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The point is next, how thefe fhall prevail But if we confider how the Angels or Seraphins, Ifaiah the fixt chapter and the second verse, (in that they hid their faces before the Lord of hofts; which was Chrift,whofe glory was then fhewed, John the twelfth chapter,) and Cherubins, Ezechiel the tenth chapter, doe reverence this Angel and caft their crowns down before him, as the bleffed fpirits doe, Apocalyps the fift chapter, it is like he fhall prevail, for the one is the fword but of a miniftring fpirit, Hebrews the first chapter, but this is the promise of the Lord of life and glory, Acts the third chapter, and the first epistle to the Corinthians the fecond chapter.

But the chief point to be inquired is, How the holy Ghoft agreeth with himself, that man being debarred of the tree of life, is restored to it: The answer is, Genefis the third chapter and the twenty fe cond verfe, the punishment laid upon him was, That he might not put forth his hand and take of the tree of life: But if there be a power given to man, to eat of the tree, Fohn the nineteenth chapter and the eleventh verfe, then he may take of it. Man of himself may not rush into Paradife; but if that power of returning be given him, which Chrift gave to the theef, Luke the twenty third chapter, This day fhalt thou be with me in Paradise, then he may enter. Now Chrift hath chafed to us a new right of returning, and by virtue thereof, we have power to eat of the tree of life, and he gives us licence to enter into Paradife.

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But to apply this Scripture to our prefent purpose, there is fome Applicatio, thing in the Sacrament that difpofeth us to life, and gives us a power of life, no leffe than the tree of life. For herein we are partakers of that bread of life which our Saviour speaks of, Fohn the fixt chap ter, I am the bread of life that came down from Heaven, he that eateth of this bread fhall live for ever, and my flesh is that bread. As I live by the Father, fo be that eateth me, shall live by me, Fohn the fixt chapter and the fifty feventh verfe. So that whether it be the fruit of the tree in Paradife, or the bread of life in the Sacrament,we fee there is a great affinity, as appeareth if we compare this bread of life with the hidden Manna, Apocalyps the fecond chapter and the feventeenth verfe which, as the Apoftle faith, in the firft epiftle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the third verfe, was the fame fpiritual meat, whereof we are partakers in this Sacrament of Chrifts body and blood.

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This fcripture confifteth of two parts, The Condition and the Promife, vincenti, & dabo.

Touching the conjunction of thefe two, we must know, That when Chrift promifeth to him that overcommeth, that he fhall eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradife of God, this is the gift of God and no matter of fale, and that he will not beftow it on them that doe nothing; for it is not the bread of idleneffe: but this gift is bestowed on them that doe cooperari cibum qui non perit, Fohn the fixt chapter.

In the Promise we are to know, That the Paradife and tree of life Cccc 3 which

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which Chrift promifeth, is not that earthly Paradife planted at the beginning for Adam, nor that tree of life appointed for the prolonging of his natural life, but a better Paradife; the other was Adams Paradife, but this is called Gods Paradife; the other was a Paradife on earth, but this a celeftial Paradife, tha: into which the Apostle was caught up, in the fecond epiftle to the Corinthians the twelfth ch. per, which he himself faith, was the third Heaven: the Paradife which Chrift here promifeth is that wherein he himself is a Paradife of all joyes and happineffe; of which he faith, Father I will that they be with me where I am, that they may my glory, John the feventeenth chap.er and the twenty fourth verfe: For as God himself is a fpirit, fo his joy and happine ffe is fpiritual; and the place wherein he is, is a fpiritual Paradife : Such joy was that he Ipeaks of, Matthew the twenty fitt chapter, Intrain gaudium Domini. So are we to think the throne of God the Father where Christ fitteth, Apocalyps the third chapter and the twenty fift verfe, that it is the heavenly joy and glory which he enjoyeth in heaven: So faith the Wife man, Proverbs the thirteenth chapter, that there is ordained this tree of life, wherein we have the accomplishment of all our defires, which is no where but in Heaven, where God is all in all.

For the tree of life, which Chrift promileth to him that overcommeth, It is another manner of tree than that in the garden of Eden: That was a natural tree appointed to preferve Adams natural life,but this is a (piritual tree, and preferveth fupernatnral life And albeic Man being debarred of this natural tree in the Garden, dyeth a bodily death; yet this tree in the Paradife of God keeps us from being hurt of the fecond death, Apocalyps the fecond chapter and the eleventh verfe. Chrift himfelf faith of himself, I am alive, but I was dead, and behold I live for evermore, Apocalyps the firft chapter and the eighteenth verse ; that is, he loft the natural life, but now he lives a fupernatural life and fo fhall all his members that cate of the tree of life which he prc

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Well is the state of our death and rifing again, shadowed out by a tree; for as Job fpeaks, Job the fourteenth chapter, There is hope of a tree, that though it be cut down, yet it will sprout out and the branches. thereof will fhoot forth So though we dye a bodily death, yet there is hope that we shall rife again, and live a fupernaturall life, which we obtain by eating of this tree of life: The center of our defire is the tree of life, the circumference is Paradife wherein we have promised us, not only coronam vita, Apocalyps the fecond chapter 10. But the crown of glory, the firft of Peter and the fift chapter; And the crown of joy and happineffe, the first of the Theffalonians the fecond chapter, and the nineteenth verfe, We shall have our faciety of pleasure, and whatsoever mans heart can defire; for we shall be in the prefence of God, whofe right hand is pleasure for ever, Pfalm 16

From the condition we are taught, that this promife is not to be caft upon us but given, and it is not a generall promife, but made particularly to him only that overcometh: Which condition carrieth us

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to the promises of virtues made by God, Genefis the third chapter, where God proclaimeth war between the woman and the ferpent between the womans feed and the ferpents feed. And Christ tels us here, that he which is conqueror in this war, fhall injoy Paradife Vincentis and be restored to the tree of life; for no man is crowned except he both strive and strive lawfully, the second of Timothy the fecond chapter.

The battail that we are to fight, is either with the Serpent himself cum Serpente, or with his feed. With the Serpent we are at warre, as the Apostle femine fuo fheweth, Ephefians the fixt chapter and the twelfth verfe, We fight not with flesh and blood but with principalities and power: Such a fight did the Apostle feel, when the Angel of Satan was fent to buffet him, the fecond epiftle to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter: And of the viatory against this enemy the Apostle faith, Young men I write to you, because you are strong and have overcome that wicked one, the first epiftle of John the fecond chapter and the fourteenth verfe.

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The warre which we have with the Serpents feed is, First, within 1. Inträg for his poyfon infecteth our inward parts, not only the Reins, by ftirring in us fleshly lufts, which fight against the foul, the first epiftle of Peter the fecond chapter, which mult be overcome as the Apostle exhorts, Coloßians the third chapter, Mortifie your earthly members; but the heart alfo, by that boyling luft of revenge which made Cain one of the Serpents feed to kill his brother, the firft epiftle of John the third chapter and the twelfth verfe which inward defire of revenge must likewise be overcome, as the Apostle willeth, Romans the twelfth chapter, Avenge not your felves, fed vince malum bono; we muft overcome the evil of our fleshly lufts and defires of revenge, with the grace of mortification and patience.

Secondly, The feed of the Serpent is without us; for there are filii 1. Extral Belial, of whom were those to whom Chrift faid, John the eight chapter, You are of your Father the Devil: Such as will doe mischief for doing well, fuch enemies are men of corrupt mindes and understanding's that are deftitute of the truth, and are bold to say that gain is godlineffe, from which we must feparate our felves, the first epistle to Timothy the fixt chapter and the fift verfe. And if we overcome in this warre, then we shall be partakers of this promife. But who overcommeth in this warre? and who can fay, he is a conqueror in this bartail? The Apotle faith, That he that finneth is overcome of finne, and brought into bondage of the finne, the fecond epiftle of Peter the fecond chapter and the nineteenth verfe: Therefore where the promife is here made only to him that overcommeth, we mult fee if the Scripture offereth more graces, James the fourth chapter and the fixt verfe: And if we look into Apocalyps the fecond chapter and the fift verse, we shall finde there he that makes this promise offers more graces, that is, Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent, and doe tby firft works. So there are two victories, the first is continere à peccato; the other is pænitere de Dua vittoria; peccato. If we cannot get this victory over the Serpent, that he doe not cause us to finne at all, yet if we fo färre overcome him, that finne

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reign not in our mortal bodies, Romans the fixt chapter and the twelfth verle, if we wound his head, which was promised, Genefis the third Chapter and the fifteenth verfe; fo as though he cause us to finne, yet he get not the head or fet up his throne in our hearts, then we are to hope that we shall be part kers of this promife, if we return from whence we are fallen, and repent us of the finnes we have committed, and doe the first works, then no doubt we shall be restored to our first eftate,and Chrift fhall give us a new right in the tree of life. But he that either fighteth not at all, but is at a league with Hell, and hath made a Covenant with death Ifaiah the twenty eighth chapter; he that will deny finne nothing, but will fulfill the lufts of the flesh; or if he fight yet he fight not lawfully, nor trive to overcome, but is content to follow every temptation, as an oxe led to the flaughter, Proverbs the feventh chaprer; and not only to, but put ftumbling blocks before himself, which make him fall, Ezekiel the fourteenth chapter, and ule all means that he may be overcome: And if, having fallen, they labour at not to get the victory after, by repenting of his former finnes, and doing the first works, then they have no part in this firft promife. Men may draw neer to the holy myfterie of Chrifts body and blood, and snatch at the tree of life; but Chrift gives it not, excep they be such as overcome, either by the grace of abftinencie from finne, or of repentance and forrow for finne: They may be partakers of the tree of life de furto, but not de jure: The bread of life is to them as the bread of wrong, Proverbs the fourth chapter and the f-venteenth verse, and the bread of deceit, which shall in the end fill their mouths with gravell, Proverbs the twentieth chapter.

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So both the promise and condition are touched : But the question is, How we fhall overcome that we learn, Apocalyps the twelfth chapter; where the Saints are faid to overcome the great dragon, the old Serpent, with the blood of the Lambe: Which blood hath two ufes. Firit, that which the Apoftle calls the sprinkling of the bloed of Jefus Christ, the first epiftle of Peter the first chapter and the fecond verfe. Secondly, That by receiving the cup of blessing we are partakers of the blood of Chrift, the firft epiftle to the Corinthians the tenth chapter and the fixteenth verfe. So that in these words is a reciprocation, vincenti at comedat,& comedenti ut vincat,dabo edere; the body and blood of Chrift is the fruit of that tree of life which the Apostle speaks of, the first epiftle of Peter the fecond chapter and the twenty fourth verfe, That he bare our finnes in his body upon the tree; Of which fruit whofoever are partakers in the Sacrament, when it is miniftred to them, doe receive power to overcome, that fo they may eate of the tree of eternal life. For in this Sacrament we have both a means of victory and a pledge of our reward, that is, the life of grace begun in us here, to affure us of a glorious life in the world to come. Every tree must have a root, and the root of that tree which Chrift speaks of is here in this Sacrament; for in it is fown in the hearts of the receivers, as it were, a kernel, which in time shoots forth and becomes a tres, for as there was a death of the foul by finne, before God infli

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cted a death of the body; fo anfwerable to that firft death of finne, there must be in us a life of grace, which is the root of that tree from whence we shall, in due time, receive the life of glory.

In this facrament the tree of the life of Grace is fown in us, that is, a measure of grace wrought in our hearts by the power of Gods fpirit, by which we shall at length attain to eate of that tree which fhall con vey unto us the life of glory. As there are two trees of life; so we must have a double Paradife: We must have liberty to be of the Paradife on earth, that is, the Church Militant, which is called hortus Sonclufus, Canticles the fecond chapter, before we can be received into the heavenly Paradife, that is, the Church Triumphant. So there is a plain analogic between those. As when we are dead in finnes and in the uncircumcifion of the flesh, Coloẞians the fecond chapter and the thirteenth verfe, we receive the life of grace by the fprinkling of the blood of Chrift in baptifm; fo when we are fallen from the life of grace and are refrained from the life of God, Ephesians the fourth chapter and eighteenth verfe, and dead in trefpaffes and finnes, Ephefians the fecond chapter, then we obtain victory against finne and death by the blood of the Lamb, being drunk in the Sacrament, Apocalyps the twelfth chapter and the eleventh verfe. For if the material tree of life in Paradife received fuch influence from God, Genefis the third chapter, that being dead in it felfe, it had power to convey the natural life of our Parents, while they eat of the fruit thereof, then is God able as well to give fuch a power to the Creatures of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, that albeit they are dead of themfelves, to convey into us the life of grace, even as the tree of life did prolong natural life; for fo faith Chrift, John the fixth chapter and the fifty third verfe, Except ye eat the flesh of the fonne of man, and drink his blood, ye have no lifein you. Whofo eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hathetermal life; he that eateth me fhall live by me; And he that eateth of his body fhall live for ever. There is no life but in God first, Deuterono mie the thirtieth chapter, ipfe enim eft vita mea, and he committeth life to the fonne: Therefore it is faid, There is a River of water of life proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb, Apocalyps the twenfecond chapter and the first verse: And as the Father hath life in himself, fo he hath given to the Sonne to have life in himself, John the fift chapter and the twenty fixt verfe: And as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickneth them, fo the fonne quickneth whom he will, John the fift chapter and the twenty firft verfe. God being the fountain of life, draws life to his fonne, as into a Cistern, from whence we draw life; therefore it is faid of the wisdome of God, that is Christ, that he is a tree of life, Proverbs the third chapter and the eighteenth verfe; of whom it is now faid, in ipfo erat vita, John the fourteenth chapter; and therefore he calls himself this life, John the fourteenth chapter. This is the Ciftern of life, to give life to them that are dead in original finne,by the fprinkling of his blood in baptifm : And when they are dead in actual finnes, he gives new life to em that are partakers of his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Supper. In this

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