THE DIVINE POVRTRAIT OR A true and liuely Representation of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper with our due Preparation how to receiue the same worthily Delivered in a Sermon at the Reformed Church of Paris on Easter day last By Monsieur Iohn Mestrezat Minister of the Word of God there Vpon these words of our Saviour This is my Body Englished by John Reynolds LONDON Printed by A. M. for G. Baker and are to be sold at his shop neere Charing-crosse 1631. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable Most Religious and Vertuous Lady MARIE Countesse of DORSET Gouernesse to our High and Hopefull young Lord and Master Prince Charles MADAME KNovving and considering that your Honour as a sanctified vessell of Pietie and as another Elect Ladie spendes the greatest part of your time and of your Selfe in Prayer and in the sweet and sacred calmes of Heavenly Meditations and Contemplations And that you make and esteeme the first to bee as indeed it is your chiefest Ioy the second your greatest Delight and both of them your divinest Ambition and Felicitie heere on Earth I therefore according to the dignitie of your merits and the qualitie of my duetie doe heere embolden my selfe most humbly to present and Dedicate to your Honour a small Translation of mine from French Of a Sermon lately delivered by a worthie Servant of the Lord in the Protestant Church of Paris vpon the firmest poynt of our Faith and the greatest and most Sacred Mysterie of our Salvation The Lords most blessed Supper And if my affection to the Authour thereof doe not deceiue my iudgment He hath drawen this Divine Pourtrait of that blessed Sacrament so divinely and so artificially and curiously depaynted it at life according to the sacred Will and Testament of the Great and Heavenly Institutour thereof Our Lord and Saviour CHRIST IESVS as I both hope with confidence and presume with safetie that your Honour will receiue it graciously behold it affectionately and loue and cherish it religiously and consequently that all other Readers will doe the like by the powerfull Influence of your Honourable President and pious Example And in regard that your constant Pietie and inflamed Zeale towards God as the Queene of all your other relucent Vertues generally makes you to bee rather admyred then imitated of the best and Noblest Ladyes of Great BRITAINE Therefore neither to flatter your Honour or to infringe the truth I confidently beleeue that this Pietie and this Zeale of yours was the primarie cause which first mooved God to mooue and inspire the heart of our Potent and Prudent King to giue you the Superintendencie over his young Son our Prince A singular favour of God a most speciall honour of our Soveraigne towards you which yet your Honour deserved before desired and received before you any way expected or dreamt thereof And the which so infinitely reioyceth the hearts and and soules of the most and best of all his Subiects that they tryumph in this his Maiesties happie choyce and election of you and in your Honourable and Vertuous Administration over this our Royall Faglet As fully hoping and therefore perfectly assuring themselues that as you are now made Governesse to the first Sonne of one of the first and greatest Kings of the world So that your Illustrious vertues in your selfe your watchfull eye over him and vigilant care of and for him will by Gods propitious Favour and Assistance infallibly crowne his Royall Parents with true Content and their Kingdomes and Subiects with perfect Felicitie to see this Princely Blossome and Royall Plant futurely flourish and sprout foorth to be one of the loftyest Cedars of Christendome and next to our Sacred Soveraigne King CHARLES his Father the greatest Champion of Christ and his Gospell and the Truest Defender of his Heavenly Spouse the Church And Madame because if wee make Pietie and Religion the Soule of our life heere on Earth That wee are therefore assured God will then heereafter infallibly make it the life of our Soules in Heaven was likewise a strong motive and a most pleasing and acceptable Inducement to me to make this Sermon or Divine Pourtrait of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper to speake English for that this spirituall and celestiall Banquet given by our great Lord and Saviour IESVS CHRIST to his beloved Apostles and in them to vs a little before his glorious departure and ascension from Earth to Heaven is the very true life and essence yea the spirituall Food and sacred Manna whereby all faithfull and regenerate Christians are eternally incorporated into Christ and Christ into them A sweet and sacred Meditation for every one to know and contemplate and also most infinitely necessarie for all by a liuely Faith verie often and frequently to apply vnto their Consciences and Soules because it is a matchlesse Iewell and an inestimable Treasure which includeth all earthly riches and compriseth and containes all Heavenly benefits and felicities in it Neither am I or so Ignorant or so Presumptuous to direct this Sermon of the Lords Supper to your Honour out of the least shadow of any premeditated intent or purpose thereby to instruct or teach you in this sacred Mysterie of your Salvation because contrariwise I firmely know that your Honour is truely able to teach and infinitely capable to instruct others therein But I did it purposely to recreate your Zeale and to foment and cherish your Pietie in this your solemne Preparation to receiue that blessed Sacrament now at this approaching great and ioyfull Feast of Easter and next therevnto as an eternall pledge and testimony of my dutie to your Honors Service The operation â—ind benefite which the reading and meditating of this small Booke may worke in your heart and soule I wholly leaue to the Divine Providence and Pleasure of Almightie God whom I religiously pray may ever blesse your Honor and yours with all true prosperitie and happinesse in this life and with all perfect felicity and glory in that to come Aprill 2. 1631. Your Honours humblest servant Iohn Reynolds THE TRANSLATOR his Preface to the Christian Reader IT was with a holy admiration and a religious and sanctified zeale that the Royall Prophet King David contemplating on the excellency of Gods creatures and meditating on the preheminence and dignitie which hee gaue man over them Cryed out Psal 8.4 O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the world And what is man that thou art so mindefull of him and the Sonne of man that thou visitest him If David who was a liuely Type and Figure of Christ were rapt into this spirituall extasie of admiration and ioy when he considered of Gods power and providence in the workes of his creation How much more infinitly and thankfully should wee poore miserable sinners reioyce with true admiration and admire with perfect ioy at the vnspeakable and incomprehensible love of God towards mankinde Phil. 2.8 Col. 1.14 In giving vp his onely begotten Sonne Christ
towards him should wee have such stupid and senseles hearts that the Lords great compassion towards vs should nothing move or stirre them vp and such frozen soules that the burning charity of Iesus Christ dying for vs could not heate and inflame them in his love Should wee wilfully offend so great a goodnes in him when we see hee hath spared nothing for vs Or is it possible that so great yea so extream an ingratitude hath possessed our hearts and seized our soules as to displease God who hath loved vs so infinitely as not to spare his onely Sonne for vs. II. I speak of the foulnesse and odiousnesse of sinne which appeares in this Crosse for shal we not hate sinne which is so displeasing and odious to the eyes of our heavenly Father that he would redeeme and expiate it with the death of his Son Of a truth if we repute esteeme not Christs blood for a light and triviall thing needs must sin bee very odious grievous vnto vs and then needes must Iesus Christ crucified be vnto vs the powerfull motiue to crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie in vs all that which is of the old man and of sinne III. We haue the example of our dutie In this Sacrament O Christian thou seest the sacrifice of the Sonne of God which is a lesson to teach thee to present thy body vnto God as a living holy and pleasing sacrifice The patterne and modell of thy sanctification consisteth in breaking and chasticing in thee the Old man as thou seest the body of Christ broken on the Crosse and consequently to dye vnto sinne as thou seest him dead What wilt thou now liue vnto that for which Iesus Christ dyed and his flesh which he crucified on the Crosse shall it againe reviue and assume life and full and perfect vigour in thy members Rom. 6 5. Must thou not bee made the very same plant with Iesus Christ conformably to his death to wit that the body of sin be destroyed in thee to the end that thou no more nor no longer serue sinne But amongst the parts of sanctification Charitie and loue towards our neighbours is particularly requisite and required in this Sacrament according to that of the Apostle Iohn 4.10,11 Heerein is that loue not that we loved God but that hee loved vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes Adding likewise thereunto Beloved if God so loued vs we ought also to loue one the other Wilt thou refuse O Christian to loue and assist thy neighbour for whom thou seest that Christ Iesus refused not to shed his blood Wilt thou refuse to giue bread to him to whom Iesus Christ refused not his body See therefore in this Sacrament that which thou owest to thy neighbour to wit not onely to expose thy goods but thy life for him at least if thou thinke to haue any part in Iesus Christ according to that of Saint Iohn 2. Iohn 3.16,17 Heereby have wee perceived love that hee layed downe his life for vs therefore wee ought also to lay downe our lives for our brethren and whosoever hath the goods of this world and seeth his brother have need and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the love of God in him Thou therefore who knowest not what it is to give vnto the poore and to comfort the afflicted art thou not amazed and confounded in thy selfe to consider and behold that Christ died for those with whose poverty and misery thou art so little or rather nothing at all moved or touched Thou also who contemnest thy neighbour as thy inferiour and vnworthy of thy company behold how our Saviour Christ placeth him at the same table with thee and nourisheth him with the same meat and gives him his owne Cup as to thy selfe and thou who livest in contention and division with thy neighbours behold how Christ in this Sacrament cals thee to the Communion of one and the same body and will that wee who are many be one onely bread and one onely body partaking of the same bread as the Apostle speakes to the Corinthians 1. Corint 10.3 The fourth Act and duety which must bee ingendered and propagated in our hearts by the meditation of this blessed Sacrament is patience and consolation in afflictions Dost thou see Gods Church persecuted It is the Body of Iesus Christ which is againe broken and his blood which is shed that which was the condition of this body on the Crosse and which is presented to thee in this Sacrament the same is the condition of the mysticall body on earth What my brethren doe wee so often see Christs body broken by the Sacrament to bee afterwards so strangly affrighted and astonished to see the Church which is the body of Christ to suffer the like measure and fortune here on earth Let vs therefore learne by this Sacrament That Iesus Christ crucified is our ensigne here on earth and that wee thereby know that we are asommoned and called to his Crosse and that wee are indeed his true body and members if wee suffer with him to the end that we may likewise be glorified with him Say then all yee who see this Sacrament Heb. 13.13 Let vs goe forth therefore to him out of the Campe bearing his reproach Col. 1.24 Let vs accomplish and beare the sufferings of Christ in our flesh for his bodies sake which is his Church yea let vs every where 2. Corint 4.10 beare about in our bodies the death of Iesus Christ and that the life of our Lord Christ may bee manifested in our mortall bodies and all in general let vs comfort our selues in our afflictions and present and figure this beleife to our hearts and minds that they come not from God who punisheth our sinnes in his wrath and indignation sith this Sacrament testifieth that those punishments and revenges have alighted and fallen on Iesus Christ himself when his body was broken and his blood shed and spilt on the Crosse but they proceed simply from God chasticing correcting approving and teaching vs as a Father 1 Cor. 11.32 that wee bee not condemned with the world Hebr. 12.10 that here below being made Partakers of his holynesse wee may hereafter in heaven bee made Partakers of his felicity and glory The fifth Function which the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper should produce in vs is our hope of heavenly felicitie according as Christ Iesus himselfe said to his disciples at the celebration of this Sacrament Mat. 26.29 I will drinke no more of the fruit of the vine vntill that day that I shall drinke it new with you in my Fathers Kingdome by which words Iesus Christ will now raise and elevate our hearts from the feast which he makes vs here below in his favour to that which he will hereafter make vs above in his glory and whereof he feast or banquet which he makes vs here
thee in the Lord Yet because I am an humble Seruant to Christ both in my desires and affections aswell as I am the shaddow and Echo of my Author in this my translation Therefore I trust in the goodnesse of God and hope in the integritie of mine owne heart that I shall rather right thee then any way wrong him in presuming poorly to gleane after his rich haruest by aduenturing to propose and give thee a word or two of spirituall aduice and directions of mine owne vpon the receiuing of this blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper before I commend this Divine Pourtrait thereof to thee thee to it and you both vnto God When therefore thou resoluest Iam. 4.8 to draw neere vnto God that God may draw neer vnto thee by receiving and partaking of this his blessed Sacrament Thou must in the innocency of thy heart and the purity of thy soule 1 Pet. 5.6 first humble thy selfe vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt thee Iam. 4.10 And cast thy selfe downe before him that hee may lift thee vp 1 Cor. 15.34 Thou must awake to live righteously and resolue to sinne no more but henceforth to become a new man and a new Christian Gal. 3.24 for they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof Thou must set thy affections on things which are above and not on things which are on the Earth Phil. 3.20 Anâ— thy conuersation must bee iâ— heaven from whence thoâ— must expect thy Sauiour eveâ— the Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 5.25 Foâ— if thou live in the spirit thoâ— must also walke in the spirit Psal 4.4 Thou must tremble but nâ—… sinne and thou must examinâ— thy selfe vpon thy bed Psal 68 1â— Foâ— God will try thee as siluer iâ— tryed Thou must not deceive thy selfe Galat. 6.7 for God wilâ— not bee mocked Thou musâ— not be hot in thy sinnes anâ— cold and frozen in thy devotion and piety towardâ— God neither must thou seeme now to bee that in thy humility and zeale which thou art not Because Hypocrisie towards God proves treacherie towards our owne soules But runne thou a Contrary Course with thy heart and soule at thy receiving of this great act of thy Saluation this blessed Sacrament for bee thou the death of thy sinnes and then God will assuredly be the life of thy Soule As for those who either vnworthily receiue or carelesly deferre or wilfully contemne the receiving of this blessed Sacrament they doe assuredly spin out the webbe of their owne damnation and so being dead in the Lethargie of their owne securitie and prophanesse they hood-wincked ride post to Hell Consider and remember with thy selfe Ioel. 1.15 That the day of the Lord is at hand 2 Pet. 3.10 And that death and destruction comes from the Lord as a Thiefe in the night That death the grimme Pursivant and Sergeant of the Lord dâ—th neither spare nor pardon any sexe or age but with his fatall Dart and Mace without respect or difference aresteth as well the King as the begger the Priest as the people and the young as the old Wee must not therefore put farre from vs the evill day Amos. 6.3,4,5 nor stretch our selues on our beds of Ivorie nor sing to the sound of the Violl wherby the Prophet meanes all excesse of riot and vnderstandeth all degree of obscene pleasures and beastly voluptuousnesse For if we love God we must honour him and if we will honour him wee must loue him Amos 6.3,4,5 And not wearie him with our sinnes nor presse him downe with their burthen as a Cart is with Sheafes Consider wee againe That as there is but one way forvs to come into the world so that there are a thousand waies to go out of it That we are subiect to as many diseases as sinnes yea and that diseases doe as frequently and as insensibly steale into our bodyes as sinnes doe into our soules That wee are never neerer death then when we think our selues farthest from it and that when we suppose our selues to be strongest in Nature wee commonly are then weakest in Grace As also that a theeuish Impostume a poore Apoplexie a Cut-throat Squinancy or a fierce and furious visitation of the Pestilence doth many times in a moment of time violently snatch vs away from the world and the world from vs yea and which is more to be admired though no lesse to bee pittied That some times in the very twinckling of an Eye we are choaked with a Fly a Kernell of an apple a crumm of bread or a small Fish bone Or else have our braynes dashd out with a fall either from a Horse or a staire O therfore how seriously ought we to ponder in our hearts and how maturely and religiously to consider in our soules how extreame dangerous it is for vs to procrastinate and deferre and consequently how infinitely necessary expedieÌ„t it is for vs frequently to receiue this blessed SacrameÌ„t of the Lords Supper Consider wee further Iam 4.14 That wee cannot tell what shall betyde vs to morrow for that our life is but a Vapour that appeareth for a smal time and then vanisheth away 1 Pet. 1.24 That all flesh is grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse and that the grasse withereth the flower thereof falleth away Heb. 13.14 That we haue no abiding Citie heere but must therefore seeke one to come which is aboue That as the tree falleth it lyes That there is no sorrowing for our sins in the grave and that after our death there is no place nor hope left vs for a second repentance Heb. 10 31 And that it is a feare full thing to fall into the hands of the living God Armed in this manner with a lively faith towards God and with periect love and Charity towards our neighbour and having freed and cleared those sinfull spots of our hearts and reformed and cleansed those foule affections and imperfections of our soules by our vnfeigned godly repentance and sorow And having now assumed and taken vp a firme resolution ever hereafter Eph. 5.10 to approve and doe that which is pleasing to the Lord And contracted a solemne Covenant betweene God and our souls Eph. 5.11 never any more to have any fellowship with the workes of darkenesse but reprove them and not henceforth to dare to looke back with affection on our forepast deerest and darling sinnes but with infinite hatred detestation of them Then I say let vs follow the aduice of the Apostle Heb. 4.16 Let vs goe vp boldly to the Throne of Grace that wee may receive mercy Let vs goe boldly to this table to this pretious banket of the Lords blessed Supper and eat that sacred bread of his body and drinke that heavenly wine of his blood in a strong Confidence and CoÌ„memoration That Christ dyed for vs on the Altar of
transgressions of men was hidden and over-clouded from them by the vaile of Ceremonies Whereas heere O ye faithfull Christians Iesus Christ calles you to the publicke Meditation and Contemplation of his death and of the pardon and remission of your sinnes to refresh and fill your soules with peace and felicity And for which cause and reason hee saith in Saint Iohn Ioh. 6.35 Whosoever comes vnto mee shall not bee hungry and those who trust in mee shall not bee dry or thirsty And therefore Iesus Christ taking bread said Take eat and then hee added thereunto This is my Body So that which hee came from taking of and which he held to wit Bread he said it was his body A thing which hee then spake most easily and clearely For as there was not the smalest Child among the Iewes but vnderstood when the Father of his family said Take eat this is the Bread of misery which our Fore-fathers did eat in Egypt that this Bread was so named and called by the Father of the family because it was a Commemoration of the bread of affliction which their Fore-fathers had eaten in Egypt according as it is said in Deutr. Deut. 16.3 Vnder the Law seven dayes thou shalt eat vnleavened Bread which is Bread of affliction because thou didst hastily depart and fly away from Egypt So there was none so ignorant or simple but vnderstood well That Christ said the bread was his body because hee was the Cōmemoration therof and as the vnleavened bread had beene yearly or dayned for a Memoriall or Comemoration of the miseries which the Israelites had suffered in Egypt That Iesus Christ established Bread to remaine till the end of the world the signe and Commemoration of his Body offered on the Crosse which againe was cleare and evident because they named the Lambe which they did eat Pasque an Hebrew word which signifieth Passeover and which every one well vnderstood in that Language Where wilt thou said the Apostles to Iesus Christ Mat. 26.17 that wee prepare for thee the Passeover The Lambe which they eat was so called because it was instituted in Memory and Cōmemoration of the Passing over of the destroying Angell from above and beyond the Israelites houses And in this same sense they easily vnderstood that the Bread was called the body of Iesus Christ because it was purposely instituted to bee the Remembrance or Commemoration of his body offred on the Crosse for the sinnes of the world Now although this were sufficiently cleare and palpable of it selfe yet obserue heer the singular bounty goodnesse and wisedome of Iesus Christ to repell and prevent the errour which hee foresaw In that he conioyned and added thereunto as Saint Luke and Saint Paul affirme it in expresse tearmes Doe this in remembrance of me Is there not heer then iust cause to admire and wonder that after all this That Bread should bee vnderstood by transubstantiation to be the body of Iesus Christ and farre different and otherwise then by Remembrance or Commemoration From whence it necessarily results and followes That in the Church of Rome a morsell of Bread is adored for the body and person of Iesus Christ The Sacrament and Remembrance having beene confounded with that whereof it is the Sacrament and commemoration So then Christ Iesus said This is my Body This is my blood and yet not simply so but according as Saint Luke tels vs Luc. 22.19 Which is given for vs and as Saint Paul affirmes Which is broken for you So then Christ representing vs his body vnderstands thereby that hee hath beene delivered vp for vs to the Crosse that is to say that hee hath beene broken and sacrificed And likewise for the Cup he said This is my Blood which is shed for you speaking in tearmes of the time present and not only for regard of what hee knew should befall him the very next day in respect of the truth thereof But also because hee gave and rendred in a present figure that which should bee done on the Crosse the fraction of Bread being a true and lively representation of the fraction of his body as a canon of the Church of Rome acknowledgeth it in these words De consecr Dist 2. Canon Hoc est quod The immomolation of the flesh of Christ which is done by the Priests hands is tearmed the Passion Death and crucifiing of Iesus Christ but not by the truth of the thing but by the signification of the mystery thereof From whence doth clearly result and stream foorth vnto vs two especiall things The one that in the same manner that the breaking or fraction of bread in the Lords Supper is the breaking of Christs body So in the same manner the Bread is the body of Christ but the breaking of bread in the Lords Supper is the fraction and crucifying of Christs body not by the truth or realitie of the thing but by the signification of the mysterie And so likewise the bread is the body of Iesus Christ yet not by the truth or realitie of the thing but by the signification of the mysterie The other branch or point which results hereof is That this holy Supper is the sacrifice of Iesus Christ not by the truth of the thing but by the signification of the mysterie and that it is not a sacrifice but a remembrance and commemoration of a Sacrifice As indeed Christ offered vp no oblation to God but brake the bread and gave it to his Disciples From whence beloved in the Lord you plainely see that to esteeme and hold the Lords Supper to bee a reall sacrifice wherein Iesus Christ hath offered himselfe vp a propitiatory Sacrifice for the sinnes of the living and the dead Is a humane Inuention opposite and contrary to the Institution of Iesus Christ and to the vse of this Sacrament which was ordained to shew foorth and proclaime his death and passion And likewise it is contrary to the onely oblation of the crosse the Apostle Saint Paul affirming to the Hebrewes Heb. 10.10 That we are sanctified by the oblation once made of the body of Iesus Christ and therefore that there is no more oblation for sinne II Point or generall Head Thus much for the sense of Christs words And now faithfull Christians to whom God hath revealed and made knowen the truth and puritie of these high and sacred mysteries come and meditate on these words of the Sonne of God all which Heaven hath of most admirable sweet and delitious And you godly soules who iustly hunger and thirst for this grace and mercy of the Lord come you to feed and refresh your selues with the fat of the house of God and to quench your thirst in the River of his delights But first wee here require two things of you that is to say some Meditations and then some Functions of the heart proceeding from these meditations and both which on these words This is my Body which is broken for you This
chiefe and principall Meditation which wee require of you in this obiect is three things I. Of Christs great debasing and making himselfe as it were nothing II. Of the horror and grievousnesse of sinne as the direct opposition of the perfect sanctity and absolute holinesse of God III. Of the immense love and charity of Iesus Christ towards vs. I speake first of Christs great debasing and esteeming himselfe nothing For if you formerly vnderstand and remember Iesus Christ abased himselfe so low as to cloath and incorporate himselfe with our wretched nature and to make himselfe after the simple semblance of men But here behold him now hee makes himselfe lesse then man as he saith in the Psalmes Psal 22.6 I am a Worme and no man the shame of men and the contempt of the People Behold how he makes himselfe a Sacrifice and assumes and takes on him the condition of Beasts which were slain in the ancient Law for the sinnes of men O Lord Iesus who can sufficiently comprehend the depth of this thy extreame humiliation and making thy selfe as nothing who from the heavenly Throne of thy glory hast been placed in forme of a Victime vpon the Altar of the Crosse And that thou wouldest die yea die a shamefull and most ignominious death for vs according as it is written Gal. 3.13 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree From this passe wee on to the second thing which is the Consideration of the horrour grieveousnesse yea and the odiousnesse of Sin For I pray you how wicked was it in it selfe and how execrable in the eyes of God that the onely Sonne of God must needs suffer such grievous paines and torments The Law did well shew the odiousnes and abomination of Sin by the Sacrifices and Aspersions of blood which it required for the Expiation thereof But all that is nothing in Comparison of this which the Gospell shewes vs because these Sacrifices and Aspersions of the Law were of Beasts and of the blood of Beasts but heer it is the onely begotten Son of God who hath beene given to death to expiate sinne and to cover the foulnesse and enormitie thereof Behold then O Sinners with astonishment by the greatnesse of the satisfaction the horrour of this sinne and thereby to learne to hate and detest it Nature to shew how grievous and odious sinne was since the fall of Adam became harried over with thorns and briars and changed many of her plants into poysons The aire grew thicke with stormes and was many times infected to punish sinners The Sea impetuously mounted her angry waues and surges and caused infinite shipwrackes Adams owne person and his posterity strayed from his temper and by sicknesse and diseases had drawen the Empire of death into his owne entrailes and bowels mans wisedome was obscured with ignorance and tormented with irregular and extravagant passions and all this befell and hapned to the world for sinne But now behold Heaven who against sinne and to the end and intent to expiate and destroy it delivers vp to death that which it had and held dearest and to reproach and shame that which it held and possest of most glorious For here God the Father of heauen exposeth his sweetest delights to the bitter torments of the Crosse Heere Christ Iesus his onely beloved Son who yeeldeth abandoneth his life and who to destroy sinne so extreamly hee hates it doth voluntarily and willingly destroy himselfe And heere considering and meditating further how odious sinne is to God let vs admire how perfect Gods iustice and sanctitie is let vs say that here it is where this sanctitie manifesteth it selfe at full in her brightest Orient It is in this mysterie that the Seraphims crie Holy holy holy the Eternall of Armies for if he shew forth his righteousnes and sanctitie here below in punishing and ruining some of his creatures by his iudgements how much more doth hee manifest it by the death of his onely beloved Sonne to whom sinne presented it selfe to be punished Come we now to the third mediation which wee require of you wherein we may behold the exreame debasing annihilating of the Son of God to see the immense Loue both of this heauenly Father and Sonne towards vs for that the Son hath beene so grievously handled and tormented for vs. What Abyssus of affection and mercy is this towards man Is there any minde or spirit though angelical which cannot bee ravished and swallowed vp heereat Prophane Infidells and Atheists who are incredulous of the mysteries of the Christian faith Know ye that it shewes you the highest charity and perfectest sanctitie that the heart or wit of man can possibly comprehēd or conceiue And of God bee a soveraigne sanctitie an immense charity and goodnesse as his being cannot bee but all perfection know that the new Testament sheweth God to men and reveales them this vnexpressable and incomprehensible sanctity and charity which is the same that Saint Iohn said 1. Iohn 4.16 God is Love and hee that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him c. That God is Charity and in this is manifested his Charity For that God hath sent his onely Sonne into the world to the end that wee live by him and in this againe is Charity not that we have loved God but because hee hath loved vs and hath given his Sonne to bee a propitiation for our sinnes And heer it is that the new Testament hath many great aduantages and singular benefits and prerogatives above the old one of the Law Seeing that herein God fully discovereth the rich Treasures of his goodnesse In nature we see GODS goodnesse towards man for that for a time hee entertaines and maintaines himselfe in life by the death of Beasts whose flesh serues him for food and sustenance But here God gives and purchaseth to man an eternall life by the death of his onely Sonne Here hee gives to man not his Creatures as in the creation but his onely well beloued Sonne himselfe yea and to sinfull man Wherefore it is that the Apostle affirmes to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a Mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and Iesus Christ tels vs That none having ever seene God it is he that hath revealed him to vs. Faithfull brethren in the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstandings and see how God manifesteth himselfe and how he makes himselfe palpably visible to you by this immense Love and Charity which this Sacrament of the Eucharist presenteth and representeth to your eyes If then on these words This is my Body you have meditated on the Love and Charity of Christ humbling himselfe so low as to cloth himselfe with our weake body and nature then meditate on this greater degree of Charity which hath caused him to assume the forme of a servāt for vs which was already exceeding much to him who was the Creator and the King of glory
please to take vp and embrace this saying of the blessed Apostle Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and also holynesse without which no man shall see God and againe to the same purpose Ephe. 4.15 Let vs fellow the truth in loue and in all things grow vp in him who is the Head to wit Iesus Christ To call our religion in questioÌ„ is to doubt therof and to halt betweene two opinions in matters of saith is with the Luke-warme Laodicean to be of neither I know wee are commanded by the Apostle To make our election sure and taught by the Prophet Hosh 4.14 That the people who doe not vnderstand shall fall I likewise know that curiositie in matters of Faith and Religion is dangerous and that for being too curious in prying into the sacred secrets of God it is a fatall Rocke whereon some excellent iudgements have suffered Shipwracke wilfully and a world of weake wits ignorantly That Gods vnrevealed mysteries and purposes are as secret as sacred and as occult and abstruse as they are divine and that wee are positively told and taught by the Prophet Isa 40.28 That there is no searching out of Gods vnderstanding VVherefore as I envy no man for his religion so I prayse and blesse my Redeemer I am not so wretchedly instructed in piety as to deny mine to the world much lesse to dare to desemble it to God It shall suffice mee that I had rather beleeue the truth then quarell with it and farre sooner and with more alacritie and promptitude to embrace and follow it then to contend or contest against it As therefore wee cannot beleeue in God before wee first know him So wee cannot perfectly know this Sacrament of his blessed Supper except we first beleeve in it and in the pure truth and naked vertue and integritie thereof I am not therefore of the vnion or communion of those vncatholique Romanists who are carnall and not spirituall eaters of this blessed Sacrament and who tye their implicite faith onely to the bare letter not to the true sense and to the sight not to the figure or commemoration which this heavenly mysterie infoldeth and containes VVho can dispense with their consciences yea with their soules rather to eat their God then to obey him and daily to teare his blessed body in peeces with them teach as they doe hourly with their sinnes and who rely on their own poore wretched merits rather then on Christs rich promises or on the inestimable treasor of his blessed death and passion premised and prefigured vnto vs in the bread and wine of his sacred Supper But for my part I really and confidently beleeue that Christs owne words Take eat and drinke this in remembrance of me doth make this Sacrament of his holy Supper to bee a mysticall not a corporall a spirituall and not a carnall sacrifice But to leave Controversie and contention to those who love them in and about this divine doctrine of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper and to come to that which more neerly and narrowly concearnes our edification to Christ and sanctification by Christ I ioyfully affirme and averre That it hath bene a great part and degree of my earthly selicity to have heard many excellent Sermons and seene and read many comfortable Tracts vpon this sacred Supper of the Lord aswell on this side as beyond the seas and preached and written aswell by the Samts of God abroad as by our owne English Saints and Seruants of the Lord here at homâ—… who have most painfulâ—… and industriously travellâ—… heerein with much truâ—… glory to God with infiniâ—… prayse and honour to theâ—… selues and with a world oâ— consolation and happinesâ—… to their Christian Auditorâ— and Readers have piously chalked them out the truâ— and safe way to Heaven and most divinely pointed and shewed them the righteous path-way and glorious narrow way to God And now by Gods providence and mercy meeting very lately with a Sermon of that heavenly nature preached on Easter day last to the famous and flourishing assembly of the Protestants in the reformned Church of Paris at Charenton vpon these words of our Lord and Saviour in the blessed Sacrament of his last Supper This is my body By the learned and reverend Seruant of the Lord Monsieur Iohn Mestrezat the first Pastor and minister of that great and godly congregation and the worthy Successor of that famous divine Monsr P. Du. Moulins the great light of his time and Ornament of his Church I say I no sooner seriously perused and religiously considered it but finding it to bee pend in an elegant excellent phrase and digested and cast into a most spirituall order aâ—… method at last after â— short parlie with my soulâ—… and a little reluctation wiâ—… my resolutions God nâ—… only suggested but coÌ„maâ—ded me to teach it to speaâ— English and especially foâ— these two reasons and considerations I. That the translatioâ— thereof infinitly tended tâ— Gods honour and glory aâ— being a perfect and a promising way to draw many soules to God aswell by their seeing and knowing of it as by practising and putting into execution that sacred discipline and doctrine which it containes II For that the Author and Preacher of it is so worthy a Minister of Gods word as Saint Paul wished and counselled his beloved titus to bee to wit Titus 2.7 That his life is a Patterne and example of good workes and of vncorrupt doctrine gravitie and integritie for to my knowledge as also to all others who know him or his endowments and abilities he is so learned and of so meeke and Saint-like a conuersation that it is a disputable question whether his doctrine doe more crowne and grace his life or his life his doctrine And that thorefore it might well stand with Gods pleasure as it doth referre and conduce to his honour that the reading heereof might refresh and profit some Christians heere in England as well as the preaching thereof hath done many in France As also that as at my residence in Paris I have taken singular delight and comfort to have often heard him preach so consequently that others might doe the like here by visibly reading or tacitly seeing and hearing him preach in this his Sermon or Divine Pourtrait which so lively yea so truly at life representeth the Sacrament of the Lords blessed Supper vnto vs I being as confident of this truth as of this presumption That as in most of his Sermons hee excelleth and surpasseth others so in this that hee hath infinitly both surpassed and exceld himselfe And although Christian Reader I have formerly in this my Preface expressed and signified to thee that this little yet most excellent Sermon of his doth most sweetly shew thee the sure the righteous way to heaven and to God and with a happines peraduenture beyond expectation hath most fully performed and most diuinely acted thee that part whereunto I will referre and commend