euery yeare of thy whole life For that conscience that should rest for euer with the liuing God that conscience â—hich must euer behold the face of the Sonne of God it cannot be ouer-well cleansed we cannot looke ouer-narrowly to it The more curious we be in searching out of this conscience we are the better occupied I spake of our owne consciences I speake not of our neighbours Thirdly I come to the points wherein euery one of you should trie examine your selues Euery one of you ought to trie and examine your consciences in two things First whether thou be at peace with God who is the Lord of heauen or not Next examine thy conscience whether thou art in loue and amitie with thy neighbour or not Wouldest thou know whether thy conscience be at vnitie and peace with God or not Thou shalt know it this way the God of heauen can haue no societie nor companie with that soule which is alwaies vncleane that is euery way defiled no he cannot Now I speake not so precisely that I make a soule to be fully sanctified and perfectly holy in this life no in this life there are wonderfull iniquities grosse sinnes and great faults wherewith euen the righteous are defiled but this is my meaning There is no soule can be at peace with God or wherewith the Lord can haue any societie but in some measure it must be sanctified and made holy For God cannot make residence in a soule that is alwaies as a stinking dunghill and therefore of force in some measure it must be sanctified there must be so much made cleane in one corner or other of that soule wherein the Lord of heauen by his holy Spirit may make his residence Now let vs see whereby the heart is sanctified Peter Act. 15.9 saith That the soule of man is purified by faith that the heart of man is purged by faith So faith openeth and purgeth the heart By faith in Christ Iesus and in the merits of his bloud we haue peace with God Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through our Lord Iesus Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 5.1 Now then this point cometh in That ye are to proue your selues whether ye be in the faith or not as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 13.5 Proue your selues whether ye are in the faith Examine if your soules be seasoned with this faith for if ye haue not faith in Christ Christ is not in you and if Christ be not in you ye are in an euill state ye are in the estate of the reprobate and damned So euery one ought to looke carefully and see if he haue a beliefe in the bloud of Christ or not whether he belieue to obtaine mercy by his merits and sanctification by his bloud or not For if thou haue no measure of this faith thou hast no measure of peace with God by reason our peace with God is ingendered and groweth daily more and more by true faith in Christ. Now this faith where it is true where it is liuely and couples the heart with God as I haue alreadie said it must breake forth in word and deede it can by no meanes be held in but it will breake forth It must breake out in word in glorifying the God of heauen who hath forgiuen vs our sinnes it must breake forth in word by giuing a notable confession of those sinnes wherein we haue offended him It must breake out in deed in doing good works to testifie to the world that thing which is within thy heart to testifie to the world that thou who hast this faiâ—h art a new man that by thy good example of life and conuersation thou maist edifie thy brethren the simple ones of the Church of God and that by thy holy life thou mayest draw sinners to repentance that they seeing thy good light may be compelled to glorifie God in thee Then in the first point of triall let vs looke to these three to the heart to the mouth to the haâ—d Take heed that there be an harmonie betwixt these three for if the heart be inwardly coupled with God there is no doubt but the mouth will outwardly glorifie him and if thy heart and mouth be renewed and be one of necessity thou wilt expresse it in thy conueâ—sation There must be an agreement betwixt the heart and the hand thy conuersation must be changed with the heart and be holy honest and godly as the heart is So that if thy conuersation be good it is a sure token that thou art at one with God but if thy conuersation be not good speake what thou wilt thy heart is but defiled this true and liuely faith hath no place in it Then wouldest thou know when thou art at one with God When thy conuersation thy heart and thy mouth say all one thing then without question thou hast the worke of faith wrought by the holy Spirit in thy heart which maketh thee to be at peace with God This is the first point wherein ye should trie your selues The next point is loue ye must trie whether ye be in loue and charitie with your neighbours or not for as thou art not coupled with God but by the hand of faith so thou art not coupled with thy neighbour nor ioyned with any member of Christ in this world but by the hand of loue amity and charity Take away loue thou art not a member of this body for loue is the maister sinnew and couples all these members of Christs bodie together and makes them to grow vp in a spirituall and mysticall vnity loue is the onely marke whereby the children of God members of Christs bodie are knowne from the rest of the world loue is that holy oyle that refresheth our soules and makes vs like vnto God and the moâ—e we grow in loue the more God by his Spirit dwelleth in vs for God is loue So that except in some measure loue towards thy neighbour dwell in thy heart thou canst haue no societie with thy neighbour and far lesse with God If the manners of men were examined by this rule we should find a multitude of godlesse people in this Country who haue their hearts raging with malice one against another and where the diuell and the malicious spirit dwelleth there is no place for the holy Spirit And although the Lord hath gone about by all meanes possible early and late to instruct them and to infuse into them this precious loue and amity towards God and their neighbour and so to alter their conditions yet they will not suffer themselues to be wakened vntill the great vengeance and malediction of God fall vpon them This loue this honest and godly conuersation floweth alwaies from the roote of faith So that if thy heart haue faith in any measure be it neuer so little in that same measure thou must haue loue towards thy neighbour and this loue is neuer idle but is vttering it selfe in one effect or other And
He changeth the affections and inclinations of my soule he changeth the faculties and qualities of my soule And though our hearts and minds be made new yet the substance of them is not changed but onely the faculties and qualities are changed in respect of the which change we are called new creatures and except you be found new creatures ye are not in Christ. Now to come to the point This secret coniunction is brought to passe by faith and by the holy Spirit by faith we lay hold on the bodie and bloud of Christ And though we be as farre distant as heauen and earth are the Spirit serueth vs as a ladder to conioyne vs with Christ As the ladder of Iacob which reached from the ground to the heauen to the selfe same vse serueth the Spirit of God to conioyne the bodie of Christ with my soule Then obserue the whole in a word What maketh you to haue any right or title to Christ Nothing but the Spirit nothing but faith What should be your studie then Seeke by all meanes possible to get faith that as Peter Acts 15.9 saith your hearts and consciences may be sanctified by faith And if you endeuour not as well to get faith in your hearts as in your minds your faith auaileth not What auaileth the faith that fleeteth in the fantasie and bringeth a naked knowledge without the opening of the heart and consent of the will So there must be an opening of thy heart and consent of thy will to do that thing that God commandeth or else thy faith auaileth not Then striue to get faith in your hearts and minds and doing so ye do the duties of Christians This is not done without the diligent hearing of the word and diligent receiuing of the Sacrament Then be diligent in these exercises and be diligent in prayer Praying in the holy Ghost that he would nourish your soules inwardly with the bodie and bloud of Christ That he would increase faith in your hearts and minds and make it to grow vp more and more daily vntill you come to the full fruition of that blessed immortalitie Vnto the which the Lord of his mercie bring vs and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE haue heard wel-beloued in Christ Iesus in our last exercise what names were giuen to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper as well in the Scriptures as by the Ancients of the Latine and East Churches we heard the chiefe ends wherefore and whereunto this holy Sacrament was at first instituted we heard the things that were contained in this Sacrament what they were how they are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued we heard also some obiections that might be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine we heard them propounded and as God gaue the grace refuted we heard how the faithfull soule is said to eate Christs body and drinke Christs bloud We heard the manner how Christ is or can be receiued of vs. And we concluded in this poynt That Christ Iesus the Sauiour of mankinde our Sauiour cannot be perceiued nor yet receiued but by a spirituall way and apprehension Neither the flesh of Christ nor the bloud of Christ nor Christ himselfe can be perceiued but by the eye of faith can be receiued but by the mouth of faith nor can be layd hold on but by the hand of faith Now faith is a spirituall thing for faith is the gift of God powred downe into the hearts and minds of men and women wrought in the soule of euery one and that by the mighty working and operation of the holy Spirit So the onely way to lay hold on Christ being by faith and faith of it owne nature being spirituall it followeth therefore that there is no way to lay hold on Christ but a spirituall way there is not a hand to fasten on Christ but a spirituall hand there is not a mouth to digest Christ but a spirituall mouth The Scriptures familiarly by all these termes describe the nature and efficacy of faith We are said to eate the flesh of Christ by faith and to drinke his bloud by faith in this Sacrament chiefly in doing of two things First in calling to our remembrance the bitter death and passion of Christ the bloud that he shed vpon the crosse the Supper which he instituted in remembrance of him before he went to the Crosse the commandement which he gaue Do this in remembrance of me I say we eate his flesh and drinke his bloud spiritually First in this point in recording and remembring faithfully how he died for vs how his bloud was shed vpon the crosse This is the first point a point that cannot be remembred truly except it be wrought by the mighty power of the holy Spirit The second poynt of the spirituall eating standeth in this That I and euery one of you beleeue firmely that he died for me in particular That his bloud was shed on the crosse for a ful remission and redemption of me and my sins The chiefe and principall point of the eating of Christ his flesh drinking of his bloud standeth in beleeuing firmly that that flesh was deliuered to death for my sinnes that that bloud of his was shed for the remission of my sinnes and except euery soule come neere to himselfe and firmely consent and agree and be perswaded that Christ died for him that soule can not be saued that soule can not eate the flesh nor drinke the bloud of Christ. Then the eating of the flesh and drinking of the bloud of Christ standeth in a faithfull memorie in a firme belief and in a true applying of the merits of the death and passion of Christ to my owne conscience in particular There were sundry things obiected against this kind of receiuing I will not insist to repeate them But beside all the obiections which ye heard obiected against this kinde of spirituall receiuing by faith they say If Christ his flesh nor his bloud be not perceiued nor receiued but by the Spirit by faith in the Spirit then say they ye receiue him but by an imagination if he be not receiued carnally nor corporally but onely by the Spirit and by faith then is he not receiued but by way of imagination conceite and fantasie So they account faith an imagination of the minde a fantasie and opinion fleeting in the hearts of men I cannot blame them to thinke so of faith For as none can iudge of the sweetenesse of hony but they that haue tasted of it so there is none can discerne nor iudge of the nature of faith but they that haue felt it
and women are baptized into one bodie of Christ. That is we are conioyned and fastened with one Christ by the meanes saith he of one Spirit not by a carnall band or any grosse coniunction but onely by the band of the holy Spirit That same holy Spirit that is in him is in euery one of vs in some measure and in respect one Spirit is in him and in vs therefore we are accounted all to be one bodie and to be members of one spirituall and mysticall bodie And in the same verse the Apostle saith We are all made to drinke into one and the selfe same Spirit that is we are made to drinke of the bloud of Christ. And this bloud is no other thing but the quickning vertue and power that floweth from Christ and from the merits of his death we are made all to drinke of that bloud when we drinke of the liuely power and vertue that floweth out of that bloud So there is not a band that can couple my soule with the flesh of Christ but onely a spirituall band and a spirituall vnion And therefore it is that the Apostle 1. Cor. 6.17 saith He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one Spirit And Iohn saith That which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit So it is onely by the participation of the holy Spirit that we are conioyned with the flesh and bloud of Christ Iesus That carnall band whether it be the band of bloud which runneth through one race or the carnall touching of flesh with flesh that carnall band I say was neuer esteemed of by Christ. In the time that he was conuersant here vpon earth he respected nothing that band for as he witnessed himselfe by his owne words he neuer had that carnall band in any kind of reuerence or estimation in respect of the spirituall band But as for the spirituall band whereby we are coupled with him by one Spirit he euer esteemed of this band in the time that he was conuersant on earth in a word he hath left the praise and commendations of the same To let you see how lightly he esteemed of the carnall band of bloud and alliance which we esteeme so much ye may see in the eight of Luke 20.21 for there they coming to him say Master thy Mother and thy brethren stand without and would see thee ye shall heare his answer vnto them how little he esteemed of that carnall band in the 21. verse in a manner denying that band he saith My Mother and my brethren are those which heare the word of God and do it As if he would haue said It is not that carnall band that I esteeme it is not that carnall coniunction that I reuerence it is the spirituall coniunction by the participation of his holy Spirit whereby we are mooued to heare the word of God to giue reuerence to it and obey it This carnall band was neuer profiâ—able as that in the 8 of Luke doth plainly testifie for if the touching of Christs flâ—sh had bene profitable the multitude whereof mention is made in that Chapter that thrusted and preased him had bene the better by their carnall touching But so it is that there was neuer any of them the better by their carnall touching therefore the carnall touching profiteth nothing Saith not Christ himselfe Iohn 6.63 to draw them from that sinister confidence they had in the flesh onely My flesh profiteth nothing It is the Spirit that quickneth To touch him by the holie Spirit and by faith in thy soule this touching by faith hath euer bene profitable and we haue a plaine example of it in the same Chapter Euen so the poore woman that had long bene diseased with a bloudie issue the space of twelue yeares and had wasted and consumed the greatest part of her substance in seeking remedie she found no helpe by the naturall and bodily Physition at the last by vertue of the holie Spirit working faith in her heart she vnderstands and conceiues that she is able to recouer the health of her bodie and the health of her soule from Christ Iesus who came to saue both bodie and soule And vpon this perswasion which she had in her heart that Christ could cure both bodie and soule she came vnto him and as the Text saith she preased through the multitude to come to him and when she was come it is not said that she touched his flesh with her hand in case the Papists would ascribe the vertue which came out of him to her carnall touching but it is said that she touched onely the hemme of his garment with her hand and with faith which is the hand of the soule she touched her Sauiour God and man And to let you vnderstand that she touched him by faith he saith to her at the last Go thy way thy faith hath saued thee She touched him not so soone by faith but incontinent there came a power out of him which power and vertue she felt by the effect of it in her soule and our Sauiour felt it when it went from him The effect whereby she felt it was the health of her soule and the effect whereby he felt it was the going from him And so soone as he felt it go from him he saith Who is it that hath touched me Peter who was euer most suddaine answereth and saith Thou art thronged and thrusted by the multitude yet thou askest who hath touched thee Our Sauiour answers againe It is not that touching that I speake of it is another kind of touching There is one hath touched me who hath drawne a vertue and power out of me the multitude taketh no vertue from me The poore woman thinking she had done amisse and perceiuing she could not be hid came trembling and said I haue done it He answered her at the last and said Depart in peace thy faith hath saued thee Thy faith hath drawne out a vertue and power from me that hath made both thy soule and thy bodie whole So that this touching of Christ hath euer bene profitable is shall be profitable like as the touching of Christ with the corporall hand hath neuer bene is not nor euer shall be profitable And why Christ is not appointed to be a carnall head to be set vpon the necks of our bodies that he may do the office of a carnall head thereunto to furnish naturall motions and senses to our bodies No the Scriptures call not Christ a naturall head but the Scriptures call him a spirituall head to be set vpon the necke of our soules that is to be conioyned with our soules that out of him into our soules may distill holy motions heauenly senses and that there may flow out of him to vs a spirituall and heauenly life Then the Scriptures call him a spirituall head as they call vs a spirituall bodie and as the life which we get from him is spirituall so all our coniunction with him is spirituall And in respect he
of the Ministery See then if the iudgement of God pronounced 2. Thes. 2. goeth not fast forward who hath giuen vs ouer as appeareth to be deceiued by the mighty power and working of the Diuell in such sort that euerie man striueth who shall put his appetites furthest in execution Oh! vnhappy and wrathfull countrey that hath so abused the merciful calling and great benignitie of God it is a wonderfull thing to looke vpon this matter and to consider our great ingratitude The more that knowledge groweth the more conscience decayeth as if conscience and knowledge could not both rest in one breast looke to the workes of all men it appeareth that the bringing in of light hath banished conscience which was in the time of darknesse What can be the cause of this that as light groweth the effect of light decayeth It is a thing that passeth the vnderstanding of man and the end of it shall be more then terrible Is it not more then wonderfull that the more that this Countrey is watered with the sauing and heauenly dew the more our hearts are hardened What must this bring forth It must bring forth at the last an eternall consumption which consumption must be so much the greater the greater that our contempt is For it is not possible but that ground which is so oft refreshed with raine and dew and yet bringeth foorth no other thing but thornes and bryars but at the last it must be burnt vp How is it possible that thornes that are prouided for the fire but they must be consumed by the fire And seeing our deedes testifie that we are nothing but thornes of necessitie we must be burnt vp except the Lord worke otherwise then I haue any expectation For the longer that iudgement is delayed it shall be heauier when it lighteth seeing the contempt is so great â—herefore the Lord giue you grace that as ye know there is a Hell and eternity of paine and as ye would eschue it so ye may take vp a new course of life But this cannot be except the Lord worke it by his holy Spirit except he forget our sinnes and assure vs of the remission of them in the blood of Christ. And therefore I haue to craue with you and ye with me that this may come to passe that in the bowels of his mercie we may eschue that terrible damnation from the which the Lord preserue vs for Christ Iesus his Sonnes sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and praise now for euer Amen THE ELEVENTH SERMON VPON ISAIAH CHAPTER 38. 16 O Lord to them that ouerliue them and to all that are in them the life of my spirit shall be knowne that thou causest me to sleepe and hast giuen life to me 17 Behold for felicitie I had bitter griefe but it was thy pleasure to deliuer my soule from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe 18 For the graue cannot confâ—sse thee death cannot praise thee they that goe downe into the pit cannot hope for thy truth 19 But the liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I do this day the Father to the children shall declare thy truth 20 The Lord was readie to saue me therefore I will sing my song all the dayes of my life in the house of the Lord. 21 Then said Isaiah Take a lump of dry figs and lay it vpon the byle and he shall recouer 22 Also Hezekiah had said What is the signe that I shall go vp into the house of the Lord IN our last lesson welbeloued in Christ Iesus the King entred into the second part of his song And first of all as ye heard he bursteth foorth of hand into the praise of God Then after he setteth downe the greatnesse of the benefits receiued in two words with the chiefe comfort that he found And in respect the comfort flowed from the word of God he entered into the commendation of the word of God Then first of all whilest the King is musing and pausing vpon the greatnesse of the Lords benefits and rauished in admiration of the greatnesse of the workes of God he cannot containe himselfe any longer but the bursteth foorth into the praise of God and saith what shall I say A patheticke and abrupt kind of speech whereby he testifieth that his tongue would not serue him to expresse the matter his heart was so swolne with praise that he was not able to vtter it in any quantitie of words In this doing suppose his words be few yet he sheweth himselfe more thankfull then if he had vttered a million of words So thankfulnesse standeth not in the multitude of sillables and voyces but it standeth in the heart and disposâ—â—ion of the soule Where the Lord findeth the heart thankfull there is no word that can flow from that heart but it is acceptable And howsoeuer the Kings words be few yet in his words he granteth three things First he granteth the benefit was free and freely bestowed Secondly he granteth that he hath nothing to render for it yea not so much as one word much lesse a deed Thirdly he letteth vs see that howsoâ—â—er he was not able to answer to the worthinesse of this benefit yet he was not idle but he vttereth praise as God gaue him the grace for it is not possible that a good conscience and a godly soule can altogether forget God but in the due time it will euer thanke God for his benefits so â—â—at whosoeuer either forgetteth or casteth off this exercise they testifie their wealth to be euill purchased and that there is a curse hanging ouer them and their riches both which curse appeareth either in their owne times or suddainly after in their prodigall posteritie Therefore ye that would haue the curse remooued in time learned to thanke God for his benefits that ye may possesse them with the blessing of God to you and yours Therefore he taketh vp the greatnesse of the benefit and comprehendeth it vnder these two words He said and he himselfe did it he said it in his promise he did it in accomplishing of his promise he did it and said it himselfe that the whole glorie of the worke should appertaine to him he said it freely for the King confessed that he deserued the contrarie he did it as freely in keeping his promise For suppose all the world be false yet God remained true ye see how properly he taketh vp vnder these two words the mercie and truth of God his mercie in promising his truth in accomplishing All the promises which the Lord maketh they flow from his mercie and all his accomplishings they flow from his truth His promises from mercy why He is debtor to no man His accomplishings from his truth why He is truth it selfe and there is no promise that he hath made but he will keepe yea he will inuert nature rather as it appeareth in the drawing backe of the
signified in both the Sacraments yet in diuerse respects he is the thing signified in Baptisme and he is the thing signified in the Lords Supper This Christ Iesus in his bloud chiefly is the thing signified in the Sacrament of Baptisme and why Because that by his bloud he washeth away the filth of our soules because that by the vertue of his bloud he quickneth vs in our soules with a heauenly life because that by the power of his bloud he ingrafteth and incorporateth vs in his owne body For that Sacrament is a testimonie of the remission of our sinnes that is of the cleanenesse of our consciences that our consciences by that bloud are washed inwardly It testifieth also our new birth that we are begotten spiritually to a heauenly life It testifieth also the ioyning of vs in the body of Christ. As it is a testimonie so it is a seale it not onely testifieth but sealeth it vp in our hearts and maketh vs in our hearts to feele the taste of that heauenly life begun in vs that we are translated from death in the which we were conceiued and ingrafted in the body of Christ. Marke then Christ in his bloud as he is the washing of our regeneration is the thing signified in Baptisme In this Sacrament of the Lords Supper againe this same Christ is the thing signified in another respect to wit in this respect that his body and bloud serue to nourish my soule to life euerlasting for this Sacrament is no other thing but the image of our spirituall nourishment God testifying how our soules are fed and nourished to that heauenly life by the image of a corporall nourishment So in diuerse respects the same thing that is Christ Iesus is signified in Baptisme and is signified in the Lords Supper In this Sacrament the fruites of Christs death whereof I spake the vertue of his sacrifice the vertue of his passion I call not these fruites and vertues onely the thing signified in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but rather I call the thing signified that substance and that person out of the which substance this vertue and these fruites do flow and proceede I grant and it is most certaine that by the lawful vse participiation of the Sacrament thou art partaker of all these fruites yet these fruites are not the first and chiefe thing whereof thou art partaker in this Sacrament but of force thou must get another thing first It is true that no man can be partaker of the substance of Christ but the same soule must be also partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance yet notwithstanding thou must discerne betwixt the substance the fruits that flow from the substance and thou must be partaker of the substance in the first roome then in the next place thou must be partaker of the fruites that flow from his substance To make this cleere in Baptisme the fruites of Baptisme are remission of our sinnes mortification the killing of sinne and the sealing vp of our adoption to life euerlasting The substance out of the which these fruits do flow is the bloud of Christ. Ye must here of force discerne between the bloud which is the substance and betweene remission of sinnes washing and regeneration which are the fruites that flow from this bloud so in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the fruits of that Sacrament are the growth of faith and the increase in holinesse The thing signified is the substance that is the body and bloud of Christ is the substance out of which this growth in faith and holinesse doth proceede Now see ye not this That you must discerne betwene â—he substance and the fruites and must place the substance in the first place So that the substance of Christ that is Christ himselfe is the thing signified in this Sacrament For your owne experience will make this plaine vnto you Before your stomacke be filled with any foode ye must eate the substance of the food first before you be filled with bread ye must eate the substance of the bread first before your drowth be quenched with any drinke ye must of necessity drinke the substance of the drinke first Euen so after this manner before the hunger of your soules be satisfied the thirst thereof quenched ye must eate the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud first and that by faith So consider the one by the other looke to what vse bread and wine serue to thy body to the same vse the body and bloud of Christ serue to thy soule and he that appointed the one to serue for thy body the same God appointed the other to serue for thy soule So looke how impossible it is for thee to be fed with that food that neuer cometh into thy mouth or to recouer health by those drugs which neuer were applyed it is as impossible for thee to be fed by the body of Christ and to get thy health by the bloud of Christ except thou first eate his body and drinke his bloud Then ye see that the thing signified in the Lords Supper is not the fruites so much as the body and bloud and Christ Iesus which is the fountaine and substance from which all these fruites do flow and proceed Then I say suppose Christ who is the thing signified remaine alwaies one and the same in both the Sacraments yet the signes whereby this one Christ is signified in the Sacraments are not one nor of an equall number For in Baptisme the thing that representeth Christ is Water In the Lords Supper the things that represent Christ are Bread Wine Water is appointed to represent Christ in Baptisme because it is meetest to represent our washing with the bloud of Christ for what is fitter to wash with then water So there is nothing meeter to wash the soule then the bloud of Christ. In this Sacrament he hath appointed Bread and Wine why Because there is nothing more meete to nourish the body then bread and wine so the Lord hath not chosen these signes without a reason As the signes in the Sacrament are not alwayes one so the same in both are not of one number For in Baptisme we haue but one element in this Sacrament we haue two elements Now what is the reason of this diuersity that the Lord in the one Sacrament hath appointed two signes and in the other but one signe I will shew you the reason He hath appointed onely one signe in Baptisme to wit Water because Water is sufficient enough for the whole If water had not beene sufficient to represent the thing signified he would haue appointed another signe but in respect that Water doth the turne and representeth fully the washing of our soules by the bloud of Christ what need then haue we of any signe Now in this Sacrament one signe will not suffice but there must be two And why Wine cannot be sufficient alone neither can Bread be sufficient alone for he
place of the Scripture Thirdly it is opposite vnto the end wherefore this Sacrament was instituted and this is most euident for the end of the Sacrament is spirituall as the effect that floweth thereof is spirituall and the instrument whereby this spirituall food is applyed to vs is also spirituall But from a naturall and corporall presence a spirituall effect can neuer flow therefore the corporall and naturall presence of the body and bloud of Christ Iesus repugnes directly the end of this Sacrament for the corporall presence must haue a corporall eating of this eating followeth a digestion in the stomacke and the thing that is digested in the stomacke is neuer able to feede my soule to life eternall So this corporall presence must euer tend to a corporall end which is directly contrary vnto the end wherfore the Sacrament was instituted Further if the bread were transubstantiate it should become the thing signified if it become the thing signified this Sacrament should want a signe and so it should not be a Sacrament for euery Sacrament as ye haue head is a signe Now to say that the accidents of true bread as the colour and the roundnesse of it may serue as signes that is more then folly for betwene the signe and the thing signified there must be a conformity but there is no conformity betweene the accidents and the body and bloud of Christ Iesus For if that were so the accidents behoued to nourish vs corporally as the body and bloud of Christ Ie pointed to nourish vs spiritually Againe if the bread become the body bloud of Christ Iesus it should follow that he had a body without bloud for he hath instituted another signe besides to represent his bloud Also if there had bene â—uch a wondefull thing as they speake of in this Sacrament there would haue bene plaine mention made thereof in the Scripture for God himselfe neuer works a notable worke but he declares it either openly or more secretly in the Scripture that thereby he may be glorified in his wonderfull workes As ye may reade in the Euangelist Iohn 2.8 where the water was changed into wine Gene. 2.22 where the rib of Adam was changed into Heua Exodus 7.10 where Aarons rodde was turned into a Serpent there ye see that changing is manifestly expressed Therefore I say if there had bene such a monstrous change in these elements of â—he Supper as they affirme the Scripture would not haue concealed it but expressed it but in respect there is no mention made of this change in the Scriptures therefore there is no such change in this action Further if there were such a change as they say either it is before these words of consecration be spoken or followes after the same words be spoken If the change be before the words of the consecration be spoken the consecration is superfluous and their Proposition is false if the change be after the words be spoken This bread is my body their Proposition is false also because the word bread is spoken before the last syllable of their fiue words is pronounced These and infinite more absurdities follow of this doctrine And yet they obstinately perseuer and vrge vs with the letter affirming that the words of Christ are so plaine that they admit no figure They would haue spoken more aduisedly if they had sought counsell of Augustine to haue discerned betwene a figuratiue speech and a proper speech for he in his third booke and 16. chapter of Christian doctrine speakes after this sort If the speech saith he seeme to command a wickednesse or mischiefe or to forbid any happinesse or any welfare it is not proper it is then figuratiue And he addes for an example a place out of Iohn 6.53 Except saith our Sauiour ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his bloud ye haue no life in you Whereunto Augustine addeth This speech saith he seemeth to commande a mischiefe therefore it is a figuratiue speech whereby we are commanded to communicate with the sufferings of Christ Iesus and with gladnes to keepe in perpetuall memory that the flesh of the Lord was crucified and wounded for vs. For otherwise it were more horrible as the same Augustine maketh mention in the second booke against the Aduersaries of the law to eate the flesh of Christ Iesus really then to murther him and more horrible to drinke his bloud then to shed his bloud Yet notwithstanding they are not ashamed still to hold maintaine that those words ought to be taken properly So that it appeareth that of very malice for contradiction sake to the end onely that they may withstand the truth they will not acknowledge this to be a sacramentall speech For they are compelled will they nill they in other speeches of the like sort to acknowledge a figure as Genes 17.10 Circumcision is called the couenant and Exod. 12.11 the Lambe is called the Passeouer and Math. 20.22 the Cup is called his Bloud and Luke 22.20 the Cuppe is called the new Testament and 1. Cor. 10.4 the Rocke is called Christ. All these speeches are sacramentall and receiue a kinde of interpretation yet they maliciously prease to deny vs this in these words Hoc est corpus meum which they are compelled to grant in the rest as especially where Paul calleth the rocke Christ. Now when they are driuen out of this Fortresse they flie as vnhappily to the second namely That God by his omnipotency may make the body of Christ to be in heauen and in the bread both at one time Ergo say they it is so If I denied their consequent they would be much troubled to proue it But the question standeth not here whether God may do it or not but the question is Whether God will it or not or may will it or not And we say reuerently that his Maiestie may not will it for though it be true that he may many things which he will not yet it is as true that there are many things which he may not will of the which sort this is and these are reduced to two sorts First he may not will those things which are contrary to his nature as to be changeable as to decay such others for if he might will these things they should not be arguments of any puissance or of any other power but rather certaine arguments of his impotency and infirmity And therefore though he may not will these things he ceasseth not to be omnipotent but so much the rather his constant and inuincible power is knowne Secondly God may not will some things by reason of a presupposed condition as such things whereof he hath concluded the contrary before of the which sort is this which is now controuerted For seeing that God hath concluded that a humane body should consist of instrumentall parts and therefore to be comprehended and circumscribed within one and the owne proper place and also seeing he hath appointed Christ
I beseech them seeing that reason failes them that they fight not against God for maintenance of a lie how old soeuer it be for the diuell is old enough and yet he could neuer change his nature But let them rather glorifie God in confessing these speeches to be Sacramentall Then what is the reason and ground wherefore the Papists pull downe the substance of the body of Christ and the bloud of Christ and make the very substance to be corporally really and substantially in the Sacrament The reason is this Because they cannot see by their naturall iudgement nor can vnderstand by their naturall wit the truth of this to wit how Christs flesh and bloud caâ— be present in the Sacrament except he be present to their corporall mouth and stomacke If they had the light to informe them that Christ might be present in the Sacrament and not to the hand to the mouth or stomack they would neuer think of such a monstrous presence as they imagine to be there But being destitute of the spirituall light they follow their naturall reason and make a naturall and carnall presence So that ye haue this lesson to nore from hence There is no man that hath not the spirit of God to vnderstand this word This is my body but out of question he will do as the Papists do that is he will vmderstand it carnally And so they misknowing the right meaning of it it is no marueile though and we differ in this matter For will you aske of a Papist first if the true body of Christ be there or if the true flesh and bloud of Christ be there he will say it is there will you aske him wherein he will say in and vnder the accidents of the bread and wine vnder the hew and roundnesse of the bread will you aske him againe by what instrument it is receiued He will tell you by the mouth and stomacke of the body So this is their grosse vnderstanding of the body and bloud of Christ. Will you aske of the Vbiqueter if the true body of Christ be present he will say it is will you aske if it be in with or vnder the bread he will answere It is in the bread contentiuè that is the bread containes it will you aske him to what instrument it is offered he will answere that the bodie of Christ is offered to the mouth of our bodie and that the bloud of Christ is offered to the mouth of our body as the Papists do Will you know of vs how Christ Iesus his true body bloud is present We wil say that they are spiritually present really present that is present in the Lords Supper and not in the bread we will not say that his true flesh is present to the hand or to the mouth of our bodies but we say it is spiritually present that is present vnto thy spirit and faythfull soule yea euen as present inwardly vnto thy soule as the bread and wine are present vnto thy body outwardly Will you aske then if the body and bloud of Christ Iesus be present in the Lords Supper We answer in a word They are present but not in the bread and wine nor in the accidents nor substance of bread and wine And we make Christ to be present in this Sacrament because he is present to my soule to my spirit fayth Also we make him present in the Lords Supper because I haue him in his promise This is my body which promise is present to my faith and the nature of faith is to make things that are absent in themselues yet present And therefore seâ—ing he is both present by faith in his promise and present by the vertue of his holy Spirit who can say but that he is present in this Sacrament But yet the word would be explained what we meane by the word present how a thing is said to be present and absent And knowing this ye shall finde all the mater easie I say things are said to be present as they are perceiued by any outward or inward sense and as they are perceiued by any of the senses so are they present and the further they be perceiued the further present and by what sense any thing is perceiued to that sense it is present As if it be outwardly perceiued by an outward sense that thing is outwardly present As for exaÌ„ple if it be perceiued by the outward sight of the eye by the outward hearing of the eare by the outward feeling of the hands or taste of the mouth it is outwardly present Or if any thing be perceiued by the inward eye by the inward taste and feeling of the soule this thing cannot be outwardly present but it must be spiritually and inwardly present to the soule So I say euery thing is present as it is perceiued So that if you perceiue not a thing outwardlie it is outwardly absent and if ye perceiue not a thing inwardly it is inwardly absent It is not distance of place that maketh a thing absent nor propinquity of place that makes a thing present but it is onelie the perceiuing of any thing by any of thy senses that makes a thing present and the not perceiuing that makes a thing absent I say though the thing it selfe were neuer so farre distant if thou perceiue it by thine outward sense it is present vnto thee As for example my bodie and the Sunne are as farre distant in place as the heauen is from the earth yet this distance stayeth not the Sunnes presence from me why because I perceiue the Sunne by mine eye and other senses I feele it and perceiue it by the heate by the light and by his brightnesse So if a thing were neuer so farre distant if we haue senses to perceiue the same it is present to vs. Then the distance of place makes not a thing absent from thee if thou hast senses to perceiue it likewise the neerenes of place makes not a thing present be it neuer so neere if thou hast not senses to perceiue it As for example if the Sunne shine vpon thine eyes if thou be blinde it is not present to thee because thou canst not perceiue it A sweete tune will neuer be present to a deafe eare though it be sung in the eare of that man because he hath not a sense to perceiue it and a well told tale will neuer be present to a foole because he cannot vnderstand it nor hath no iudgement to perceiue it So it is not the nearenesse nor distance of place that maketh any thing present or absent but onely the perceiuing or not perceiuing of it Now the word being made cleare aske you how the bodie of Christ is present To giue our iudgement in a word as ye haue heard from time to time he is present not to the outward senses but to the inward senses which is faith wrought in the soule For this action of the Sacrament and
not my selfe but thee onely therefore Lord deliuer me So this kind of reasoning commeth neither of ostentation nor of pride Now as to my selfe would he say when I examine my doings I find my conscience so pure that in all my proceedings I had a good warrant and in all my doings I sought not mine owne particular but thy glorie And therefore Loâ—d remember me take not my life from me that I be not a stumbling blocke to the weake ones and a reioycing to mine enemies This is the onely thing whiâ—h we aâ—e taught here We see this good King when all worldly comfort faileth him and in his greatest extremitie he reposeth himselfe vpon the testimonie of a good conscience this is the onely thing that sustaineth him this is the onely thing that comforteth him and wherein now in the very instant of his death he hath to glorie Surely when I reade through the Bible I find that all the seruants of God in their greatest trouble had recourse to this testimonie of consciâ—nce Ye see Moses when he hath to do with Core Dathan and Abiram he haâ—h recourse to the testimonie of his conscience Ye see Dauid when he hath to do with Saule he hath recourse to this testimonie of conscience Ye see Nehemiah maketh recourse to this Ye see Daniel maketh recourse to this 6.23 And the Apostle Paule 1. Cor. 4. maketh his recourse to this and saith I passe very little for your iudgment or any mans iudgement my glorie is the testimonie of mine owne conscience And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes in his last Chapter I am assured saith he that I haue kept a good conscience in all things So go through all the seruants of God and ye shall see they haue had euer recourse to this testimonie of conscience and blessed is that man that iâ— not condemned in his doings by his owne conscience For if we are not able to eschue the condemnation of our owne heart how shall wee be able to eschue the condemnation of God who seeth all the secrets of the heart So that man is more then blessed that is not condemned of his owne heart For as to this conscience it is a faithfull pledge keeper the pawnes that it receiueth it rendreth of good turnes it giueth a ioyfull testimonie of euill turnes it giueth a bitter testimonie And suppose the most part of our deeds be now couered from the eye of man and her testimonie for the most part hid from our selfe yet there is a day coming which now is at hand in the which all these things that are now hid vnder darkenesse shall come to light and the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed The bookes of conscience shall be cast open and he that bringeth not in these bookes the discharge of his sinnes in register purchased by the bloud of Christ Iesus whereby our consciences are onely washen from these dead workes he that bringeth not this discharge with him to him shall his whole sinnes present themselues So that not onely shall he be iudged by the sentence of the righteous Iudge but his owne conscience which in this life foreiudged him shall coÌ„demne him there and all the Angels of God with his elect children shall iustifie his iudgement Therefore it is time we had now our discharge registred Now would God I might obtaine this of the office bearers in Church or Policie that they would now cast them in their life to haue the approbation of their conscience in the time of their death The Lord grant it to all them that seeke to serue him But specially the Lord make you Sir so to walke in your life that you may haue a ioyfull testimonie of your conscience in your death that being approued with your owne conscience and the testimonie of God within your conscience in the mouth of these two faithful witnesses your saluation may be sure not in your selfe but in the bloud of Christ Iesus whose mercie is onâ—ly our merit As this is desired in him so it is required in the rest of the office-bearers Lord grant that they may follow such a trade of life that in their death their conscience may make mention of their deeds to their ioy Thus far for this part of his behauiour Now resteth one thing to speake and so I shall end Tâ—ke vp the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease he is straitned with the extremitie of his disease on the one side and with the Lords threatning on the other what doth he in this strait pinch He seâ—keth by prayer to the same God that strooke him and now by his Pâ—ophet threatneth him This is wonderfull for if he had had to do with any other person as namely if he had had to do with the King of Ashur as before it had bene an easie matter to haue retired to God But now hauing to do with God and God apparently being his enemy it is wonderfull that he should haue recouse to God This is a notable faith in him for he hopeth against hope he runneth to that same God that smiteth him So notwithstanding that he threatneth him with death yet he runneth to him and he appealeth from his iustice to mercie in the merits of Christ he appealeth from God as a righteous Iudge vnto him as a Redeemer in Christ and his appellation is heard For as we shall heare hereafter by Gods grace he is healed Thus farre concerning his repentance Now as to the prorogation of his dayes the question might rise whether it was lawfull for him to craue it or not I shall touch it but in generall and first I say in Hezechias person it is very lawfull for he lacked posteritie and in this the promise of God had not taken effect in him and so it was lawfull for him to seeke the accomplishment of the Lords promise made to his father Dauid and also the reformation of the Church was but new begun the common-wealth was not as yet established and all these craued the presence of the King So if we looke to the particular in him it was lawfull I come to the generall it is lawfull at some times to seeke at God prorogation of dayes and my reason is this Length of dayes is one of the greatest blessings temporall that we haue as in that promise annexed to the commandement appeareth And as the Apostle in the 2. Chap. 27. to the Philip. when he maketh mention of the disease of Epaphroditus he saith No doubt he was sicke verie neare vnto death but the Lord had mercie on him and not onely vpon him but on me also So he counteth the prorogation of dayes a speciall mercie And there is no mercie nor benefit of God but it may be craued so that it be craued to the right end For we directing our life to the glorie of God and vsing it as Pilgrims and strangers seeking our home and hauing it ready to lay downe in the hands of God
THE WAY TO TRVE PEACE AND REST. DELIVERED AT EDINBOROVGH In XVI Sermons on the Lords Supper Hezechiahs Sicknesse and other select Scriptures By that reuerend faithfull Preacher of Gods word Mr. ROBERT BRVCE for the present Minister of the Word in Scotland Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara IOHN 10.27.28 My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them they follow me And I giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any man plucke them out of my hand LONDON Printed by R. Field for Thomas Man and Ionas Man dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1617. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL MAISTER ADRIAN MOORE Esquire c. And to the no lesse religious and vertuous Gentlewoman Mistresse MARIE MOORE his Wife Patrones of Piety all peace and happiness in both Worlds RIght Worshipfull It must not seeme strange vnto you that a new occasion hath made also a new change of stile since occasion daily sheweth so many changes in the world Amongst all which alterations I must beg of you still to continue your countenance vnto these few plaine homely Sermons In token that no change I hope so long as I liue shall keepe me from manifesting vnto the world as all occasions shall serue how much in dutie I am bound to your true vnfeined loue and vndeserued fauours to me the vnworthiest of all For which I can but wish you to be euer attended with those two faithfull companions of the Saints peace of conscience and ioy in the holie Ghost and at the last to haue a speedie hearing when your Spirits shall faile to transport them into Abrahams bosome there to enioy eternall and vnspeakeable rest for euer and euer Yours in all dutie much and euer bound I. H. TO THE READER GEntle Reader The Author of these Sermons not being present at their going to the presse againe to reuiew and correct them I doubted whether in these learned and curious dayes such homely lines as these might not be distastfull amongst such multitudes of learned ones euery where swarming in the presse so much the rather since their Author hath euer thought so meanly of himselfe that no worke of his could be worthie of the presse Notwithstanding since the importunitie of many did long since as it were wring and extort these few Sermons from him in the beginning of his ministerie before things could be so well ripely and methodically digested as possibly he could haue wished if now they were to do I haue made bold also once againe to send them vnto thy view chiefly to the hungrie Because as Salomon speaketh he who is full despiseth an honie combe but to the afflicted soule euery soure thing is sweete The first fiue on the Lords Supper were englished by a late Gentleman of worthie memorie M. S. Mitchell who was gathered to his fathers before he could see them at the presse the rest were perused and englished by another friend All the care and paines taken hath bene for Gods glorie and thy good If it please thee now therefore to vse Philips counsell to Nathaniel and see whether any good things come out of Nazareth it may be thou shalt not thinke thy paines and time lost which that thou mayest the sooner do I ceasse to trouble thee remaining Thine in the Lord Iesus I. H. The Contents and substance of the Sermons following SERMON I. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth that a man must make this triall in his conscience The Definition of conscience the causes why conscience was by God left in vs The way how to keepe a good conscience In what things we must chiefly examine our consciences how to trie our peace with God and loue with our neighbours of mans first miserie and recouerie and so how faith is wrought in the heart how it is nourished in vs. SERM. II. Out of 1. Cor. 11.28 Intreating of Preparation to the Lords Supper Sheweth how a sincere faith is knowne that he who for Christ can renounce himselfe cannot be disappointed of his expectation That faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith That because it is ioyned with doubting it must be nourished That faith and doubting may lodge in one soule That a faith mingled and maistered with much doubting is yet a true faith That faith smothered yet is not extinguished A sure rest in the most dangerous tentations The definition of loue what our loue vnto God and our neighbour is SERM. III. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacraments in generall Sheweth the definition and diuerse acceptions of the word Sacrament what the signes in the Sacrament are why they are called signes what the thing signified in the Sacrament is The necessitie of the application thereof How the signe and the thing signified are ioyned together The Illustration of this Coniunction what considerations are needefull when the Signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued The other part of a Sacrament which is the word To what vses the Sacrament serueth vs more then the word Faults which peruert the Sacrament c. SERM. IIII. Out of 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Sheweth the diuerse Names both in the Scriptures and by the Ancients giuen vnto this Sacrament of the Lords Supper The ends why this Sacrament was instituted The things both outward and inward contained in this Sacrament That the things signified in both Sacraments are one but the signes are not one why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two What power and perpetuity the bread hath to be a signe How the Signes the thing signified are conioyned in the Sacrament How the Signe and the thing signified is receiued What inconueniences are cast in by the Papists against this spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament How the soule is said to eate the body and drink the blood of Christ. Faith is that which coupleth vs to Christ. A similitude explaining the same SERM. V. Out of the 1. Cor. 11.23 Intreating of the Sacrament of the Lord Supper Sheweth our vnion with Christ by vertue of communion of the same Spirit The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrament is called a seale Why a holy seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the Couenant Why the Sacrament should be administred publikely Why this seale must be ministred according to Christs institution That the word and element must concurre in the institution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in a Sacrament what the Papists vnderstand by the word in this action and our differences from them How the outward Elements are sanctified How the Papists sanctifie these Elements The refutatiō of Transubstantiatiō by diuerse arguments The reasons why the Papists cannot thinke Christs body present in the Sacrament vnlesse it be really and substantially present The
Sacrament defraud vs of the profite vse thereof these faults are either in the forme or in the person In forme if the essentiall forme be spoyled we get nothing for when the Sacrament is spoyled of the essentiall forme it is not a Sacrament There is an essential forme in Baptisme an essentiall forme in the Lords Supper which if they be taken away ye lose the vse of the Sacrament The essentiall forme of Baptisme is I baptize thee in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost Leaue out any of these three or do it in the name of any one of the three persons onely ye lose the essentiall forme of Baptisme In the Lords Supper if ye leaue out the least ceremonie ye lose the essentiall forme and so it is not a Sacrament I speake of the essentiall forme in respect of the Papists who keepe the essentiall forme in Baptisme though they haue brought in trifles of their owne and mixt with it yet in respect they keepe the substantiall forme it is not necessary that they who were baptized vnder them be rebaptized Indeede if the vertue of regeneration flowed from the person it were something but in respect Christ hath this to giue to whom and when he pleaseth the essentiall forme being kept it is not necessary that this Sacrament be reâ—terated Now what are the faults in the person that peruerts the Sacrament The fault may be either in the person of the giuer or in the person of the receiuer I speake not of those common faults which are common to all but of such faults as disable the person of the giuer to be a distributer of the Sacrament and taketh the office from him so when the person of the giuer is this way disabled no question it is not a Sacrament Then againe in the person of the Receiuer the fault may be if their children be not in the couenant but out of it they get not the Sacrament Indeed if the Parents afterward come to the couenant the children though they be gotten out of the couenant may be receiued Euen so in the Lords Supper if a man be laden with any burthen of sin without any purpose to repent he ought not to receiue it So then if ye come without a purpose to repent ye lose the vse of the Sacrament it is onely this purpose to repent that maketh me who receiue the Sacrament to get the fruite and effect thereof therefore euery one who goeth to the Sacrament must looke what purpose he hath in his heart Hast thou a purpose to murder to continue in adultery or to commit any other vile sinne that is in thy heart and art not resolued to repent In shewing thee to be without repentance thou shewest thy selfe to be without faith and consequently thou comest to thy condemnation and not to thy saluation take heed then what your purpose is for if with a dissolute life ye haue a dissolute purpose ye come vnto your euerlasting perdition I had thought to haue entred particularly into the handling of this Sacrament but because the time is past and some of you I doubt not are to communicate onely this Remember that ye addresse not your selues to that Table except ye finde your hearts in some sort prepared The first degree of preparation standeth in contrition in sorrowing for sinne in a feeling of your sinnes wherein ye haue offended to gracious a God If ye be able as that woman was by the teares of a contrite heart to wash the feete of Christ humbly to kisse his feete and â—o get hold of the foote of Christ though ye dare not presume so high as to get him whole ye are in a good case but if thou want all these and hast them not in some measure thou wantest all the degrees or preparation Therefore let none come to this Table except he haue these in some measure But where there is a displeasure for sinne a purpose to do better and an earnest sobbing and sighing to get the thing that thou wantest in that soule where God hath placed this desire of Christ it is the worke of Gods Spirit and Christ will enter there And therefore though that soule be farre from the thing that it should be at let him not refuse to go to the Lords Table but let him go with a profession of his owne infirmitie and weakenesse and with a desire of the thing that he wants Euery one of you that findeth himselfe this way disposed let him go in Gods name to the Lords Table and the Lord worke this in euery one of your hearts that this ministerie may be effectuall in euery one of you at this time and that in the righteous merits of Iesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and for euer Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON VPON THE LORDS SVPPER IN PARTICVLAR 1. COR. 11.23 For I haue receiued of the Lord that which I also haue deliuered vnto you to wit that the Lord Iesus in the night that he was betrayed tooke Bread c. WE ended the consideration of the Sacraments in generall in our last Exercise welbeloued in Christ Iesus now it remaines that we proceede to the consideration of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper in particular And that ye may the better attaine vnto the knowledge and consideration of the great varietie of matter that is contained in this Sacrament of the Lords Supper I shall endeuour as God shall giue me grace to set downe certaine things for the easier vnderstanding of it And first of all I will let you see what names are giuen vnto this Sacrament in the Bible I will shew you some names that are giuen to this Sacrament by the Ancients Next I will let you vnderstand for what chiefe ends and respects this Sacrament was instituted and appointed by Christ Iesus Thirdly I will come to the things that are contained in the Sacrament how these things are coupled how they are deliuered and how they are receiued And last of all I will answer certaine obiections which may be obiected to the contrarie of this doctrine and as God shall giue me grace I will refute them and so end this present Exercise Now we find sundry names giuen vnto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in the booke of God and euery name carries a speciall reason with it We finde this Sacrament called the bodie and bloud of Christ. This name is giuen vnto it no doubt because it is a heauenly and spirituall nouriture it containes a nouriture of the soule that is able to nourish and traine vp the soule to a life spirituall to that life euerlasting for this cause it is called the bodie and bloud of Christ. It is called also the Supper of the Lord to put a difference betwixt it and a profane supper for this is the Lords Supper a holy supper not a profane or common
that hath Bread onely and Wine onely hath not a perfect corporall nourishment therefore that they might represent and let vs see a perfect nourishment he hath giuen vs both Bread and Wine for the perfect corporall nourishment standeth in meate and drinke to represent the full and perfect nourishment of the soule Marke how full and perfect a nourishment he hath to his body that hath store of Bread and Wine so he that hath Christ lacketh nothing of a full and perfect nourishment for his soule Then you see the reason wherefore there are two signes appointed in this Sacrament and onely one signe in Baptisme There remaineth yet concerning these signes two thing to be enquired First what power hath that Bread in this Sacrament to be a signe more then the bread which is vsed in common houses from whence cometh that power Next if it haue a power how long endureth and remaineth that power with the bread For the first concerning the power which that bread hath more then any other bread I will tell you That Bread hath a power giuen vnto it by Christ by his institution by the which institution it is appointed to signifie his bodie to represent his body and to deliuer his bodie That Bread hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution which other common bread hath not so that if any of you would aske when the Minister in this action is breaking or distributing that Bread pouring out and distributing that Wine if you would I say aske what sort of creatures those are this is the answer They are holy things Ye must giue this name to the signes and seales of the body and bloud of Christ. That Bread of the Sacrament is a holy Bread and that Wine is an holy Wine Why Because the blessed institution of Christ hath seuered them from that vse whereunto they serued before and hath applyed them vnto an holy vse not to feede the bodie but to feede the soule Thus farre concerning the power of that Bread it hath a power flowing from Christ and his institution Now the second thing is how long this power continueth with that Bread how long that Bread hath this office In a word I say this power continueth with that Bread during the time of the action during the seruice of the Table Looke how long that action continueth and that the seruice of the Table lasteth so long it continueth holy Bread so long continueth the power with that Bread but looke how soone the action is ended so soone endeth the holinesse of it looke how soone the seruice of the Table is ended so soone that Bread becomes common bread againe and the holinesse of it ceasseth Then this power continueth not for euer but it continueth onely during the time of the action seruice of the Table Thus far concerning the Elements There is besides the Elements another sort of signes in the Sacrament there is not a ceremonie in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper but is a signe and hath it owne spirituall signification with it as namely looking to the breaking of that Bread it representeth vnto thee the breaking of the bodie and bloud of Christ. Not that his bodie and bones were broken but that it was broken with dolour with anguish and distresse of heart with the weight of the indignation and furie of God that he sustained for our sinnes which he tooke vpon him Then the breaking is an essentiall ceremonie the pouring out of the wine also is an essentiall ceremonie For as ye see clearely that by the Wine is signified the bloud of Christ so by the pouring out of the Wine is signified that his bloud was seuered from his flesh and the seuering of those two maketh death for in bloud is the life and consequently it testifieth his death The pouring out of the Wine then telleth thee that he died for thee that his bloud was shed for thee so this is an essentiall ceremonie which must not be left out Likewise the distribution giuing and eating are essentiall ceremonies And what doth the eating testifie vnto thee The applying of the bodie bloud of Christ vnto thy soule So that there is none of these rites but haue their owne signification and there cannot one of them be left out but ye shall peruert the whole action Thus far concerning the signes Now what profit can ye make of all this discourse Learne this lesson and ye shall make profite by these things In respect that euery signe and ceremonie hath it owne spirituall signification so that there is not a ceremonie in this whole action that wanteth it owne spirituall signification consider this and thinke with your selues at that time especially when ye are at the Lords Table and in the sight of that action that looke what thou seest the Minister doing outwardly what euer it be Is he breaking that Bread is he dealing that Bread Thinke assuredly with thy selfe that Christ is as busie doing all these things spiritually vnto thy soule he is as busie giuing vnto thee his owne bodie with his owne hand he is as busie giuing to thee his owne bloud with the vertue and efficacie of it So in this action if thou be a faithfull Communicant looke what the mouth doth and how the mouth of the bodie is occupied outwardly so is the hand and mouth of the soule which is faith occupied inwardly As the mouth taketh that Bread and that Wine so the mouth of thy soule taketh the body and bloud of Christ and that by faith For by faith and a constant perswasion is the onely way to eate the bodie and drinke the bloud of Christ inwardly and doing this there cannot but follow a fruitfull eating Thus far for the consideration of the signes Now cometh in the matter wherein greatest difficultie standeth whereof I spake the last day as God gaue me the grace yet in the particular I must speake as well as in the generall but somewhat more shortly Then ye haue to vnderstand for the better information of your consciences for the better preparation of your soules ye haue to vnderstand how that Bread and that Wine which are signes are coupled with the body and bloud of Christ which are signified thereby What sort of coniunction is this and from whence this coniunction floweth I shall be briefe because I haue already in my last Lecture spoken of it at large Take heede for if ye giue not good attention it is not possible that ye can conceiue this coniunction Concerning this coniunction would you know how these two are coupled Then must you first marke the nature of the signes and the nature of the thing signified ye must obserue both their natures And why Because nothing can be coupled nor conioyned with other but so far as the nature of it will suffer if the nature of it will not suffer a coniunction they cannot be conioyned Or will the nature of it
mouth Marke this That if it were not of Gods speciall grace and mercy that he giueth me an eye to perceiue him a mouth to receiue him I would refuse him as wel as they So this Argument holdeth not Christ is offered to all Ergo he is receiued of all Happy were they if they could receiue him Thus far for the 3. Argumēt What resteth now for the full vnderstanding of the Sacrament These things remaine That we vnderstand the Sacramentall speeches that are vsed in the Sacrament for we vse to speake of them God vseth to speake of them and the Ancients vse to speake of them We vse to say that the soule eateth the body of Christ and drinketh the bloud of Christ. These speeches would be opened to you how the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ these speeches are Sacramentall yet ye are not the wiser but I will make it plaine by Gods grace They are Sacramentall what is that Ye know it is proper to the body to eate and drinke they are the proper actions of the body onely Now they are ascribed to the soule by a translation by a figuratiue manner of speaking That which is proper to the body is ascribed to the soule and it is said that the soule eateth and drinketh The eating of the soule doth resemble the eating of the body then the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of Christ to the soule to beleeue that he hath shed his bloud for me that he hath purchased remission of sinnes for me Wherefore then call you this an eating Thy body eateth when thou appliest the meate to thy mouth If then the eating of the body be no other thing but the applying of the meat to the mouth the eating of the soule is no other thing but the applying of the nourishment to the soule Then ye see what is meant by the eating and drinking of the soule no other thing but the applying of Christ to my soule and the applying of his death and passion to my soule and this is onely done by faith therefore he that lacked faith cannot eate Christ. Thus farre for the eating and drinking of the soule which are Sacramentall speeches There remaineth now of all these great things of al this doctrine which hath bin taught but this one lessō That thou learne to apply Christ rightly to thy soule Thou art a great Diuine if thou hast learned this wel for in the right application of Christ to the sick soule to the wounded conscience and diseased heart here begins the fountaine of all our felicity and the wel-spring of all our ioy And I will tell you what this application worketh Obserue what the presence of thy soule within thee suppose thou want Christ in thy soule doth to this earthly body to this lumpe of clay as by the presence of the soule it liueth it moueth it feeleth as the soule giueth to the body life mouing and senses that same very thing doth Christ vnto thy soule Hast thou once laid hold of and applyed him to thee As the soule quickens thy body so he quickens thy soule not with an earthly or temporall life but with the life which he liueth in heauen he makes thee to liue that same life which the Angels liue in heauen he maketh thee to moue not with worldly motions but with heauenly spirituall and celestiall motions Againe he inspires in thee not outward senses but heauenly senses he worketh in thee a spirituall feeling that in thine owne heart and conscience thou mayst find the effect of this word So by the coniunction of Christ with my soule get a thousand times greater benefits then the body doth by the soule for the body by the presence of the soule getteth onely an earthly and temporall life subiect to continuall misery but by the presence of Christ in my soule I see a blessed life l feele a blessed life and that same life takes daily more and more increase in me Then the ground of all our perfection and blessednesse standeth in this coniunction suppose thou mightest liue Methushelaes yeers and wert euer seeking yet if in the last houre thou get this coniunction thou must thinke thy trauell well bestowed thou hast gotten enough for if we haue obtained Christ we haue gotten al with him Then the applying of Christ to my soule is the fountaine of all my ioy felicity Now let vs see how we get this coniunction This is a spirituall coniunction a coniunction hard and difficult to be purchased obtained gotten of vs. How then is this coniunction brought about which are the meanes of this coniunction on Gods part and which are the means on our part to get Christ to put Christ in our soules and to make Christ one with vs There is one meanes on Gods part that helpeth vs vnto Christ and there is another on our part On Gods part there is the holy Spirit which offereth the body and bloud of Christ to vs and on our part there must be a meanes or else though he offer we will not receiue Therefore of necessity there must be faith in our soules to receiue that which the holy Spirit offers to receiue that heauenly food of the body and bloud of Christ which the holy Spirit offers Then faith and the holy Spirit are the two meanes of this spirituall and heauenly coniunction By these two meanes by faith and by the holy Spirit I get the body of Christ the body of Christ is mine and he is giuen to my soule Now here comes in the question How canst thou say that the body of Christ is giuen or deliuered to thee seeing the body of Christ is sitting at the right hand of God the Father and looke how great distance is betwixt heauen and earth as great distance is there betwixt the body of Christ and thy body how then say ye that the body of Christ is giuen to you The Papists vnderstand not this and therefore they imagine a grosse and carnall coniunction Except the Spirit of God reueale these things they cannot be vnderstood The Spirit of God must illuminate our mindes and be planted in all our hearts before we can come to the vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstanding of this Then wouldest thou vnderstand how Christ is giuen thee This ground is true that the body of Christ is a◠the right hand of the Father the bloud of Christ is at the right hand of the Father yet notwithstanding though there be as great distance betwixt my body and the body of Christ as is betwixt heauen and earth yet Christs body is giuen to me because I haue a title to his body giuen to me the right and title which is giuen to me of his body and bloud makes me to possesse his body and bloud The distance of the place hurteth not my title nor my right for if any of you haue a peece of Land
Spirit of God offer the contrarie occasion will not be a thousand times more ready to comfort And therefore the Lord in his mercy giue you grace Sir that ye may haue that testimony of a good conscience to vphold you without the which there is no true comfort But alas when I looke on the misery and calamity of this Country I am almost out of hope for why Your subiects haue gotten such a custome of sinne and euil doing whereby they haue drawne on such an habite and hardnesse of heart that nothing is pleasant to them but that which is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to them but that which is pleasing to him What is it I pray you that custome wil not bow What is it that custome will not alter What is it that continuall vse will not harden There is no potion so bitter-tasted in the beginning but if thou vse it a litle while it shall appeare not so bitter continue yet further in it it shall appeare nothing bitter at all go forward yet in it and in the end it shal become sweete suppose in the beginning it were most bitter Euen so it standeth with that miserable man that casteth his whole delight in ill doing that he hath such a custome in euill doing that nothing is pleasing to him but whiâ—h is displeasing to God and nothing displeasing to him but that which is pleasing to God For the mischieuous custome of euill doing banisheth light out of the minde· And as it banisheth light out of the minde it so banisheth all feeling out of the conscience and in stead of light cometh darknesse and in stead of feeling cometh hardnesse Now the conscience being hardened the minde being darkened what remaineth but a desperate and an obstinate condition like to the diuell who is said to be bound in chaines vnder perpetuall darknes This is wonderful that such continuall thundering of these threatnings is not able to moue them But it is no maruaile for there is no words will moue them yea it is impossible to the bloody man or oppressor to refaine from time they be once giuen ouer to sinne For from time the sinne hath gotten superiority in them as Peter sayth it commandeth them more absolutely then a Prince would command his subiect for sinne hath made them such slaues and they are so carried with impotency of their affections that they dare no more refraine from the seruice of sinne then a good seruant from his masters seruice I pray God that he so multiply the Spirit of gouernment vpon you Sir that holy vnction of Kings that we may once see this great insolency that breaketh out in so great contempt condignly punished that ye may keep your conscience pure and holy Thus much concerning the thing that is to be eschued in Ionas Now followeth another lesson to be learned in the person of Isaiah ye see Isaiah is ready to do what the Lord commandeth When the Lord biddeth him blow the blast of iudgement he bloweth it When the Lord biddeth him come he cometh when the Lord biddeth him go he goeth Then the lesson is this We that are the Trumpetters of the Lord we must not blow as our affections and men bid but as the Lord biddeth vs we must not sound the retreate when we should sound the march nor we must not sound the march when we shauld sound the retreate We must not sound iudgement when the Lord biddeth sound mercy and we must not sound mercy when the Lord biddeth sound iudgement But now the sinnes of the Land craue that all pulpits sound iudgement Therefore iudgement must be sounded There is no way to auert this iudgement but that euery man according to his calling put to his hand to reforme according to the bounds and power that is committed vnto him And the best way were that ye that are Noble men concurre with your Prince and his Maiestie concurre with heart and hand to repaire the ruines of this Country Thus farre for the second lesson Now he subioyneth the Narratiue In the Narratiue he sayth to the King That the Lord hath heard his prayer and hath seene his teares as if he would say Suppose thou lay in thy chamber turned thee to the wall yet I heard all the words that thou spake and I saw all the teares that distilled from thee And suppose it was not in the temple yet all was manifest to me This is a great comfort Then the lesson in generall is this In all places and to all estates the Lords eare is euer fastned to the cryes of his owne he seeth their teares and he heareth their words And suppose he be not alway as ready to dispatch them as he was to Hezechia yet he leaueth them not but he susteineth them in the meane time by the comfort of his spirit and in the end he granteth them their petition so farre as is sufficient And if it be according to his will he giueth them more then they sought If this be true that the Lords eare is present to heare the prayer of his owne and his eye to see their teares will not the Lord be moued at the cryes of them that are oppressed with these bloudy men It is wonderfull that no threatning nor denunciation will moue these men but if euery teare be powred in the Lords viole and euery word heard of the Lord how much more shall euery drop of bloud be in the Lords viole What is the reason that these bloody men will not giue eare The reason is this they haue layed this ground and vpon this false ground they build all their false conclusions with Atheists that there is not a God and vpon this ground they build all their mischieuous workes But I would demand of these men that haue layd this ground if there be not a God whence floweth this feare and terror of conscience this trembling and vnquietnesse which gnaweth them if there be not a God how is it that they are so tormented Suppose they haue banished knowledge out of their minde feeling out of their conscience all that should feare them out of their heart yet they haue euen this feare trembling in their soule And it is not possible to banish this feare do what they can yea the more murthers they commit the greater is their feare So where men thinke to make themselues sure by slaughter it is the high way to cast themselues in greater vnsurety and make their heart more fearefull then it was From whence come these torments but from God forewarning them of Hell and these are the beginning of hell to thee in this life Which if God would let off the all full measure they would not faile to put violent hands on themselues thinking thereby to get an outgate to their soule for they thinke if the soule were out of this bodie it should be in a better case where in the meane time
they will hazard both bodie and soule There is none but they see this and haue cause to lament it I cannot but be rauished in admiration when I see these two to wit the more that light is offered our hearts are the harder the more that light groweth and knowledge increaseth conscience decayeth as if knowledge and conscience could not dwell both in one country The more light increaseth the more well doing decayeth which testifieth that the darknesse wherein the Papists liued keeping a conscience in respect of vs shall rise and condemne vs that in so great light haue lost all conscience This is a part of my wonder Now what must follow of this The Apostle Heb. 6. letteth vs see that the ground which is often watered and refreshed with raine in due season and in the meane time bringeth nothing foorth but briers and thornes which are onely meete faggots for the fire shall be burnt vp in the Lords iudgement To apply this howsoeuer the iudgement be delayed of necessity there remaineth an vtter burning vp which consumption must be the greater the greater that the light is For the greater light the greater contempt and the greater contempt the heauier must the iudgement be And surely I looke with my selfe and am in a constant expectation that except matters proceede otherwise in this countrie then they haue done it shall be made a spectacle to all other countries in the earth Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the end of the 16. verse he continueth and he prayseth that same blessed word of God from other effects which he found in his owne person and in the end of this verse he saith By the benefit of the word I haue obtayned health of bodie For as sicknesse had taken all strength from me and had spoiled me of my force by the benefit of the word I am restored to my strength to my force and wealth againe Yea not onely by the benefit of the word am I restored to my health but by the same benefit I am preserued in my health and continue therein So that looke from the beginning First he ascribeth the life of the bodie to the word Secondly he ascribeth the life of his soule to the word he ascribeth the health of his bodie and soule to the word And last of all he ascribeth the continuance of the health of bodie and soule to this word What comfort is there to be found but it is in the word What comfort can a Christian heart wish but it is in the word Yea I say more it is not possible to the mouth nor to the heart of man to expresse the comfort which the soule hath in this word It is not possible to the mouth to vtter the ioy which it worketh in them in whom this Spirit is effectuall Notwithstanding all this great benefit that floweth of the word let vs see who runneth to this word to seeke comfort If we looke to the prophane multitude yea to the best of vs all there is neuer a one that runneth to this word vntill all worldly comfort do faile vs But when nature and all naturall meanes hath left vs then we run as it were compelled to the word yea we are so late in running that oft times we get an euill answer when we come and the gates are violently shut vppon vs as they were on the foolish virgins Well the word is daily and continually sounded Therefore seeke to get comfort of this word in time Looke that ye heare this word with great reuerence and studie to practise it dayly more and more in your daylie life and conuersation Now in the 17. verse of this Chapter he noteth the time First when he fell into this disease Secondly he letteth vs know the manner how he was deliuered As to the time when he fell into it he saith it was in time of peace after he was deliuered from the hands of Sanacherib and when he was at ease in great wealth and abundance and as he himselfe confesseth when he was beginning to forget God and to abuse the great benefit of his deliuerie at that same time God beginneth to pull his eare and he casteth him out of the hands of a fearefull warre into the hands of a terrible plague I marked in the entry of this Chapter some things vpon this circumstance And therefore I content me onely with this obseruations We may perceiue by this same circumstance how hard a thing it is to flesh and bloud to beare the cup of great wealth and long health euen Yea it is a thing altogether impossible to flesh to beare the cup of prosperitie and health equally any long space but except the Lord exercise vs by one exercise or other hold vs in awe and tune our eare like fed horse we begin to repine Therefore I say seeing this is a common sicknesse vnto all flesh as I haue spoken we haue to seeke our counsell of Agur the sonne of Iake who fearing to fall into these inconueniences desireth two things of God first he prayeth that he will remooue all vanitie and lying words from him that is that he will remooue and forget his sinnes and deliuer him from euill Secondly that he will neither tempt him with ouer great abundance nor yet with ouer great pouerty that he would not tempt him with ouer great abundance lest should forget him nor yet with ouer great pouertie lest he should speake euill of him but chiefly he craueth of God that he will grant vnto him his daily bread that is vnto euery one of vs according to the nature of our calling and estate so much of these temporall goods as he knoweth meetest for his glory and our saluation Then to eschue the inconueniences of abundance which do make vs forget God of pouertie that maketh vs to blaspheme God beg of God that he would grant you your dayly bread But I pray you what maruell is it that a wealthy and glorious King in the time of his greatest prosperitie should fall into the ignorance of God What maruell is it that a King who commonly taketh vnto him an absolute power and hath none about him but flatterers for the most part and who continually drinketh in vanitie at all his senses like water what maruell is it that lie fall into the ignorance of God when we see our owne meane Lords who are not Kings to fall into such proud contempt that they are alwaies readie as appeareth to take vp open warres against God so that Iulian was no greater profest enemie then they are like to be if they continue Suppose a King fall into this ignorance of God what maruell is it seeing that these meane Lords in very meane wealth do the like yea and the greater Well this King was chastised in the mercie of God that he should not fall into the condemnation of the Reprobate And that man if he be not chastised in time by the
is so wicked and corrupt that it cannot hold it selfe within bounds nor containe it selfe in any mediocrity But as when we finde the fire of Gods wrath in any mesure kindled for sinne we would looke backe to desperation So if the conscience be acquainted long with the ioy with the taste of his mercy and of his peace the diuell in this world deceiueth vs and draweth vs to presumption Therefore as before being cast downe with the consideration of thine owne sinnes so eschue desperation thou withdrawest thy consideration to the mercy of God So now to esâ—hue presumption thou must cast backe thy thoughts to the consideration of thy selfe of thine owne sinnes and iniquities and looke what thou wast before thou wast called to repentance This is the way to hold thee low and humble and to distinguish grace from nature As to the sorts of repentance Of true repentance there are two sorts an ordinary repentance wherein euery Christian is bound to walke all the dayes of his life and an extraordinary and a speciall repentance The ordinary repentance is this when any man after he is called to the participation of grace falleth into some speciall sinne the rising from that sin I call a special repentance as Dauids rising In this ordinary repentance we are commanded all to walke the speciall repentance should waken them that are fallen into one speciall viâ—e or other From the extraordinary we should beseech the Lord to preserue vs. Alwayes if we fall the Lord waken vs. Now ye haue heard the parts of repentance according to the order and diuision which I haue layd There is nothing farther to be spoken of this head except onely this We ought to praise and thanke God for the victory that we haue gotten ouer our selues through him We haue to consider and see how farre we are bound vnto him that he should haue had such a speciall regard vnto vs vile finners that he hath poured out streames heapes and conduits of his mercy among vs which he hath denied to others who in the iudgement of the world were in a better ease then we The consideration of this no doubt will raise a thankefulnesse in vs and moue vs to consider how farre we are bound to so gracious a God As for the gift it selfe seeing it is not in vs we ought euer to be instant in seeking of it Therefore I recommend this repentance to be sought of euery one of you And ere we go further let vs pray for it both to out selues and others Then remember the things that haue bene spoken What is the chiefe thing that yong men should flie to wit the lusts of the flesh what is the chiefe thing that they should follow and strictly pursue the gift of repentance Therefore from your hearts seeke this gift And ere we go forward to the rest of our action let vs pray for it and pray that this matter may haue a good issue and succeede well that for the righteous merits of Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer The Sermon being ended the Minister directeth his speach to the Auditory assembled for the time in effect as followeth IT is not vnknowne to you all welbeloued in Christ Iesus how many means and sundry wayes the Lord hath to waken a sleeping conscience to bring men to the confession of their sinnes and to make them to seeke grace and mercy at his hands And as he lacketh no store of instruments and meanes so it hath pleased him of his mercy to the saluation of his soule who is penitent and to your good example who heare to worke this motion in the heart of this noble man in such sort that he is content from his hart vpon his knees to acknowledge and confesse those sinnes whereby he hath offended the maiesty of God and giuen euill example to the meanest and poorest of you And to let you vnderstand that this confession is willing and from his heart It is true and none of you can pretend ignorance of it that by the liberty of the Actes of our Church and custome receiued it had bene lawfull for him according to the order in his owne Church to haue made satisfaction yet such is the willingnesse of his owne heart that for the better satisfaction of you that are indwellers in this City he is content in this chiefe part and Church of the country and in that same place where he last shed innocent blood to repaire the same and in the presence of you all to seeke mercy at the God of heauen The Lord hath put this motion in his heart and that not suddenly not of late but he informed our brother Iames Gibson along time before his Maiesties departure out of this country and desired him to come and shew vnto vs that he was willing to make satisfactition to the Church not onely for his murther and bloodshed but for taking the name of God in vaine and for euery thing wherein he hath abused himselfe and for all his offensiue rash speeches generally for euery thing wherin he hath offended the least of you Which if we had vnderstood we had made more hastle to require the practise of it sooner Alwaies we haue euery one of vs to thanke God that he hath so moued his heart and to beseech of the Lord that it may be from his hatt that he may declare the effects of it in all time to come Therefore my Lord ye haue no further ado but fall on your knees craue of God mercy and pardon for your sinnes whereby ye haue offended him The Lord of his mercy grant it you THE WORDS WHICH THE EARLE Bothuell c. vttered being vppon his knees I would God that I could make such a Repentance as my heart desireth and I desire you all to pray for it The Lord of his mercy grant it to him and to vs all Amen THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VPON 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 IN WAY OF EXHORTAtion to the Prouinciall assemblie of the Presbyteries of Louthiane holden at Edinborough the 16. of September 1589. 2. TIMOTHIE 2.15 Studie to shew thy selfe approoued vnto God a workeman that needeth not to be ashamed deuiding the word of truth aright IT is not vnknown vnto you Brethren that in Timothy we haue the true patterne of a Profitable Pastor set down how he should behaue himselfe in all things what he should do what he should leaue vndone what he should follow what he should flie In euery thing he is forewarned but chiefly among many of one thing that he study not to please men that he hunt not for their praise and commendation For why Experience from time to time hath taught that these men haue not onely endangered their owne estate but hazarded also the whole estate of the Church As namely there were two in his owne time in the dayes of Timothy who to get a name
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the