Page:Lamb in the midst of the throne.pdf/22

22 the throne; ſo here, all is to be had freely. The fineſt feaſt is always the freeſt, Iſa. lv. 1. The legaliſts, that cannot feed upon Christ and his righteouſneſs freely, but only on their own works and duties, they feed upon aſhes: the legal preacher, that cannot offer Chriſt freely, is like the unnatural fathers, that, when their children aſk bread, give them a ſtone; when they aſk a fiſh, give them a ſcorpion. What is our beſt performances but ſcorpions, ſerpents, ſtones, yea, poiſon to them that make them their ſoul-food? Nothing can feed the ſoul but Chriſt. Rabſhaken threatned to make all the people on the wall to eat their own dung, 2 Kings xviii. 26. the legal preacher accompliſhes this threatning, in a ſpiritual ſenſe; our beſt works are but dung; I will ſpread the dung of your ſacrifices on your faces, even the dung of your ſolemn feaſts. But, O Sirs, here the fineſt and ſweeteſt feaſt is the freeſt; from the throne of grace proceed all bleſſings freely.

8. It muſt be durable proviſion and feeding that comes from the Lamb in the midſt of the throne: for he ever lives upon the throne, and his throne is for ever and ever; and therefore everlaſting food comes from thence, and food that nouriſhes to everlaſting life: I am the living bread that came down from heaven, ſays Chriſt; if any man eat of this bread, he ſhall live for ever, John vi. 51. Here is proviſion for eternity, Labour not for the meat that periſheth, ſays Chriſt, but for that meat that endures to everlaſting life, which the Son of man ſhall give unto you, John vi. 27. What a fool was he, that filled his barns, and then ſaid, Soul, take thy reſt, thou haſt goods laid up for many years! while God ſaid to him, Thou fool, this night thy ſoul ſhall be required of thee. But, O what wiſdom were it to lay up for eternity this day, that death may not be able to rob you of