THe words are a direction following upon a reprehension ; the reprehension is in v. 26. Jesus said un●o them , verily , verely I say unto you , ye seek me , not because of the Miracles , but because ye did eate of the Loav●s and were filled ; It was , for that they valued not his doctrine , or confirmation thereof by Miracles , so ●hat they might believe and be saved , but cared princi●ally for their bellies . The direction is for the ordering ●f their and our endeavours towards that which is the ●ain of all , and this in the words read , Labour not for ●he meat which perisheth but for that which endureth un●o Eternal life .

Thus you see the Connexion . But to the words .

It is observable that all Preaching may be referred to two heads , viz. Inhibitions and Injunctions . Inhibitions , to pull back from evil ; Injunctions , to quicken to ● better course .

Take some instances hereof out of the Scriptures .

In the 6. of Math. 31. 33. v. in the 31. v. Our Savi●ur takes them of the world , and the things thereof , ●ying , Therefore take no thought , saying , what shall we eat or what shall we drink ? or wherewithall shall we be cloathed ? In the 33 v. he setteth them to work . But seek ye first the Kingdom of God , and his righteousness , and all these things shall be added unto you .

1. Pet. 3. 11. Eschew evill and do good ; there we have the Apostles Inhibition , Eschew evil , And his Injunction , do good .

Rom. 12. 9. Abhorr that which is evil , there we have an Inhibition : and then followes the Injunction , cleave to that which is good .

Eph. 5. 4. where we have , 1. a dehortation or Inhibition 2. an Exhortation or Injunction . 1. A Dehortation or Inhibition , Neither filthiness , nor foolish talking , nor jesting , which are not convenient . 3. An Exhortation or Injunction , But rather giving of thanks .

So my Text in every man's eye and apprehension divides it self into two parts .

In the Inhibition we may note .

1. Something that Christ does Inhibit and forbid ▪ Labour not . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ne operanimi . In the fourth Commandement , saith God the Father , six dayes shal● thou labour and do &c. St. Paul agrees with the same , 2 Thess. 3. 10 , 11 , 12. For even when we were with you , this we commanded you , that if any would not work neither should he eat , v. 10. For we hear that there be some which walk among you disorderly , working not a● all , but are busie bodies . v. 11. Now them that are such we command , and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ , that with quietness , they work , and eat their own bread v. 12.

In the Text , Christ sayes , Labour not , God the Father and St. Paul the Apostle command Labour , an● here Christ the son sayes , Labour not . The words a● first reading , me thinks do please men of a sluggish spirit , men that do like no life like to an idle life . It wa● the speech of that Epicure M. Lepidus , who lying under a shady tree , upon a sun shine day , stretching himself , cryes out . O utinam hoc esset laborare . O would to God this were to take pains to live at ease . There are more such in the world , men that cannot away with labour , men that by their good will would do nothing but eat and drink and sleep and sport , and sit and talk and laugh and be merry , but such are the very excrements of all humane Societies where they live , very burdens to the earth whereon they walk ; as unprofitable they are to the world as that Margites I have read of , of whom it is said , that he never Ploughed or digged , nor did any thing all his life long that might tend to any goodness , spending their time , nihil agendo , in doing nothing at all .

But our Saviour does not absolutely forbid labouring for things necessary to this life . 2 Thes. 3. 10. There you have St. Paul his Sanction or Ordinance for Manual labour , For even when we were with you , this we commanded you , that if any would not work , neither should they eat ; and this you see is inforced by a penalty provided for willing or wilful Loyterers ; if any would not work , neither should they eat . As Scipio Banished all idle Souldiers and unprofitable people from his Camp , so the Apostle banisheth such sloathful ones from the table . It was not Adams case alone , but it is the case of every one in his calling , in sudore vultus tui , in the sweat of thy browes thou shalt eate thy bread : So the Apostle cannot brook those who spend their whole lives only meerly in Epicurate wayes . I could wish St. Paul his penalty here might be such mens punishment , Let not such eat ; That if nought else , yet hunger and necessity may drive them to labour .

The act here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a thing indifferent and lyes all upon the object that our labour is conversant about , as that is good or evil ; as the thing is good or bad for which we labour .

2ly . The thing for which we must not labour . Meat . Under this word it is observed that Christ comprehends all earthly things . 1. Because it was their meat they were most taken up with ; they followed Christ now only for their bellies , as Christ , note v. 26. saying , verily I say unto you , ye seek me , not because ye saw the miracles ( of which read v. 2. and 14. ) but because ye did eate of the Loaves and were filled . 2. To point out to them what it was they might expect from the things of time , let them have what dreams they please , if they had all the world at will , yet they would get no more of it but their Meat , which the poorest man may attain unto . 3. To suggest unto them an argument why they should not toyl and labour so much for that which would afford them so little , Eccles. 5. 11. When goods encrease , they are encreased that eat them : and what good is there to the owners thereof , saving the beholding of them with their eyes . Therefore he takes them off from labouring for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the worlds things , Temporal things : and so the wiseman forbids what Christ forbids , Prov. 23. 4. Labour not , and he shews what we must not labour for , To be rich . Labour not for these earthly things , though they are in themselves mercies , yet they are but mercies without the pale , they are but Acrons with which God feeds swine , there are choiser fruits to be looked after , viz. those Olives and Pomegranates which grow on the true Vine Jesus Christ ; and springs of living waters clarified with Christ's blood and indulcorated with his love .

3ly . The kind or property of that meat for which they must not labour that perisheth ; Labour not for the meat which perisheth ; that perisheth with the using as the Apostle sayes ( 2 Coll. 22. v. ) rudiments of the world . Such was that Manna which God gave Israel for meat from Heaven , he gave them this meat indeed miraculously , but yet it was no lasting meat , they could not keep it by them any long time , Exod. 16. 20. 21. If they kept it but till the next morning it bred worms and stank , it was but of a perishing nature ; and indeed all meat for the body is but perishing meat , is but of a perishing nature ; it serves but to uphold a perishing life , and cannot prevent the bodies perishing at last ; to which agreeth that of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 6. 13. Meats for the belly , and the belly for meats , but God shall destroy both it and them ; and where men do only and mainly labour for that , it will cause them to perish Eternally .

In the Injunction we may note .

1. A duty by Christ , injoyned , and that is Labour , It must necessarily be supplyed in the Text ; Labour not for the meat which perisheth , but Labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life .

Though t is true servile labour with trouble , sweat and vexation was occasioned by the curse , Gen. 3. 17. yet there was work required of man , or labour in the earth with reference unto his natural life and subsistence in the world , in the state of innocency , for it is expresly said , Gen. 2. 15. That God put man into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it , that is to labour in it , and to preserve it by labour : No sooner was man Created , but by and by he is set to labour , Paradise was not 〈…〉 place that served only to delight his senses , but to exe 〈…〉 cise his hands .

God never made any as he made Leviathan to spo 〈…〉 himself only ; or to do as it is said of the people in Tom 〈…〉 m in Africa , that they spend their whole time in 〈…〉ing and dancing , but to work either with his hands or his head ( in the sweat of his brow or of his brain ) the thing that is good . God will have no man to be idle , he will have no Ciphers in his Arithmetick , o● sloathfull servants in his Vineyard . Homo natus ad laborem , man was even born to labour , and not to expect any rest whilst here ; only the dead which dye in the Lord rest from their labours . Rev. 14. 13. Now they must labour and toyle and then rest .

Idle persons are good for nothing but to eat drink and sleep . It is good ( saith one ) to do something whereby the world may be the better , and not to come hither meerly as Rats and Mice , only to devour victuals , and to run squeaking up and down . Periander made a Law at Corinth , that whosoever could not prove he lived by his honest Labour , he should suffer as a Thief . No State whatsoever can priviledg Idleness ; no Man is too Noble to have an occupation ; the greatest Kings have not this priviledg . Alphonsus said , that God and Nature had given Kings hands as well as other Men. By the Law of Mahomet , the Great Turk himself is bound to exercise some manual trade or occupation ▪ though sin brought in man ▪ s labour , Gen. 3. 19. yet now for a man not to humble himself by just labour would encrease his sin ; and therefore aboundance of idleness is reckoned to be in the number of Sodomes sins , Ezek. 16 49.

2. In the Injunction we have the thing for which la●our , that is the duty is injoyned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , That meat , ●at food for the soul ; that which is meat for a Christi●ns faith and not for a christians tast ; such as are Christ with all his riches and treasures , with all his benefits and priviledges , and what else with Christ , the Gospel declareth making for the Saints Eternal ●●lfare ; of which afterwards in the discourse .

But these things Chri●● commends under the name of Meat , as one notes , 1. Because his followers now were earnestly seeking after meat , therefore he points them out better meat . Thus to the woman of Samaria coming for water , he points out the living water , 2. To shew the necessity of having these things and the usefulness of them , they had as great need hereof as of meat .

3. In the Injunction there is the mod●s or property of the meat for which labour is injoyned which endureth unto everlasting life ; that is for those things which are appointed by God to refresh and sustain the soul unto Eternity , for such things that when all these poor helps which serve to prop up a Pilgrims travel , as so many baites , till he get home shall fail , may be Eternal provision .

That which our Saviour does here then is this , he diverts their affections and eagerness from off earthly things and sets them upon the right object , Christ does not hereby dehort them altogether from labouring for meat that perisheth , but what he sayes is spoken per modum comparationis , by way of comparison , q. d , do not so labour for the meat that perisheth , that you neglect to labour for the meat that perisheth not ; as when he sayes Matth. 6. 31. 33. Therefore take no thought , saying , what shall we eat , or what shall we drink ? or wherewith shall we be clothed ? But seek ye first the Kingdome of God , and his righteousness , and all these things shall be added unto you . The Heathens ( with whom if Christians should symbolize in sins or not exceed in vertue , it were a shame to them , for as a Christian differs from an Heathen in Profession , so he should in Practice ▪ ) because they know not the Eternal blessedness of the life to come , but only that which concerneth this present life , their care is only after what they shall eat and drink and wherewithal they may be clothed , as our Saviour observes , v. 32. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek , for men that have hope in this life only , it is no marvel if they labour their utmost to make their best of it , but our Saviour teaches his Hearers to prefer care for things Eternal before a care for things Temporal , indeed what our Saviour sayes here is not contradictory to that of the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. 21. Provide for things honest , things that are necessary ; provide for things necessary hath his time ; so that our Saviour his primum quaerite regnum Dei , be first remembred . The care for this life present and things necessary thereunto , is by the Apostle commended , but by our Saviour the care of heavenly things is preferred .

Many such like instances we meet with from Christ , as Matth. 9. 13. I will have mercy and not Sacrifice ; Christ excludeth not Sacrifice , but preferreth Mercy : And Math. 10. 28. Fear not them which kill the body , but are not able to kill the Soul ; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and body in Hell . Christ does not here exclude all reverence and fear to be given unto such , but the meaning is , do not so fear them , as you neglect to fear him which hath power to kill both body and soul , he preferred the latter before the former . So in my Text , Christ excludeth not labouring for things necessary in this life , but preferreth labour for those things that will endure to Eternal life .

This I conceive to be the scope and intent of our Saviour in these words , and being thus opened would afford us several very profitable observations , but I shall only name one , the which I have chosen to make the subject of my following discourse .