,illeyelation of the Apocaiypfe. CAP.1.. High and it wasmeat, which Godgave the people abundantly in the wilder- haughty nell'e, when as therewas no poflibility to come by any other. Now Pergamus. in this condition of the Church of Pergamrys, when that linke of filthineffe which came fromthe Nicolaitans and the fucceffours of Balaam, that is, the Romifli Idolaters, overfpred all , the Church was lurking, as it were, in a wafte, wofull, andhideous wilderneffe, Whither Weihallfee the Woman betake her felfe, flying from the Dra- gon, Chapter 12. But Chrifl nourifheth her with the meat of the wilderneffe, asof old he fed the childrenof Ifrael, For hewill not be wanting tohis fervants in moll difrefheftill times, but will abun- dantly powre out the joy of his Spirit, whereby they may not only be preferved alive, butmay alfo rejoyce exceedingly, as havingvery great caufe and matter of joy. This Manna therefore is the fame meat, with that fruit of the Tree of life in Paradife, as we obfer- vedon the feventh verfe, but hére is a diverfe matrnet of conferring- it. There, in a mofl chafte, pure and flourifhing Church, it Was the fruit of the Tree in the middefl of the Paradife of god, here, when the truth was fpurnedat, contemned, troden under feet, yea and al- together overwhelmed with darkm.ffe, it is Manna, the foodof the Wilderne(je. This meat fhouldnot be feer,e of the world,who lhould thinke that they 'which had fled into this wilderneffe, were killed withhunger, becaufe of the fcarcity of viauals, as th; .Egyptians thoughtthat the Ifraelites would firaight have periíhed in ttua re- gard in the wilderneffe, but God fu[lained his people extraordina- rily with this bread of Angels, yet this is the difference between the Manna of the people of' Pergamus,, and this of the Ifrae'ites ; For this Was' fcattered every Way round abont the Tents; that was difperfed in private to each of the Saints, who did not d well fo thicke together, as the Ifraelites that kept in Tents did, but cet- taine of them in dens of the earth, here one, there another, re- mote from the eyes of' the world. Whence it is that the Manna of thefe men is hidden, theirs was manifefl ; like to that Manna truly, that wasgathered by the common taske of the whole people, and was by Gods commandement hiddenand laid up Within the gob- denPot, which after that the people'might not have power to fee into, Exodus 16. 33, 3 q.. Hebr. 9.4. The which did fhadow out in a mote magnificent figure the heavenly food. For the other Manna being referved beyond the fpace of one day, didcraule full of Wormes,this continued throughout all ages entire and uncorrupt, being a lively and expreffe refemblance of the immortali foodThis .
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