Beams of divine light breaking forth from several places of holy Scripture, as they…Beames of divine light breaking forth from severall places of holy Scripture, as they…

Again secondly, we may know that we have tasted Christ and fed on him, and on the good things that are by him, when we are strengthened by our feeding, when we are strengthened to duties, strengthened against tentations and against corruptions. Thou sayest thou believest on Christ and hast made him thine own, what comfort and strength feelest thou by Christ? art thou able to encounter a tentation? art thou able to resist a lust? art thou able to perform holy services? If there be no strength in thee, but every tentation turns thee over, and thou yieldest to every base lust, where is Christ? canst thou believe Christ to be thy King, and yet suffer thy lusts to bear sway in thee? canst thou believe that Christ is a Priest that died for thy sins, and yet cherishest and lovest sin? canst thou believe that Christ is in Heaven and that thou art in heavenly places with Christ, and yet hast no mind of heavenly things, but art carried away with every earthly thing? No, thou hast not yet tasted how good and gracious the Lord is, thou hast not yet relished the heavenly Manna: the soul that feeds on Christ is strengthened from spiritual reasons and supernatural grounds and divine principles drawn from Christ to duty, so that it is enabled even with a holy violence ⟨p. 191⟩to do any thing for Christs sake; for the soul reasons thus, Christ gave himself to death for me, I will therefore (if need be) give my self to death for him, Christ thought nothing too dear for me, I will think nothing too dear for him, this pride, this vanity that I am tempted to, these were the spears that were the death of my Saviour; thus the soul fetches reasons from the death of Christ to strengthen it against temptations, to strengthen it to duty: and so for the matter of comfort, after meat hath been received we are refreshed, if the soul be sweetly refreshed with the comforts that are to be had in Christ, and in the Word of Christ, it is a sign we have tasted Christ: those that have trembling and discouraging hearts and souls, that cannot rest nor receive comfort, it is a sign they have not rightly tasted Christ, Come unto me (saith Christ) all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and ye shall find rest to your souls; in Christ there is rest, out of Christ there is no rest;

Againe secondly, wee may know that wee have tasted Christ and fed on him, and on the good things that are by him, when wee are strengthened by our feeding, when wee are strengthened to duties, strengthened against tentations and against corruptions. Thou saist thou beleevest on Christ and hast made him thine own, what comfort and strength feelest thou by Christ? art thou able to encounter a tentation? art thou able to resist a lust? art thou able to performe holy services? If there be no strength in thee, but every tentation turnes thee over, and thou yeeldest to every base lust, where is Christ? canst thou beleeve Christ to be thy King, and yet suffer thy lusts to beare sway in thee? canst thou beleeve that Christ is a Priest that died forthy sinnes, and yet cherishest and lovest sinne? canst thou beleeve that Christ is in Heaven and that thou art in heavenly places with Christ, and yet hast no minde of heavenly things, but art carried away with every earthly thing? No, thou hast not yet tasted how good and gracious the Lord is, thou hast not yet relished the heavenly Manna: the soule that feeds on Christ is strengthened from spirituall reasons and supernaturall grounds and divine principles drawne from Christ to duty, so that it is enabled even with a holy violence