Christ all and in all. Or, several significant similitudes by which the Lord Jesus Christ is described in the holy Scriptures Being the substance of many sermons preached by that faithful and useful servant of Christ Mr. Ralph Robinson, late pastor at Mary Wolnoth London. Which were appointed by the reverend author on his death-bed (if his brethren should think fit) to be published.

EXPLICATION.

My flesh. Flesh, when it is spoken in relation to Christ, as here in the Text, signifies two things. 1. Sometimes the manhood alone. So you have it, Joh. 6. 63. It is the spirit that quickneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. In this place the flesh signifies onely the humanity of Christ. So Austin expounds it, and Calvin after him. The huma∣nity is without advantage if it be separated from the spirit, that is, à spiritus virtute, quâ perfusa est caro. Calvin. 'Tis the Divinity that gives efficacy to the humanity. It is from the Spirit that the flesh hath any feeding vertue. 2. Some∣times the whole person of Christ, God-man. And so it is to be understood in the Text. My flesh is meat, that is, I am meat. I, God and man in one person. Now why flesh is mentioned here,

Cameron gives the reason; because our life is in the flesh and blood of Christ. Si enim carnem & sanguinem Christo tollas, non erit amplius ci∣bus noster. For that he might be food for our soules, it was necessary that he should satisfie the justice of God, and so purchase for us remission of sinnes. Therefore because by the shedding of his blood, and by the sacrificing and offering up of his body upon the crosse, he purchased this for us, Heb. 9. 22. his flesh is said to be our meat, and his blood our drink.

Is meat, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. This word is translated some∣times rust, Mat. 6. 19, 20. Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It signifies any thing that by rust or fretting doth eat in∣to metal or other creatures, and so consumes them. It is also translated meat, and signifies generally all kinde of food which is for the sup∣port of life, 2 Cor. 9. 10. he that ministreth seed to the sower, both minister bread to your food, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and multiply your seed sowen, &c. And so 'tis used in the Text. Indeed, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the flesh of Christ is called meat indeed, in a twofold respect.

(1.) In respect of all other food. All other food in respect of this, is but cibi tantummodo umbra & vana imago, as Cameron saith. As natural life in respect of the spiritual, is but a shadow of life; so the meat that is appointed for the natural life, if compared with the meat of the Spiritual life, is but a very image of meat. Christs flesh is real meat.

(2.) In respect of that typical meat which the Jews had lately spoken of, v. 31. Our fathers

did eat Manna in the desart, &c. Our Saviour tells them that that is but typical bread, but his flesh is bread indeed; it is the real sub∣stance of which that was but a meere type and shadow. Thus for Explication. The Observa∣tion is this.

Doct 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is really and truly the food and meat of beleevers. Flesh is here put for the whole person of Christ. Jesus Christ as he is held out in the Scriptures, is the true, real, and very meat of beleeving Christians; Christ as he is propounded in the Gospel, dead, broken, crucified. Christ in all his perfection, compleatnesse, fulnesse, is meat indeed to a true beleever. 'Tis the very scope of this Sermon, from v. 27. to v. 59. in which this truth is in∣culcated over and over againe, and all objecti∣ons answered, which the carnal reason, and unbeleefe of mans heart can make against it.

I shall in the Explication of this Doctrine o∣pen these things. 1. Prove that Christ is a beleevers meat. 2. Shew the Analogy between Christ and other meat. 3. How this meat is eaten and received.

I. That Christ is the soules meat. This is proved two wayes.

First, from the types of Christ in the Old Te∣stament. The Ceremonial Law had many types of Christ. Whatsoever is revealed of Christ in the New Testament, was some way or other typified of him in the Ceremonial Law. There are foure types which did set out Jesus Christ as the souls meat.

1. The Manna in the wildernesse. The Histo∣ry of the Manna is set down, Exod. 16. the

people being in some want of provision in the Wildernesse of sinne began to murmur against Moses and Aaron, v. 3. God promiseth, v. 4. to raine bread from heaven for them, which accordingly was done, v. 14, 15. That this was a type of the feeding vertue of Christ, is plainly discovered by our Saviour in this very Sermon, v. 31, 32. The Wildernesse did typifie the state of the Church in this world, and the Man∣na was a plaine type of Christ the Churches meat.

2. The Shewbread, The Law and manner of the Shewbread you have at large, Lev. 24. 5, 6, 7. 8, 9. There are two things represented by this Shewbread. First, the multitude of the faithful presented unto God in his Church, as upon a pure table, continually serving him: made by faith and holinesse, as fine cakes; and by the mediation of Christ, as by incense, made a sweet odour unto God. Secondly, the Spiri∣tual repast which the Church hath from and be∣fore God, who feedeth them with Christ the bread of life.

3. The meat-offerings. Concerning this Min∣chah or meat-offering you may reade at large, Lev. 2. 1, &c. These meat-offerings were of two sorts; some were the meat-offerings of the Con∣gregation, some of particular persons; of these latter there were several sorts mentioned in that Chapter. It's said, v. 3. that Aaron and his sons shall have the remnant of the meat-offering, that is, all of it; but that which is burned upon the Altar for a memorial, v. 2. Several things were signified by the meat-offerings. Being referred to Christ (who by the oblation of his own bo∣dy, was our meat offering, Psal. 40. 6. Heb.

10. 5.) they did shadow out our communion with Christ, and participation of his death, and resurrection by faith, whereby he becomes unto us spiritual meat, of which the whole Church are made partakers.

4. The flesh of the sacrifices of the peace-offer∣ings, and others which were given to the Priests, of which you read, Lev. 7. 15. they were to be eaten the same day it was killed. Now what was meant by the eating of the flesh of these sacrifices, and of the flesh of the other sacrifices which were given to the Priests to eat, vid. Lev. 10. 12, 13, 14. Surely Jesus Christ, who by his flesh as by precious meat, feedeth his people who are spirituall, Priests unto everlast∣ing life.

Secondly, from the Sacraments of nourishment both of the Old and New Testament. There were Sacraments of implantation, or initiation, and of growth; under the Law, Circumcision Passeover; under the Gospel, Baptisme, Supper of the Lord.

1. The Sacrament of nourishment under the Old Testament, was the Paschal lamb. The Law and rites of this are set down, Exod. 12. 3, 4, 5, &c. What did this Paschal Lamb signifie, but Jesus Christ our Passeover, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world? In this Sacrament was Jesus Christ set out as a nourisher. He is that precious meat upon which all the true Israel of God feed continual∣ly, who is therefore called our Passeover, 1 Cor. 5. 7.

2. The Lords Supper. This is the Sacrament of nourishment under the New Testament. And herein clearly Christ is exhibited as our

spiritual meat. His flesh is the bread, the wine is his blood. As the body is nourished by bread and wine, so is the soule by his body and blood nourished and fed to life eternal.

II. The Analogy between Christ and corporal meat, stands in these three particulars. Three great ends of meat.

1. Corporal meat is for the preservation of the natural life. The natural life is maintained by meat, through the concurrence of Gods ordina∣ry blessing. 'Tis pabulum vitae. Hence bread, under which all other provision is comprehend∣ed, is called the staffe of life, Esay 3. 1. Keep the strongest man from meat but a few dayes, and the life will extinguish and go out, 1 Sam. 30. 12. Jesus Christ is the maintainer and pre∣server of the spiritual life. As he gives it at first, so he upholds it. 'Tis by continual influ∣ences from him, that the life is kept from expi∣ring. If he withdraw his influx never so little, the soule is at the giving up of the Ghost, even halfe dead.

2. Corporal meat is for growth. 'Tis by meat that the body is brought from infancy to child∣hood, from childhood to youth, from youth to a perfect man. Jesus Christ is he that carries on a Christian from infancy to perfection. All the soules growth and increase is from Christ. So the Apostle, Col. 2. 19. From him the whole body having nourishment ministred, &c. The branches live and increase by vertue of the sap which is derived from the root. Christians grow by vertue of the sap which is to them derived from Jesus Christ. Every part growes by Christ.

3. Meat is a repayer of natures decayes. When by some violent sicknesse the spirits are con∣sumed,

the body wasted, the strength lost, meat fitly and seasonably taken, helps through the divine blessing to recover all again; 1 Sam. 30. 12. his spirit came to him againe. Jesus Christ is the repairer of the soules decayes. Sometimes a beleever through the neglect of his duty, through surfetting upon sinne, brings spiritual languish∣ings upon himself, his strength is decayed, his vigour is abated, his pulse beats very weakly, he can scarcely creep in the wayes of God. In such a case Jesus Christ recovers him, re∣paires his breaches and renues his strength, as in former times. The Psalmist speaks of this, Psal. 23. 3. He restoreth my soul, He leadeth me in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake. The Saints have every day experience of this restoring vertue of Christ.

III. How this meat is eaten and received. The Scripture makes mention of three things which concur to this act.

1. The Ordinances. These are the conduits. Jesus Christ hath instituted and appointed his Ordinances to be the meanes of carrying his nourishing vertue to the soul. The Ordinances are the dishes of gold upon which this heavenly meat is brought. Prayer, Reading, Preaching, Meditation, holy conference, the Sacrament; in these Christ presents himself to the soul. He that forsakes these, can expect no feeding from Christ. In this mountaine will the Lord of Hosts make a feast of fat things, &c. Esay 25. 6. The feast is made in the mountain of Gods house, and the Ordinances are the dishes on which this meat is set, and the knives by which its carved out to the soul.

2. Saving lively faith. This is the instrument.

What the hand, and mouth, and stomack are in the corporal eating, that is faith in this spiritu∣al eating. Faith is the hand that takes this meat, the mouth that eats it, and the stomack that digests it. Yea, faith is as the veines and Ar∣teries that do disperse and carry this nourish∣ment to every power of the soule. This is a∣bundantly cleared in this very Chapter, v. 35. he that cometh to me shall never hunger, he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst. Cometh is expounded by beleeveth. Eating and drink∣ing are here put for believing. Crede & mandu∣casti. He that beleeves eats; and he that eats not, it is because he beleeves not; Hic ed••re est credere.

Doct. 2. That the blood of Jesus Christ is drink indeed. Blood is here put for the whole person, as flesh was. And its rather his blood is drink, then that He is drink; because the great efficacy of all Christ did, lies principally in his blood, Heb. 9, 22. And in the same respects, as his flesh is said to be meat indeed, his blood is said to be drink indeed. And those three things which concurre to the act of eating his flesh, concur also to this act of drinking his blood. The mystical union, saving faith, the Ordinan∣ces. I shall therefore onely open two things,

• 1. Shew that Christs blood is drink.
• 2. The Analogy between his blood and o∣ther drink.

I. That the blood of Christ is spiritual drink, will appear.

1. From the drink-offerings under the Law. In the Law there were sundry drink-offerings ap∣pointed as well as meat-offerings. The daily sacrifice which was to be offered continually, every morning and evening, had both a meat-offering,

and drink annexed to it, Exod. 29. 40, 41. The daily sacrifice did signifie three things.

(1) That Jesus Christ the true Lamb of God was available to the Church of God, from the morning of the world, to the evening, the end of the world.

(2) To signifie the continual need the Church had of reconciliation by Christs blood, which taketh away sinne.

(3) To sanctifie the morning and evening prayers of the Church, by the interceding sa∣crifices of Christ the Mediator. And the meat-offering, and drink-offering added thereunto, did signifie, that Jesus Christ by offering himself to God, becomes not onely our redemption, but also meat and drink to the soul. The sheaf of the first fruits appointed to be offered every year, had both the meat-offering and drink-offering added thereunto, Lev. 23. 10, 11, 12, 13. The like is to be observed in other sacrifices. Now as the meat-offerings did represent Christ as food, so the drink-offerings did set him out as our spiritual drink.

2. From the water issuing out of the rock. You read the story of that, Numb. 20. The people in the desart of Zin wanted water. In their necessity, as their sinful custom was, they fall a murmuring, v. 3, 4, 5. God commands Moses, v. 8. to speak unto the rock to give them water; that they and their cattel might drink. Moses smites the rock twice (which was his sinne, because God only commanded him to speak to the rock) and it gave forth its water in abundance, v. 11. Now what the meaning of this water was, the Apostle tells us, 1 Cor. 10. 4. They drank of the rock that followed them, and

that rock was Christ. The rock typisied Christ, and the water of the rock, of which they and their cattel drank, typed out the blood of Christ our spiritual drink.

3. From the cup in the Lords Supper. Why is the cup added to the bread? Is it not to let us know, that Jesus Christ is spiritual drink as well as our spiritual bread?

4. From the resemblance of the vine. Our Sa∣viour, John 15. is compared to a vine. Why to a vine?

[1.] To shew the great mystery of the uni∣on of all the spiritual branches with him the root.

[2.] To signifie that he is our spiritual drink. The vine doth yield wine which is drink for the body: the Lord Jesus Christ doth yield spiritual drink for all those that are his members. He is the wine of God, as well as the bread of God.

II. Quae Analogia? The Analogy stands in foure things. There are four properties of drink distinct from meat.

1. Drink is for refreshing and cooling. When the body is hot by labour, or by sicknesse, or travel, drink doth coole and refresh it. The heart panteth after the water-brooks, Psalm. 42. 1. The chased Hart when he is heated with hunt∣ing, makes to the river, and by drinking is re∣freshed. The sweating Traveller goes to the spring and cooles himselfe by drinking of the streaming waters. The blood of Jesus Christ is of a very refreshing and cooling nature. When the soul is heated with temptations, parched with the fiery wrath of God in the conscience, when it lies sweating and sweltring under guilt,

one draught of Christs blood taken down by faith, yea one drop of it sensibly falling upon it, doth cool and refresh it again Hence he is also compared to the rivers of water in dry places, Is. 23. 2. Hence is that invitation, Mat. 11. 28 I wil•• give you rest, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, I will give you refreshment, so 'tis translated, Phil. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, nothing indeed can coole the parched soule but Christs blood. And this will do it abundantly when 'tis quite melted with wrath, and burnt up with anguish.

2. Drink cleanseth the body. The inward parts are washed and purified as well as refresh∣ed. As the running water cleanseth the chan∣nel, and carries away rubbish and filth, so drink seasonably and fitly taken, carries away the de∣filements that are contracted within the body. The blood of Christ is of a cleansing nature. 'Tis indeed the only cleanser. It doth, being taken by faith, carry away all the filthinesse of the inward Man. All the Ceremonial purifica∣tions were types of the purifying blood of Christ, Heb. 9. 13, 14. There ye have the typical clean∣sings expounded. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne, 1 John 1. 7 Christ takes away the guilt of sinne by justification, and he cleanseth us from the filthinesse of sinne by sanctification. You reade in Zech. 13. 1. of a fountaine opened for sinne, and for uncleannesse. This fountaine is nothing else but the fountain of Christs blood. He that drinks daily of this blood, shall be cleansed daily.

3. Drink is of a reviving nature. It recovers from faintings, it opens the eyes helps feeble∣nesse of Spirit, vid. Judg. 15. 18, 19. Samps••n being tired by that great slaughter of the Phi∣listines,

found his spirits sink, he prayes for drink, and when he had refreshed himself with water, his spirit came again, and he revived. Solomon, Prov. 31. 6, 7. prescribes strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to the heavy hearted, that they may forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more. Some drink is called Aqua-vitae, because of its usefulnesse and efficacy this way. The blood of Jesus Christ is a reviving blood. When the soul is in deliquio spirituali, when it faints, and dies, and sinks, the sprinklings of this blood will fetch it again, a drop or two of this true Aqua-vitae taken down by faith, will open the eyes and restore it again. This effect it had on Asaph, Ps. 73. 26. My heart and my flesh faileth, &c. but thou art the stay of my heart, and my portion for ever. This was fore∣told of Christ long before his birth, by that E∣vangelical Prophet, Esay 61. 1. and chap. 57. 15. To revive the spirit of the humble, and to re∣vive the heart of the contrite ones. It is his blood, and that alone, that healeth the broken in heart.

4. Drink is of a cheering nature. It doth be∣get and continue cheerfulnesse. The Psalmist tells us that wine maketh glad the heart of man, Psalme 104. 15. The blood of Christ is a heart-chearing thing. It's the only foundation, and the only preserver of true joy. It will make the heart merry in adversity, it will create laugh∣ter in heavinesse. Psal. 4. 6, 7. Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance, &c. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart, &c. The light of Gods countenance is lifted up onely in, and through Jesus Christ. Christs blood is the onely medicine for spiritual Melancholy. When the Church was

drinking in Christs wine-cellar, taking down this blood, how was her heart cheared? Cant. 2. 3, 4. I sate down under his shadow, &c.

Notes

• Susienta∣tion.
• Vegetation
• Reparation
• Numb. 15 init.