CONCERNING MIRACLES. 111 consumed with fire from the Lord; therefore much more in the gospel-dispensation ought men not to offer with strange fire, or sparks of their own kindling, lest they lie down in sorrow; but rather wait for the living word, that is as a fire to warm their devotions, to kindle their zeal, that they may break forth into prayer or praises, or preaching in his sending, and then their work will neither be in vain to themselves, nor to the souls of those who uprightly seek the Lord; yea, we can say, the Lord by such instruments hath mercifully reached not only to the weary traveller, but also to the loose libertine, and by his power and goodness hath drawn such to turn to him and admire his merciful kindness to them in their unworthiness; so that the prophecy of Isaiah hath been fulfilled,—I am found of them that sought me not. 2 CHAPTER XXXII. Of Spiritual Eating. In this spiritual worship the spiritual bread is eaten, such as the spiritual birth hungereth after; for, being born from above, it must have the bread that is from above, even that which comes down from heaven,3 and gives life to the world. That which gives life to the people of God, nourisheth them, is their bread. The Jews eat manna in the wilderness, and (1) Jer. xxiii, 29. (2) Isaiah lxv, 1. (3) John vi, 50. 112 CONCERNING SPIRITUAL EATING, they are dead; but this bread, which cometh down from heaven, a man may eat thereof and not die. I know many ascribe this eating to the eating of that which they call their consecrated bread, but a man may eat thereof and die; yea, they that are dead in old Adam, may eat any of their consecrated bread, and be still dead unto God: and, therefore, those that are serious in religion, ought well to examine what they eat, for if they eat the meat that perishes, they eat that which Christ bid them not to labour for. They that eat of the bread which perisheth, no wonder if they abide in the perishing state; but he that eateth of the bread which Christ gives, shall live for ever. I am sensible I am here arguing against the tenor of one part of the aforesaid author's discourse, where he saith, The same means which serve to beget this divine temper must still be practised for strengthening and advancing it;" and therefore he recommends "the frequent and conscientious use of that holy sacrament, which (he saith) is peculiarly appointed to nourish and increase the spiritual life, when once it is begotten in the soul." But here our author might have a little further considered his own way of arguing-The means that begets this divine temper must nourish and increase the spiritual life. Whereupon, I observe, that which begets this divine life in the soul, is not any ceremonial performance; but in the said author's words, "It is wrought "in the souls of men by the power of [the] Holy "Spirit, it is a beam of the eternal light, a drop of that infinite ocean of goodness."3 " (1) John vi, 27. (2) Scougal. (3) ditto. AND SPIRITUAL BREAD. 113 Now, I presume our said author will not say, a beam of the eternal light is produced by any ceremonial act; and, consequently, being not produced thereby, according to his own way of arguing, is not nourished or increased thereby; but as its birth is from above so must its nourishment and increase be. For, as he allows, the same means which serve to beget it, must nourish and increase it when begotten. As charity obliges to have a tender regard to those who still are in a conscientious practice of those external things, so we tenderly entreat them to come to a serious consideration of what is here above offered, viz:-That the new birth is a being born again, or born from above, and must be fed by somewhat proportionate to its own nature. The birth brought forth by this drop (as he calls it) of the infinite ocean of goodness, must from the same ocean have its nourishment and increase; and that I grant is spoken of in Scripture, under the term of the flesh and blood of Christ. But as Protestants generally own this is not to be understood literally, so Christ also interprets his own words, saying,- "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you they are Spirit, and they are life."1 As if he had said, it is Spirit and life ye must partake of, and live by, as regenerate men; or according to our author's way of arguing, as it is Spirit and life from the fulness in God, whereby the soul is brought to be newborn, so it is Spirit and life whereby it must be nourished and increased; for, saith he, the same means which serve to beget this divine temper [or divine life], the same must nourish (1) John vi, 63. 114 SPIRITUAL BREAD. and increase it. And in this our explication of those words of Christ, the learned Dr. Gell agrees with us ;-"As our earthly fathers impart unto their children essence, nourishment, education and inheritance, the Father of Spirits gives to his children his divine nature. He nourisheth us with the flesh and blood, the Word and Spirit of his Son."2 From which I desire it may be well noted, that that eminent Doctor of the Church of England understands the words flesh and blood to mean the Word and Spirit of God, and this is certainly food from above. CHAPTER XXXIII. The Lamb in the Passover a Figure, and by the offering of Christ the use thereof became unnecessary. SPIRITUAL food is so necessary to the spiritual man, that he can no more live without it, than the natural man without outward bread; and having tasted of its divine virtue, he prays, evermore give us of this bread. 3 This weans the upright from all resemblance of it, from all representations of it; the figures of heavenly things will not now do, he must have the heavenly things themselves. During the Mosaical Dispensation, the lamb in the Passover, eaten in sincerity, was a service required (1) 2 Peter i, 4. (2) Gell's Essay. (3) John vi, 34. JEWISH CEREMONIES. 115 and acceptable; but to the Jews (when dead in form) it was said to them, (by way of a prophetical command, importing the end of such external performances.) bring no more vain oblations; yet our Lord shewed them the right use of the shadow, so long as the shadow was to continue, when he said, This do in remembrance of me. 1 And though some do plead therefrom the continuance of a part of the Passover, yet Christ said, "I will not any more eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God." And what was the fulfilling of it, but the enjoyment of the substance, of which the Passover and other sacrifices were shadows, to remain for a season. But when by that one offering, which he offered once for all, he had put an end to that dispensation, the obligation ceased both as to Passover-sacrifices and Circumcision; yet it may be acknowledged, the use of them did not immediately cease. For we find in the New Testament, many thousands of Jews which did believe, were all zealous of the law, and some compelled Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) to use a legal purification; yea, the very Apostles themselves were at first apt to be using the circumcision of the flesh, even when it cannot be denied the circumcision made without hands was in some measure come; so ready were they to fall in with that saying of Peter, James, and John in the Mount, "Let us make three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias."5 Here I desire the serious will consider the remarkable proposal of these three Disciples to Christ, Let (1) Luke xxii, 19. (2) - xxii, 16. (3) Hebrews x, 14. (4) Acts xxi, 20, 24. (5) Matt. xvii, 4. |