before hee beeing I say lost by this sinne and left in this desperate estate in himself what doth God The euerliuing God only wise whose waies are vnsearchable hath found out a way how that man this way lost yet hee may bee saued heerein hee sought counsell from whom Not from any creature but hee counselled with himselfe The persons of the Trinitie tooke counsell of them selues one God was moued to seeke counsell from himselfe only moued in himselfe for hee had not an externall principall without himselfe to induce him So he seeking this counsaile at himselfe and being moued in himselfe thereto As Ephes 1.9 what doth hee when all men should haue died for euer it pleased him of his infinite mercie to select out of all and to elect a certaine number out of the lost race of Adam that should haue perished for euer In this his counsell and decree moued I say of himselfe and seeking counsell from himselfe only he selects a certaine number out of this rotten race which certaine number hee will haue sanctified hee will haue iustified hee will haue glorified And therefore to bring to passe the worke of their saluation what doth hee hee appointes his owne naturall sonne for hee had but one naturall sonne hee appointes the second person of the Trinitie his owne naturall sonne God in power glory and maiestie as high as himselfe equall with God the father in all things hee appoints him to worke this worke to bring to passe this worke of our redemption and eternall saluation This is but the mysterie of it in some measure disclosed And therefore in the fulnes of time for hee dispenseth all things according to his wisdome at such time as hee appointed hee makes his sonne to come downe to seise himselfe in the wombe of the Virgin to take on our flesh to take on the likenes of sinne hee tooke not on sin but he tooke on the likenes of sinne what call I that likenes our flesh is the likenesse of sinne he tooke on our flesh and nature the likenes of sin which was perfectly sanctified the verie moment of his conception in the verie wombe of the Virgin Hee tooke on this flesh that in this flesh and nature sin might be banished and cast out of vs foreuer And whereas we should all of vs haue gone one way for there was no exception of persons by nature Chr. Ies our sauiour hath elected vs according as his father in his secret election before the beginning of the world had elected vs the same Chr. Iesus in his owne time calleth vs and maketh vs partakers of that saluation which he hath purchased he repaires not only that image which was lost in our forefather Adam he placeth vs not in a terrestriall paradise where Adam was placed at the beginning and what more could haue bin sought by vs but he giues vs a far more excellent image thē we lost he placeth vs in a more high in a more celestial paradise thē we lost For so much the more heauēly is the paridise which he giues vs as the 2d Adam is more excellent then the first and as the son of God God himselfe is farre aboue any creature that euer was man or Angell Therfore it comes to passe that by the benefit of the second Adam Chr. Iesus our Sauior the son of God whereas had we remained in that Image wherin our forefather was first created wee should haue settled our selues in the earth for euer wee could not haue craued a beter paradise then an earthly paradise for earthly Tabernacles By benefit of the sonne of God I say it commeth to pass that we are plucked vp out of the earth to the heauen to a heauenly paradise And what haue wee to doe with heauen Are wee not made of the earth to returne to the earth Becomes not an earthly paradise an earthly bodie yet the Lord in his mercy sendeth downe his sonne to draw vs vp out of the earth to the heauen This is so high a thing that it cannot bee easily considered For this drawing of vs to a heauenly paradise is a thing more then could haue beene thought on That wee should liue the life of Angels in heauen how could the heart of man thinke on this yet it pleased the liuing Lord in the great riches and bowels of his mercie and in the exceeding greatnes of the power of his mercie towards vs The Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians cannot get words enow to expresse this he knowes not how to begin nor how to end when hee speakes of the riches of that mercie And if yee looke well into that Epistle to the Ephesians yee shall finde more high and excellent stiles giuen to the riches of that mercy in that Epistle then in any other part of the Scripture It pleased him I say of his own mercy not to giue vs simply the Image which wee lost nor to leaue vs in this earth but it pleased him to giue vs a better Image and beside that to place vs in heauen there to remaine with him for euer Now resteth his mercie and grace heere No But that this saluation which hee hath alreadie purchased and brought about by his sonne our Sauiour Christ Iesus that it might be wholly accomplished hauing nothing wanting in it As hee redeemed vs in his owne person perfectly So he makes this same redemption to come to our knowledge and make vs sure of it in our consciences and to this end what doeth hee As by his death he purchased our full redemption so hee makes it knowen vnto vs hee intimates it vnto vs by our inward calling letting vs both finde and feele in our hearts what hee did in his bodie for vs. For our Lord when hee makes his seruants to proclaime this redemption and to intimate it to our consciences hee workes this Iewell of faith in our soules which assures vs that the son of God hath died for vs For what could it auaile vs to see our redemption to see our saluation and our life a farre off if a way were not found out a hand and meanes giuen vnto vs whereby wee may apprehend that saluation and applie it to our selues What can it auaile a sicke man to see a drugge in an Apothecaries shoppe except hee may haue it and apply it to his sicke bodie So to the ende that this worke of our redemption and saluation may bee fully and freely accomplished looke how freely hee hath giuen his onely sonne to the death of the crosse for vs as freely hath hee found out this way and meanes and offered vs this hand whereby wee may take hold on Christ and applie him to our soules This meanes to conclude is faith There is not a way nor an instrument in the Scriptures of God whereby we can applie Chr. to our soules but only the instrument of faith therfore fayth cannot be enough cōmended Turn to faith it will make thee
was in the wombe of the Virgin His flesh is not called spirituall in respect it is glorified in the heauens at the right hand of the Father be not deceiued with that for suppose it be glorified yet it remaineth true flesh that same verie flesh which hee tooke out of the wombe of the blessed Virgine Neither is it spirituall because thouseest it not in the Supper if thou wert where it is Answere thou mightest see it But it is called spirituall in respect of the spirituall ends wherunto it serues to my body soule because the flesh bloud of Christ serueth to nourish me not to a temporall but to a spirituall heauenly life Now in respect this flesh is a spiritual foode seruing me to a spirituall life for this cause it is called a spirituall thing if it nourish mee as the flesh of beasts doth but to a temporall life it should be called but a temporall thing but in respect it nourisheth my soule not to an earthly and temporall life but to an heauenly celestiall and spirituall end In respect of this end the flesh of Christ and Christ in respect of his flesh is called the spirituall thing in the Sacrament It is called also the spiritual thing in the Sacrament in respect of the spirituall instrument whereby it is receiued The instrument whereby the flesh of Christ is receiued is not a corporall instrument is not the teeth and mouth of the body but it is spirituall it is the mouth of the soule which is faith and in respect the instrument is spirituall therefore Christ who is receiued is also called spirituall In respect also that the manner of receiuing is a heauenly spirituall and internall manner not a naturall nor externall manner in respect that the flesh of Christ which is giuen in the Sacrament is receiued by a spiritual secret maner which is not seene to the eyes of men In all these respects I call Christ Iesus the heauenly and spirituall thing which is signified by the signes in the Sacrament Now The thing signified must be applyed I say in the end the thing signified must bee applyed to vs. What auaileth it me to see my medicine in a box standing in an Apothecaries shop what can it worke toward me if it be not applyed What auaileth it mee to see my saluation afarre of if it be not applied to mee Therefore it is not enough for vs to see Christ but he must be giuen vs or else he cannot worke health and saluation in vs. And as this saluation is giuen vs wee must haue a mouth to take it What auaileth it mee to see meat before me except I haue a mouth to take it So the thing signified in the Sacrament must be giuen vs by God by the Three persons of the Trinitie one GOD by Christ Iesus who must giue himselfe as he giues himselfe so wee must haue a mouth to take him Suppose he present and offer himselfe yet he can profit and auaile none but them who haue a mouth to receiue him Then ye see what I call the thing signified whole Christ applyed to vs and receiued by vs vvhole Christ God and man without separation of his natures vvithout distinguishing of his substance from his graces All applyed to vs. Then I say seeing we come to the Sacrament to be fed by his flesh and refreshed by his bloud to be fed to an heauenly and spirituall life and seeing there is no profit to be had at this Table without some kinde of preparation therefore let no man prease to come to this holy Table except in some measure hee be prepared Some will be prepared in a greater measure then others alwayes let no man presume to go to it except in some measure his heart be sanctified therefore my exhortation concerning the way whereby euery one of you ought to prepare your selues that yee may fit you the better to this Table is this there is not one of you that commeth to the Table of the Lord that may bring before the Lord his integritie iustice and vprightnes but whosoeuer goeth to the Table of the Lord hee ought to goe with the acknowledging confession of his misery he ought to goe with a sorrowfull hart for the sinnes wherin he hath offended God he ought to goe with a hatred of those sinnes Not to protest that hee is holy iust and vpright but to protest and confesse that he is miserable and of all creatures the most miserable and therefore hee goeth to that Table to get support for his misery to obtaine mercy at the throne of Grace to get remission and forgiuenes of his sinnes to get the gift of repentance that more more he may study to liue vprightly holily and soberly in all time to come Therfore except yee haue entred into this course and haue a purpose to continue in this course to amend your life past to repent you of your sinnes and by the grace of God to liue more vprightly and soberly then yee haue done for Gods cause goe not to the Table For where there is not a purpose to doe well and to repent of necessity there must be a purpose to doe ill and whosoeuer commeth to that Table with a purpose to doe ill and without a purpose to repent he commeth to mock Christ to scorne him to his face to eate his owne present-condemnation So let no man come to that Table that hath not in his hart a purpose to doe better that hath not a hart to sorrow for his sinnes past and thinketh not his former follie and madnesse ouer-great Let no man come to that Table without this vnder the paine of condemnation But if yee haue in your hart a purpose to doe better suppose your former life hath been dissolute and loose yet if yee be touched in your harts with any feeling or remorse of your life past goe not from the Table but come vvith a protestation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to gette grace if vvith a dissolute life I meane not of open slaunders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to doe vvorse for Gods sake abstaine Thus farre of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to bee made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it restes to be told you how the signe is deliuered and hovv the thing signified is deliuered and hovv both are receiued as vvell as they are deliuered This beeing done I shall speake briefely of the other part of the Sacrament vvhich is the vvord And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which wee haue in hand Then to come back againe In the third place How the signe the
whereby they are receiued is visible and corporall The thing signified by the bread and wine is not receiued by the mouth of the body no the Scripture denieth that plainly but it is receiued by the mouth of the soule Then there are two mouthes that bread and that wine which are the signes are receiued by the mouth of the body Christ vvho is the thing signified is receiued by the mouth of the soule that is by a true faith Then bring not to the Lords Table one mouth onely for if yee bring the mouth of your body onely it auaileth nothing but bring with you also the mouth of your soule a constant perswasion in the death of Christ for that is availeable Novv concerning the manner hovv the signes are receiued and the manner how the thing signified is receiued yee may easily knowe that these corporall naturall signes must be receiued after a corporall and naturall maner they must be taken with the hand or mouth of the body Againe a supernaturall thing must be receiued after a supernaturall manner A spirituall thing must be receiued after a spirituall manner So as the signes are corporall and receiued after a corporall manner with the hand or the mouth of the body In like manner the thing signified is spirituall and receiued after a spirituall manner with the hand and mouth of the soule which is true faith Thus yee haue briefely deliuered vnto you the whole preparation that is necessary for the vnderstanding of this Sacrament Now what doctrine gather I from this Of this last point vvhere I say that Christ is the thing signified and cannot be preceiued but by faith cannot be receiued nor digested but by a faithfull soule what kinde of receiuing confirme I in this Sacrament I establish no kind of receiuing of Christ What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament but a spiritual receiuing he can not be perceiued nor receiued but by faith and faith is spirituall Therefore in this Sacrament I establish onely a spiritual taking of Christ not a carnall or fleshly receiuing This is the ground Novv let vs see what inconuenience can follow vpon this ground Inconueniences cast in by the Papists against the spirituall receiuing of Christ in the Sacrament The Papists say that vpon this ground this inconuenience shall follow If there be no receiuing of Christ but a spirituall receiuing then say they your Sacrament is in vaine this Sacrament of the Lords Supper was instituted to no end And what is their reason If there be no way to receiue Christ say the Papists but by faith what need you then a Sacrament Yee receiue Christ by faith in the word by the naked and simple preaching of the word ye get faith So the simple word may serue the turne What need haue ye of a Sacrament if ye get not some new thing in the Sacrament which yee could not get in the word This is their Argument whereof ye see their conclusion to be this Wee get no other new thing in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is superfluous then we doe in the vvord if there be no receiuing but spirituall Ergo The Sacrament is superfluous VVee admit the Antecedent to bee true vvee get no other thing nor no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we got in the word I would haue thee deuise and imagine vvith thy selfe what new thing thou vvouldest haue let the hart of man deuise imagine and wish he durst neuer haue thought to haue such a thing as the Sonne of GOD hee durst neuer haue presumed to haue pearced the clowdes to haue ascended so high as to haue craued the Sonne of GOD in his flesh to be the foode of his soule Hauing the Sonne of God thou hast him who is the heire of all things who is King of heauen and earth and in him thou hast all things What more then canst thou wish What better thing canst thou wish Hee is equall with the Father one in substance with the Father true GOD true man vvhat more canst thou wish Then I say vvee get no other thing in the Sacrament then wee had in the vvord content thee vvith this But suppose it be so yet the Sacrament is not superfluous But wouldest thou vnderstand what new thing thou obtainest what other thing thou gettest I will tell thee Refutation of the first Inconuenience Suppose thou get that same thing which thou haddest in the vvord yet thou gettest that same thing better What is that better Thou obtainest a greater and surer hold of that same thing in the Sacrament then thou hadst by the hearing of the vvord That same thing which thou possessedst by the hearing of the word thou doost possesse now more largely it hath larger bounds in thy soule by the receiuing of the Sacrament then other-wise it could haue by the hearing of the word onely Then wilt thou aske what new thing wee get I say wee get this new thing we get Christ better then before we get the thing which we had more fully that is with a surer apprehension then we had it before we gette a greater hold of Christ now For by the Sacrament my faith is nourished the boundes of my soule are enlarged and so whereas I had but a little hold of Christ before as it were betweene my finger and my thumbe now I get him in my whole hand and still the more that my faith groweth the better hold I get of Christ Iesus So the Sacrament is very necessary and if it were no more but to get Christ better and to get a faster apprehension of him by the Sacrament then vvee could haue before Now if it were true that the Sacrament is superfluous by the same reason it shold follow also that the repetition of the Sacrament is superfluous For when yee come to the Sacrament the second time ye get no other thing then yee did the first time vvhen ye come vnto the Sacrament the third time yet get no other thing then yee did the first time and yet no man will say that the third and second comming is a superfluous thing And vvhy Because by the second comming my faith is augmented I vnderstand better I growe in knowledge I growe in apprehension I grow in feeling and in getting the growth of all these as oft as I come there is no man will say that the oft comming to the Sacrament is superfluous if it were euerie day once So their first inconuenience auailes not Wee get no new thing in the Sacrament Ergo the Sacrament is superfluous Thus farre for the first Then there depends another thing on the same ground If Christ be not perceiued but by faith then say we no wicked body can perceiue him hee that lacketh faith cannot perceiue him He that lacketh faith may perceiue that Sacrament of that bread and that vvine and may eate of that bread and drinke of