highly to be extolled; but fo did he open the womb of the bleffed Virgin. Elias opened the Heavens when they were fhut, and obtained rain for the earth: But the Virgins key of Prayer, accompanyed with the prayers of all Gods People in all ages, opened the Heaven of Hea vens, fo as they dropped down righteousnesse, Ifaiab the fourty fift chap ter and the eighth verle, Even the Sonne of Man that came down from Heaven, John the third chapter; that is Jefus Chrift, who is our righ teoufnele our fanctification, the firft epiftle to the Corinthians, the first chapter and the thirtieth verle. The effect of Hannahs Prayer is, Dominus dedit, which is the infcription of all the things we poffeffe, as King David confeffeth, O Lord, all this aboundance is of thine hand, the first book of the Chronicles and the twenty ninth chapter. But this infcription is peculiarly given to children and the fruit of the womb, Pfalm the hundred twenty feventh, which indeed are an inheritance and gift that commeth of the Lord; for he faith, Scribe virum iftum fterilem, Jeremiah the twenty fecond chapter and the thirtieth verfe: So he punished Michal which defpifed David, fo that she had no child to the day of her death, the fecond book of Samuel, the fixt chapter and the twenty third verfe: But if he bleffe this working, and fo make them fruitfull, then is it a bleffing and gift to be acknowledged with all thankfulnesse; efpecially when the children are as arrows and darts in the band of a Gyant, that is fpiritual, in Church or Commonwealth, Pfalm the hundred twenty feventh; for fuch achild was Samuel, therefore Hannah confeffeth it thankfully. But if we come to the compofition, we shall finde that Chrifts gift to us by God, is a farre greater. gift, if we confider that Salus data eft nobis, Ifaiah the ninth chap. ter; that God hath manifefted his love to the world, by giving a fonne to us, John the third chapter and the fixteenth verfe: He is Donum Dei, John the fourth chapter, which if we could receive, we should perceive how farre he exceeds Samuel: but he is drendűynter dupex', the fecond epiftle to the Corinthians the ninth chapter and the fifteenth verfe,Gods unspeakable gift. We must not talk of any other gifts; for he is the great gift of God to us: and that gift which we must offer to God for our finnes; without whom it is in vain to bring burnt offerings and facrifices, for he only putteth away iniquitle Ifaiah the fourty third chapter: And God having given us fuch a gift, how will he not with him give us all other things, Romans the eighth chapter. Samuel was a great gift to Hannah, for he proved fpiritual in the People of God, as a dart in the hand of a mighty man; but yet he was but a type of Chrift, who is the greateft gift that ever God bestowed upon mankinde...

The fecond Donation is on our part to God. In mans judgment, if God gives us fuch a gift, we are best to keep it but this gift is given us not to be kept, but to be layed out and bestowed for our ufe ; D4tus eft nobis, ut detur à nobis : And this is done in the latter verfe.

In which we have to confider, Firft, the Gift Secondly, Limitations. First, tor the time, As long as he lived: Secondly, the end. Ta

ferve God. If we ask,why Hannah and the Virgin doe give to God? the reafon is, becaufe God being offended, must be appeafed ; and nothing doth more ferve to appeafe wrath than a gift, Proverbs the twen ty first chapter and the fourteenth verfe; therefore Jacob sent a prefent to Efau, Genefis the thirty third chapter; ut cum difpliceret moribus placeret muneribus: As this kinde of fatisfaction hath place in all offences; fo chiefly when offence is made per ablationem ; we have ta ken away and robbed God, Philippians the second chapter, of the faith and obedience we owe to him: Therefore, as we have offended per ablationem; fo muft we fatisfic per oblationem; as Jacob, having robbed Efau of his birthrigh, by taking his bleffing from him, doth latisfie and appease his wrath by offering to him; that is the ground and reafon of our gift. But if we will appeale by a gift there muft be an equality; we may not offer a thing under the value of the thing which wastaken away; that is the reason why all the facrifices of the Law could not appeafe God, as the Apofle fheweth, It is imposible that the blood of Balls and Goats bould take away finnes, Hebrews the tenth chapter, and Pfalm the fourtieth; therefore the Prophet saith, Wherewith fhall I come and appear before God? fhall I bring Rams and Sheep, or Rivers of Oyle? Jhall I give my first borne? Michab the fixt chapter. But all that will not fatisfie God,for that we have taken from him. The value of our obedience to God is fuch as cannot appease and fatisfie his Majeftie, being offended, The foul is more pretious than all the world; and no fufficient rapfom can be given by man for it, Matthew the fixteenth chapter: But if we can offer to God a thing ofe quall price to the obedience which we owe to God, then no doubt but he will be appealed, especially if we offer a thing of a higher rate: But Chrift is of greater value than all that we can take from God; for howfoever the finne be great, in that we that are but men,fhould finne againft God who is infinite: yet if we look to Chrifts perfon, who hath farisfied for us, it is of fuch dignity as doth worthily ferve for a ranfom for the finnes of all the world. And for our concupifcence, the love of Chrift hath made a fufficient fatisfaction for it which love is fuch as the Apoftle calleth it, d, So that now we may fing both Mercie and Judgment, Pfalm the hundred and firft, of our felves we are to rely upon Gods mercy in Chrift: But in as much as Chrift in our perfons hath fo fully fatisfied for us, we may be bold to tell his Justice now, That his righteousnesse is made ours, and we are made the righteoufneffe of God in him, the fecond epistle to the Corinthians the fift chapter.

The limitation for the time is, all the dayes of his life. To make him a Nazarite was not enough, for that continues but for certain dayes, Numbers the fixt chapter: But Hannah gives her fónne to the Lord, all bis life, that is for ever. Such a Nazarite was Sampson, not for a few dayes, but from the day of his birth to the day of his death, Judges the thirteenth chapter and the seventh verfe: And befides these two we finde none that continued Nazarites fo long: But if we come to the compofition, we fhall finde, that whereas before Chrift many were

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made Nazarites and Priefts to ferve the Lord, because they were ot fuffered to indure by reafon of death. For Samuel, though he ved four core years, which age no man scarfe exceedeth, Pfalme the intieth. He whom the bleffed Virgin offered to be a Nazarite, was uch a one as endureth for ever, and whose office cannot be intercepted by leath, Hebrews the feventh chapter and the twenty third verse. As he is fuch a King, as of whofe Kingdome there is no end, Luke the first chapter and the thirty fift verfe, fo he hath an everlafting Pricfthood, The Lord hath appointed him to be a Prieft for ever, Pfalm the hundred and tenth, to make reconciliation between God and men; fe bath he obtained for us eternal redemption, Hebrews the ninth chapter and the twelfth verle; And is become the author of eternal (alvasion, Hebrews the fift chapter and the ninth verfe. So that the limitation which Hannah speaks of, stands more firm in Christ than in Samuel.

The fecond limitation is for the end, fignified in these words, And he shall ferve, or worship, the Lord: For it ftands with good rea fon, that as interceffion was the beginning, fo it should be the end for as the Pricft Eli faid, in the first book of Samuel and the second chapter, If man offend against God, who will be his dayes man, and come between God and him: There is none to undertake this matter, but se that is appointed to be the only mediation between God and man, the first piftle to Timothie the fecond chapter and the fift verfe, that is, Je fus Chrift, who, as he is God and man, so is God blessed for ever, Romans the ninth chapter, For a Mediator is not of one, Galatians the third chapter, but of two parties that are at variance, and the mediator is to ftand between them both. Now there is great difagreement be tween God and man, by reason of finne, which hath made a fepara tion. And therefore we are to inquire, who shall be the mediator. It is certain, Samuel, while he lived, stood between God and the peo ple, as a Mediator, to appease him by facrifice: But his mediatorThip is come to an end; Therefore wee muft look for a more perfec Mediator, fuch a one as Samuel himself needed. Now the Mediator that ftands between God and us, is not Samwel the Priest, but Chrift, the Sonne of the Virgin, who to appease the wrath of God his Father, offered up himself as a lambe, Ifaiah the fifty third chapter, to be a facrifice for us. Secondly, Because we need a mediator to stand between us and Sathan, he also doth perform this, and deliver us out of the jawes of that roaring Lyon. Wherefore as before he was a lambe, as appea fing God, as Samuel did; fo here, like Sampfon, he delivers us, like that Lion of the tribe of Fudah, which Facob foretold, Genefis the fourty ninth chapter, and hath thewed himself, in the fifth chapter of the Revelations, as before he was a Priest, so here he fhewes himself Ap 2, in the twelfth chapter to the Hebrews. Thirdly, he was to be our Interceffor, in refpe&t of judgement. It is with us, as it falls out be tween the Judges and the Clyent; and therefore Chrift is called an Advocate, in the first epistle of Fohn, the second chapter and fecond verfe. The law hath two parts, Punishment and Reward: Weby our

fiones, have made our felves guilty of the punishment and of the curfe that is threatned against them that continue not in all things, Galatians the third chapter; But he ftands as a Mediator between the punishment and us, and hath fed his blood as a ransome for our finnes, the first epiftle to Timothie, the second chapter; and to hath cancelled the hand-writing that was against us, and taken away the malediction that was due to us, Collossians the fecond chapter; and for the reward which we fhould have deserved, fac hoc & vives; howfoever we have debarred our felves of ir, yet he is άρεσις των παραπλωμάτων, Ephefians the firft chapter; and hath bought and purchafed lite for us: He is a Mediator, and Interceffor on our parts to God propter exceffum peccati, & defectum meriti; by his innocencie and righteoufneffe he hath purchased that for us, which we could not deferve for our finnes.

This is to be an Interceffor, which interceffion is performed in all Religions, by Prayer and Oblation? By prayer Chrift is our Interceffor; For he fits at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for us Romans the eight chapter; not for the godly only, but for his enemies, Father forgive them, Luke the twenty third chapter, as it was foretold of him He fhall pray for the tranfgreffors, Ifaiah the fitty third chapter; And he prayed not only for forgiveneffe of finnes, but for the turning away of punishments due to finne ; which was the caufe,that he offered up fupplications to God with strong cries, Hebrews the fift chapter and the leventh verse: He prayed that the holy Ghoft might begiven to his Difciples, John the fourteenth chapter: 1 will pray the Father that the holy Ghoft being given, Sathan might not fift them, to turn them from the faith, Luke the twenty fecond chapter. Laftly, That we may be partakers of glory with him, John the feventeenth chapter, and be where he is. As he prayeth for us, fo he makes good and fupplyeth the imperfections of of our prayers, and makes them acceptable to God; Canticles the eighth chapter,Fac me audire vocem tuam, that is, I will take upon me to obtain for you, that which you can

not:

Secondly for Oblation, As Samuel did not only pray to God for the People, but did himself take a fucking Lamb, and offer it up to God for the People, the first book of Samuel the feventh chapter: So Chrift as our Interceffor to God, not only by prayer, but by oblation, was an oblation offered in the morning, when he was prefented to God his Father, that he would for us yeeld obedience to the Law; and in his death was an evening oblation; he was not only the eare and first fruit of the corne, but became the vine in his death, by shedding his blood: And as he not only prayeth, but giveth virtue to our prayers; fo he doth not only offer for us, but give a virtue to our oblations, as the Prophet foretold, That when he should come into his Temple, the offerings of the people should be acceptable, Malachie the fecond chapter and the fourth verfe. Our prayers and oblations are full of imperfections: And whereas God appointed that the woman that was to be purified, fhould offer to God a young Lamb without spot,or a pair of Doves, Leviticus the twelfth chapter, to teach us, that though he cannot offer Cccc 2

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up himself to God tanquam agnum immaculatum, yet tanquam columbam gementem; if not innocencie of life, yet repentance and forrow for finnes. But because we cannot prefent either a Lamb or a Dove,neither innocencie of life, nor true forrow for finnes; therefore Chris oblation doth fupply the defe&t of our imperfections: We cannot offer up fuch tears for finne as we ought; therefore the strong cries and tears, which he offered, Hebrews the fift chapter the feventh verse, stand between God and us: Because the agonie and grief of our heart is cold and dead ; therefore the agonie that he indured, when hefweat water and blood, is a fuppliant, Luke the twenty fecond chap. ter. So he is both an oblation for us, and fupplyeth the imperfections of our oblations. He having offied up himself to God, as a Lamb imò maculate and without pot, the first epiftle of Peter the first chapter and the nineteenth verfe, hath appeafed the wrath of God his Father and procured his favour for us, and keeps away the malice and rage of Satan from us.

Revel. 2.7. Victori dabo edere ex arbore illa vita quæ est in medio Pa radifi Dei.

Febr. 4. 1598.

PLACE of Scipture purposely chofen, that we might not depart from the confideration of those things wherein we have been occupied heretofore, and yet fuch as may fitly be applyed for our instruction in the Sacrament of the body and blood of Chrift: for though we be now in the Revela tions, yet are we not gone from the third chapter of Genefis; wherein we learned, that Adam was fent out of the Garden and kept from the tree of life. And for the bufineffe we intend, there is Affinity of the a great affinity between the tree of life which God fet in Paradife, as Tree of life, a quickning means for the coutinuance of life in Adam, if he had concrament of the tinued in his first state, and the Sacrament of Chrifts body and blood; Loids Supper. for, as I told you, the caufes of that Scripture gives man a hope of re

and of the Sa

Atitution to Paradife and the tree of life, which is acquifitis novi juris :
And that reftitution is performed in this place.

There was an Angel set to forbid Adam acceffe to the tree of life; which was a fight dreadfull, for that he was armed with a firie fword: But here we have comfort, that he that makes this promise of restitution, is an Angel as well armed, viz. with a two edged sword, Apocalyps the first chapter and the fixteenth verfe, whofe eyes were as a flame of fire, Apocalyps the fecond chapter and the eighteenth verfe. So there is a refemblance between the partie that here gives licence to come to the tree of life, and the other that forbid to come to it. The one threatned with a sword; the other promifeth to the perfons that keep the condition here expreffed, That they shall eat of the tree of life.

The