.Book II. c H R I s T THE B R E A D OF L I F E. 399 H. What great Love Chri rl: had to Sinners, that he fhould leave his R iches and Glo· ry above, to come down to be an Aporl:le, a Fellow-~ervant, for our hkcs. He that was ricb became pcor, that we through his Poverty might be made rich, 2 Cor. viii. 9· Ill. What need luve we of rhe Pope and his Cardinals, feeing God hath been f<> ,kind, to give us Chrifr to be our Apoille and High- Prie~.! We own none but Chrirl: to be the .Apojl!e mzd High-Priejl of our Profeffion, Heb. 111. 1. who can do all Thwgs for us by his Word, Spirit, and Minifters. Away therefore with that grand Antichri!l, and vile lmporl:or, whom they call his Holinefs, with all his Antichriftian Crew. IV. This may !erve to inform us, that we ought to ]i(\en to him, and be taught by him, for there is great Reafon for it. I. God fent him : I came not of myfelf, the Father fent me. 2. HeJPake fo as never Man jpake, John vii. 46. No Man ever yet, nor ever will fpeak like the Man Chrifr Jcfus. He fpake like one that had Authority, and not like the Scribes, learned Doctors, and wife Men among the J ews, Matt. vii. 29. Many were allonifhed at his Underfhnding and Anfwers in his tender Age. 3· God commands us to hear him : '!'his is my beloved Son, hear him, Matt. xvii. 5· 4• God threatens us if we do not hear him; it is dangerous to refufe to hear him ; How jhall we efcape, if we tunz away from him thatJpeaks from Heaven? Heb. xi. 2 5· c H R I s T THE B R E A D OF L I F E. I am the Bread of Life: '!'his is the Bread which cometh down from. Heaven. I am the living Bread which came down from Heavm, John vi. 48, so, 51. JT is not my Buonefs here to give the various Opinions of Men touching the Bread in the Text, (Some hold it to be Chrifr's Doctrine; others, Chrifr in the Sacrament; others hold it is Chri(\ in a more invioble Adminlllrarion); but to fhew metaphorically, that whatfoever Bread properly fo called, is to Men, conodered as Men; that J efus Chri(\ is unto Believers, and all true Chrillians, according to the Gofpel. METAPHOR. !. BREAD is prepared and made fit for Food. ll. ·Bread is a Subfrance well fuited for the SubjeCt to which it is appointed. PARALLEL. I. THE Lord Jcfus was prepared by God the Father, to be a meet and fit Savior, and Foo<l for our Souls; .ABody hafl thou prepared me, Heb.x.s. !I. J efus Chrifr is well fu ited to the Soul or SubjeCt that is to receive him, all ~alifications which are really ufeful to fupport and refrefh the Soul are in him; viz. Mercy, Kindnefs, Good– nefs, Gentlenefs, Pity and Sympathy, Matt. xi. z8, 29. He adminillers to the Foor, feeds, fills, fatisfies, [<Jc. Of his Fulnefs we receive, and Gracefor Grace, John i. t6. Ill. Bread is good in itfelf, and Ill. Chrifr is good in himfelt~ and in his own ()f its own nature. nature, and he cannot but be fo, becaufe there is no evil Quality can mix, incorporate or convey the leafr Tincture into him; although he feems to refufe the Attribute of abfolme Good : Why callejl thou me good? &c. Matt. xix. 17. Yet was he really and complearly good in his whole Nature and O!:'ality, being God, &c. IV. Bread is not inherent in us, lV. Jefus is not inherent in us, as fome imagine, but a difrinct Thing from us, and but is a dillinf.l: Perfon, or Subllance without bs, a Gift from another. the Gift of God to us, John iv. 10. He came to his own, but his own received him not~ but to as many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, &c. John i. I 1, 12. V. Bread is ordained to an high V. Chri(\ was ordained of God to a very high and moO: excellent End, even to and excellent End, even to uphold the whole preferve the whole Race of ManRace of Mankind; this Lamb was fore-ordained, kind. 'That through him Sinners might be faved, 1 'Tim. i. t 5· 'l'houjhalt be my Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, .Acts xiii. 47 VI. In
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