeed the first comfortable fight that a humbled finner hath of Chrift, when his heart works after him, for the life and Food of his Soul is, as he was clothed with his Garments of Blood, made a Curfe for finners, as obedient unto death.

This was always the scope of Paul's preach ing, firft to fet forth Chrift as Crucified, Gal. 3. 1. So he preached him, and so he defired that those who were his hearers might receive him. So the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, wherein fpiritual Food is adminiftered to a believing Soul, the fcope thereof is to fhew forth the Lord's death, till he come, 1 Cor. 11. 26. And this upon the highest -ground of reafon, for as Jefus Christ, by his blood redeemed our Souls from a state of fpiritual death, to a ftate of fpiritual life, breaking down the partition-wall, not only between Jews, and Gentiles, but also between God and Sinners, Eph. 2. 13. So he purchased thereby, not only a full discharge from the guilt of fin, by the imputation of his own righteoufnefs, but power to communicate, from his own fullness, continual fupplies of spiritual life, for the daily progrefs of Soul-profperity. For whatever we receive for our All, is to be received from Chrift, as rifing again from the dead, as afcending into Heaven, as making interceffion for those that come to God by him, and whatever influence Chrift in his Offices, as King, Priest, and Prophet hath into the life, and nourishment of our Souls, the foundation of all was laid in this, that Chrift was a Crucified Saviour. His interceffion is effectual, because his blood speaketh, Heb.12.23.

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