the Lord are pure as the psa 12. 6 siluer tryed in a furnace of earth fined seauenfold The lawe of the Lord is Ps 19. 7. 8. perfect the statutes of the Lord are perfect All thy commaundements are Psa 119. 86. verse 140. true Thy word is prooued most pure Gold had need to be fined but Gods word is without all drosse And therefore it is the fittest rule for all our actions Sixtly The word of God is liuely and mightie in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword entreth through euen vnto the deuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the ioynts and the marrowe and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. Therfore fit to be our Iudge and the Touch-stone of our tryall As in a * Non coâ—itationes solum et meâ—tis tuae consilia sed actiones etiam et viâ—aeinslituta adeoque te ipsum tibi tanquam aliquod illustre specuiuÌ„ oftendet et demonstrbit Mirrour or looking-glasse a man may discerne his face so by the word of God we may discerne our selues and see the faces of our soules As the Gold-smith doth iudge of gold by touching it with his stone so by viewing our selues by Gods word we may iudge of our states As the Corn-dresser may by his Fanne discerne the wheat from the chaffe so we by the word of God may distinguish betwixt vice and vertue and see whether there be more wheat of grace or chaffe of sin in the heape of our heart and whether the chaffe of fin and dust of corruption as ashes â—o the fire soÌ„times as chaffe doth wheat doth * couer and ouer-lay the good corne of Gods graces and whether they be mixed together as light and darkenesse in the twilight When REBEKAH felt the twins strugling in her wombe she went to aske the Lord so when thou art in conflict with thy self when doubts arise within the womb of thy heart not knowing what to do or what to determine or think of thy selfe aske counsell of the Lord in his word and thou shalt in due time receiue an answere as by Oracle from heauen Dauid saith that the testimonies of the Lord were his Counsellours Ps 119 24. To conclude wouldst thou know whether thine examination and preparation be right and good then consider the word of God for it is the * mouth the tongue Vox summi sensuâ—que Dei quem fudit abalta meÌ„te Deus the voice and sentence of the Lord the line of our loue the rule of repentance the squire of obeience the touch-stone of faith the determiner of truth and the surest Iudge both in and of our examination The word of the Lord is * Pro. 30. 5 Ps 59. 8. Lex Ctristi est lux Christiani et speculuÌ„ humanae animae pure in it selfe and giueth light vnto the eies of those that search belieue and obey it It is as a bright shining torch or candle in a darke night lending vs light both to try our selues and to discerne whether our tryall be as it should be right and good And so much for the second generall point By what we ought to prooue our selues CHAP. 6. THe third point is of what things we must examin our selues For it were absurd for a man to seeke he knowes not what or to cast his angle into the water not knowing why A Magistrate cannot examine a man of nothing neither can we make tryall of our selues of nothing Examination presupposeth aswell the thing to be examined as the person vpon whome it is to be made The thinges then wherof we ought to examine our selues that we may come well prepared to the Lords Table are these especially which I will propound in order and do coÌ„mend to your christian consideration They are in number eight First we must examine our selues concerning our knowledge for it is fit that euery receiuer should haue a three-fold knowledg First of God to wit that there is a God a Iehouah that there is but one God that he is a spirit that he is infinite for goodnesse mercy iustice wisedome power time and glory that he is the Creator and Gouernour of the world that he is distinguished into three persoÌ„s the Father begetting the Sonne begotten the Holy ghost proceeding from them both that these three are one in nature and essence and will but three really distinguished in their maner of subsisting the Father of himself the Son of the Father the holy ghost from both and this from all eternity finally that all these are one in worship will haue onely that worship performed to them which is prescribed in the holy scriptures and that in spirit and truth Secondly it is meete that he should not be ignorant of the three fold estate of man the state by creation the state of the fall the state of grace As first that man was created righteous and good yet mutably Secondly that he fel Eccl. 7. 31. voluntarily away at the suggestioÌ„ of the Deuill and so lost his originall purity and withal plunged himselfe into a gulfe of misery First in that he is become prone to all manner of wickednesse secondly in that he doth now dayly transgresse against God both by omitting good and committing euill Thirdly that he is now subiect to the curse of the lawe Gal. 4. 10. both in this life and in the end of it and in the life to come In this life in the body to diseases in his goods to losses in his good name to ignominie in the end of his life to death which hauing cut asunder the threed of life made a deuorce between the soule and body doth immediately set open Hell gate for his soule to enter in In the life to come in a dying life and a liuing death euen to euer lasting confusion of soule and bodie from the presence of God liuing alwaies like flesh in the waters of Gods wrath and neuer drowned liuing alwaies in Hell fire like a Salamander and yet neuer consumed alwaies in dying yet neuer dead alwaies aliue and yet alwaies dead Thirdly for the state of Grace we must first know that we are redeemed from this misery onely by Christ who fulfilled the law for vs by his death hath defaced death and sin the sting of death and satisfied for all our sins to the full Secondly we must know that we are regenerated by the Holy Ghost who is therfore called the Spirit of sanctification or holines It is he that by the fire of his operation Rom. 1. 4. eateth out the drosse of sin and purgeth our soules from wickednesse He is the water which washeth away the filth of our hearts and as salt he seasonethvs throughout with sauing graces If we either will well or worke well it is of the Lord onely who worketh in vs both the will and deede Phil. 2. 13 of his owne good pleasure
of Christ do sometimes meane by a figure his whole obedience actiue and passiue and the benefits that arise from the same The second kinde of things signified are those things which are resembled by those actions of the Minister and communicants According to the foure-folde actions of the Minister foure other thinges are signified First his taking the bread and wine into his hands doth represent an action of God the father by which he did from all eternity seperate and elect his sonne to performe the office of a Mediatour betwixt God and man Secondly his blessing of the Elements wherebe he doth prepare destinate and sanctifie them to be a sacrament of the body blood of Christ doth signifie a second action of the father by which he did in the fulnesse of time send his son to execute the office of a Mediatour vnto which he was before ordained Thirdly the breaking of the bread and powring of the wine doth signifie the bitter passion of Christ the piercing of his body and the shedding◠of his blood and the rending as it were of his soule for our sins for as Esay speaketh he was wounded for our transgressions and broken for our iniquities he was plagued for our wickednes Isai 53. 5. 7. Fourthly his destributing of the bread and wine vnto the communicants signifieth an action of the Father offering his Sonne to all but giuing him only to the faithfull To proceede according to the two-folde action of the communicants two things are resembled First the receiuing of the bread and wine signifieth a spirituall action of the receiuer to wit his receiuing of Christ by the hand of faith Secondly their eating and drinking of them signifieth and sealeth their application of Christ to their hearts by faith or their inward and spiritual eating and drinking of his body and blood and feeding vpon him as vppon a most delicate and wholesome dish for the nourishment of their soules For as there are two parts of man body and soule so there are two sorts of feeding the one outward or sacramentall the other inward or spirituall the former is ordained of Christ to resemble and expresse this latter So much of the material cause of this Sacrament The internal and proper forme thereof is the relatiue sacramentall coniunction of the signes and things signified whereby they are made one in respect of resemblance proportion a reciprocal relation and affinity one with another The end of this sacrament is manifold 1. That the death of Christ may be reteined in remembrance 1. Cor. 11. 24. 26. Luke 22. 19. Do this saith Christ in remembrance of me By which apeareth first Christs loue vnto vs for the property of loue is to make the louer desire to liue in their memories whome he doth loue secondly his faithfull foresight is hereby cleared in prouiding that his benefit conferred might truly profit vs for as by forgetting benefits are lost so by remembring of them they are conserued 2. That God might visibly represent his inuisible guifts to our outward sēces our sight taste touch that the whole man being stirred vp both in soule body might with great chearefulnes ioy celebrate this sacred and sumptuous banquet 3. That it might be a signe seale and confirmation of our communion coniunction and incorporation with Christ our head and by him with the father and holy spirit 1. Cor. 10 16. Ioh. 6 56. 4. To signifie and seale vnto vs our spirituall feeding vpon and foode by Christ prouided that we come prepared For as meat or medicines for the body are not onely vnprofitable but also hurtfull if they be not taken as they should euen so it is with the supper of the Lord a meat or medicine for the soule if it be not aright receiued we harme our selues 5. That it might be a token and seale of the new testament or couenant betweene God and vs wherein God doth testifie that he doth receiue vs to fauor and remit our faults for the righteousnes of Christ and for the merrit of his death liuely set forth and shadowed by this sacrament 6. To signifie and seale vnto vs the resurrectiō of the soule from sin the bodie from the graue 7. That it might be a token and Iohn 6. 54 pledge of our communion one with another We all eat of one bread and drinke of one cup or drinke as fellowes in one family and seruants of one Lord. 8. That it might be a publike testimony of our profession and seperation from pagans and Infidels Thus we see the nature of this sacrament these things we ought all to know and we ought to prooue our selues before we do receiue whether wee doe know these things or the substance of them yea or no. If not we must vse meanes to get this knowledge least we come vnprepared and so prouoke the Lord against vs thus much for the first thing whereof we must examine ourselues CHAP. 8. THe second thing whereof we must examine our selues is true faith which is a certaine and perticuler knowledge of confidence in Gods speciall mercy or a sure apprehension and application of Christ and his merrits vnto our selues in particular Prooue your selues saith Paul 2. Cor. 13. 5 whether ye are in the faith This duety is at no time vnnecessary but then very necessary when we are to come to the Lords table For faith is the eye whereby we looke vppon Christ hanging vppon the crosse who is that brazen serpent which cureth our soules in ridding thē of the stings of sin of the poyson of the serpēt Satan Faith is the hand which apprehendeth Christ in the sacrament the mouth which receiues him the tongue that tasts him the teeth that chew him the throate that swalloweth him and the stomacke which digests him Therefore it must in no case be wanting in those that intend to receiue the Sacrament Now as a tree may be knowne by her fruits so may faith be discerned by the fruits and signes thereof He that goeth vp the riuer may in time come to the spring and he that followeth the heat may soone perceiue where the fire is There are three infallible tokens of true faith that I may not number many The first is Loue which as Paul teacheth 1. Timot. 1. 5. proceeds from faith vnfaigned The second is Feare for if a man be perswaded that God doth loue him and that Christ was crucified for his sinnes he wil be afraid to displease them by his sinnes and will stand in a reuerentawe The third is a vehement and constant desire to haue perfect fellowship with and a full fruition and sight of God Father Sonne and Holy Ghost VVhen a man shall vnderstand that some great Prince did so affect him as that he gaue his only sonne to death to saue him from death and that he continueth in his affection stil vnto him he wil long to see him and will willingly bestow himself vpon him that he might
which they signifie Epist 102. ad Euod Chrysostome saith that the bread after consecratioÌ„ is counted worthy of the name of the Lords bodie Etiamsi natura panis in ipso permansit although it haue the nature of bread still remaining in it Epist ad Caesar Monâ—ch Theodoretus saith that the Lord hath honored those visible signes with the name of his body and blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not altering their nature but adiecting grace vnto nature Now that grace which is added to their nature is in that those outward elemeÌ„ts are made Sacraments or outward meanes and instruments of Gods spirit for the confirmation conseruation augmentation of the Communion of Christ in vs signes and seales of the loue of God vnto vs in Christ And whereas the ancient and orthodoxall Fathers doe vse the wordes of Conuersion mutation transâ—usion when they speake of the sacrament we must know that they vnderstaÌ„d a chaÌ„ge or alteration in respect of vse and not of substance And albeit Cyprian say that the bread is natura mutatus changed as touching the nature of it yet hee meaneth onely that it is changed in the Sacrament in regard of the naturall and common vse thereof being set apart and sanctified to signifie the body of our Lord and not in respect of the naturall substance aâ—d essence and therefore in the same place he saith it is not effigie mutatus changed in shape and likenesse Now Cyprian neuer was acquainted with that learning which maketh accidents to subsist without their subiect For the old learning which was in his time and long before was that Accidentisesse est in esse that Subblato subiecto tollitur â—ccidens that no accident no shape or fashion could coÌ„tinue without the thing wherein it doth subsist and on which it doth depend For to say otherwise were as if a maÌ„ should say that the rednesse of the face can continue when the face is quite defaced and consumed or that the colours of the rainbow may remaine when the cloud is vanished dissolued It may bee then demaÌ„ded why christ should rather say This is my body then this that is this bread signifieth my body I answere that hee vsed that speech because it was his pleasure to declare more expresly that the breà d is not set before vs to be considered as it is in it selfe that is as it is bread but that wee ought to behold and lay hold vpon that with the eye hand of a liuely faith which is represented signified by the bread as if the bread were not the signe thereof but the thing it selfe which is signified by it And albeit we deny both transubstantiatioÌ„ that is to say that the bread wine are turned into the body and blood of Christ that he is bodily preseÌ„t in with vnder or about the elements vet we hold teach that he is truely really present and not absent from hâ—s Supper but marke how Not bodily for his bodie is in heauen there shall continue till he come vnto iudgement How then I answere Christ is present in respect of his grace poweâ—â—aiestie and operation communicating himselfe all his merits to vs truely but spiritually and lifting vp our hearts vnto himself into the very heauens that there we might behold him that was our sacrifice of reconciliation in his coelestiall sanctuarie and feed vpon him with a liuely faith In one word hee is present in respect of our faith which ioyneth things that are far distant in place one from another We do not therfore denie the reall and true presence of Christ but wee doe onely denie that hee is present in a bodily manner The consideration of these things serueth to condemne the doctrine of the Church of Rome which teacheth that the elements after the words of consecration are truely turned into the body and blood of Christ so as that nothing remaineth of the Elements at all sauing nakâ—d and mere accidents which are perceiued by seeing tasting and touching And according to this her doctrine she squareth out her practise persecuting with fire and fagot with sword and word those that will not subscribe vnto it and yet there is no footing for it in the word of God not one sentence nor syllable which vpholds or fauours it Let vs therefore detest and accurse it and let vs desire the Lord of his mercie to open their eyes that hold it daily increasing the number of true Christians and weakening the kingdome of Antichrist that the Gospell may flourish and that the Kingdome of Christ may bee enlarged to the consolation of the faithfull and glory of God vnto whom Father Sonne and Holy Ghost be rendered all honor laud and power for euer and euer Amen Trin-vni Deo gloria