An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the thirty second, the thirty third, and…

What can dainty meat do a man good, when he is sick and ready to dye? Then gold and silver, lands and houses, which are the dainty meat of a covetous man, are loathsome to him. When a man is sick to death, his very riches are sapless and tasteless to him; wife and children, friends and acquaintance can yield little comfort in that dark hour, yea they often prove miserable comforters: When we have most need of comfort, these things administer least or no comfort at all to us. Is it not our wisdom then to get a stock of such comforts, as will hold and abide fresh with us, when all worldly comforts either leave us, or become tasteless to us? Is it not good to get a store of that food, which how sick soever we are, our stomachs will never loath? yea the sicker we are, our souls will the more like, hunger after, and feed the more heartily upon. The flesh of Christ is meat indeed (Joh: 6.55.) Feed upon him by faith, in health and in sickness, ye will never loath him. His flesh is the true meat of desires, such meat as will fill and fatten us, but never cloy us. A hungry craving appetite after Christ, and sweet satisfaction in him are inseparable, and still the stronger is our appetite, the greater is our satisfaction. And (which is yet a greater happiness) our souls will have the strongest appetite, the most sharp-set stomach after Christ, when, through bodily sickness, our stomachs cannot take down, but loath the very scent and sight of the most pleasant perishing meat, and delicious earthly dainties. Look, that ye provide somewhat to eat, that will go down upon a sick-bed; your sick bed meat is Christ; all other dainty food may be an abhorring to you.

What can dainty meat doe a man good, when he is sicke and ready to dye? Then gold and silver, lands and houses, which are the dainty meat of a covetous man, are loathsome to him. When a man is sicke to death, his very riches are sapless and tastless to him; wife and children, friends and acquaintance can yeild little comfort in that dark houre, yea they often prove miserable comforters: When we have most need of comfort, these things administer least or no comfort at all to us. Is it not our wisdome then to get a stock of such comforts, as will hold and abide fresh with us, when all worldly comforts either leave us, or become tastless to us? Is it not good to get a store of that food, which how sick soever we are, our stomacks will never loath? yea the sicker we are, our soules will the more like, hunger after, and feed the more heartily upon. The flesh of Christ is meat indeed (Joh: 6.55.) Feed upon him by faith, in health and in sicknesse, ye will never loath him. His flesh is the true meat of desires, such meat as will fill and fatten us, but never cloy us. A hungry craving appetite after Christ, and sweet satisfaction in him are inseparable, and still the stronger is our appetite, the greater is our satisfaction. And (which is yet a greater happiness) our soules will have the strongest appetite, the most sharp-set stomacke after Christ, when, through bodily sickness, our stomacks cannot take down, but loath the very scent and sight of the most pleasant perishing meate, and delicious earthly dainties. Looke, that ye provide somewhat to eat, that will goe downe upon a sick-bed; your sick bed meat is Christ; all other dainty food may be an abhorring to you.