274 Godspatience and love, to be noted. Manna,a type ofChr,/1. giving both the typicall and the true manna from hea- ven. Then hee pleafed to give the manna to Ifrael, I. When Ifrael had great need of Gods helpe, andhad no power to helpe themfelves, when they were even ready to flarve : Even fo when the Church was in ex- treme needof Chrif},and altogether helpleffe in herfelf, it pleafedGod to give his Sonne from heaven to fave and refre(h her. Which the Apoflle notes, Rom 5-.6. For Chrit whenwe wereyet ofnofizrengtb, art hu time died for the ungodly. z. Then God gave Ifrael manna, when Ifrael ( murmuring ) had deferved nothing but wrath and vengeance ; when they could looke for no- thing but fire from heaven, heegives them food from heaven, and fuch food as was Angels food, fweet as honey Oh what a tender NurCe is the Lord become to a froward people? hee will flill the frowardneffè of his firft borne rather with the breaft then with the rod : Even fo when by our hatefull finnes of' many forts wee couldneither deferve nor expeaany thing but revenge from heaven, God fent his Sonne fromheaven, the true manna andbreadof life, who hach more fweetne.ffe in him then the honey combe ; whichone gift fweetneth all bleffings, which elfe hadbeene fomany curies. For what had the Ifraelites deliverance, viaory, lives been worth in the wilderneffe without food and manna, which kept them in life and firength ? Even fo had all our outward ble flings been to us ( withoutjefus Chrifl) onely a lingring death and mifery. Oh who would deale thus with his enemy, but bee that bath au Ocean ofmer- cy ? Which the fame Apoflle(in the fame Chapter ver. 8 ) leadethus unto ; where hee magnifieth and height- nethGods loveunto us ; that, while wee wereyet 'inners, Chaff diedforus,yea whilewe wereyet enemies(ver. i o.) he fent us this manna, by whomhe reconciled himfelfe unto us. ILet this confiderationbe of ufe : x.. To flirreup in us t.
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