ritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Chrift) They did all eat the fame meat. Some had the food, but not the nourishment; they had not this fprinkling, for ver. 5, With many of them, God was not well pleafed. So it may be with any of us, at this dayThough we have caufe, with all thankfulness, to acknowledge, as David did, in another cafe, Pfal. 23.5, Thou prepareft a Table before me, in the prefence of mine enemies. To their great grief, and vexation, who thought they had fhut the Door, fo as no Man fhould have opened it: but God hath opened it, fo as none of them can, as yet, fhut it; fo that we are not scanted in provifion for our Souls; yet as Pharaoh's lean Kine did not profper ever the better for their feeding in a Meadow,and eating up the fat Kine: Even fo will it be with our Souls, unless we feed upon Chrift. In the use of Pasture, and all other means of feeding, they will still be lean, and ill-favoured. So that, if we were fenfible of it, we fhould fee cause to complain, as Ifaiah doth, My leannefs, my leannefs, Ifa. 24. 16. God will deal with us, as he did with them, when he gave them the food they lufted after, though they had it, yet he fent leanness into their Souls: Instead of nourishing them, a deadly confumption came along with it, as Num. 11. 33. Pray that we may be deN 3

not

livered from this Judgment, that we may not (as it is faid in our common Proverb ftarve in a Cook's fhop. And this leads me to the

3. Third Particular: What arguments are there to quicken our Spiritual appetite to this food? Of many that might be given, I shall only mention thefe three.

Din

(1.) This is food, that may easily be com paffed. Many are put hard to it, for a subfiftence for themselves, and their Families Eccl. 6.7, All the labour of Man is for bis mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. But it is not fo here; this is prepared, ready for us, Matth. 22. 4. I have prepared my ner: mine Oxen, and my Fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. And freely offer ed, it is but, Come, and eat, Ifa. 55.1, 2. Tis true, we are commanded to labour for this food, more then for any thing elfe that the World affords, what need foeyer we ftand in ofit, Joh. 6. 27, Labour not for the meat that perifbeth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man Shall give unto you. But it is with a labour like that of Adam in Paradife, fweet, eafie, and delightful. The very labouring after it, affords more content, and fatisfaction to the Soul (truly fo called) then any Crea ture-comfort whatsoever, Prev.3.15,16,17. (2.) There is no other food for our Souls

but

but this; we must feed upon it, or starve. Any thing that God appoints, may fupply the want of bodily food. Deut. 8. 2,35 Man doth not live by Bread alone, but by eve ry word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord, doth Man live. But nothing can fup ply the want of Chrift. They that feed upon any thing elfe, expecting any Soulnourishment, do but (as they Ifa. 44. 20.) feed on afbes. And indeed the complexion of fome Mens Souls, fhews what their diet is, fo Earthly, &c. As young folks under fome bodily Diftemper, eat Chalk, or Lime, &c. How ill do they look? Make the best of it, To feed upon any thing else is but perishing food, Joh. 6. 27. And as well may we think that fifhes of the Sea may live in the Air, or the beafts of the Field in the bottom of the Sea, as that the Soul may live, and prosper by any thing, either Providen ces, or Ordinances, without feeding upon Christ in them.

(3.) There needs no other food, Joh. 6. 55, For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. And as all the sweetness, defirableness, and matter of nourishment that is in the meat, is for the health, and wellfare of the Body: So whatever is in Chrift, and whatever Chrift is, (and Chrift is altogether lovely quantus, quantus est, all is for the life and health, ftrength and profperity

of the Soul. Joh. 10. 10. It is faid, He came into the World, that is to live, and dye in the World, to do and fuffer, what was to be done, and fuffered, that dead Souls might live, and living Souls have life in abun dance; that is, might live, and profper.

Whether we confider Chrift in his Perfon, or in his Offices, we fhall fee in both, that there, and there alone, food is to be had for our Souls.

Before I mention either of thefe, I shall first lay before you this Propofition.

That whatsoever may encourage a doubting Sinner, experimentally under clear convictions, that there is no poffibility of Salvation, in an Unregenerate ftate, and fully fatisfieth him, that all Salvation is to be had in Chrift, and without him, no Salvation at all; whatsoever I fay, may encourage fuch a Person, under great uncertainties, whether Chrift will accept of him, or no, to come unto him, to caft himself down at the foot fool of his grace, into the arms of his mercy, to depend upon him, and abide in him for all, that may give him a Title to, and a fitnefs for Heaven. And

(2. Whatever may establish fuch a Perfon, having thus adventured his Eternal etate in the hands of Chrift, in a good hope, through grace, that he shall receive fuch help and affiftance from the Spirit of Chrift, that

he

he shall persevere unto the end, both in the love that God bears unto him, and in the grace that he hath wrought in him, so as the good work begun in him, fhall be perfected: Where that is to be found which hath an influence into all this; there, certainly, food is to be had, for the life, health, and profperity of our Souls. This needs no proof, ye will all affent to it.

Now, that all this is to be found in Christ, and in him alone, will appear, whether we confider him in his Perfon, or in his Offi

ces.

(1.) In his Perfon, as God and Man in one Perfon. This is the great mystery of Godliness, as hath been, heretofore, at large opened unto you, from 1 Tim. 3. 16, Of all Gospel-myfteries, this is the greatest. That a loft finner fhould have fuch a Saviour, that is as verily Man, as God, and as verily God, as Man. That the Divine and Hu man Nature, that were, at first, at such a distance, should meet in one perfon. The serious confideration of this, hath much of Spiritual nourishment in it. It will appear to be fo, when we have weighed these two things.

(1.) What the work was, which Chrift came into the World to do. It was to be a Mediatour between God, and Man. A Mediatour of Reconciliation between a most

holy