What is this heavenly manna, what is Christ and his Father, what is the word and sacraments, to a depraved, vicious heart, stufied full with earthly vanities ? Alas ! it loatheth all these. As none tasted of manna but those that came out of Egypt, so none shall taste of Christ but those that are not of the world, that are come out of Eg^^t, out of sin and darkness. Manna fell only about the tents of Israel, and in no other part of the world, but only there, that none might have the pririlege to eat of it but God's peculiar, chosen ones. Christ falls upon the tents of the righteous, and none shall taste of this blessed, spiritual food but such as are the Israel of God, such as are of the church, such as feel the burden of sin and groan under it. Oh ! the very taste of this heavenly manna is sweet to their souls,
VOL. II. F f
450 THE MARRIAGE FEAST [SeRMON I.
and to none but them. Thus ye see the feast that Christ maketh for us in mount Zion, and that this manna doth typify Christ with all his benefits.
3. Again, the hard rock in the wilderness, when it was strucken* with the rod of Moses, presently w^ater gushed out in abundance, which preserved life to. the Israelites ; so Christ, the rock of our salvation, the strength of his church, the rock and fortress of all his saints, when his precious side was gored with the bloody lance upon the cross, the blood gushed out, and in such a manner and such abundance, that by the shedding thereof our souls are preserved alive. He is both manna and the rock of water. Manna had all in it, so had the rock ; and all necessities are plentifully supplied by Christ. The church of God hath alw'ays had bread to satisfy spiritual hunger. It never w^anted necessary comforts. It is said, Rev. xii. 6, ' When the church fled into the wilderness, God fed her there,' alluding to the children of Israel fed by manna. The Jews did not want in the wilderness, nor the church of God never wanted comfort, though in the midst of the persecution and oppression of all her enemies. When EUas was in the wilderness, he was fed,' 1 Kings xvii. 4, 6. The church of God shall not only be fed in her body, but in her soul, for Christ hath hidden manna for his elect. This doth typify the exceeding joy of the church, the hidden manna, ' that neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard of, neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive of those joj's,' 1 Cor. ii. 9, that the church of God shall have when the marriage shall be consummated. Joy in the Holy Ghost, and peace of conscience, they are hid from the world, and sometimes from God's people themselves, though they shall enjoy them hereafter.
4. AU the former feasts in times past were but tj'pes of this. The feast of tabernacles, the feast of the passover, the spiritual manna, and all other holy feasts, were but to signify and to shew forth this feast by Christ. But there is this difference between the type and the thing signified. By the type, the passover lamb was quite eaten up ; but this passover, Christ, that was slain for sin, can never be eaten up. AVe feed upon him with our souls. He cannot be consumed as the passover lamb, nor as manna, which was gone when the sun arose. Yea, that manna that was laid up for a remem- brance before the ark, became nothing, but Christ is in heaven for ever- more for the soul to feed upon. Though these were resemblances, yet these failed, as it is fit resemblances should fail, that is, come short of the body of the thing itself. Thus you see the spuitual comfcrts of a Christian may well and fitly be compared to a feast,
5. Thus you see God provideth a feast, and inviteth all. In the sacra- ment you hare a feast, a feast of varieties, not only bread, but wine — to shew the variety and fulness of .comfort in Christ. He intendeth full comfort. As for our adversaries the papists, they have diy feasts. They give the people the bread, but the wine they keep for themselves. But God in Christ intendeth us full comfort. Whatsoever Christ did, it was full. His merits are complete, and his joy was full. He is fulness itself; and, therefore, whatsoever comes from him must needs be, as he himself is, both full and sweet. He intendeth us full consolation.
Use. Therefore, we ought to be prepared to partake of this feast, in such a manner as that we may have full joy, and full comfort ; for there is in Christ enough to satisfy all the hungry souls in the world, he himself being present at this heavenly banquet. ' All fulness dwells in him,' Col. i. 19, from which * we have all received, and grace for grace.' Therefore, * That is, ' struck.'— G.
ISA. XXV. 6.] BETWEEN CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH. 451
1, Let us labour to have large hearts: for as our faith groweth more and more, so we shall carry more comfort and more strength from this holy feast. As the poor widow, if her vessels had not failed, the oil had not ceased ; if there had been more vessels, there had been more oil, 2 Kings iv. 6. Om- souls are as these vessels. Let us therefore laboui% and make it our gi-eat business to have large souls, souls capable to drink in this spiritual oil of gladness ; for as much faith as we bring to Christ, so much comfort we shall cany from him. The favours of God in Christ being infinite, the more we fetch from him, the more gloiy we give unto him. But if they were finite, we should ofiend his bounty, he might soon be drawn diy, and so send us away with an uncomfortable answer, that he was not able to relieve us. But Christ is infinite, and the more we have from him, the more we may have. ' To him that hath shall be given,' Mat. xiii. 12. The oftener we go to Christ, the more honour and glory we bring unto him. This is a banquet to the full.